Agency: Governor's Office

Line Item: Governor's Office of Management and Budget

Function

The Governor's Office of Management and Budget (GOMB) provides leadership and support to aid the Governor in ensuring that Utahns receive continuously improving services at lower costs; that the State of Utah uses fiscally responsible and sound budgeting practices; and that agencies are encouraged to establish workplaces that foster continual innovation and operational excellence. Activities include ensuring informed decision-making by providing key economic data, budget information, and policy briefs; providing practical resources and tools to improve agency performance; ensuring transparency and accountability for how well the State's programs and services are delivered by establishing performance benchmarks and measures; and by sharing best practices and successes.

The GOMB line item consists of the following programs:

1. Administration
2. Planning and Budget Analysis
3. Demographic and Economic Analysis
4. Information Technology
5. State and Local Planning
6. General State Fiscal Stabilization Program

Background

Beginning July 1, 2013, the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget was reorganized into three main functions: 1) Operational Excellence 2) Budget and Policy, and 3) State and Local Planning. In addition to this reorganization, the office was renamed the Governor's Office and Management and Budget (GOMB).

Although these three core functions define the new office and its operations, the budgeting process for this line item has been retained from the former Governor's Office of Planning and Budget - the same programs exist within the budget.

As a result, a description of the three core functions in the new GOMB is contained in this "Background" section. Following this line item description, the programs which comprise the GOMB budget - listed above - are explained in detail.

Operational Excellence

Using a variety of tools to include the SUCCESS Framework, management principles, process improvement practices, and other methodologies, the operational excellence team works closely with individual state agencies and key personnel at the enterprise level to increase quality and throughput (capacity) while maintaining or reducing operating expenses. The goal is to help agencies, and thereby the state as a whole, to reach peak performance and improvement targets by sharing the tools and skill sets needed to integrate individual functions into a single system and framework.

Budget and Policy

The GOMB budget and policy program consists of two major functions or group of activities. The first set of activities is performed by a team of analysts and economists responsible for analyzing the state's budget drivers and policy issues. Activities include interpreting and evaluating budget requests in the context of the state's enterprise demands as well as individual agency needs; conducting cost-benefit analysis; justifying budget requests; preparing revenue and expenditure forecasts; making policy recommendations and monitoring the implementation and effectiveness of policy objectives and positions; and preparing briefing papers, letters, and memos. The second set of activities is performed by a team of financial operations specialists responsible for technical budget analysis and reporting. Activities include preparing budget documents; coordinating data entry into the Budget Prep and Fee Prep systems; ensuring compliance with the Budgetary Procedures Act; evaluating actual expenditures against planned expenditures; monitoring the statutory appropriations limit; calculating the costs and funding sources of statewide building blocks (e.g. ISF rate impacts and compensation); and making recommendations to better align budget structures with agency and statewide operations.

State and Local Planning

State and local planning functions include providing staff support to the State Planning Coordinator and facilitating the coordination of state and local planning activities at all levels of government (local, county, state). Activities of the office include providing technical assistance to local governments upon request for land use planning, development, and implementation; strategic and comprehensive planning and technical assistance; and fulfills the statutory obligations of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget to staff the Utah Quality Growth Commission. The Quality Growth Commission administers local government planning grants and the LeRay McAllister Critical Land Conservation Program. The state and local program staff also makes recommendations to the Legislature regarding growth issues and the implementation of quality growth principles.

Statutory Authority

GOMB draws its mission from the following areas of law:

• UCA 63J Chapter 4 creates GOMB and delineates duties and responsibilities;
• UCA 63J Chapter 1, "Budgetary Procedures Act" sets forth budgeting procedures followed by state government;
• UCA 63J-1-701 directs GOMB to submit an in-depth budget review of any state department, agency, institution, or program on request from the Legislative Management Committee;
• UCA 11-38-201 requires GOMB to staff the Quality Growth Commission.

Intent Language

The Legislature intends that the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget may add one additional vehicle to its authorized level using existing funds.

Under section 63J-1-603 of the Utah Code, the Legislature intends that appropriations provided for the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget in Item 5 Chapter 11 Laws of Utah 2012 not lapse at the close of Fiscal Year 2013.

Performance

An improvement in state government programs and services of at least 25 percent by January 2017. The other programs do not need to show performance measures.

Funding Detail

For more detail about a particular source of finance or organizational unit, click a linked entry in the left column of the table(s) below.

Program: Administration

Function

The Administration program provides accounting, technical, and clerical support to the Governor's Office of Management and Budget. The duties of this program include personnel management, internal budget development, travel arrangements, program development and other support functions as necessary.

Background

The Administration program is now used to budget for the new Operational Excellence (SUCCESS Framework) initiative in the Governor's Office of Management and Budget. Please see the line item description of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget for further detail about this initiative.

Funding Detail

Program: Planning and Budget Analysis

Function

The Planning and Budget Analysis program is responsible for the development and presentation of the Governor's policy, planning, and budget recommendations. The program contributes to the development of the annual Governor's Budget recommendation by providing analysis of revenues, financial requirements, and specific program issues affecting agencies. The Governor's analysts compare each budget against priorities set by the Governor in an attempt to address both state and local concerns. Analysts also participate in agency hearings during the appropriations process, trace agency sponsored legislation, and review each appropriations bill prior to the Governor signing.

Background

The Planning and Budget Analysis program is now used to budget for the new Operational Excellence (SUCCESS Framework) initiative in the Governor's Office of Management and Budget. Please see the line item description of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget for further detail about this initiative.

Funding Detail

Program: Demographic and Economic Analysis

Function

The Demographic and Economic Analysis (DEA) section manages, analyzes, and disseminates economic, demographic, and fiscal data in order to contribute to improved planning, budgeting, and policy-making, as well as providing economic and demographic forecasts for the state. These forecasts are used for revenue estimates for the governor's budget recommendations and to fulfill a legal requirement to maintain a data center that acts as a liaison with the U.S. Census Bureau.

By tracking Utah's revenue estimates, the DEA Section assists in arriving at consensus revenue forecasts used in managing the state's budget and facilitates more informed judgments about issues impacting Utah. It also publishes several annual reports that help provide data to universities, non-profit groups, and state departments, on an ongoing basis.

Funding Detail

Program: Information Technology

Function

GOPB uses the IT program to account for information technology costs. The program, now operated under contract with the Department of Technology Services (DTS), provides Local Area Network (LAN) and computer desktop support for the Governor's Office and GOMB. The duties of this section revolve around all aspects of computer use and related communications technologies. Prior to the creation of DTS, this program also housed the state's Chief Information Officer.

Background

The Information Technology program has been rolled into a new organization and is no longer listed separately in the GOMB budget.

Funding Detail

The current balance in General Funds is used on IT type projects. Due to the uncertainty of future revenue estimates, FY 2011 expenditures were kept to a minimum, explaining the large decrease of spending from FY 2010.

Program: State and Local Planning

Function

The State and Local Planning program serves as staff for the State Planning Coordinator in facilitating coordination among all levels of government. The program also provides technical assistance to local governments as requested for developing and implementing land use plans. This program provides strategic and comprehensive planning and technical assistance. The program fulfills the statutory obligations of the Governor's Office of Management and Budget to staff the Utah Quality Growth Commission. The Quality Growth Commission administers local government planning grants and the LeRay McAllister Critical Land Conservation Program. Program staff members also make recommendations to the Legislature regarding growth issues and implementing quality growth principles.

Funding Detail

Program: General State Fiscal Stabilization Program

Function

This program was created during the 2009 General Session to appropriate discretionary federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act money to the Governor's Office.

Funding Detail

The Governor received approximately $87 million in discretionary federal stimulus funds. In cooperation with the Legislature, all funds have been expended.

In FY 2011 the Governor expended $647,600 from flexible federal stimulus funds on staffing, auditing, and pass through funding. This program provided incentives to purchase new homes.