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Related Topic: Legislative Staff

2023 Call for Nominations

Email your application to each of the judges listed below by the May 5, 2023

Contact Megan McClure to request the submission form in a Microsoft Word format. 

Applicants are responsible for submitting all documentation and materials to be considered by the submission deadline. Judges will not follow up to obtain additional materials, nor will additional materials be considered after the submission deadline.

Please ensure that your submission packet meets all criteria for the award:

  • All documents must be submitted electronically (links to documents on a website will not be accepted).
  • Documentation too large to email (e.g., video of a news report) should be discussed with the lead judge to determine a suitable method for submission. 
  • PDF documents must not be protected in any manner that would prevent printing or require a password to access the documents.
  • Applicants are encouraged to request each judge confirm their submission was received.
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Selection Criteria

Successful applicants must demonstrate the office's achievements during the award period in three specific areas: impact, body of work, and furthering the field of program evaluation or performance auditing as follows:

  • Impact (50%): Include information about the significance of your office's work and how it has positively affected state operations and policies. For example, applicants may show how the office's work has saved the state money, increased revenue, changed the way a program or service is provided, or led to new or rescinded legislation, etc.
  • Body of Work (30%): Include information about the work the office produced and how that work was accomplished during the award period. Any comments about information provided in Attachments A and B (described in the submission instructions) should be contained in this section.  Applicants should describe how subject areas were selected for evaluation or audit and indicate whether the office used contractors to perform special work or reports. Examples of additional information that may be included to describe the office’s body of work are:
    • Any unique circumstances in your state that impacted the selection of evaluation topics.
    • A series of reports issued on a specific topic area.
    • How the office's reports clearly and effectively communicated their findings, conclusions, and message to legislators and other readers.
    • The use of unique or innovative methodologies to conduct evaluations or audits.
    • The number of presentations made to legislative committees and other bodies, if applicable.
    • Any noteworthy accomplishments or extraordinary actions taken by the office. Examples may include additional staff or appropriations given to increase the amount or breadth of evaluation work performed, new processes within the office that have proven highly successful (and might be useful to others to emulate), and other accomplishments.
  • Furthering the Fields of Legislative Program Evaluation or Performance Auditing (20%): Include information about the office's participation in NLPES, NCSL, and other professional evaluation or audit organizations; providing training or speaking at professional conferences or higher education classes about program evaluation or performance auditing; or working with or sharing information about the office's work with other states, local governments, state agencies, etc. 

Judges

Each year, the NLPES Awards Subcommittee selects a panel of three judges to review award submissions packets. The winning office will be asked to make a staff member available to be a judge for this award in the following two award years. 

The judges for the 2023 Excellence in Evaluation Award are:

  • Micaela Fischer (lead judge), New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee, micaela.fischer@nmlegis.gov
  • Craig Murray, Michigan Office of Auditor General, cmurray@audgen.michigan.gov
  • Meri Clare Ringer, Mississippi Joint Legislative Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review, MeriClare.Ringer@peer.ms.gov

If you have questions about the Excellence in Evaluation Award process, contact:

  • Drew Dickinson, NLPES Awards Subcommittee chair (Virginia), ddickinson@jlarc.virginia.gov or 804-371-4575 
  • Micaela Fischer, NLPES Awards Subcommittee member (New Mexico), micaela.fischer@nmlegis.gov or 505-986-4531 
  • Marcus Morgan, NLPES Awards Subcommittee member (Alabama), mmorgan@aces.alabama.gov or 334-604-1450 

Related Resources

Legislative Staff

No matter what your job entails, if you are a legislative staffer, NCSL is your resource on legislative issues, one-stop shop for professional development and connection to legislative staffers around the country.

The Voice | Winter 2023

The Winter 2023 issue of The Voice, the newsletter of the Legislative Information and Communications Staff Professional Association.

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