Performance standards are under attack

Friday, Jan. 18, 2002 | 10:11 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Performance standards aren't always reliable in evaluating state agencies, says a legislative audit released Thursday.

Senior Assemblyman Joe Dini, D-Yerington, agreed. "They are a waste of time and a lot of work for nothing." The standards are used by members of legislative money committees to "beat up" on agencies, Dini said.

Dini said the performance standards -- presented with agency budgets so decisions can be made regarding staffing -- should be scrapped.

But Assemblyman John Marvel, R-Battle Mountain, disagreed, saying the evaluations are used by budget committees to determine whether an agency needs additional money, for example.

Of half the agencies examined, insufficient evidence existed to support claims made by agencies regarding their accomplishments, according to the audit.

For instance, the state Department of Motor Vehicles for fiscal year 2000 reported the average customer wait time at one of its offices was 44 minutes. But the audit said the real time was 72 minutes.

The audit also said the department overstated by 21 percent transactions processed by an employee.

The examination found the Northern Nevada Child and Adolescent Services overstated the number of children on its waiting list by 40 percent.

"Unreliable performance measures can misrepresent the actual results of an agency's operational or financial activities," said the audit. "Consequently, key budget and policy decisions could be based on flawed information."

Maud Naroll, chief of planning for the state Budget Division, told the legislative committee that her agency was "very concerned about the reliability of performance measures." The budget division decides whether an agency receives additional money.

She said training has been implemented for agency staffs in an effort to the development performance standards.