AN ACT Relating to government accountability; creating new sections; making an appropriation; and declaring an emergency.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. This act may be known and cited as the government accountability act of 1990.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. The legislature finds that:

(1) It must ensure a greater degree of governmental responsibility and accountability for policy and spending decisions in order to restore public confidence;

(2) It must develop focused long-range planning structures and processes in order to cope with today's highly technological and information-intensive society; and

(3) A more responsible, accountable, future-oriented decision-making process includes the development of an overall mission, goals, and strategies to guide policy decisions, and the creation of a set of assessment tools to determine whether programs funded by taxpayer dollars are successful in achieving the predetermined mission.

It is therefore the legislature's intent to have the Washington state commission for efficiency and accountability in government examine and make recommendations on processes to evaluate program effectiveness and develop a strategic planning process which will improve decision-making.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The Washington state commission for efficiency and accountability in government created by chapter 480, Laws of 1987, hereafter referred to as the commission, shall perform the following in addition to its existing duties and responsibilities:

(1) Develop a plan and make recommendations for a structure, process, and methodologies to evaluate program effectiveness. The plan shall address general evaluation research techniques, data requirements, and cost estimates of various methods to evaluate the effectiveness of state-funded programs. The plan shall identify alternatives to current program evaluation that are based on the evaluation of expected programmatic outcomes. Such expected programmatic outcomes should correspond with the goals established under any strategic planning process adopted pursuant to the recommendations developed under subsection (2) of this section.

In developing the plan, the commission shall consult with the legislative budget committee, the legislative evaluation and accountability program, the joint administrative rules review committee, and any other relevant efforts or organizational units of government. In particular, the commission shall examine the feasibility of utilizing or adapting the sunset review process as established in the Washington sunset act of 1977 to improve the evaluation of government accountability.

(2) Develop a plan and make recommendations for the implementation of an executive and legislative strategic planning process for the adoption of public policy and the funding of state programs. For the purposes of this act, "strategic planning" means:

(a) Establishing overall mission and belief statements;

(b) Developing goals and objectives that include expected programmatic outcomes;

(c) Assessing the capabilities and constraints, both internal and external to state government, that may affect plan implementation;

(d) Formulating, evaluating, and selecting strategies; and

(e) Implementing and controlling the strategic plan.

The plan shall address the role of the executive and legislative branches in strategic planning, as well as how to provide citizen input. The plan shall make recommendations on the structures and processes used by the executive branch and by the legislature, including the budget-setting process, to adopt and implement strategic planning.

The commission shall also evaluate the goal and objective-setting process required of agencies by RCW 43.88.090(2) as part of their budget development to determine what role that process might play in an overall strategic planning process.

In developing the plan, the commission shall examine the efforts of the senate select committee on Washington 2000 and make every effort to complement and expand on the Washington 2000 project.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The commission shall submit a preliminary report of findings and recommendations to the 1991 legislature. The commission's final report shall be submitted to the 1992 legislature. A draft of the final report shall be completed by December 1, 1991, and distributed to interested parties for comments. The final report shall be distributed and a public hearing shall be held no later than one week prior to the first day of the 1992 legislative session.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. The sum of two hundred thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1991, from the general fund to the office of financial management for the purpose of having the Washington state commission on efficiency and accountability carry out the responsibilities specified in sections 3 and 4 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.