Wyoming

The Program Evaluation Section and the Management Audit Committee is the primary evaluative apparatus for Wyoming, evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of programs and analyzing related policy issues. The Management Audit Committee (a statutorily created committee of 11 legislators) selects programs to be evaluated. Once a topic is selected, Program Evaluation staff begin the evaluation process. The main evaluation process culminates in an evaluation report that is presented to the Committee in executive session. At that time, the Committee either releases the report to the public or requests “supplemental” research to be added or amended into the report before releasing it. Once the report is released, legislators, agencies, other officials, and the public can use the information to improve statutes, policies, and program operations.

The State of Wyoming has a Chief Data Officer in the Enterprise Technology Services department. The state also has a Data Governance Council that works with the CDO on how the state should manage and govern the Executive branch’s data systems.

In 1988, the Legislature changed its current focus to program evaluation or performance auditing, which involves evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of programs and analyzing related policy issues. The goal of the Program Evaluation Section and the Management Audit Committee is to provide the Legislature with useful, objective, and timely information about the extent to which desired program results are being achieved. This information is intended to facilitate legislative and executive actions to improve state government and to consider policy alternatives to current programs.