| Topic | Question |  Date |
|---|
| Advice for testifying | WHAT ARE SOME GOOD RULES TO REMEMBER WHEN TESTIFYING BEFORE A LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE? (Feel free to discuss specific experiences--good or bad--you've had when testifying before committees. Offer some advice or rules of thumb that might be helpful to your colleagues.) | Apr-2008 |
| Software for data analysis | WHAT SOFTWARE DOES YOUR OFFICE USE FOR DATA ANALYSIS--AND WHY? (Based on your experience, what are the advantages or disadvantages of various software packages for the work you do? What software for data/statistical analysis does your office use the most often or find the most indispensable?) | Mar-2008 |
| Problem finders or problem solvers? | ARE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM EVALUATION OFFICES AS GOOD AT SUGGESTING SOLUTIONS AS WE ARE AT FINDING PROBLEMS? (Some people have criticized performance audits for focusing on finding problems and potential cost savings, rather than on finding solutions and ways to improve services. What do you think? And what are the keys to making reasonable, useful recommendations in our reports?) | Feb-2008 |
| Writing exercises for job applicants | WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR OFFICE'S EXPERIENCE, IF ANY, WITH WRITING EXERCISES FOR JOB APPLICANTS? How have you tried to assess the writing ability of job appliants? If you have used some sort of writing exercise, what has been the nature of this exercise? How long does it take, and when do you administer it? What conclusions have you reached about the value of writing exercises for applicants? | Jan-2008 |
| Peer review | SHOULD LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM EVALUATION OFFICES UNDERGO PERIODIC PEER REVIEWS? Has your office been peer-reviewed (and why/why not)? What are the best reasons for undergoing a peer review? What are your concerns about peer reviews? | Nov-2007 |
| Helpful websites, blogs, software, etc. | ARE THERE WEBSITES, BLOGS, PODCASTS, OR SOFTWARE THAT YOU'VE FOUND ESPECIALLY HELPFUL FOR DOING EVALUATION-RELATED WORK? (For example, maybe there's software you've used to facilitate inter-office collaboration--such as SharePoint--or to develop surveys. Or, maybe you've found podcasts or websites that provide tips on writing, grammar, statistical analysis, or other topics. Let us know what your experience has been with these tools!) | Oct-2007 |
| Responding to calls for "investigation" | When there are widely-publicized governmental failures--e.g., political scandals, Hurricane Katrina responses, the Minneapolis bridge collapse--legislators sometimes demand an "investigation" to get to the bottom of the problem. QUESTION: WHAT SHOULD BE THE ROLE OF LEGISLATIVE EVALUATION AGENCIES IN SUCH "INVESTIGATIONS?" (Specifically: What do you think are appropriate--or inappropriate--roles for our offices in the aftermath of these types of events? Is there a role for our offices to play when legislators establish special commissions to investigate suspected wrongdoing or mismanagement? Are there pitfalls we should avoid? What lessons has your office learned from past involvement in legislative investigations?) | Sep-2007 |
| "Paperless" Audits | Based on your office's experience, has there been progress toward the notion of "paperless" audits--that is, audits/evaluations in which all documentation and working papers are in an electronic format? (Please discuss any specific steps your office has taken in this direction. Also, please discuss whether you think "paperless" audits remain a good and realistic thing for offices to aim toward.) | Jul-2007 |
| Topic Selection Process | Does your legislative program evaluation agency have a good process for getting the topics it evaluates? (What's the role of the Legislature in this process? What do you like--or not like--about your process?)
| May-2007 |
| Soliciting agency employees' input | When your agency starts a performance audit of an agency, do you make any special efforts to solicit comments or suggestions from employees? (For example, what are the circumstances in which you would conduct employee surveys, talk with union leaders, or use other approaches to get employee input? Have you found that these approaches are useful?)
| May-2007 |
| Listing staff "credentials" | SHOULD LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM EVALUATION OFFICES IDENTIFY ANY SPECIAL CREDENTIALS OF THEIR STAFF (e.g., "Ph.D." "C.P.A.," "C.I.S.A.", etc.) WHEN LISTING THE AUTHORS OF THEIR REPORTS? Are there circumstances where you think this is appropriate/not appropriate? What are your office's current practices for listing the credentials of your staff along with their names? | Mar-2007 |
| Formatting your reports | WHAT SPECIFIC TYPES OF "DESKTOP PUBLISHING" TOOLS (SOFTWARE, TEMPLATES, ETC.) DOES YOUR OFFICE USE TO PREPARE REPORTS FOR PUBLISHING? What are the pros/cons of the approaches you're currently using--or ones you've used in the past? Can you offer any tips to offices trying to decide on software or other tools to make their reports look professional? | Mar-2007 |
| NLPES Newsletter | WHAT TYPES OF INFORMATION WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IN THE NLPES NEWSLETTER? What purpose should this newsletter serve? Are there specific types of articles you would like to see in the newsletter (e.g., articles on specific methods/techniques; profiles of individual staff; profiles of agencies; discussions/debates on current issues; summaries of sessions from recent conferences; articles on NCSL activities; etc.) | Jan-2007 |
| Setting project staffing levels | WHEN YOUR AGENCY STARTS A NEW EVALUATION PROJECT, HOW DO YOU DETERMINE THE NUMBER OF STAFF OR HOURS REQUIRED? Do you budget a particular number of hours for the project? If so, do you do this before or after determining the project scope? Do you have flexibility to make adjustments in staffing later in the project? | Jan-2007 |
