As outlined in our statute, the biennial work plan is developed by the Joint Legislative Program Evaluation Oversight Committee and the Division Director, with input from staff. Requests for program evaluations must come from a member of the General Assembly. The Division Director will review the requests in light of staff capacity and the current work plan and will make a recommendation to the Oversight Committee as to alterations of the work plan. Any project required by state law automatically amends the work plan.

 

2013–15 Approved Work Plan (Updated May 23, 2013)

Status of Projects

Projects Currently Underway:

UNC System Administration. This project will examine how recent budget cuts to the UNC System have affected spending on administration, compare administration costs across institutions, and examine the span of control of UNC administrators.

Feasibility of a Local Governance Model of K–12 Education. This project will review the potential costs and benefits of implementing a local education governance model similar to the Douglas County, Colorado system.

Department of Public Instruction Operations. This project will examine the effectiveness and efficiency of the Department of Public Instruction's management and operations including: business and finance functions; technology services; curriculum, instruction, and accountability services; and academic services and instructional support.

Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Management Services Funds. This project will review state-administered funds related to fire, rescue, and emergency management services (EMS) departments, including the eligibility criteria for these funds, benefits received, and oversight of funds.

Unused, Underutilized, and Surplus Property. This project will examine the efficiency and effectiveness of the legal and administrative process for identifying and disposing of underutilized or surplus real property owned and maintained by state agencies and universities.

 

Projects Pending:

Duplicative IT Projects. This project will evaluate duplication and overlap in information technology (IT) initiatives throughout all state agencies and review the Office of Information Technology Services' (ITS) oversight and management to prevent future duplication of IT initiatives.

Local Child Support Enforcement Programs. This project will evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of county child support enforcement programs, including compliance with federal requirements.

Community Care of North Carolina Review. This project will provide a full description of Community Care of North Carolina (CCNC), examine previous cost-savings estimates, and provide a reanalysis of savings.

Return on Investment from Pre-Kindergarten Programs in NC. This project will examine the costs and benefits of pre-kindergarten programs in North Carolina and compare the return on investment of different programs in order to inform funding decisions, taking as an example the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) cost-benefit analysis model and how its results informed that state's policy and budget decisions.

Pilot Program for Overnight Respite Services Provided by Adult Day Care Facilities. Session Law 2011-104 requires the Program Evaluation Division to evaluate the provision of overnight respite services in adult day care programs through the experiences of the pilot program authorized by this legislation including measuring the success of the pilot. Mandated due date: October 1, 2014.

Review of State Agency Supplemental Post-Tax Benefits. This project will examine the supplemental post-tax benefits that North Carolina state agencies offer beyond NCFlex pre-tax options and compare the supplemental options available to North Carolina state employees compared to other states' public employees, and will subsequently determine if the process for selecting supplemental benefits results in the best coverage for the cost.

N.C. Rural Economic Development Center Grants. This project will examine the effectiveness of the Rural Center's grant-making process, including the criteria used to determine grant awards, the grant monitoring process, the measurement of outcomes resulting from grants, and the effectiveness of state oversight of the Rural Center.

Review of the Retiree Health Benefit Fund. This project will compare North Carolina's state employee health plan to national standards and to other state retiree health plans.

Privatization Potential of State Government Programs. This project will develop a process for identifying and evaluating feasible opportunities for privatizing state government programs and services and identify government activities that may be most appropriate for privatization.

Inventory of Veterans Programs. This project will inventory and describe state programs and services available to veterans and their families, determine their effectiveness, and identify opportunities for programmatic and service improvement.

Passenger Rail in North Carolina. This project will review existing State programs providing or promoting passenger rail transport and potential for its expansion in North Carolina.

State IT Life Cycle Process. This project will determine if state processes for developing information technology systems meet standards and industry best practices and examine statewide oversight of these processes.

Analysis of Sales, Proceeds, and Expenses of the North Carolina State Lottery Commission. This project will evaluate whether the North Carolina State Lottery Commission is providing the maximum benefit to the State by examining the Commission's existing revenue-generating strategies and efforts to reduce costs.