This page provides a quick overview of the background and present status of this initiative. You can see the relevant statutes which established this process, plus our current General Appropriation Bill which represents the end product of these efforts.

For more information please contact:

Elise Read, Analyst

House Committee on Appropriations

PO Box 44486

Baton Rouge, La 70804

Phone: (225) 342-1394
E-mail: reade@legis.state.la.us

Placing performance expectations prominently in the General Appropriation Bill encourages legislators to focus consideration of executive branch funding recommendations on expected results.

User-friendly information is available to the public regarding the operations of their state government.

Formalizing expectations provides agency managers with specific direction as to expected agency performance, and mandatory reporting of actual performance affords managers an abundance of data for use in management decisions.

Legislators lacked confidence that the spending priorities established during adoption of the state budget were being implemented by the executive agencies during the year.

In selection of key performance measures, consensus was sought among legislative staff, the Governor's budget and planning staff, and executive agency personnel.

Performance data had been included in the executive budget for many years, but was of inconsistent quality since it did not play a significant role in decision-making. The new initiative placed key performance data in the General Appropriation Bill, directly linking it to funding. This, and the quarterly reporting requirement, prompted substantial revision of the performance data.

Applying the requirements uniformly to all agencies discouraged efforts to delay implementation or obtain exemptions.

A substantial effort has been made by both the legislative and executive branch staff to inform agency personnel of the new requirements and expectations and to encourage compliance.

The value of development and reporting of appropriate performance data as a management tool for agency heads is emphasized.

The legislature must continue its commitment to use performance-based budgeting in decision-making and to use it as a positive tool to improve state agency performance.

Administration of provisions for rewards and penalties requires careful analysis and execution.

• Performance-based Budgeting Statutes
• Current Appropriation Act
• The Executive Budget