The Role of Evaluation in Legislative Decision Making

Legislative performance auditing and program evaluation in Oregon is presently limited to sunset reviews of occupational licensing agencies and a few other state agencies, such as the liquor control board and the education coordinating commission. Expanded program evaluation was proposed during the 1983 session of the legislature and is the subject of an interim study. This paper discusses issues relating to the sunset review process and legislators' expressed interest in program evaluation. The Legislative Research Office in Oregon differs from legislative audit or program evaluation offices in other states. The primary function of legislative research is to provide policy research on issues facing the legislature. Sunset reviews are also a responsibility, but one which requires less than half of staff time. Whereas legislative evaluation offices in other states usually report to a single committee, this office is under the direction of the legislature generally and responds to requests from all members. An issue for legislative evaluation offices in many states, that of being distinctly different from other legislative staff, is not an issue in Oregon. Rather, legislative research staff must be cognizant of their two distinct roles: conducting general policy research and preparing sunset evaluations. Legislative research staff are generalists, not accountants or auditors. Like legislative evaluation offices in many states, legislative research comprises nonpartisan, professional staff. Because they are nonpartisan, researchers must separate themselves from any member's particular policy objective. This may be difficult when a researcher has worked closely with a legislator and has arrived at similar conclusions. But independence and objectivity are vital to the credibility of a nonpartisan office. Most of the issues discussed here involve the relationship between legislators and nonpartisan staff. These issues include staff recommendations and advocacy of findings, determination of a successful evaluation, and the trend toward more fiscally-oriented evaluations

Business · Legislature · Political science · Evaluation and Performance Assessment · Law

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