Office of Performance Evaluations

Evaluation Process

Evaluations may be conducted of any state agency or program. Idaho Code defines agencies to include state boards, commissions, departments, offices, or institutions of the state of Idaho. Agencies also include cities, counties, districts, or other political subdivisions of the state created by statute which have the authority to levy, collect, and spend tax moneys.

Requests for evaluation must be submitted to the Oversight Committee through a legislator. The Oversight Committee reviews all requests for evaluation, which may include background information on the issues of concern. Any member or the full committee may request that OPE staff prepare general background information for full committee consideration of a requested evaluation. Using this information and any other that members may bring to bear, the Oversight Committee determines which evaluations will be conducted and in which priority order.

Once the Oversight Committee directs OPE to conduct an evaluation, OPE staff conduct the evaluation without involvement from the committee. The process may include interviews of agency personnel and those it serves, analysis of financial and budgetary data, surveys, and/or reviews of procedures, processes, and applicable standards. Prior to the release of the final evaluation report, all materials obtained or created by OPE staff are confidential (Idaho Code §67-461).

When the evaluation is complete, OPE staff prepare a written report with findings and recommendations for improvement. The final report is published with responses, if any, from the evaluated state agency and the Governor. The Oversight Committee then receives this report, makes decisions about the appropriate steps to implement recommendations, and may forward the report to other legislative committees for consideration of related policy matters. Once the report is released, all workpapers compiled to document the evaluation's conclusions and recommendations become subject to disclosure and are available for review, except those that are otherwise confidential under Idaho law.