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NLPES News

September 1997, No. 68

Inside the News

Chair's Corner
New Mexico Profile
Liaison Review
A View From the States
1997 NLPES Awards
August NLPES Executive Committee Meetings
Office Newsmakers
Web Trappings
News from the Net.doc
From the Editor
Aldric of York
NLPES Fall Training Conference

NCSL Home Page

Chair's Corner

Mary Noble (CA)

I would like to welcome our new executive committee members and thank the remaining members for staying another year. Looking over the new committee members' position statements, it is clear that we have many common areas of interest, some of which are: training, new practices, sharing more information electronically and continuing leadership in the field of program evaluation and performance auditing. Each of the new members comes with fresh ideas, and I believe this will be another exciting year!

However, a plate this full brings me to the next point: the executive committee cannot do it alone! We need the participation of all of you to help keep the organization moving forward. Please provide your suggestions on what you need from the organization to any member of the Executive Committee, and please step forward and volunteer your services. We need you!

You recently received a brochure describing the training conference in Jackson, Miss. on Oct. 8-11. I've had a sneak preview and accompanying many interesting and thought- provoking sessions, there will also be an opportunity to showcase the work of your office. I urge you to sign up. I can also ensure you, based on personal experience, that the Mississippi Joint Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review (PEER) staff really practices true southern hospitality!

On behalf of the executive committee and the entire membership, I would like to thank Jennifer Noyes for her inspiring leadership of the executive committee over this last year and look forward to her continued guidance as she serves as an "ex officio" committee member this year.

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Into the Sunset...Not

Jennifer Noyes (WI)

As you know, my term as NLPES chair ended at the close of the NCSL Annual Meeting in Philadelphia. Rather than wandering off into the sunset, I wanted to take advantage of the offer to allow me one more column to make some parting comments about the past year and the activities of NLPES.

First, I want to extend my thanks to all of you for allowing me the opportunity to serve as NLPES chair. The experience has been extremely rewarding in more ways than I can enumerate. In particular, I have enjoyed working with every member of the NLPES executive committee as well as with our NCSL liaisons: Karen Carter, who has moved on to other pursuits, and Bob Boerner. It is quite evident to me that there are many people scattered throughout the county who care deeply about the field of legislative program evaluation and are committed to the further advancement of our profession.

Second, I would like to encourage all of you to become involved or remain involved with the activities of NLPES. As an organization, we have accomplished a lot over the years, ranging from the publication of this newsletter to the development of useful annual training conferences. Right now, we have a major effort underway to produce a volume of the American Evaluation Association's New Directions for Evaluation. None of these accomplishments would be possible without your participation and support.

Third, I want to wish the new NLPES Executive Committee, chaired by Mary Noble, a productive and interesting year. I think we should all be extremely pleased that ten of our members chose to run for the Executive Committee, resulting in one of the most hotly contested elections in recent memory. I am sure that the six members who were elected-Joel Alter (MN), Art Heikkila (AZ), Kirk Jonas (VA), Craig Monson (UT), Jane Thesing (SC), and Gary VanLandingham (FL) -working in concert with the returning members-Mark Bucherl (IN), Joe Fiala (KY), Craig Kinton (TX), Mary Noble (CA), and Sharon Patnode (KS) -will serve us all well.

Overall, although the past year has been quite challenging both professionally and personally for me, I wouldn't have traded it for anything. Thanks again for the opportunity and best of luck with all your future endeavors.

Editor's Note: Jennifer's NLPES commitment to the state legislative process, nationally, continues with her new appointment as staff chair for the Assembly on State Issues. Congratulations, Jennifer!

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New Mexico Profile
Legislative Finance Committee

History: Our agency's first audit was conducted under the Joint Powers Agreement with the Office of the State Auditor and the New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee (LFC). Then, in September 1991, the performance audit unit was officially moved to and established within the LFC with a total staff of four performance auditors.

Governing Body: The Legislative Finance Committee is composed of eight senators and eight representatives. The LFC is responsible for making fiscal (appropriation) recommendations to the legislature for the state government, public schools and the institutes of higher education. The director, appointed by the LFC, is responsible for both fiscal and audit functions.

Number of Staff: There are ten performance auditors: one director, one deputy director, one performance audit manager, two senior performance auditors, two performance/EDP auditors, and three performance auditors. Fiscal staff include three principal fiscal analysts, 11 fiscal analysts, two economists and five support staff.

Staff Education: Staff come from a variety of fields, including accounting, economics, business administration, public administration, finance, political science and public policy. Five staff are certified public accountants, three have Ph.D. degrees and three have master degrees.

Information Systems Project - The LFC adopted information system funding framework, which was used to review 34 funding requests. Also, Senate Bill 1129 was passed to authorize issuance of revenue bonds to fund the TRIMS project in the amount of $33.7 million.

State Fair Audit - A performance audit identified financial difficulties at the State Fair. House Bill 129 was introduced to remedy the situation.

DOL-Human Rights Audit - A majority of the audit recommendations were implemented by the department. The backlog of complaints has been reduced according to the department.

Economic Development Department In-Plant Training Review - House Bill 512 was introduced and passed to centralize the programming functions in the department and also provided funds to administer this program.

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Liaison Review

Institute of Internal Auditors
Jim Pellegrini (MT)

As the liaison for NLPES with the Institute of Internal Auditors, I thought it might be appropriate to provide a little background on the institute for those unfamiliar with its programs and services. While working in the government environment, it is easy to concentrate on issues we believe pertain only to us. We contact other government employees to discuss items of interest and share information on previous work and analytical techniques. We may be familiar with staff that work as internal auditors in government; however, private sector auditors and evaluators can provide us with another valuable asset - their experience. That experience can be shared through the Institute of Internal Auditors and its local chapters and members.

The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), located in Altamonte Springs, Fla., serves as the internal auditing profession's authority on issues affecting internal auditors, and is dedicated to the advancement of the internal auditor and the profession on a worldwide basis. The IIA is a leader in research and educational issues for internal auditors and is a standards-setting body for the profession. The IIA monitors legislation, regulations and pronouncements of other professional organizations throughout the world on matters which affect, directly or indirectly, the practice of internal auditing. The IIA also develops and publishes position papers, non-authoritative guidance, as well as comments on legislation and regulations, pronouncements, and current and emerging issues of importance to the internal auditing profession.

One of the IIA's foremost projects is to build awareness of internal auditing at its foundation: institutions of higher education. The Institute encourages, supports, and assists in the implementation of internal auditing curricula at colleges and universities, and promotes internal auditing education worldwide. The IIA currently sponsors 30 endorsed internal auditing programs (EIAPs) at colleges and universities that offer internal auditing undergraduate or graduate level programs on a continuing basis. The institute also develops and promotes classroom materials to support established or planned internal auditing curricula at colleges and universities. These classroom materials include internal auditing textbooks, case studies and model curriculum, which cover topics from internal auditing principles and techniques to operational auditing, information systems auditing, total quality auditing, behavioral auditing, internal controls and control self-assessment.

A student internship program, Businesses and Universities Improving Leadership Development (BUILD), benefits both students and employers by providing well-trained interns, and, subsequently, entry-level graduates to fill positions within participating organizations.

The institute also provides its members and the profession with continuing educational opportunities. Offering a range of training for beginners to internal auditing executives, IIA seminars cover everything from beginning audit techniques to advanced information systems auditing and fraud detection. They are held on a regular basis in cities throughout the United States and Canada. Seminars are also offered on-site for organizations worldwide that want to save travel time and expenses or want customized training. The institute's programs generally meet or exceed established continuing professional education requirements.

The IIA is a member or participant in cooperative projects with a number of organizations, including: the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the American National Standards Institute, the American Accounting Association, the Association of Government Accountants, the Financial Executives Institute, the Institute of Management Accountants, the National Intergovernmental Auditors Forum, the National Association of Local Government Auditors, and the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants.

The IIA performs other major functions - the Certified Internal Auditor Program; Quality Assurance Reviews (QARs); preparation of the Global Auditing Information Network (GAIN), the IIA's benchmarking service; and the Institute of Internal Auditors Research Foundation. The foundation provides research and education for the benefit of the internal auditor, the internal auditing profession, business and government communities, and the general public. These are topics for a later date.

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IIA Conference
October 20, 21

Institute-sponsored conferences feature international experts speaking on issues such as best practices, fraud, total quality, government, environmental auditing, ethics and emerging technologies. This year the IIA is sponsoring a State and Local Government Conference at George Washington University in Washington, DC. The conference will be held Oct. 20-21, 1997. Planned topics include:

• Emerging Risks in State and Local Government Auditing
• Best Practices in Governmental Auditing
• High Impact Performance Measures for Government Auditing
• Effective Facilitation Techniques
• Year 2000 Strategies
• Outsourcing
• Consulting Skills for the Government Auditor- Early Detection Techniques for Procurement Fraud
• Designing an Effective Auditor Development Program
• The Internet as an Auditing Tool
• Risk Assessment
• A Passion for Excellence in Government Auditing

If you are interested in any of the IIA programs or conferences, you can reach some very friendly people at (407) 830-7600. They will be very happy to help you.

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A View From the States

Legislative Evaluators: A Diverse Group of Professionals

Rakesh Mohan (LA)

Note: This article is based on survey results presented at the Southwest Intergovernmental Audit Forum on Oct. 23, 1996, in Baton Rouge, La. Please address questions to the author by phone at (504) 339-3836 or by e-mail.

Although it is generally known among legislative evaluators that they are a diverse group of professionals, current literature offers little in terms of specific data. To sketch a profile of legislative evaluators, I surveyed all NLPES member agencies in September 1996.

Of the 65 NLPES member agencies, 54 (83.1 percent) responded to the survey. Seven of these agencies reported that they do not conduct performance audits or program evaluations, and therefore were not included in the analysis. The total number of agencies responding to the survey differed from question to question. Also, in some cases, responses given were estimates. In this article the term "evaluation" refers to program evaluation, performance audits and like activities.

A total of 1,147 professional staff conducted evaluations within 46 of these agencies. Two states contain almost a third of these staff. The Michigan Auditor General's Office has 152 staff and the Texas State Auditor's Office has 222. Both offices report that they use the same pool of staff to conduct both evaluations and financial audits. Alternatively, agencies like Iowa Legislative Fiscal Bureau, North Carolina Fiscal Research Division, and the Oklahoma Senate report that conducting evaluations is not their staff's primary responsibility.

Educational Background

Work Classification

Types of Standards Used

Exhibit 5 lists the following information on NLPES member agencies in each state: total number of professional staff conducting evaluations, classification of evaluation work, types of standards used and whether or not the agency is responsible for conducting financial audits.

Conclusion

Survey results support the accepted observation that legislative evaluators are a diverse group of professionals. Although the survey did not address issues like the debate over program evaluation vs. performance audits, it did reveal the following tendencies about NLPES agencies:

• Of the 30 agencies that use the Yellow Book, 19 (63.3 percent) are also responsible for financial audits.
• Of the 30 agencies that use the Yellow Book, 23 (76.7 percent) classify at least some of their work as performance audits.
• Of the 17 agencies that do not use the Yellow Book, only 2 (11.8 percent) agencies report that they also conduct financial audits.
• Of the 17 agencies that do not use the Yellow Book, 12 (70.6 percent) report that they classify some of their work as program evaluation.

Acknowledgments

I extend my deep appreciation to everyone who participated in the survey and to Dr. Kathleen Sullivan (MS) who pretested the questionnaire.
        -Rakesh Mohan

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1997 NLPES Awards

Craig Monson (UT)

Florida and Wisconsin are the winners of the 1997 NLPES Award for Excellence in Program Evaluation and the NLPES Award for Excellence in Research Methodology, respectively. The Award of Excellence in Program Evaluation was presented to the Florida Office of Program Policy Analysis & Government Accountability (OPPAGA) and was accepted by director John Turcotte and Rep. Jorge Rodriguez-Chomat, incoming chair of Florida's Joint Legislative Auditing Committee. The Award for Excellence in Research Methodology was presented to the Wisconsin Bureau of State Audits and was accepted by state auditor Dale Cattanach and Sen. Peggy Rosenzweig, past chair of Wisconsin's Joint Audit Committee.

Award winners were recognized by NCSL at its legislative staff achievement awards presentation during the staff luncheon at the NCSL annual meeting in Philadelphia. Award winners were later recognized again at the NLPES luncheon and business meeting.

The Excellence in Program Evaluation Award was given to OPPAGA in recognition of its many fine qualities, including:

Responsiveness and Innovation OPPAGA conducted a comprehensive self-study to better address legislative needs and maximize effectiveness. This resulted in a streamlined organizational structure, expanded technological capabilities, self-directed work teams, and a shorter, more concise report format. The office conducts all of its projects in accordance with the Program Evaluation Standards, Second Edition ("Red Book"). OPPAGA conducted a comprehensive self-study to better address legislative needs and maximize effectiveness. This resulted in a streamlined organizational structure, expanded technological capabilities, self-directed work teams, and a shorter, more concise report format. The office conducts all of its projects in accordance with the Program Evaluation Standards, Second Edition ("Red Book").

Demonstrated Impact  Since its inception in July 1994, OPPAGA's recommendations have realized $90.6 million in annual cost savings and $100,000 in reduced general revenue needs. Including recommendations still under consideration, OPPAGA's potential fiscal impact was projected at more than $180 million.

Contributions to Program Evaluation Office staff have participated extensively in NLPES, with two staff having chaired the executive committee, and OPPAGA also hosted a NLPES annual training conference. OPPAGA's staff have also been very active in other organizations and were instrumental in establishing the first state-level chapter of the American Evaluation Association. Staff conduct extensive training for other agencies in Florida state government as well as in other states.

The office is breaking new ground with its Florida Government Accountability Report (F-GAR) which will provide accountability profiles, via Internet access, to legislators and citizens for every major state government program.

Information submitted for review is on file with the NLPES Executive Committee. Reports can be requested from the Florida Office of Program Policy Analysis & Government Accountability by calling (904) 488-1023 or through its Web page.

The Wisconsin Legislative Audit Bureau received the Methodology Award for its report, "An Evaluation of Third-Semester Effects of the Wisconsin Learnfare Program," which exhibited high-quality program evaluation work in both project planning and report development, demonstrated by the following:

Comprehensive Research Design Methodology effectively complemented a long-term evaluation approach that culminated in three interim and one final evaluation report for the years 1992-97. Methodology effectively complemented a long-term evaluation approach that culminated in three interim and one final evaluation report for the years 1992-97.

Intergovernmental Collaboration Federal, state and local officials were recruited in developing the methodology and conducting the evaluation.

Experimental Design Analysis used a randomized experimental design using a sample of more than 3,000 teenagers.

Variable Control Regression analysis controlled for the effects of other variables in assessing the effect of Learnfare on various outcomes.

Methodology Details were explained in the report appendix.

Information regarding judging of this report is on file with the NLPES Executive Committee. This reports and others can be requested from the Wisconsin Legislative Audit Bureau, 131 W. Wilson St., Suite 402, Madison, WI 53703; by calling (608) 266-2818 or by sending an e-mail.

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Impact Awards

NLPES issued Certificates of Recognition of Significant Impact to 13 states at the NLPES luncheon and business meeting. These awards recognize reports whose release have had a significant impact in any of several areas :

• California Bureau of State Audits Orange County: Treasurer's Investment Strategy was Excessively Risky and Violated the Public Trust
• Colorado Office State Auditor Privatization Assessment Workbook
• Florida Office of Program Policy Analysis & Government Accountability Medicaid Managed Care Options Administered by the Agency for Health Care Administration
• Georgia Department of Audits Nonvocational Laboratories
• Hawaii Office of the Auditor Audit of the Administration of the Purchase of Service System
• Kansas Legislative Division of Post Audit Review of the Department of Agriculture's Weights and Measures Enforcement Program
• Louisiana Office of Legislative Auditor Office of Rural Development
• Nebraska Legislative Council Leaking Underground Storage Tank Program
• Texas Office of the State Auditor Contract Administration at Selected Health and Human Services Agencies- Phase Three
• Utah Office of the Legislative Auditor General Office of Recovery Services
• Washington Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee State Investment Board
• Wisconsin Legislative Audit Bureau Investment Practices of the State of Wisconsin Investment Board
• Wyoming Legislative Service Office Facilities Management

1997 NLPES Award Winners for Impact, Excellence, and Methodology

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August NLPES Executive Committee Meetings

Excerpts from meetings, August 6 & 9, 1997 (full minutes are available upon request)

Steve Miller (MS) described the three training tracks that will be offered at the October NLPES conference in Jackson, Miss.: skills development; the philosophical foundations of performance auditing; and legal aspects of performance auditing. Steve also mentioned the social events and other activities planned.

Mary Noble (CA) praised the hospitality of the Mississippi PEER office and the effort PEER director Max Arinder and his staff have devoted to the conference. Mary reported that the 1998 fall training will be held in Sacramento in early October and that the 1999 site has yet to be chosen.

Max expressed thanks for the help his office received with training sessions. He reported that the computer session will be greatly assisted by being held in the state's computer training room. He also mentioned a new state "Poster Session" that will be offered for the first time. Jennifer Noyes (WI) recommended that the training committee publish guidelines on the poster session.

Barbara Hinton (KS) requested that the awards committee review the criteria for the excellence award. She felt that the criteria for "innovation" and "holding a conference in the state" might not be fair for some states.

Mary announced that the NLPES shared training manual requires updating.

Craig Kinton (TX) discussed increasing the utilization of NLPES Internet list server (an e-mail service that allows easy communication among auditors from different states) by enrolling every key contact. Discussion ensued over enrolling all NLPES members. Max encouraged offices to publish report digests on the list server.

Craig recommended more participation with the newsletter. Mark Bucherl (IN) requested that executive committee members write a short synopsis of one or more of the NCSL Annual Meeting sessions they attended (to be published on the Web).

Craig reported on progress on a letter he sent to NCSL concerning problems, including enrollment on the List Server (since resolved) and with "Works in Progress" (an annual compilation of states' current audit projects). The committee discussed the usefulness of the works in progress data base, and Craig said he would work with Bob Boerner (NCSL) on these issues. NCSL staff Doug Sacarto and Jo Anne Bourquard explained their roles in electronic communications at NCSL and encouraged committee members to use their services when needed. They explained how NCSL's home page operated and that it is still under construction. Doug explained that Bob will be the subscription manager for the List Server and that server registration can be accomplished through NCSL's home page. Joel Alter (MN) suggested that LEGISNET (a NCSL archive of legislative documents) be linked directly to NCSL's home page.

Doug suggested that states submitting reports to LEGISNET in the future post them electronically in HTML format, that they be given descriptive titles, and that key word indexes be attached with these documents.

Kirk Jonas (VA) reported on progress with the NLPES articles submitted for publication in the AEA journal. The journal will be divided by sections: section I articles review the philosophy on evaluation; section II shows conditions and methods; and section III reviews future directions of evaluation.

David Greer (LA) said that the evaluation liaisons are now in place. Barbara Hinton (KS) reminded the committee that there is a significant need for coordination among different performance audit groups.

Joe Fiala (KY) reported that the voting for the executive committee election was quite high-about 30 percent of the total membership. Bob said that there had been confusion on how to count some ballots. Mary felt that more time is needed between voting notification and voting deadline for the next election.

Mary Noble made the following committee assignments:

Mary mentioned that planning for the annual meeting should begin in January. The training committee is responsible for assisting the state presenting the fall training program. James Barber (MS) agreed to work on the Annual Meeting committee. David Greer said he would assist with the professional liaison committee. The by-laws and office profile committees have been eliminated.

Mary remarked that society by-laws state that the individual elected as vice chair serves for one year and, thereafter, serves for one year as chair. Primary responsibilities include annually attending three LSCC meetings and sitting on the legislative staff coordinating committee. Craig Monson (UT) was elected vice chair.

Kirk Jonas (VA) was elected as secretary with the primary responsibility of recording executive committee meetings.

Mary reviewed the assignments for key contacts. They are:

Joel Alter -- IA, MI, MN, MO
Mark Bucherl -- IN, NJ, NY, VT, NH
Joe Fiala -- KY, OH, TN, WV
Art Heikkila -- AZ, NE, CO, NM, WY
Kirk Jonas -- VA, ME, MD, PA, RI
Craig Kinton -- TX, CT, IL, MA
Craig Monson -- UT, AK, HI, OR, MT
Mary Noble -- CA, ID, NV, OK, WA
Jennifer Noyes -- WI
Sharon Patnode -- KS, DE, ND, SD
Jane Thesing -- SC, NC, LA, AR
Gary VanLandingham -- FL, GA, AL, MS

Mary recommended that each member of the executive committee call their key contacts regarding training conferences, the list server, and to encourage participation with newsletter articles.

New Staff Training

Bob will invite Bruce Feustel from NCSL to the October committee meeting to talk about the annual new staff training. Kirk suggested changing the training dates to May or June. This change would make it easier for his office to send staff to the training because of the timing of their budget.

Mary related that the Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation is seeking a NLPES representative to attend their committee meeting in September. Kathleen Sullivan (MS) plans to attend, and Kirk Jonas (VA) indicated that he would represent the executive committee there.

Sam McCall (FL), a member of the Yellow Book revision committee, mentioned that anyone desiring changes to the Yellow Book should report their concerns to him.

Jennifer Noyes (WI), new staff chair for ASI, mentioned that the next ASI meetings are Nov. 5-7, 1997 in Washington, D.C. and Apr. 3-5, 1998 in Seattle.

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Office Newsmakers

Florida: Sam McCall, deputy auditor general, was recognized as 1997 AICPA Outstanding CPA in Government.

Michigan: Thomas H. McTavish was reappointed by the Michigan Legislature to his second eight-year term as auditor general.

Utah: Craig Monson, legislative audit manager, was elected 1997 vice chair of the NLPES executive committee and will become chair in 1998.

Wisconsin: Jennifer Noyes, legislative audit bureau program evaluation director, was named as the staff chair of NCSL's Assembly on State Issues.

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Web Trappings

The NLPES List Server
Nationwide communication with a keystroke

Use of the NLPES List Server is continuing to rise. If you are not yet familiar with this service, you will be soon. Revocable registration of all NLPES key contacts is in the works. This means that all key contacts with e-mail addresses will be automatically registered (you may, however, remove your name at will). An e-mail registration site for NLPES members, the list server allows a message to be sent to all NLPES e-mail subscribers simultaneously.

States are now using the list server for publication notices of the reports they have issued. E-mail interchanges have also tapped states' research experience on evaluation topics as diverse as forestry studies and regulation of child care facilities to analyses of judicial system caseloads.

Members from 21 organizations are currently registered on the NLPES list server. As more members become familiar with using the Internet, more uses may be found for this interactive exchange. In the near future, a new NLPES Web site may include a complete listing of e-mail transactions that have occurred on the list server.

Your agency's key contact will soon be listed. To enroll yourself, click here.

Cyber-wizards Max Arinder (MS) and Doug Sacarto (NCSL) discuss the future of electronic communication at the Philadelphia conference.

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Web Site of the Issue

MetaCrawler Search Engine

Still haven't decided which is the best search engine? Try MetaCrawler.

MetaCrawler queries Lycos, Infoseek, WebCrawler, Excite, AltaVista and Yahoo, then organizes the results into a uniform format, ranked by relevance, and returns them to the user. MetaCrawler is slightly slower than other engines, but is touted by its originators to be,"..more likely to obtain accurate results for your query."

E-mail me your favorite site.

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Coming Soon to the NLPES Web Site

Items of interest whose content that may be too long for the newsletter and whose content may be of lasting value are appearing, more and more, in our NLPES web site. On the horizon will be a separately managed, custom-tailored NLPES Web Site. New additions now include:

• NCSL conference notes, covering such issues as: Child Welfare, Welfare Reform, Cost-Saving Audit Approaches, How to Give a Great Speech, Reigning in Software Costs and Correctional Joint Auditing.
• Criteria for being selected as a NLPES conference host state.

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News from the Net.doc

Gary VanLandingham (FL)

We all know the feeling. We receive a priority assignment to study an arcane program and need to find out fast what issues need to be examined and what methods can be used to efficiently conduct the study. Where to start?

In the olden days (i.e., up to a couple of years ago), we trotted over to the library and spent hours going through the card catalog, guides to periodic literature, and (horrors) microfilm to try to find relevant research. Generally, we didn't find much, but it gave us an excuse to revisit old college haunts.

Well, the nice folks at NCSL have worked hard to make our work easier. Many of us have used NCSL's LEGISNET service for years to search for studies that other states have done. As more states develop legislative evaluation units, and we all do more studies, the odds are increasingly good that somebody else has already issued a report on your topic. We can do a quick search to find studies and borrow their issue areas and methodology (they say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery). The only drawback is that many states don't submit all of their studies to LEGISNET (feel guilty?), so the list can be incomplete.

NCSL also sponsors the Works In Progress list, which is available on the NLPES home page. This site has a catalog of studies that member shops are currently working on, which can be a couple of hundred projects at any given time.

Well, actually, the WIP list WOULD be helpful if all NLPES members sent in their lists of works in progress (most of us should feel guilty now). Not to fear; your NLPES executive committee plans to publicly embarrass everyone into full cooperation before the year is out. This list will identify the projects that member states are conducting, the issues being addressed, and contact people.

Finally, NCSL offers a variety of Internet search engines from its home page, including favorites such as YAHOO, Alta Vista, WebCrawler and Infoseek. This is a fast way to search the billions of documents at sites that are now available to us.

So, start with the NCSL and NLPES Web sites when you start a project. The time and anguish you can save will be your own.

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From the Editor

Mark Bucherl (IN)

It is a pleasure not to have to search too hard for contributors who not only put ideas into words for a salary, but also contribute here for... mostly... my thanks. I do appreciate it, as do our member, though you probably won't hear about it - unless through the convenience of e-mail (yes, this is a hint).

Thanks to those who took the time to reply to the fax I sent in July seeking office news and your suggestions regarding the newsletter's usefulness. Your feedback is obviously important since our market research department is modest. The more responses, the closer this newsletter will resemble your reality.

The 1997 NCSL conference was, as always, quite enjoyable. The sessions were informative - I had no idea a professional demographer (Harold Hodgkinson) could be powerfully provocative and funny! We'll be posting session notes within the next month or so. Also, congratulations to our NLPES awards winners. On a personal note, thanks to Lou for his assistance in providing a few executive committee members with seats in one especially meaningful fraud and abuse workshop.

As the executive committee sets out again with newly elected, high-powered officers, I foresee many ideas reaching fruition to the betterment of the evaluation community. Among these will be a much greater focus on intercommunication among offices. And several former E.C. members have pledged to continue to contribute their services, too. How about you?

My thanks to my usual accomplices, who not only find the glaring errors which pass under my blind spots, but even say nice things like they enjoy reading this newsletter (raises for everyone!): Phyllis McCormack, Deb Hollon and Kristin Breen.

See you in Mississippi.

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The Continuing Adventures of Aldric of York, Medieval Auditor

IN THE SPRING OF THE YEAR 1158, in the fourth year of his apprenticeship, Aldric was informed that the Guild had received a directive from the King: "Thou shalt examine, either by thy own staff or by others that thou may choose, the Royal transportation construction program to determine why the knaves consistently ask for more resources and time to complete roads and bridges than they originally estimate. The Royal Treasury will provide the Guild with five silver pieces to perform the study."

Aldric was excited by the prospect of working on this study. "Inside track on this project I surely have, given my previous work on the Royal Toll Collection Program," he smugly noted to himself. [Editor's note - readers may recall that this project was discussed in an earlier transcription]. "The silver pieces will be a fine bonus for my work. I shall begin preliminary work at once, so that I will be truly knowledgeable when the Master gives me the assignment."

Aldric quickly went to the Guild archives to review the scrolls on prior studies in the policy area and paid a visit to the Guild methodologist to see what the spirits advised about the project. The soothsayer pondered the issue for several hours, consulted arcane scrolls, and cast small bones across the floor. At last the sage offered the following, "New ways come and bounds are few, status new and rearranging, bridges built and fall anew, the times they are a' changing; subject to a sampling error of plus or minus 5% at the 95% confidence level."

Aldric pondered this wisdom for several days until he had an inspiration. "Aha! 'New ways' must refer to the Westfailia Enquiring Bulletin, the carrier pigeon communication system that the King has lately created, while 'new status' can only mean that I will get the five silver pieces as a bonus!", he mused. Always eager to master new technology, Aldric visited the Bulletin and was very impressed as he watched peasants feeding the birds, cleaning cages, and removing the tiny scrolls carried by birds that were arriving. He realized the research potential of the Bulletin, and volunteered to work alongside the serfs to learn how to best use the system to gather information.

After several weeks of this toil, Aldric came across a pigeon scroll from the Master of the Audit and Analysis Guild. Alas, his hopes crumbled upon reading the message. It informed William of Glastonbury, member of the siege management consulting and cheese making firm of Cuttem, Guttem & Gore, that his firm had been awarded a contract to perform the study of the construction program.

Aldric rushed to the Master's office. "Explain please this message!" he cried. 'Why dost thou hire a mercenary when I could do the project in-house? Hast thou lost confidence in my abilities? What about the research work I have already done? Toiled as a peon have I at the Bulletin!' The wise Master patiently explained that while he had utmost confidence in Aldric there were several reasons for bringing in a consultant, "While thy prior work was exemplary, toll roads are not bridges and you lack the credentials that will be needed to give the report credence with the King. Also, we have lately received many other Royal directives, and we do not have sufficient staff to conduct those studies and this one also. This was announced weeks ago, but you were too busy with the birds to attend the staff meeting." The wise Master commended Aldric for his pioneering work in using the Westfailia Enquiring Bulletin for research, but advised him not to waste large amounts of time serfing the WEB until project assignments were finalized.

Aldric retired to his lonely cell to wash away the more unfortunate aspects of his WEB research and to drown his sorrows in a cask of ale, resolved to commit this error no more.

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Don't miss the...
NLPES Fall Training Conference

October 8-11

Evaluators, auditors and legislative attorneys will explore the foundations of their work and relax for an evening of Mississippi blues and barbecue at the fall conference sponsored by NLPES and NCSL's Legal Services Staff Section (LSSS). The recently renovated Harvey Hotel in Jackson, Miss., will be the site of the conference, which will begin with an evening reception on Wednesday, October 8, and wrap up with a Saturday luncheon on October 11.

Dr. Midge Smith of the University of Maryland will lead off the program with Thursday morning's keynote address, "Evaluation for the 21st Century." Dr. Smith, a leader in evaluation training, has served as editor of the journal Evaluation Practice. Thursday morning's plenary session will also address the past, present and future of legislative oversight. Thursday's luncheon and afternoon workshop speaker, Dr. Michael Scriven, will discuss "The Methodology of Evaluation - Psychology, Politics and Sociology" Thursday's activities will close with a group dinner (Dutch treat) at Cock of the Walk, a rustic, lakeside establishment featuring fried catfish and hearty servings of regional history.

Senator John Horhn of the Mississippi Legislature will open Friday's activities with a dramatic presentation drawn from Mississippi's history. Senator Horhn, chairman of the Economic Development, Tourism, and Parks Committee, is a storyteller, dramatist and motivational speaker. Friday's features will also include a series of concurrent sessions, followed by an afternoon of recreational activities. Options include a golf tournament, a walking tour, and a visit to the State Fair. The fair will be in full swing throughout the conference period and is located just a few blocks from the conference hotel. Friday will close with an evening of authentic barbecue and Mississippi blues at the state agricultural museum.

Concurrent sessions throughout the conference will follow three thematic tracks: foundations of oversight, tools and techniques, and legal issues in legislative oversight. Saturday's concurrent sessions will be followed by a closing luncheon featuring Mississippi Attorney General Mike Moore, a major player in a 40-state offensive against the tobacco industry.

As the conference develops, a special web site will facilitate the organization of panels and carry the latest news on speakers, social events, and sessions. View our conference page.

The October meeting is a joint training conference of NLPES and the Legal Services Staff Section. Evaluation offices that rely on lawyers for legal advice on jurisdictional issues, subpoena power, witness immunity, discoverability of work papers, or other legal issues related to audit and evaluation work, should inform these lawyers about the conference. The legal sessions will offer six hours of continuing legal education credits on topics facing lawyers who work with legislative oversight issues.

To ensure that every state will have an opportunity to share information on tools, methods, major projects, management techniques, and other topics of interest, a special area will be set aside to showcase states' displays. All NLPES member states are encouraged to prepare one or more table-top displays (e.g., using a science project presentation format) to describe and illustrate the topic. States may incorporate a computer demonstration in their presentations to help convey information. Staff from each agency participating in the poster session will be available to discuss their presentation and answer questions during a designated 90-minute period.

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