Alabama Department of Finance

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High Performing State Agencies Recognized for Achieving Budget, Strategic Goals

January 8, 2009

MONTGOMERY- High performing state agencies are being recognized for their commitment to transparency, accountability and strategic planning. The Department of Finance Executive Planning Office (EPO) has awarded High Performer status to 13 state agencies for the previous fiscal year of 2008.

“Earning High Performer status proves an agency is dedicated to operating more efficiently and with greater transparency,” said State Finance Director Jim Main. “Agencies work hard to identify and achieve their goals. This planning process requires them to produce quantifiable results and report them to our Executive Planning Office.”

To be considered a High Performer, agencies must meet a number of criteria as part of the SMART Governing program administered by the EPO. These include meeting all deadlines for submitting required documents, including quarterly performance reports that indicate the progress an agency is making toward achieving its stated goals. An agency must also meet 80% of its projected performance targets.

The SMART Governing initiative was established by Governor Bob Riley in 2004 in an effort to make state government more accountable to taxpayers. In its 2008 Grading the States Report, the Pew Center cited SMART Governing for helping Alabama make what it called “significant” progress in recent years. SMART is an acronym for specific results, measurable key goals, accountable to taxpayers, responsive to customers and transparent to everyone.