Video: Connecticut State Government Uses Results Frame

The Connecticut Legislature’s Focus on Results

The Legislature joined with the Governor's office to use Results-based Accountability (RBA) to focus policy, budgeting and oversight decisions on the desired result for children and families. The legislature created an RBA subcommittee to use a results focus in the appropriations process, and to engage other subcommittees and executive branch agencies. The subcommittee based budget hearings with state agencies on seven results-based questions and templates to assure presentations on progress toward desired results. Over the next several years the legislature studied the process and expanded to include all state agencies, it shifted the FY 2009 biennial budget in the targeted results areas as a consequence of a results focus.

Phase I, 2005-2006. In August 2005, the co-chairs of the Appropriations Committee created an RBA Work Group to determine whether RBA could be adapted for use by the General Assembly and under take an RBA pilot project. The Appropriations Committee selected two major areas for the RBA pilot project template: the Long Island Sound program and the Early Childhood Cabinet's Ready by Five program.

Phase II, 2006-2007. In the second year, the Phase I pilot project was expanded to include state parks in addition to the template for the Clean Water Fund. The Early Childhood Cabinet updated its previous template, and submitted program templates for 29 additional programs.

Phase III, 2007-2008. The third year of the pilot project remained focused on the environment and early childhood. The Early Childhood Cabinet presented a full accounting of its activities over the last year under its new budget and new legislative authority.

Phase IV, 2008-2009. In the fourth year of the project, use of RBA extended beyond the two original agencies. The RBA Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee required every state agency with new or expanded programs to use the RBA budgeting framework (Office of Fiscal Analysis, Implementing Results-Based Accountability in the Connecticut General Assembly (2007)) (OFA). Appropriations subcommittees used the eight RBA questions during their budget hearings. In addition, each Appropriations subcommittee identified a program that it was particularly interested in, and OFA developed RBA-based questions related to those programs.

Phase V, 2009-2010. In the fifth year of the project, each agency proposed three to five programs to be analyzed under the RBA framework. The Appropriations Committee generally approved the proposals, and in December 2009 the agencies produced first drafts of RBA report cards for the selected programs, such as Transportation. RBA report cards present the intended result, the indicators used to track the result, and proposed strategies for achieving the goal. OFA reviewed the report cards, suggesting revisions to the agencies. The chairs of each Appropriations subcommittee selected one program per agency for a detailed RBA presentation during the February 2010 budget hearings. In addition, The Office of Program Review and Investigations (PRI) began a pilot project study that assessed selected human services programs using the RBA framework. This study was required by PA 09-166. The first report focused on the Family Preservation and Support Programs (FPS) administered by the Department of Children and Families (DCF).

During the second half of 2009 PRI evaluated five FPS programs in detail: Intensive Family Preservation, Parent Aide, Supportive Housing for Families, Intensive In-Home Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Services, and DCF's Flexible Funding resource. In January 2010 PRI submitted a final report to the Appropriations Committee, which included: report cards on the performance of each of the five programs being studied, the agency's overall Family Preservation and Support program area, the states child welfare system, and the well being of the whole population of Connecticut children. A summary of the report is available online.

2010 Legislation, In the 2010 Legislative Session, several bills were introduced which required the use of RBA, especially in the context of programs related to children. For more information, please review: An Act Concerning Children in the Recession.

(Summary adapted from the Office of Legislative Research)