A new training program aimed at management includes courses in strategic planning and educating employees about state goals and objectives. Pay schedules, unfortunately, are based on pay grade and longevity, not performance. B- Pennsylvania was a pioneer in its use of performance measurements, and has 25 years' worth of data in some areas. The measures are available in the budget, as well as on the state's Web site. The vast majority of this material is output-oriented, running against the trend in other states to pursue information that ties in with actual results.
Leaders here believe the other states are the ones barking up the wrong tree.
They argue that solid, verifiable measures of workload and other outputs are more than adequate for managing state government. The state conducts an annual review of all performance measures included in the budget, and agency program managers are responsible for producing accurate data. The governor has a mission statement and seven broad goal statements articulated in the executive budget. Otherwise, there is no strategic planning on a statewide basis. Cross-agency planning is used in a few fields, including criminal justice.