Office of Performance Evaluations

Joint Legislative Oversight Committee Minutes

March 9, 2004
House Majority Caucus Room, State Capitol
Boise, Idaho

Co-chair Representative Margaret Henbest called the meeting to order at 7:35 a.m. Committee members Senators Shawn Keough, Bert Marley, and Marti Calabretta, and Representatives Maxine Bell, Debbie Field, and Donna Boe attended. Staff members Rakesh Mohan, Director, and Margaret Campbell, Administrative Assistant, and all other OPE staff were present. Jeff Youtz, Supervisor of Legislative Budget and Policy Analysis, was also present.

Approval of Minutes

Senator Keough moved to accept the minutes of the March 2, 2004 meeting. Senator Marley seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously by voice vote.

Evaluation Topic Selection

Five evaluation topics were discussed. Members selected the topics at the March 2 meeting for further discussion.

Public Education Technology Initiatives

Paul Headlee, Performance Evaluator, presented background information and questions that could be addressed in an evaluation. Resource estimates for this project were two staff for 9 months.

Health and Welfare Caseload Management

Brook Smith, Performance Evaluator, presented background information and questions that could be addressed in an evaluation. Resource estimates for this project were two to three staff for 10-12 months. Committee members requested that if an evaluation was done of caseload management, it consider the caseload pressures and differences between rural and urban offices, access to services, and how access varies from rural and urban areas.

Annual Strategic Planning and Performance Reporting

Chris Shoop, Performance Evaluator, presented background information and questions that could be addressed in an evaluation. Resource estimates for this project were two staff for 5-7 months. The Committee discussed the role of the Division of Financial Management (DFM) in the performance reporting process. Mr. Shoop said he had talked with Randy Tilley, DFM Analyst, about the current program and Mr. Tilley was supportive of an evaluation.

Correctional Substance Abuse Treatment Programs

Ned Parrish, Principal Performance Evaluator, presented background information and questions that could be addressed in an evaluation. Resource estimates for this project were two staff for 7-9 months. Committee members requested that if an evaluation was done of treatment programs, it include private prison programs and programs offered to offenders released from prison. They also suggested highlighting components of the treatment programs that are effective.

Pardons and Parole Data Management

A.J. Burns, Senior Performance Evaluator, presented background information and questions that could be addressed in an evaluation. Resource estimates for this project were two staff for 9-12 months. Representative Field reminded the committee that the Commission of Pardons and Parole was found to have serious problems with data management in a 2001 evaluation. Representative Boe requested a potential evaluation include what happens to offenders choosing to serve their entire sentence instead of leaving early on parole.

Members were polled on each topic and identified three topics of highest interest. They decided to reconsider an evaluation of pardons and parole after a follow-up report on data availability was released.

Representative Field moved to conduct evaluations of Health and Welfare Caseload Management (7 polled votes), Public Education Technology Initiatives (6 polled votes), and Annual Strategic Planning and Performance Reporting (4 polled votes), and reconsider an evaluation of Pardons and Parole Data Management after a follow-up report on data availability was released. Senator Marley seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously by voice vote.

Administrative Business: Committee Rules

Mr. Mohan said committee rules allowed JLOC members to introduce legislation based on evaluation findings. The proposed change would involve presenting recommendations for legislation to germane standing committees.

Senator Calabretta moved to accept the change to committee rules. Representative Bell seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously by voice vote.

Senator Calabretta complimented staff for providing the committee with good research on the five topics in a short amount of time.

The meeting adjourned at 8:05 a.m.