State Government Performance and Results

Washington state is committed to performance management and budgeting. This page provides information and links to planning, spending and performance data on state government agencies. Our new Performance Measure Guide (Aug. 2009) includes definitions, guidelines, resource links, and more.

In high-performing agencies, these things are aligned:

• Planning - The agency has a clear mission and strategic plan for achieving it.
• Budgeting - Its budget is funded to achieve the highest value services, and funds are spent prudently.
• Monitoring - The agency monitors spending and performance, and reports the results it achieves for customers and citizens.
• Analyzing and responding - The agency collects useful data and acts on it.

(Adapted from Governor Gregoire's Management Framework (pdf).)

Planning

Strategic Plans provide a structure for budget decisions by answering key questions: Where are we today? Where do we want to be? How do we close the gap?

The first step in preparing biennial budget requests is the Office of Financial Management (OFM) directing agencies to prepare strategic plans (pdf).

Budgeting for performance

Activity Inventories summarize major work of an agency, the expected results of that work, and budget amounts associated with the activity. Activity Reports are a snapshot of funding and performance at specific points in the budget process, including when the Governor's Proposed Budget is submitted to the legislature and when the legislative budget is finalized.

Performance Progress Reports provide more frequent information, usually quarterly, about the performance of each agency activity. Under the State Budgeting, Accounting and Reporting Act (RCW 43.88.090), state agencies are required to set performance objectives for each major activity that measure whether the agency is making progress and achieving results.

Washington's innovative Priorities of Government (POG) process focuses on whether activities deliver results that matter to citizens, and prioritizes spending on the most effective strategies. POG helps OFM and the Governor develop a proposed budget for 10 key result areas. The final budget adopted by the Legislature becomes the blueprint for spending for the next two years (biennium). OFM's Budget page provides more detail, including a Glossary of budget terms (pdf).

Monitoring

Various fiscal reports show the status of planned and actual expenditures:

• Operating Budget Expenditures provide a two-page, high-level summary of each agency's spending and revenue, displayed by traditional accounting objects (salaries, benefits, contracts, travel, debt service, etc.).
• Financial Status Reports provide greater detail about agency expenditures, revenues, staff (FTE) and fund balances, organized by agency program.
• Capital Budget Expenditures show the status of spending for agencies that have capital projects.
• The Legislative Evaluation and Accountability Program (LEAP) maintains an interactive spending web site.
• OFM's Statewide Accounting maintains the state's administrative and accounting manual and publishes a variety of financial and audit reports.

Analyzing and responding

Performance Assessments are conducted by OFM to analyze whether agency performance measures demonstrate progress toward statewide results.

In February 2009, OFM completed a statewide Transportation Progress Report (pdf) (or "Attainment Report") identifying key objectives and performance measures for the state's transportation goals. OFM completed the first transportation baseline report, proposing objectives and performance measures, in Jan. 2008.

Government Management Accountability and Performance (GMAP) is a management tool established by Governor Chris Gregoire to hold state agencies accountable by evaluating which programs are achieving results, operating efficiently and taking action in "real time" to make course corrections. GMAP Reports use performance measures to hold agencies accountable for improving results that matter to customers and citizens.

In 2005, the State Auditor's Office (SAO) received authority through citizen's initiative to conduct performance audits. Performance audits determine whether agency programs effectively and efficiently deliver intended results. In contrast, financial audits rely on accounting principles and use standard procedures to determine the financial health of an organization. Governor Gregoire, OFM, and state agencies strongly support use of performance audits as an important tool to improve government. We take audit suggestions for improvement seriously, and prepare and publish detailed action plans to address any findings.

Every agency must do a self assessment and external assessment of its quality and performance management system under RCW 43.17.390.

Other accountability links are on our Performance Resources page. Have questions or ideas on how to improve this site? Please email Jeffrey Showman.

 

Agency performance and results information

To make information easier to find for each state agency below, we have collected links to planning, budget, and performance and spending information, along with links to other searchable performance and accountability sites. Please note: Not every agency page below will have links to every type of document described above. (Return to top of the page.)

• Accountancy, Board of
• Administrative Hearings, Office of
• African-American Affairs Commission
• Agriculture, Department of
• Archaeology and Historic Preservation, Department of
• Arts Commission
• Asian-Pacific American Affairs Commission
• Attorney General, Office of
• Blind, State School for the
• Caseload Forecast Council
• Central Washington University
• Civil Legal Aid, Office of
• Columbia River Gorge Commission
• Community and Technical College System
• Community, Trade, and Economic Development, Department of
• Corrections, Department of
• County Road Administration Board
• Courts, Administrative Office of
• Court of Appeals
• Criminal Justice Training Commission
• Deaf, State School for the
• Early Learning, Department of
• Eastern Washington State Historical Society
• Eastern Washington University
• Ecology, Department of
• Economic and Revenue Forecast Council
• Education, Board of
• Employment Security Department
• Environmental Hearings Office
• Financial Institutions, Department of
• Financial Management, Office of
• Fish and Wildlife, Department of
• Forensic Investigations Council
• Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board
• Gambling Commission
• General Administration, Department of
• Governor, Office of the
• Growth Management Hearings Office
• Health Care Authority
• Health, Department of
• Higher Education Coordinating Board
• Hispanic Affairs Commission
• Home Care Quality Authority
• Horse Racing Commission
• House of Representatives
• Human Rights Commission
• Indeterminate Sentence Review Board
• Indian Affairs, Governor's Office of
• Industrial Insurance Appeals, Board of
• Information Services, Department of
• Insurance Commissioner, Office of
• Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee
• Joint Legislative Systems Committee
• Joint Transportation Committee
• Judicial Conduct, Commission on
• Labor and Industries, Department of
• Law Enforcement Officers' and Fire Fighters' Plan 2 Retirement Board
• Law Library
• Legislative Evaluation and Accountability Program Committee
• Licensing, Department of
• Lieutenant Governor, Office of
• Liquor Control Board
• Marine Employees' Commission
• Military Department
• Minority and Women's Business Enterprises, Office of
• Municipal Research Council
• Natural Resources, Department of
• Personnel, Department of
• Pilotage Commissioners, Board of
• Pollution Liability Insurance Program
• Public Defense, Office of
• Public Disclosure Commission
• Public Employment Relations Commission
• Public Printer
• Puget Sound Partnership
• Recreation and Conservation Funding Board
• Retirement Systems, Department of
• Revenue, Department of
• Salaries for Elected Officials, Citizen's Commission on
• Secretary of State, Office of the
• Senate
• Sentencing Guidelines Commission
• Services for the Blind, Department of
• Social and Health Services, Department of
• Spokane Intercollegiate Research and Technology Institute
• State Actuary, Office of the
• State Auditor, Office of
• State Conservation Commission
• State Convention and Trade Center
• State Investment Board
• State Lottery
• State Parks and Recreation Commission
• State Treasurer, Office of
• Statute Law Committee
• Superintendent of Public Instruction
• Supreme Court
• Tax Appeals, Board of
• The Evergreen State College
• Traffic Safety Commission
• Transportation Commission
• Transportation Improvement Board
• Transportation, Department of
• University of Washington
• Utilities and Transportation Commission
• Veterans Affairs, Department of
• Volunteer Firefighters, Board for
• Washington State Historical Society
• Washington State Patrol
• Washington State University
• Western Washington University
• Work Force Training and Education Coordinating Board