Public Invited to Learn About State’s New Priorities and Performance Based Budget

Published on Wed, Jan 16, 2013 (8:26 a.m.)

Submitted by State of Nevada - Budget Division

Carson City, Nev. - The Nevada State Budget Division will be presenting a public informational meeting on Friday, January 18 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in Carson City and Las Vegas regarding the state’s new Priorities and Performance Based Budget (PPBB). This meeting is intended to educate the general public, legislators, agency leaders, the media and special interest groups about PPBB and its benefit to the state’s budgeting process as well as its role in improving transparency to decision makers and the public.

Nevada State Budget Director Jeff Mohlenkamp will discuss the long-term plan for PPBB and the various phases of implementation it will take to fully transition the state from its existing baseline line-item budgeting to PPBB. Additionally, he will demonstrate the new and improved Open Government website, which highlights PPBB and offers easy-to-use navigation with easy-to-understand budget information.

The public is invited to attend the PPBB informational meeting so that they may become familiar with the Budget Division’s latest PPBB tools. Attendees will learn how to access PPBB’s comprehensive summary of state government, which includes agency and division missions, state core functions and objectives, and all activities of state government and budgeted funds.

The meeting will be held in Carson City at the State Capitol Building, Guinn Room at 101 N. Carson St. It will be teleconferenced to Las Vegas at the Grant Sawyer State Office Building, 555 E. Washington Ave., suite 5100.

About PPBB
Priorities and Performance Based Budgeting (PPBB) is a progressive budgeting method that involves identifying the core functions of state government, establishing a list of high-level policy objectives that support core functions, and determining proper metrics for evaluating the state’s progress towards those objectives. Further, PPBB requires state agencies to separate business functions into activities that can be distinctly measured for effectiveness towards reaching objectives. This compartmentalizes them in a manner that is easy for decision makers and the public to understand. It also assists decision makers with comparing efficiency and effectiveness of activities towards advancing objectives, identifying redundant or synergistic activities across agencies, and ultimately targeting funding to maximize available funds.

PPBB was started during the preparation of the fiscal year 2012/2013 budget. It was initially presented to the 2011 Legislature in what was known as the Priorities of Government (POG). The concept of moving towards performance-based budgeting was embraced by the public, Governor and Legislature. This led to the passage of Assembly Bill 248 (AB 248) during the 2011 session, sponsored by Senator Debbie Smith, Assemblywoman Marilyn Kirkpatrick, Assemblyman David P. Bobzien and former legislators John Oceguera and Marcus Conklin. AB 248 requires the Budget Division to move forward with performance-based budgeting beginning with the establishment of core functions of state government.

PPBB is a response to AB 248. In this process, the Budget Division has advanced the activity-based budgeting structure that was introduced during the 2011 session. The Governor has directed the Budget Division to move forward with PPBB in a manner that will provide increased accountability of state government. He has further directed that PPBB must accomplish the goal of improving transparency to decision makers and the public. Essentially, PPBB identifies what services the state provides, demonstrates how agencies measure their effectiveness, and provides clear results for evaluation on funding decisions.

For more information about the PPBB Informational meeting, please contact the Nevada State Budget Division at 775-684-0222 or [email protected].