Legislature(2021 - 2022)DAVIS 106

03/08/2022 11:30 AM House WAYS & MEANS

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11:35:56 AM Start
11:36:30 AM HB376
01:14:24 PM Adjourn
* first hearing in first committee of referral
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
*+ HB 376 STRATEGIC PLANS FOR STATE AGENCIES TELECONFERENCED
Heard & Held
-- Testimony <Invitation Only> --
+ Bills Previously Heard/Scheduled TELECONFERENCED
**Streamed live on AKL.tv**
                    ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE                                                                                  
           HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS                                                                          
                         March 8, 2022                                                                                          
                           11:35 a.m.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS PRESENT                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Representative Ivy Spohnholz, Chair                                                                                             
Representative Adam Wool, Vice Chair                                                                                            
Representative Andy Josephson                                                                                                   
Representative Calvin Schrage                                                                                                   
Representative Andi Story                                                                                                       
Representative David Eastman (via teleconference)                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MEMBERS ABSENT                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
Representative Mike Prax                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
COMMITTEE CALENDAR                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
HOUSE BILL NO. 376                                                                                                              
"An  Act  relating  to  the Executive  Budget  Act;  relating  to                                                               
strategic  plans,  mission  statements,  performance  plans,  and                                                               
financial plans for executive branch  agencies; and providing for                                                               
an effective date."                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
     - HEARD & HELD                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
PREVIOUS COMMITTEE ACTION                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
BILL: HB 376                                                                                                                  
SHORT TITLE: STRATEGIC PLANS FOR STATE AGENCIES                                                                                 
SPONSOR(s): REPRESENTATIVE(s) KAUFMAN                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
02/22/22       (H)       READ THE FIRST TIME - REFERRALS                                                                        
02/22/22       (H)       W&M, STA, FIN                                                                                          
03/08/22       (H)       W&M AT 11:30 AM DAVIS 106                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
WITNESS REGISTER                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
NEIL STEININGER, Director                                                                                                       
Office of Management and Budget                                                                                                 
Juneau, Alaska                                                                                                                  
POSITION STATEMENT:  During the  hearing on HB 376, described the                                                             
current  process used  by the  administration  to measure  agency                                                               
performance and  incorporate mission  statements into  the budget                                                               
process.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE JAMES KAUFMAN                                                                                                    
Alaska State Legislature                                                                                                        
Juneau, Alaska                                                                                                                  
POSITION STATEMENT:  As the prime sponsor, introduced HB 376.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
MATTHEW HARVEY, Staff                                                                                                           
Representative James Kaufman                                                                                                    
Alaska State Legislature                                                                                                        
Juneau, Alaska                                                                                                                  
POSITION STATEMENT:   On behalf of  Representative Kaufman, prime                                                             
sponsor  of HB  376, provided  a PowerPoint  presentation, titled                                                               
"Strategic  Planning,  Budgeting,  Execution,  and  Reporting  to                                                               
Improve  Outcomes   and  Address  Longstanding   Performance  and                                                               
Management Issues."                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
ACTION NARRATIVE                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
11:35:56 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR IVY  SPOHNHOLZ called the  House Special Committee  on Ways                                                             
and Means meeting  to order at 11:35 a.m.   Representatives Wool,                                                               
Josephson,  Eastman  (via  teleconference), Schrage,  Story,  and                                                               
Spohnholz were present at the call to order.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
           HB 376-STRATEGIC PLANS FOR STATE AGENCIES                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
11:36:30 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ announced  that the only order  of business would                                                               
be HOUSE BILL  NO. 376, "An Act relating to  the Executive Budget                                                               
Act;   relating   to   strategic   plans,   mission   statements,                                                               
performance  plans,  and  financial plans  for  executive  branch                                                               
agencies; and providing for an effective date."                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
11:37:28 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
NEIL  STEININGER,  Director,  Office  of  Management  and  Budget                                                               
(OMB), described  the current process used  by the administration                                                               
to measure agency performance  and incorporate mission statements                                                               
into the budget  process to give context to the  ideas in HB 376.                                                               
He explained  that while  the budget  process in  the legislative                                                               
branch is  confined to legislative session,  the executive branch                                                               
begins  its budget  process  for the  next year  on  the day  the                                                               
conference committee passes  a final budget and is  passed out of                                                               
both  bodies  of the  legislature.    That internal  process  has                                                               
different phases and  steps to it, he said,  and accommodates the                                                               
changes  made  from the  governor's  budget  to what  is  finally                                                               
enacted, and  changes made from  vetoes, and  how that sets  up a                                                               
foundation toward building the next year's budget.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MR. STEININGER related that when  [the executive branch] receives                                                               
the  conference  committee report  out  of  the legislature,  the                                                               
first step  is to work through  the veto review process  with the                                                               
departments and the  governor and how that  impacts program plans                                                               
going forward.   He  said changes to  the prior  December's plans                                                               
are considered  through the  authorize process  internally, which                                                               
builds  to  the  authorize  budget which  is  net  of  conference                                                               
committee,  veto  actions  taken,  and fiscal  notes  for  passed                                                               
legislation.  He  stated that agencies are  internally looking at                                                               
what they  are authorized  to spend for  that given  fiscal year,                                                               
and from that authorized number the management plan is built.                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR.  STEININGER  noted  that  while  the  management  plan  isn't                                                               
directly called out  in statute, it is reflection  of the program                                                               
plans and financial  plans discussed in the  Executive Budget Act                                                               
(EBA).   He said  that is  where the state  agencies look  at how                                                               
much money they are authorized and  they then provide OMB and the                                                               
governor with  the detailed financial  information called  for in                                                               
the  EBA,  referred to  as  the  revenue detail  and  expenditure                                                               
detail reports  that are part of  the annual budget books.   That                                                               
information,  he elaborated,  defines  the  line items,  specific                                                               
expenditures,  specific   contracts  that  the   departments  are                                                               
intending to engage  in, as well as the  position control numbers                                                               
(PCNs), the salary levels, and the classification information.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MR. STEININGER advised  that the due date for  departments to put                                                               
together this  large volume of  information is generally  the end                                                               
of July  because the departments  are simultaneously  closing out                                                               
their prior  year's budgets.  From  there, he said, OMB  issues a                                                               
memo with  more specific guidance  on what the  governor's office                                                               
is looking  for as each  department thinks about its  mission and                                                               
vision  in  development of  the  next  year's  budget.   That  is                                                               
informed by  the work that happened  immediately after conference                                                               
committee,  he added,  internal conversations  are started  about                                                               
how to build and execute a budget for the following fiscal year.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
11:42:27 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE STORY requested an example  of what the memo would                                                               
say to inform  a department commissioner about  what the governor                                                               
would like to see happen.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
MR.  STEININGER replied  that  every year  the  memo is  slightly                                                               
different, as  would be  expected.  For  example, he  recalled, a                                                               
[2020]  memo  asked agencies  how  they  were responding  to  the                                                               
sudden shift in  workforce from working in the  office to working                                                               
remotely [due to the COVID-19 pandemic].   He said the memo asked                                                               
for specific deliverables, the number  of employees that had gone                                                               
out of  the office, what  types of work  went out of  the office,                                                               
how that  was initially impacting  delivery of services,  and how                                                               
that  could  have either  beneficial  or  detrimental impacts  to                                                               
services  if  it  became  a  long-term  way  of  doing  business.                                                               
Oftentimes, he advised, there are  questions about the individual                                                               
programs in  each agency and the  agency's statutory obligations,                                                               
and  the agency  is  asked  to weigh  those  against the  current                                                               
reality  of  delivering  government  services in  the  state  and                                                               
provide advice  and information  on that.   This  year is  a year                                                               
into telework,  Mr. Steininger continued,  and the  agencies were                                                               
asked more  questions about their longer-term  thoughts on things                                                               
like space  needs.   Getting information now  isn't just  for the                                                               
next year,  he explained, but also  for a budget change  that may                                                               
be needed four years from now.                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE STORY asked  whether an overall goal  is to create                                                               
efficiencies and create the smallest state budget as possible.                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MR. STEININGER responded that when  facing large budget deficits,                                                               
a big  piece of the goal  is ensuring that limited  resources are                                                               
prioritized well.  He said a  subgoal is working towards the goal                                                               
of delivering services  well and operating a  department the best                                                               
it  can be  operated.    Whether facing  a  budget constraint  or                                                               
surplus, he  added, the goal  is to  deliver services as  best as                                                               
possible.                                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
11:46:38 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ inquired about the  way that performance measures                                                               
and  indicators  are  incorporated into  the  executive  branch's                                                               
planning process.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MR. STEININGER answered that  the performance measures themselves                                                               
are a  living document constantly  being worked on to  meet those                                                               
objectives.  They come into the  annual budget cycle, he said, in                                                               
the internal  discussion when departments have  received the memo                                                               
and are  working on  their proposals  and recommendations  to OMB                                                               
and the governor's  office for where to take  their department in                                                               
the  next fiscal  year.   During  that time,  he continued,  [the                                                               
departments] also  gather the data  to show  if they have  met or                                                               
not  met  their  performance  measures, whether  those  were  set                                                               
recently or  20 years ago.   How much attention is  given to that                                                               
process,  he advised,  varies department  by  department and  how                                                               
frequently  a department  is changing  the questions  it's asking                                                               
about how  it's performing.   Some  departments take  the current                                                               
mechanical system  of performance  measures, the  information put                                                               
into the  budget books and  posted on  the OMB website,  as their                                                               
way to  advertise their work  and show their  accomplishments and                                                               
efforts in the service they provide.   Some do a very active job,                                                               
he  noted, while  others rely  on  updating performance  measures                                                               
that  were put  together  20 years  ago,  a different  mechanical                                                               
means that  doesn't necessarily  fit into that  same box  that is                                                               
set up  right now.   But no  department puts together  its budget                                                               
recommendations  without  thinking  about  what's  best  for  the                                                               
service delivery  of that department, Mr.  Steininger added, some                                                               
just do that more actively and some more passively.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  SPOHNHOLZ asked  which departments  are  taking an  active                                                               
approach as  opposed to static  and not focusing on  those annual                                                               
performance indicators.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MR.  STEININGER  replied that  a  good  example of  a  department                                                               
having  its mission  and vision  ingrained is  the Department  of                                                               
Education  and  Early  Development   (DEED)  through  the  Alaska                                                               
Education Challenge.   He said  each group within  DEED considers                                                               
the  mission  and  vision  and  how  that  fits  into  delivering                                                               
education to students.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  SPOHNHOLZ asked  whether there  are other  departments not                                                               
using [performance indicators] as actively.                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MR.  STEININGER  responded that  he  doesn't  want to  shame  any                                                               
departments.   He stated that in  looking at the budget  book for                                                               
OMB, OMB's  key accomplishment  of fiscal year  2021 (FY  21) was                                                               
that it delivered the December budget's mission on time.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  SPOHNHOLZ suggested  that the  performance indicators  are                                                               
maybe not  being used in  a way they  were intended, which  is to                                                               
improve outcomes for Alaskans.   She inquired about the mechanism                                                               
for updating those.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
MR. STEININGER answered that he  would say OMB accomplished a lot                                                               
more than  that in FY  21 and he needs  to put more  attention to                                                               
this next year.   He explained that the budget  books kept in the                                                               
House  Finance  Committee  room are  the  voluminous  information                                                               
called for in  the Executive Budget Act.  For  example, he noted,                                                               
the budget book for the  Department of Health and Social Services                                                               
(DHSS) is  over 1,500 pages,  while the budget books  for smaller                                                               
departments are a  couple hundred pages.  He pointed  out that to                                                               
get  a  quality output  from  any  kind of  performance  measure,                                                               
effort must  be put  in by  the person  producing it,  but effort                                                               
must  also  be  put  in  by the  person  consuming  it,  and  the                                                               
legislature  is the  one consuming  these products.   He  advised                                                               
that light  is added  by asking  questions in  subcommittee about                                                               
performance  measures  and how  they  show  that departments  are                                                               
meeting  their  missions  and  services   to  Alaskans  that  the                                                               
legislature expects  of the executive  branch.  The  mechanism is                                                               
that both sides need to be actively engaged in the process.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
11:55:59 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE STORY  agreed with Mr. Steininger's  assessment of                                                               
DEED, and that the legislature comes  up behind that.  She stated                                                               
that the DEED  commissioner really ran with  the Alaska Education                                                               
Challenge  which was  put together  by hundreds  of stakeholders.                                                               
She  related that  at a  recent joint  meeting of  the House  and                                                               
Senate   education  committees,   DEED   provided  an   excellent                                                               
presentation about what it was  doing in each of five categories.                                                               
Last  year, she  further  related, the  House Education  Standing                                                               
Committee  put  in  budget  and intent  language  to  learn  what                                                               
reading curriculum  was being  used by each  district.   A report                                                               
was given to the legislature  on 1/22/22, she continued, and DEED                                                               
is using that information to  talk to the districts about whether                                                               
their reading curriculums are giving  the results they want.  She                                                               
said that  is a great  example in how the  different policymakers                                                               
need to be working together so missions are resourced well.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  SPOHNHOLZ  offered her  agreement  and  said part  of  the                                                               
reason that DEED  is so focused is the  combination of leadership                                                               
and  a broad  planning  process that  involved many  stakeholders                                                               
across  the state.   Broad  stakeholder  alignment and  committed                                                               
leadership creates a lot of ownership in a process, she stated.                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
11:58:27 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WOOL, regarding  Mr. Steininger's self-critique of                                                               
OMB,  asked whether  OMB didn't  publish  its accomplishments  or                                                               
didn't focus enough on the accomplishments on certain items.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR.  STEININGER replied  that he  would say  both.   He explained                                                               
that it's easy to get lost in  just doing the work, and not think                                                               
about how  to communicate the  accomplishments externally  or how                                                               
to measure the  accomplishments.  An example of  this, he stated,                                                               
was dealing with  all the COVID-19 pandemic money  that came into                                                               
the state  in FY  21 and  making sure  it was  going in  the best                                                               
directions for  the state.   He advised  that OMB  interacts with                                                               
the agencies  to get budget  objectives and works  through budget                                                               
deliverables  to put  together  the best  budget  possible.   The                                                               
memo, he continued, asks leading  questions to get the department                                                               
to think  about a  subject matter deliberately.   He  stated that                                                               
asking the  departments in  the early stages  of the  pandemic to                                                               
deliberately think about  how telework was going  to change their                                                               
department was to force them to  step back from the moment and do                                                               
some forward thinking about what they're  doing and why.  He said                                                               
it shows  in OMB's  budget book  that OMB  didn't apply  the same                                                               
standard to itself.                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
12:01:23 PM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WOOL  commented that it's analogous  to planning a                                                               
party  and cleaning  the house  before [guests]  show up,  so not                                                               
only  showing them  the  house but  doing the  work  to make  the                                                               
exposition favorable.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ  shared her belief  that some of  the performance                                                               
indicators make  sense and  some strike  her as  make work.   She                                                               
said a  great performance measure  focuses on improving  the work                                                               
product  to  meet  organizational  goals.   Rather  than  chasing                                                               
around the  annual budget process,  she continued,  the questions                                                               
to ask  are what  should be  done and  how should  it be  done to                                                               
ensure that Alaskans  are getting their needs  met.  Government's                                                               
role,  she opined,  is  to  create a  community  in which  people                                                               
thrive and  succeed and business succeeds,  which means examining                                                               
what is  being done,  whether it should  continue being  done, or                                                               
whether it  should be let go  so other things can  be done better                                                               
and not have an inefficient use of resources.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
12:04:49 PM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR. STEININGER resumed his discussion  of the budget process.  He                                                               
stated  that  performance  measures  and  discussion  of  mission                                                               
measures and  accomplishments happen  during the  budget process,                                                               
and  that  deliberate  work  and  deliverables  are  involved  in                                                               
putting together the  budget book at the end of  the process.  He                                                               
advised, however,  that the focus  during the  budget development                                                               
process  is  on the  iterative  change  records because  that  is                                                               
what's going to be discussed  most during legislative session, so                                                               
production of the  other documentary materials is  a side project                                                               
in that process.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR. STEININGER noted  that there is a wide variation  in what the                                                               
departments  put  forward  depending  upon how  a  department  is                                                               
structured  and whether  the department  is thinking  about those                                                               
documents  as a  messaging tool  about their  accomplishments and                                                               
challenges.   Those  documents come  to  OMB towards  the end  of                                                               
November or early December, he said,  so they are one of the last                                                               
things OMB is reviewing before  release of the budget on December                                                               
15.   He offered his belief  that the statutory deadline  for the                                                               
budget books is a couple days before the start of session.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
MR. STEININGER stated  that the end product from  this process is                                                               
a narrative of the department's  accomplishments or challenges in                                                               
delivery of mission  along with reports, as  per the requirements                                                               
of the Executive  Budget Act.  He noted that  about two-thirds of                                                               
the  overall  volume  in  the   budget  books  is  the  financial                                                               
information requested  by the  legislature through  that statute.                                                               
From there, he continued, is  the start of the legislative budget                                                               
process and  the start of  session where discussion  is primarily                                                               
about those iterative  changes in the change records  and what is                                                               
being changed, not necessarily what was done.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
12:08:28 PM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  WOOL recalled  Mr.  Steininger  stating that  the                                                               
budget books  and reports are  a big part of  what OMB does.   He                                                               
asked whether enough eyes are  seeing them and whether the budget                                                               
books are being utilized as originally intended.                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR. STEININGER responded that during his  six and a half years at                                                               
OMB it has at times felt like a  lot of work went into a document                                                               
that  he never  got questions  about,  but there  have also  been                                                               
times  when there  was conversation  about whether  this body  of                                                               
work could be slimmed down.   So, he said, people were looking at                                                               
it and  not necessarily  generating questions.   He  related that                                                               
OMB receives  a lot  of clarifying  questions and  dialogue about                                                               
the  change  records,  but  not   as  much  about  the  narrative                                                               
description of  the challenges  of an  individual component.   In                                                               
the  subcommittee  process,  he continued,  the  departments  are                                                               
probably experiencing this  much differently than is  OMB and are                                                               
receiving  questions about  what is  written in  those documents.                                                               
He said  he thinks they  are being used,  but that they  could be                                                               
improved.   The work product, he  stated, is only as  good as the                                                               
effort that goes  in and the engagement from the  consumer of the                                                               
product,  and both  sides  need  to come  together  to make  this                                                               
better.                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  WOOL commented  that as  a consumer  his critique                                                               
isn't of the reports but  that the jobs of [subcommittee members]                                                               
are so full  that there are time and  bandwidth constraints which                                                               
make it frustrating to not be  able to delve deeper into the data                                                               
and reports.  He said he appreciates the work being done.                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
12:11:36 PM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  STORY stated  that  as a  consumer  she wants  to                                                               
resource   the  missions   of  the   departments;  for   example,                                                               
resourcing substance  abuse interventions  related to  the opioid                                                               
epidemic.    She  noted  that  when the  legislature  put  in  an                                                               
increment for social workers last year  it was vetoed, but now it                                                               
is  being funded  by  the  administration.   She  asked how  much                                                               
[consideration] is  given by managers  when they  hear resounding                                                               
messages to fund something.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
12:13:21 PM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR.  STEININGER  answered  that   between  sessions  there  is  a                                                               
deliberative  process where  the directive  from the  governor is                                                               
discussed and  then advice  of program managers  flows up  to the                                                               
division directors  that flows  up to  the commissioner  who then                                                               
talks to the governor.  Sometimes,  he added, that results in the                                                               
governor talking to the program  manager to get more information.                                                               
There is  room in the process  for back-and-forth to try  to meet                                                               
existing  challenges, he  continued.   Sometimes,  he noted,  the                                                               
performance measures  don't necessarily get  to the heart  of the                                                               
actual  delivery  of  the  service   or  the  real  need  in  the                                                               
community.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ  expressed her appreciation  for OMB's  hard work                                                               
on  the complicated  issue of  producing the  state budget.   She                                                               
related  that  the committee  is  considering  how to  make  more                                                               
efficient  uses of  state resources,  so the  committee wants  to                                                               
understand the  relationship between performance and  the budget.                                                               
She said it  sounds like there are opportunities  to address this                                                               
and the segue is probably HB 376.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
MR.  STEININGER stated  that shining  light on  these things  and                                                               
having these  conversations is how to  improve them and get  to a                                                               
better process.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
12:17:36 PM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE JAMES  KAUFMAN, Alaska  State Legislature,  as the                                                               
prime  sponsor, introduced  HB 376.   He  spoke from  the sponsor                                                               
statement  [included  in the  committee  packet],  which read  as                                                               
follows [original punctuation provided]:                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     Alaska  is often  in the  news for  the wrong  reasons.                                                                    
     When  it  comes  to  national  rankings  of  states  by                                                                    
     performance  metrics in  key societal  areas, we  often                                                                    
     come close to the  bottom. This includes critical areas                                                                    
     such as education, health, and public safety.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     We spend  billions (with a  "B") to serve  a relatively                                                                    
     small   population,  but   somehow  improvement   seems                                                                    
     elusive, and  sometimes impossible to achieve.  We live                                                                    
     in  a  beautiful  and  truly  amazing  state,  but  the                                                                    
     performance of our state programs  has not done justice                                                                    
     to our unbounded potential.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     A main reason  for this is that the State  of Alaska is                                                                    
     a  vast  and  complex  multi-billion-dollar  enterprise                                                                    
     that  does   not  have   a  well-developed   and  fully                                                                    
     integrated  Operations  Management System  and  Quality                                                                    
     Management System (OMS/QMS). We  have fragments of what                                                                    
     an appropriate  enterprise-scale performance management                                                                    
     system might look like, but  not something of the order                                                                    
     that  would  be  expected  in other  endeavors  of  our                                                                    
     magnitude.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     So,  the question  is:  How  can we  start  to drive  a                                                                    
     higher level  of performance, rising  to meet  our many                                                                    
     challenges    while    successfully    improving    the                                                                    
     cost/benefit ratio of our programs?                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     Fortunately, the answer to  that question is available,                                                                    
     and   has  been   successfully   implemented  by   high                                                                    
     performing  organizations   in  both  the   public  and                                                                    
     private sector.  We have  referenced and  adapted those                                                                    
     systems in the creation of HB 376.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     So,  what  is  HB  376,   and  how  could  it  drive  a                                                                    
     beneficial transformation?                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     HB 376  revises the  Executive Budget Act  (EBA). Under                                                                    
     the  new  system,  every annual  budgeting  cycle  will                                                                    
     occur within the framework of  a 4-year strategic plan,                                                                    
     biennial   strategic   plan   updates,   and   1   year                                                                    
     performance  management/execution   plans.  The  people                                                                    
     managing   and  doing   the   work   will  set   goals,                                                                    
     objectives,  and   key  performance  metrics   to  meet                                                                    
     legislative intent that is  confirmed with every budget                                                                    
     cycle.  The  legislature  will fund  budgets  that  are                                                                    
     aligned  with  strategic   and  performance  management                                                                    
     plans.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     Switching  to  this  form of  planning,  budgeting  and                                                                    
     performance  management will  put us  on a  much better                                                                    
     path  towards a  leaner  and stronger  future. Our  OMS                                                                    
     will guide how our enterprise  runs, while the QMS will                                                                    
     address   how   we   continually   improve,   and   how                                                                    
     improvements are sustained.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
     To be  clear, HB 376  does not provide an  instant cure                                                                    
     for all  problems, but by  reforming the EBA,  which is                                                                    
     the  foundation of  how we  plan, manage,  measure, and                                                                    
     fund our  programs, we  will be  able to  pursue other,                                                                    
     more  comprehensive  continuous  improvement  processes                                                                    
     that will lead to better outcomes.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
12:20:36 PM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MATTHEW  HARVEY,  Staff,  Representative  James  Kaufman,  Alaska                                                               
State  Legislature, on  behalf of  Representative Kaufman,  prime                                                               
sponsor  of HB  376, provided  a PowerPoint  presentation, titled                                                               
"Strategic  Planning,  Budgeting,  Execution,  and  Reporting  to                                                               
Improve  Outcomes   and  Address  Longstanding   Performance  and                                                               
Management Issues."   He displayed slide 2,  "Overview," and said                                                               
he  would  discuss the  problem  statement;  current state  under                                                               
Alaska Statute  (AS) 37.07, the  Executive Budget Act  (EBA); and                                                               
proposed  future  state with  HB  376,  including its  structural                                                               
changes  to AS  37.07,  plan content  summaries,  and boards  and                                                               
commissions; benefits; and examples of other states.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MR.  HARVEY moved  to  slide  3, "Problem  Statement."   He  said                                                               
Alaska's  management of  programs and  projects has  not been  as                                                               
strong as many citizens expect  from the government.  He reported                                                               
that Alaska consistently  scores lower than other  states in many                                                               
key  metrics.   For example,  he continued,  Alaska is  number 45                                                               
overall in best states according  to US News, and Alaska received                                                             
a C-minus report card for  infrastructure by the American Society                                                               
of Civil Engineers (ASCE).   He related that Alaska has fragments                                                               
of  an appropriate  enterprise-scale management  system, but  not                                                               
something  that cohesively  blends operational,  performance, and                                                               
quality management.  He asked the  question, "How can we start to                                                               
drive a higher level of  performance while successfully improving                                                               
our overall cost/benefit ratio?"                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR.  HARVEY addressed  slide 4,  "Current Executive  Budget Act."                                                               
He  explained that  the sponsor  started  by looking  at the  EBA                                                               
where budgeting  is tied  to performance  under Title  37, Public                                                               
Finance, and  Chapter 07, Executive Budget  Act.  He said  HB 376                                                               
does not  propose the statement  of policy under  Sec. 37.07.010,                                                               
which states  in part:   "It  is the purpose  of this  chapter to                                                               
establish a comprehensive system  for state program and financial                                                               
management  that  furthers  the  capacity  of  the  governor  and                                                               
legislature to plan and finance  the services that they determine                                                               
the state  will provide for its  citizens."  He related  that the                                                               
EBA describes the role of  the legislature, OMB, and the governor                                                               
in  the budgeting  and  program execution  process.   He  further                                                               
related  that the  EBA includes  two sections  which deal  mainly                                                               
with  planning and  performance:   AS  37.07.050 which  describes                                                               
what  goes into  the budget  books  currently and  the roles  and                                                               
responsibilities for  issuing and setting mission  statements and                                                               
desired results; and AS 37.07.080  which is program execution and                                                               
which states that  the executive branch still  has full authority                                                               
for executing the programs.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
12:23:27 PM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR. HARVEY  turned to slide  5, "Proposed Future State:  HB 376,"                                                               
and discussed  the three proposals  in HB  376.  First,  he said,                                                               
the  bill would  change some  of the  responsibilities.   Mission                                                               
statements  and  desired  results  are currently  issued  by  the                                                               
legislature,  he related,  but  what is  not  written in  statute                                                               
would be pushed down to the  executive branch, the people who are                                                               
closer  to doing  the work  and closer  to the  customers of  the                                                               
services.   They would publicize  their measures and  results and                                                               
targets  so that  they  have  ownership over  them.   Second,  to                                                               
increase the organization  of what is currently  in AS 37.07.050,                                                               
the bill would  change the planning hierarchy by  breaking out AS                                                               
37.07.050  into   different  sections      statewide  priorities,                                                               
strategic plans,  performance plans, and financial  plans.  Three                                                               
to  six  long-term  statewide  priorities would  be  set  by  the                                                               
governor,  he elaborated,  and  these  can be  high  level.   The                                                               
strategic  plans would  list the  mission, goals,  and objectives                                                               
for each  agency, he  continued, and  the mission  can be  set in                                                               
statute, or some  units of the agency can set  them themselves if                                                               
they  are not  set  in  statute.   He  said  the performance  and                                                               
financial plans  would be  annual plans.   The  performance plans                                                               
would  state the  program structure  and performance  history and                                                               
targets, he added, and the  financial plans would state financial                                                               
history and  budget information.   Third, to aid  in transparency                                                               
and  reporting, Mr.  Harvey explained  the  bill [would  require]                                                               
quarterly  performance  reports  on  progress  towards  measures,                                                               
targets,  and any  results that  are being  added throughout  the                                                               
year.   These  plans and  reports would  be posted  on a  single,                                                               
public website, he noted.                                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
12:25:07 PM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR. HARVEY  showed slide 6  depicting a graphic of  the hierarchy                                                               
of planning.  The hierarchy,  he explained, starts with statewide                                                               
priorities at the top, which  are executed through agency mission                                                               
statements,  goals,  and  objectives  that  are  in  an  agency's                                                               
strategic plans.   These four-year strategic plans,  he said, are                                                               
updated every  two years with  the first coming at  the beginning                                                               
of  a  gubernatorial  term.   Annual  performance  and  financial                                                               
plans, he  noted, are tied  to the objectives, and  the financial                                                               
history  and   budget  information   are  worked   alongside  the                                                               
performance measures.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
12:25:45 PM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR.  HARVEY  continued to  slide  7,  "Structural Changes  to  AS                                                               
37.07,"  and provided  an overview  of [four]  of the  structural                                                               
changes proposed to the Executive Budget  Act.  He said the first                                                               
would be a title change of  AS 37.07.016 that would add reference                                                               
to  strategic  plans  and  performance plans.    The  second,  he                                                               
stated, would  be a title change  of AS 37.07.050 that  would add                                                               
reference of  strategic plans  with the  goal of  refocusing this                                                               
section on  strategic plans  and breaking  out what  is currently                                                               
listed as  necessary for the  budget books.   He advised  that it                                                               
changes  the title  due to  moving some  of that  performance and                                                               
financial information to  their own sections.   The third change,                                                               
he explained,  would be a  new section AS 37.07.055  for specific                                                               
requirements for  boards and commissions  so that they  would not                                                               
be  required   to  do  their  own   strategic,  performance,  and                                                               
financial plan; they would have  an operations plan and financial                                                               
information for a  budget.  The fourth change,  he related, would                                                               
be  a   new  section   AS  37.07.085   to  describe   the  annual                                                               
[performance and financial] plans.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
12:26:48 PM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR. HARVEY  proceeded to  slide 8, "Agency  Strategic Plans  - AS                                                               
37.07.050."   He explained that  four-year strategic  plans would                                                               
be  submitted at  the beginning  of each  gubernatorial term  and                                                               
these  plans would  be  updated  at least  once  every two  years                                                               
during the four-year  cycle.  He said these  plans would include:                                                               
a description of the strategic  plan and mission statement; three                                                               
to six goals for the agency,  with a definition of goals included                                                               
in  the   bill;  specific,  measurable,  realistic,   and  timely                                                               
objectives,  with  a definition  of  objectives  included in  the                                                               
bill;  methods  of  gathering  user   group  opinions,  which  is                                                               
currently  in   .050;  populations  served  by   the  agency  and                                                               
population   trends;   key   external   factors;   and   required                                                               
legislation  and regulatory  changes  if needed  to complete  the                                                               
goals and objectives.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
12:27:40 PM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR. HARVEY spoke  to slide 9, "Agency Performance Plans  | New AS                                                               
37.07.085(b)."  He explained that  annual performance plans would                                                               
                                               th                                                                               
be submitted to the  legislature by December 15   of each year to                                                               
incentivize  planning  for  performance alongside  the  budgeting                                                               
process.  He said these plans  would include:  description of the                                                               
agency's program  structure and  proposed changes to  the program                                                               
structure  that say  how  the  agency needs  to  be organized  to                                                               
achieve  these  goals  and  objectives;  identification  of  each                                                               
program's  constitutional or  statutory  authority; defining  the                                                               
agency's  program with  a program  purpose statement  to describe                                                               
the services  provided, customers  served by those  services, and                                                               
the benefit  or intended outcome of  the program; [identification                                                               
of] the performance measures aligned  with the strategic plan and                                                               
stating which goals and objectives  each performance measure will                                                               
be tied to; [identification of]  the results for each performance                                                               
measure   over   the  past   four   years,   if  available;   and                                                               
[identification of] performance targets  for each measure for the                                                               
next fiscal year.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
12:28:39 PM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR. HARVEY  reviewed slide 10,  "Agency Financial Plans |  New AS                                                               
37.07.085(c)."   He stated that  annual financial plans  would be                                                               
submitted to  the legislature by  December 15  of each year.   He                                                               
said these  plans would include  revenue and  expenditure history                                                               
for  the prior  four  fiscal years;  breakdowns  of each  revenue                                                               
source  and   amount  expended  on  each   type  of  expenditure;                                                               
estimates [of revenue and expenditures]  for the current and next                                                               
fiscal  year; budget  requested for  the succeeding  fiscal year;                                                               
number of positions;  cost of services; reports  of receipts made                                                               
the last year  and estimates for the current and  next years; and                                                               
other information required by OMB.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
12:29:19 PM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR. HARVEY discussed  slide 11, "Boards and Commissions  | New AS                                                               
37.07.055."   He  related that  this new  section would  create a                                                               
section specific for  boards and commissions and  would require a                                                               
financial  plan  and  an operations  plan,  which  are  currently                                                               
required from  boards and  commissions.   The financial  plan, he                                                               
noted,  would  include  the  budget   requested  for  next  year;                                                               
expenditures for  the last  year, authorized  for this  year, and                                                               
proposed  for next  year; an  explanation of  the services  to be                                                               
provided by the board or  commission for next year, including the                                                               
need  and  the cost  for  services;  total positions;  report  of                                                               
receipts;  and any  identified legislation  that is  required for                                                               
that board  or commission.   He further  related that  under this                                                               
new section:   the  boards and commissions  would be  required to                                                               
annually provide  a plan  for operation  of programs;  the boards                                                               
and  commissions  would  be  required  to  develop  a  method  of                                                               
measuring results;  and a board  or commission would  be required                                                               
to provide  a closeout  report upon  its termination,  and agency                                                               
programs related to the board or commission.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
12:30:41 PM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR. HARVEY  addressed slide  12, "Benefits."   He  reiterated the                                                               
benefits:    align   the  strategy  of  all   agencies  with  the                                                               
governor's  statewide  priorities,  which  are  publicized;  link                                                               
short-term  tactics and  funding  to  mid-range department  level                                                               
strategy,  which  is  in  line   with  the  governor's  statewide                                                               
priorities;  push   responsibility  for  defining   measures  and                                                               
targets to the executive branch,  which are the people closest to                                                               
the  customers  of  the services;  reduce  duplication  of  goal-                                                               
setting  and  financial information  at  a  program or  component                                                               
level because  the planning will  be led by department  level and                                                               
divisions and  programs should be contributing  to the department                                                               
plan;  and  increase  the  level   of  detail  regarding  program                                                               
structure and program definition.                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
12:31:51 PM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR. HARVEY  moved to slide  13, "Examples."  He  outlined several                                                               
examples:  the [1993] federal  Government Performance and Results                                                               
Act  (GPRA)  and  the [2010]  GPRA  Modernization  Act  (GPRAMA);                                                               
Arizona strategic plans; North Caroline  strategic plans; and New                                                               
Mexico's Accountability in Government Act.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
12:32:36 PM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR.  HARVEY displayed  the  graphs  on slide  14  related to  the                                                               
Department of  Defense (DOD) which has  a [Planning, Programming,                                                               
Budgeting,  and Execution]  (PPBE) program.   He  noted that  the                                                               
goal  is  five years  out  and  that  the  goal [is  reached]  by                                                               
programming backwards through [five] annual plans.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KAUFMAN remarked that  he likes the Planning Ahead                                                               
Programming with  Future Years Defense  Program (FYDP).   He said                                                               
DOD is  trying to  anticipate where it  should be  defensively in                                                               
that point in  time and so is  measuring a goal.  There  is a lot                                                               
of argument  about money, he  stated, and  he likes that  this is                                                               
talking  about  where  DOD  needs  to  be  and  looking  at  that                                                               
strategically over that time period.                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
12:33:34 PM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR. HARVEY  addressed the diagram  on slide 15 from  The Standard                                                               
for  Portfolio  Management  by Project  Management  Institute,  a                                                               
professional organization  that has global standards  for project                                                               
portfolio  management.    He  drew  attention  to  the  hierarchy                                                               
outlined in  the diagram  of vision and  mission leading  down to                                                               
management of operations and programs and projects.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
MR. HARVEY  explained that the  diagram on  slide 16 is  from the                                                               
federal government  and is a  result of the  GPRAMA.  He  said it                                                               
depicts  the  federal  government's hierarchy  of  planning  from                                                               
mission,  goals,  objectives,  performance  indicators,  and  the                                                               
different  types of  outcomes, input,  and efficiency  indicators                                                               
below  that.   He  said this  is  out of  OMB's  guidance at  the                                                               
federal level.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
12:34:33 PM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MR.  HARVEY  next  provided  a   sectional  analysis  of  HB  376                                                               
[included  in  the  committee  packet],  which  read  as  follows                                                               
[original punctuation provided with some formatting changes]:                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     Section 1:                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Revises an  existing Executive Budget Act  reference in                                                                    
     AS  16.05.110(b) to  the  newly  created AS  37.07.085,                                                                    
     "Performance   and  Financial   Plans",   due  to   the                                                                    
     reference to budget request supporting information.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
     Section 2:                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Revises AS 37.07.010 to include reference to strategic                                                                     
        plans, associated strategies, and the change to                                                                         
     multiple planning periods                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     Section 3:                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Revisions to AS 37.07.014(a): Responsibilities of the                                                                      
     legislature.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
        • Changes the role of the legislature from issuing                                                                      
          mission  statements for  agencies and  subunits to                                                                    
          reviewing  and  analyzing mission  statements  and                                                                    
          performance plans issues by  the governor for each                                                                    
          agency.                                                                                                               
          o Some missions are set in statute and this                                                                           
             method can still be carried out.  Where not set                                                                    
             in statute there is  not a clear  mechanism for                                                                    
             changing  mission   statements   of   agencies.                                                                    
             Providing agencies  the  ability  to write  and                                                                    
             communicate their mission statements will allow                                                                    
             a  higher   likelihood  of   progress  in   the                                                                    
             direction of statewide priorities                                                                                  
        • Removes the issuance of desired results and                                                                           
          replaces with reference to the performance plan.                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
     Section 4:                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Revisions to AS 37.07.014(b): Responsibilities of the                                                                      
     legislature.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
        • Removes language directing the legislature to                                                                         
          adopt a method of measuring results.                                                                                  
          o There is not a clear way of adopting these                                                                          
             'methods of measuring  results' so they  do not                                                                    
             often change.                                                                                                      
        • Replaces the semi-annual reporting requirement                                                                        
          with a reference to AS 37.07.014(f)                                                                                   
          o This bill adds a requirement for a quarterly                                                                        
             performance report  to be  made available  on a                                                                    
             public-facing website in subsection (f)                                                                            
        • Adds a reference to a strategic plan                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
     Section 5:                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
      Revision to AS 37.07.014(c): Responsibilities of the                                                                      
     Legislature                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
        • Replaces 'operating program' with strategic plans                                                                     
          and financial plans                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     Section 6:                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
      Revision to AS 37.07.014(d): Responsibilities of the                                                                      
     Legislature                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
        • Adds a reference to strategic planning                                                                                
        • Clarifies that the legislature's role is to                                                                           
          authorize the capital  program and financial plans                                                                    
        necessary to implement agency performance plans                                                                         
        • Reinforces the hierarchy of planning, from                                                                            
          strategic  planning to  performance and  financial                                                                    
          plans                                                                                                                 
          o  Review and analyze strategic  plans and mission                                                                    
             statements                                                                                                         
          o  Assess how  annual plans  contribute to  multi-                                                                    
             year plans                                                                                                         
          o  Review  and  integrate  financial   plans  into                                                                    
             performance plans                                                                                                  
          o  Maintain all  plans  on  a  publicly  available                                                                    
             internet website                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     Section 7:                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
      Revision to AS 37.07.014(f): Responsibilities of the                                                                      
     Legislature                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
        • To     help      fulfill     the     legislature's                                                                    
          responsibilities, each agency shall:                                                                                
          o  Allocate  resources  to   implement  multi-year                                                                    
             plans                                                                                                              
         o Express program results in measurable terms                                                                          
          o  Measure progress  towards multi-year  plans and                                                                    
             other results                                                                                                      
          o  Promote activities  consistent with  multi-year                                                                    
             plans that reduce future costs                                                                                     
          o Plan for both the short- and long-term                                                                              
          o  Require  accountability   at  all   levels  for                                                                    
             meeting multi-year plans                                                                                           
          o Adds a reference to strategic planning                                                                              
          o  Requires quarterly reporting to OMB on progress                                                                    
             towards the performance plan                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Section 8:                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
      Revision to AS 37.07.014(g): Responsibilities of the                                                                      
     Legislature                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
      • Removes Boards and Commissions from this section.                                                                       
          o Boards and Commissions are moved to a newly                                                                         
             created section AS 37.07.055                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Section 9:                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
     Revision to AS 37.07.016: Governor's use of strategic                                                                      
     plans, mission statements, and performance plans                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
        • Adds reference to  strategic plans and performance                                                                    
          plans in title of section                                                                                             
        • Directs the [Governor]  to review strategic plans,                                                                    
          mission statements, and performance plans                                                                             
        • After  review,  the  Governor  shall  approve,  or                                                                    
          require OMB to revise, the strategic plans,                                                                           
          mission statements, and performance plans                                                                             
        • Strategic  plans and  mission statements  shall be                                                                    
          used to implement and execute the law                                                                                 
        • Performance  plans shall  be used  to achieve  the                                                                    
          desired results of the strategic plans and                                                                            
          mission statements                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     Section 10:                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
       Revision to AS 37.07.020: Responsibilities of the                                                                        
     Governor                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
        • Adds reference to two new sections                                                                                    
          o The additional references ensure that agency                                                                        
             strategic, performance, and financial  plans as                                                                    
             well as boards  and commissions  operations and                                                                    
             financial plans  will be  submitted along  with                                                                    
             the budget                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     Section 11:                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
       Revision to AS 37.07.040: Office of Management and                                                                       
     Budget                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
        • Adds new plan names to  the list of plans in which                                                                    
          OMB must assist in coordination, analysis,                                                                            
          development, and updates.                                                                                             
        • Removes     OMB's    responsibility     for    the                                                                    
          administration   of   a   state   agency   program                                                                    
          performance management system                                                                                         
        • Adds  three new  subsections  which clarify  OMB's                                                                    
        role in the hierarchy of planning and reporting                                                                         
          o  (12) Compile strategic plans and  submit to the                                                                    
             governor                                                                                                           
          o  13) Compile performance plans and submit to the                                                                    
             governor                                                                                                           
          o  (14) Compile  quarterly reports  and submit  to                                                                    
             the legislature                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
     Section 12:                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
      Repeals and Reenacts AS 37.07.050: Agency Strategic                                                                       
     Plans; Mission statements                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
        • Each agency shall develop 4-year strategic plans                                                                      
          that  are   consistent  with  authority   and  the                                                                    
          governor's statewide priorities                                                                                       
        • Plans must be updated and submitted to OMB at the                                                                     
          beginning of each gubernatorial  term and at least                                                                    
          once every two years                                                                                                  
        • Strategic plan must include:                                                                                          
          o  Description  of  strategic  plan   and  mission                                                                    
             statement                                                                                                          
             square4 Mission Statement must:                                                                                    
               • state the public purpose of agency and                                                                         
                  programs                                                                                                      
               • describe services provided and activities                                                                      
                  conducted                                                                                                     
               • include explanation of why and for whom                                                                        
                  services and activities are provided or                                                                       
                  conducted                                                                                                     
          o Identify three  six goals for the agency                                                                          
             square4 Sec 20: "goal" means a broad statement                                                                   
               generally describing a desired outcome for                                                                       
              an agency or a program of the agency                                                                              
          o  Identify specific,  measurable, realistic,  and                                                                    
             timely objectives related to each goal                                                                             
             square4 Must contribute to progress towards goals                                                                  
             square4 Must be based on recommendations of division                                                               
               directors of the agency                                                                                          
          o  Describe  methods   of  gathering   user  group                                                                    
             opinions                                                                                                           
          o  Describe population  served by  the agency  and                                                                    
             trends affecting that population                                                                                   
          o  Identify key external factors that could affect                                                                    
             progress                                                                                                           
          o  Identify  legislation  and  regulatory  changes                                                                    
             required                                                                                                           
        • OMB's role in development of the hierarchy of                                                                         
          plans                                                                                                                 
          o Review the strategic plan. Ensure consistency                                                                       
             with statewide priorities and other provisions                                                                     
          o Approve or require agencies to revise the                                                                           
             strategic plans.                                                                                                   
          o Review    each    performance    plan.    Ensure                                                                    
             consistency with statewide priorities and                                                                          
             strategic plans.                                                                                                   
          o Approve or require agencies to revise the                                                                           
             performance plans.                                                                                                 
        • OMB may prepare strategic plans if a state agency                                                                     
          fails to transmit information by a date specified                                                                     
          by OMB                                                                                                                
        • All documents submitted to the office under this                                                                      
          section are public information                                                                                        
       • Removes boards and commissions from this section                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
     Section 13:                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
          Adds a new section AS 37.07.055: Boards and                                                                           
     commissions: programs; operations and financial plans                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
        • Financial Plans                                                                                                       
          o Boards and commissions shall submit a financial                                                                     
             plan by December 15th to OMB, Legislative                                                                          
             Finance, and the legislature.                                                                                      
          o Plan must include:                                                                                                  
             square4 Budget information                                                                                         
               • Budget requested for next fiscal year                                                                          
               • Expenditures made during previous fiscal                                                                       
                  year                                                                                                          
               • Expenditures authorized for current fiscal                                                                     
                  year                                                                                                          
               • Expenditures proposed for next fiscal year                                                                     
               • Explanation    of   services,    need   for                                                                    
                 services, and cost of services                                                                                 
               • Number of total positions employed or                                                                          
                  under contract, including for capital                                                                         
                  improvements                                                                                                  
              • Other information required by OMB                                                                               
             square4 Receipts information                                                                                       
              • Receipts for previous fiscal year                                                                               
               • Estimate of receipts for current fiscal                                                                        
                  year                                                                                                          
               • Estimate of receipts for next fiscal year                                                                      
               square4 Identification of legislation required to                                                                
                  implement financial plan                                                                                      
        • Operations plans                                                                                                      
          o  Boards and commissions  shall submit  an annual                                                                    
             operations plan by a date prescribed by OMB                                                                        
          o OMB shall:                                                                                                          
             square4 Review each operations plan for alignment                                                                  
               with statewide priorities, appropriations,                                                                       
               planning methods, and legislative authority                                                                      
             square4 Approve or require  revision   of   the                                                                    
               operations plan                                                                                                  
      • OMB shall assist in preparation of financial plan                                                                       
        • OMB may prepare financial or operations plans if                                                                      
          a  board or  commission fails  to transmit  either                                                                    
          plan by an OMB specified date                                                                                         
        • OMB shall compile and submit a summary of boards                                                                      
          and commissions  financial plans by  December 15th                                                                    
          to a governor-elect                                                                                                   
        • All information from a board or commission to OMB                                                                     
          is public information                                                                                                 
        • Appropriations requests                                                                                               
          o  Identification of  objectives intended  for the                                                                    
             program and problem or need that the program is                                                                    
             intended to address                                                                                                
          o  An  assessment   of  achievement   of  original                                                                    
             objectives of the program                                                                                          
          o  A  statement   of   costs,   performance,   and                                                                    
             accomplishments in  each  of  last four  fiscal                                                                    
             years                                                                                                              
          o  A statement  of  number  and types  of  persons                                                                    
             affected by the program                                                                                            
          o  A summary statement of  the number and  cost of                                                                    
             personnel employed or  under contract  over the                                                                    
             last three completed fiscal years                                                                                  
          o  An assessment of the  effect of the  program on                                                                    
             the economy of the state o An assessment of the                                                                    
             how the  policies  meet  the objective  of  the                                                                    
             legislature                                                                                                        
          o  An  analysis   of   services  and   performance                                                                    
             estimated to be achieved  over the life  of the                                                                    
             agency                                                                                                             
          o  A prioritized list of the  activities the board                                                                    
             or commission  would expect  to perform  if the                                                                    
            life of the agency were to be continued.                                                                            
        • Boards and  commissions shall develop  methods for                                                                    
          measuring agency results                                                                                              
        • OMB  shall report  quarterly to  the governor  and                                                                    
          legislature on operations of the boards and                                                                           
          commissions                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Section 14:                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     Revision to AS 37.07.060(a): Governor's Recommendation                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
        • Requires the  governor to  identify three  to five                                                                    
          statewide priorities to guide strategic and                                                                           
          annual planning                                                                                                       
        • Adds reference to the new planning statutes                                                                           
        • Adds reference to new plan structure                                                                                  
        • Removes reference  to the previously  used mission                                                                    
          and desired results                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     Section 15:                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
         Adds a new section to AS 37.07.060: Governor's                                                                         
     Recommendation                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
        • Requires  the governor  to  present the  strategic                                                                    
          plans and mission statements in a joint session                                                                       
          at the same time as the governor's budget message                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     Section 16:                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     Amends section AS 37.07.070: Legislative Review                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
        • Adds the  new, cohesive  structure of  planning to                                                                    
          the legislative review list                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
     Section 17:                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     Amends section AS 37.07.080(a): Program Execution                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
        • Adds a reference to strategic plans                                                                                   
        • Removes  desired results  as an  exception to  the                                                                    
         agencies' authority to execute their programs                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Section 18:                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     Amends section AS 37.07.080(d): Program Execution                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
        • Clarifies that salary increases must be in                                                                            
          accordance  with strategic  and performance  plans                                                                    
          as well as any annual operations plan                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
     Section 19:                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     Adds a new section AS 37.07.085: Performance Plan and                                                                      
     Financial Plan                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
        • Each agency shall develop annual performance and                                                                      
          financial consistent with the strategic plan                                                                          
        • Plans must be submitted to Legislative Finance,                                                                       
          the  Senate, and  the House  by  December 15th  of                                                                    
          each year                                                                                                             
        • The Performance plan must include:                                                                                    
          o  Description of  the agency's  program structure                                                                    
             and any proposed changes                                                                                           
          o Identification of each program                                                                                      
             square4 Constitutional and/or statutory authority                                                                  
             square4 A program purpose statement which describes                                                                
               the services provided, the customers served                                                                      
               by the program, the benefit or intended                                                                          
               outcome of the program                                                                                           
          o  Identify performance measures  which contribute                                                                    
             to progress towards the agency's strategic plan                                                                    
             square4 Identify goals and objectives that each                                                                    
               performance measure corresponds to                                                                               
          o  Identify results  for each  performance measure                                                                    
             over the past four fiscal years                                                                                    
          o  Identify   performance    targets   for    each                                                                    
             performance measure for the succeeding fiscal                                                                      
             year                                                                                                               
        • The financial plan must include:                                                                                      
          o  Revenue and expenditures  for each  program for                                                                    
             the prior four fiscal years                                                                                        
          o  Breakdowns of revenue and expenditures for each                                                                    
             program: Amounts received by each revenue                                                                          
             source and amounts expended on each type of                                                                        
             expenditure                                                                                                        
          o  Estimates  of  revenue  and   expenditures  for                                                                    
             current and next fiscal year                                                                                       
          o  Budget requested to carry out proposed plans of                                                                    
             the agency in succeeding fiscal year                                                                               
          o Expenditures authorized for current fiscal year                                                                     
          o  Expenditures  proposed  for  succeeding  fiscal                                                                    
             year                                                                                                               
          o Number or positions employed or under contract                                                                      
          o Cost of services provided by each program                                                                           
          o  Report of receipts  of agency  for expenditures                                                                    
             made during prior year, estimate for current                                                                       
             year, and estimate for next year                                                                                   
          o  Identification  of   legislation  required   to                                                                    
             implement the proposed financial plan                                                                              
          o Other information as necessary                                                                                      
        • OMB  shall assist  in  preparation of  performance                                                                    
          and financial plans.                                                                                                  
        • If any  state agency fails to  submit these plans,                                                                    
          the plans may be prepared by OMB                                                                                      
        • Once  each  calendar  quarter,  each  agency  must                                                                    
          prepare and present a performance report                                                                              
          o  Identification  of  performance   measures  and                                                                    
             related goals and objectives                                                                                       
          o  Results  for   each  performance   measure  and                                                                    
             progress towards target                                                                                            
        • All performance  and financial plan  documents and                                                                    
          reports are  public information once  forwarded to                                                                    
          OMB.                                                                                                                  
        • All  plans  and reports  must  be  published on  a                                                                    
          publicly available internet website                                                                                   
        • Performance plans must  be developed with employee                                                                    
          participation                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     Section 20:                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     Adds new paragraphs to AS 37.07.120: Definitions                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
        • Goal:  A broad  statement  generally describing  a                                                                    
          desired outcome for an agency  or a program of the                                                                    
          agency                                                                                                                
        • Objective: A measurable  target that describes the                                                                    
          end result  that a service or  program is expected                                                                    
          to accomplish in a given amount of time                                                                               
        • Performance Measure:  A quantifiable  and enduring                                                                    
          measure  of  an  outcome, output,  efficiency,  or                                                                    
          effectiveness                                                                                                         
        • Strategic plan:  A strategic plan  developed under                                                                    
          AS 37.07.050                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Section 21:                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     Amends Section AS 44.66.020(c): Agency Programs                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
        • Removes reference to previous method of mission                                                                       
          and measures                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
     Section 22:                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     Amends Section AS 44.66.020(d): Agency Programs                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
        • Removes reference to previous method of agency                                                                        
          priorities                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     Section 23:                                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
     Amends Section AS 44.66.050(a): Legislative Oversight                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
        • Updates the new 65---reference to the budget of                                                                       
          boards and commissions                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
12:43:24 PM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE   EASTMAN   surmised   that  much   of   this                                                                    
information would be  relatively easy to have  when there is                                                                    
continuity in the administration from  one year to the next.                                                                    
However, he  posited, in the  case of a  new administration,                                                                    
some of the deadlines would be very early on.                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KAUFMAN  replied that there may  be work that                                                                    
could be  done on the cadence,  but even now a  new governor                                                                    
must respond  quickly when coming  into office.   He allowed                                                                    
the  bill  isn't   a  fix  for  everything,   but  said  the                                                                    
difference is  that a new  governor would be coming  into an                                                                    
organization  that was  aligned along  the concept  of four-                                                                    
year  strategic  plans  updated  bi-annually  and  then  the                                                                    
execution plans  that go with it.   A new governor  would be                                                                    
coming  into  an  organization  that  was  more  aligned  to                                                                    
achieving strategic objectives,  he continued, and therefore                                                                    
the  system  would  be  more   able  to  integrate  the  new                                                                    
governor's strategic  objectives as actual  deliverables for                                                                    
the  budgeting  process, and  then  once  budgeted, for  the                                                                    
ensuing goal driven management process.                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
12:45:38 PM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SCHRAGE  drew  attention  to  the  hierarchy                                                                    
depicted on  slide 6  and asked  how the  legislature's role                                                                    
would change if HB 376 was enacted.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KAUFMAN  responded  that the  difference  is                                                                    
moving  down the  setting of  goals  to the  people who  are                                                                    
doing  the work,  which  moves it  closer  to the  customer,                                                                    
which  gets better  alignment along  a strategic  high-level                                                                    
plan,   as   opposed  to   setting   that   in  some   cases                                                                    
legislatively.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
12:47:19 PM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SCHRAGE offered  his  understanding that  it                                                                    
would remove  the goal setting process  from the legislature                                                                    
and  put it  into  the hands  of the  executive.   He  asked                                                                    
whether at  that point the  legislature would be  sitting by                                                                    
to let the  executive navigate that process on its  own.  He                                                                    
further asked whether the executive  would then have to come                                                                    
to the legislature for approval of those goals.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KAUFMAN answered  that the  annual budgeting                                                                    
process  would include  the goal  and implementation  of the                                                                    
goal.   This would  be a more  vibrant discussion,  he said,                                                                    
than  just saying  what  was  spent last  year  and how  the                                                                    
agency  did.   It would  get  into a  leaner discussion,  he                                                                    
continued,   meaning   a   more  focused,   more   effective                                                                    
discussion of achieving  the desired results:   What was the                                                                    
mission?   What was the  outcome?   What was measured?   How                                                                    
well was  the funding used to  do what [the agency]  said it                                                                    
would do?  If the target  wasn't met, how will the target be                                                                    
met in the future?   Representative Kaufman stated that at a                                                                    
very high level the orientation  of the programs is designed                                                                    
into  the legislation  that  creates the  program.   If  the                                                                    
legislature  creates a  program,  he continued,  there is  a                                                                    
legislative intent  on what it  does and that flows  down to                                                                    
the  granular   level  of  program  management   within  the                                                                    
structure of  the agency.   The legislature wouldn't  be out                                                                    
of the  picture, he  stated, it would  be a  different role,                                                                    
more  like a  board would  approach a  chief executive  with                                                                    
everyone  understanding what  the  mission is,  and what  is                                                                    
being judged is how well that mission is being implemented.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
12:49:51 PM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  SCHRAGE  related   that  in  his  experience                                                                    
sitting  on  boards, the  board  sets  objectives, then  the                                                                    
executive creates  a management  plan with key  results, and                                                                    
the executive  comes back to  the board with updates  on how                                                                    
that is going.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  SPOHNHOLZ  interjected   that  the  other  difference                                                                    
between a board and a legislature  is that a board hires and                                                                    
fires the  CEO, which  is a  key way  that the  board drives                                                                    
focusing  in on  the  goals  the board  has  set, whereas  a                                                                    
legislature does not do that.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KAUFMAN  clarified  that   it  was  just  an                                                                    
analogy for illustrative purposes.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
MR.  HARVEY explained  [the bill]  would remove  issuance of                                                                    
mission and  desired results.   He said  several departments                                                                    
and agency  subunits have their  mission set in  statute and                                                                    
the programs defined in statute  with legislative intent, so                                                                    
that will be  defined still.  The program  execution part of                                                                    
the Executive Budget Act, he  continued, still says the role                                                                    
of the  executive branch is  to execute the laws  as written                                                                    
by the legislature,  so they will fulfill that  intent.  The                                                                    
goals,  objectives, performance  measures,  and targets,  he                                                                    
stated, will be  set by the executive branch for  how it can                                                                    
best  fulfill the  legislative intent  by using  the mission                                                                    
statements, many of them set  by the legislature in statute.                                                                    
So,  Mr.  Harvey  summarized,  it   is  removing  the  words                                                                    
issuance of  mission and  desired results  and setting  up a                                                                    
performance system, but it is  baking the performance system                                                                    
into  the   Executive  Budget  Act   and  the   mission  and                                                                    
legislative intent of programs will still be in statute.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
12:52:13 PM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE WOOL  asked why  it would only  be up  to the                                                                    
governor.  He noted that  OMB creates many reports, and lots                                                                    
of  these  reports are  required  by  the legislature.    He                                                                    
observed that [HB  376] would implement a  four-year plan, a                                                                    
two-year update,  an annual report, and  a quarterly report.                                                                    
He surmised that  this would be a lot of  labor and that the                                                                    
fiscal  note reflects  additional labor  requirements.   The                                                                    
sponsor  seems  to have  a  bone  to  pick with  boards  and                                                                    
commissions,  he contended,  and  many  of the  requirements                                                                    
that would  be made of  them informally would be  similar to                                                                    
what are made  of departments.  He asked  whether boards and                                                                    
commissions  are a  particular problem  that the  sponsor is                                                                    
trying to solve.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR. HARVEY replied that it's  what boards and commissions do                                                                    
now.   He related  that the sponsor  didn't want  to include                                                                    
them in  strategic plans, financials, and  performance plans                                                                    
as required of agencies.   He said it's more an organization                                                                    
of  what  is  currently  in .050,  the  agency  program  and                                                                    
financial plan's  mission statement section, which  puts all                                                                    
of this in  one section by organizing it and  making some of                                                                    
it a  longer-term cycle.   The boards and  commissions would                                                                    
only  have to  do  some of  that work  every  other year  in                                                                    
planning  for  four  years.   It  isn't  necessarily  a  new                                                                    
report,  it's splitting  it out  into a  longer-term cadence                                                                    
for planning and reporting some of that information.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  WOOL stated  that  some of  this seems  more                                                                    
applicable in  corporate settings with CEOs  and boards that                                                                    
don't change  every two to  four years  and there is  not so                                                                    
much  tension  between  components of  the  organization  as                                                                    
there  is here.   He  said he  questions whether  this would                                                                    
work but  allowed that the  sponsor has references  to state                                                                    
governments that have implemented some of these techniques.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KAUFMAN  responded that currently  the fiscal                                                                    
note is  indeterminate because of the  possibility that this                                                                    
could be a  net reduction in what is produced  in the budget                                                                    
books,  which are  massive  and  take a  lot  of  work.   He                                                                    
related that HB  376 was a daunting 10-month  project, so he                                                                    
realizes the bill  is daunting to hear.  He  said the reason                                                                    
wasn't  to  turn   corporate,  but  rather  how   to  fit  a                                                                    
continuous  improvement process  within state  government as                                                                    
has been  done elsewhere.   The  nexus for  all this  is the                                                                    
Executive   Budget  Act,   not  so   much  as   the  quality                                                                    
improvement  part  of  it,  but more  of  the  alignment  of                                                                    
processes  around strategic  planning  and better  long-term                                                                    
planning.    In  looking  at the  cadence  of  planning,  he                                                                    
stated,  four years  matches the  election cycle  and seemed                                                                    
about  right.   Others  have  done  five years  for  various                                                                    
reasons and  that could be  something to look at,  he noted,                                                                    
but the net result should be less work, not more.                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KAUFMAN  continued his  response.   He stated                                                                    
that currently  everything is  messy and  very hard  to sort                                                                    
through because  it evolved  over time.   Creating  this new                                                                    
platform  would open  the door  for  quality management,  he                                                                    
said, but presently there is  no alignment with that because                                                                    
of not running  on strategic plans which would  give a high-                                                                    
level  view  to  allow  the whole  executive  branch  to  be                                                                    
aligned along a  strategic plan and more  standardized.  The                                                                    
more  standardized,  the easier  it  is  to measure  because                                                                    
similar styles  are being looked  at while dealing  with the                                                                    
different  pieces,  he advised.    For  example, auditing  a                                                                    
well-run company  is remarkably  easy because  everything is                                                                    
apparent, present,  and presentable, but auditing  a company                                                                    
that is having  trouble is a slog because it  is hard to get                                                                    
what is needed  for the audit and people  are running around                                                                    
hair  on fire.    This  is an  opportunity  to simplify  the                                                                    
process,  he stated,  even though  it may  not seem  like it                                                                    
because of  the volume  of material  presented today.   Once                                                                    
this is worked through,  he continued, the Finance Committee                                                                    
will have a  much tighter deliverable that gets  at the meat                                                                    
and  potatoes of  what needs  to be  done, how  it is  being                                                                    
done, how it  is being funded, what the changes  are, and so                                                                    
forth.  The goal is a  tighter package that is more relevant                                                                    
while  looking at  budgeting.   The  legislature, he  added,                                                                    
would  be thinking  in a  more  strategic long-term  cadence                                                                    
like the military  Department of Defense graph  where DOD is                                                                    
not  saying,  "What are  we  going  to spend?"  but  instead                                                                    
saying, "Where  are we trying  to get over that  longer term                                                                    
four-year planning period."                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR  SPOHNHOLZ stated  that the  legislature must  look at                                                                    
what  passage of  this  bill  would mean  now  and into  the                                                                    
future,  and the  indeterminate fiscal  note strikes  her as                                                                    
not fully  accurate of the  short-term fiscal impacts.   She                                                                    
agreed  that results-based  management could  get to  saving                                                                    
money down the  line but argued that in the  short term this                                                                    
would  create   a  significant  amount   of  work   for  any                                                                    
administration  that is  responsible  for implementing  this                                                                    
totally new process, which is  worth pursuing.  She said the                                                                    
goals of HB 376 are commendable.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ drew attention to  Section 6 which describes                                                                    
the  legislature's responsibility  to  review and  integrate                                                                    
financial plans  into performance plans.   She asked whether                                                                    
this isn't something the administration  should be doing and                                                                    
then  the  legislature  would  review  the  administration's                                                                    
proposal when the legislature reviews the plans and budget.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KAUFMAN answered that  when it says to review                                                                    
and  analyze [the  legislature]  is looking  at a  strategic                                                                    
plan and  mission statement and understanding  it within the                                                                    
context of the annual budget cycle.                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ stated that the  bill's proposal to move the                                                                    
results-based management  and the planning process  from the                                                                    
legislature  to the  administration  makes  sense since  the                                                                    
administration   does  the   operations  and   execution  of                                                                    
administration.  But, she continued,  it looks here that the                                                                    
legislature is  being asked to  implement something  that is                                                                    
being proposed by  the administration.  She  said having the                                                                    
administration  do  that  makes  more  sense  and  then  the                                                                    
legislature   approves  or   disapproves  that,   given  the                                                                    
legislature doesn't do implementation.                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MR. HARVEY replied  that OMB would still  be responsible for                                                                    
compiling  and  working with  the  agencies  to produce  the                                                                    
performance plan  and the financial  plan.   The legislature                                                                    
would still  be responsible  for the  appropriation process,                                                                    
he continued, to ensure that  the legislative intent and the                                                                    
legislative and statutory mission  statements can be met and                                                                    
to  ensure  the  performance  plan can  be  executed,  which                                                                    
includes  the program  structures and  performance measures.                                                                    
He  related  that  if  the legislature  funds  part  of  the                                                                    
financial plan  then it could change  the program structure,                                                                    
which would mean  that they would have to come  back with an                                                                    
update  on  the performance  plan  and  the financial  plan,                                                                    
similar to what they currently  do with an authorized budget                                                                    
and a  management plan.   He further  related that  after it                                                                    
passes  conference   committee  the  financial   plan  could                                                                    
change,  likely will  change, which  means  that they  would                                                                    
have to  come back with  an authorized performance  plan and                                                                    
financial plan.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR SPOHNHOLZ remarked that one  of the tensions with this                                                                    
planning process is the possibility  of situations where the                                                                    
administration approves and  puts forth a plan  but then the                                                                    
legislature says, "Not so fast."   An interesting tension in                                                                    
government, she continued, is that  government is defined to                                                                    
be  efficient   in  some  respects  because   of  the  three                                                                    
branches, but  this makes  it difficult  to be  efficient in                                                                    
the legislature.                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE KAUFMAN  responded that a recent  example was                                                                    
in Legislative  Budget and Audit  (LB&A) where the  cure for                                                                    
an  audit finding  was to  hire two  personnel to  provide a                                                                    
certain  function.   He  said  LB&A  made sure  the  finance                                                                    
subcommittee was  aware that  this was  linked to  the audit                                                                    
finding and  not adding  staff for  no reason.   That  is an                                                                    
example,  he  added,  of how  having  understanding  in  the                                                                    
legislature helps achieve  goals.  He agreed  with the chair                                                                    
that it can be a challenge.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
1:06:47 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE STORY drew attention  to the pyramid depicted                                                                    
on slide 6 and suggested making  the top wide to include the                                                                    
governor  and the  legislature  because  they represent  the                                                                    
people.  The  governor and legislature need to  come up with                                                                    
the  statewide priorities  and goals,  she posited,  because                                                                    
they are equal  bodies of governance.  This  would result in                                                                    
common goals,  she continued,  so that  when administrations                                                                    
change there  won't be a  long deviation  in the plan.   She                                                                    
pointed out that boards and  commissions and their executive                                                                    
directors spend time  together coming up with a  plan and in                                                                    
school  districts the  superintendents talk  to their  board                                                                    
members  and   their  communities.     Representative  Story                                                                    
related that in  her experience with school  boards it costs                                                                    
a lot of money to do  evaluations of programs that are truly                                                                    
unbiased.   In the  human needs arena,  she added,  it takes                                                                    
commitment of revenues to truly  measure how an intervention                                                                    
is  working  under  the  Department  of  Health  and  Social                                                                    
Services.    She  asked  if  HB 376  would  apply  to  state                                                                    
corporations and if they are accounted for in the bill.                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
MR. HARVEY  answered that he  believes the  Executive Budget                                                                    
Act does  not apply to all  state corporations.  He  said it                                                                    
would  include  the  University  of  Alaska  but  would  not                                                                    
include  the  Alaska  Railroad   Corporation  which  is  not                                                                    
subject  to the  EBA.   He  said he  would get  back to  the                                                                    
committee with a list.                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  STORY  agreed  with  receiving  a  list  and                                                                    
suggested  the  committee  also   receive  a  different  top                                                                    
structure.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
1:10:47 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
REPRESENTATIVE  KAUFMAN  responded to  Representative  Story                                                                    
that   he  appreciates   the  difficulty   of  making   good                                                                    
performance  measures  and  not  spending  time  and  effort                                                                    
measuring  the wrong  thing.   He asserted  that there  is a                                                                    
huge  cultural  opportunity  to   get  better  at  measuring                                                                    
performance, and the goal to  reduce cost is really the goal                                                                    
is to improve.   He said every inefficient thing  has a high                                                                    
opportunity cost,  not just  a monetary cost  and that  is a                                                                    
big part of it.  He related  that he loved the human side of                                                                    
his   career  in   quality  management   because  somebody's                                                                    
wellbeing in  their job  could often  be improved  by simply                                                                    
finding the right  things and fixing the right  things.  The                                                                    
opportunity and the challenge with  this bill, he continued,                                                                    
is  to make  it all  work well  together.   He allowed  it's                                                                    
going  to be  a  long haul  and  he appreciates  discussions                                                                    
about how to  improve outcomes.  He said  the permanent fund                                                                    
is  an example  of  excellence in  Alaska's  system and  the                                                                    
reason why is  that an enterprise management  type model was                                                                    
adopted, and  there are opportunities  in the  other sectors                                                                    
of Alaska's government as well.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
[HB 376 was held over.]                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
1:14:24 PM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
ADJOURNMENT                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
There being no further business before the committee, the                                                                       
House Special Committee on Ways and Means meeting was                                                                           
adjourned at 1:14 p.m.                                                                                                          

Document Name Date/Time Subjects
HB 376 Presentation 3.8.22.pdf HW&M 3/8/2022 11:30:00 AM
HB 376
HB 376 Fiscal Note, OMB, 3.7.22.pdf HW&M 3/8/2022 11:30:00 AM
HB 376
HB 376 Sectional Analysis 3.7.22.pdf HW&M 3/8/2022 11:30:00 AM
HB 376
HB 376 Sponsor Statement 3.7.22.pdf HW&M 3/8/2022 11:30:00 AM
HB 376
HB 376 Supporting Document - Leg Research Report.pdf HW&M 3/8/2022 11:30:00 AM
HB 376