The Virginia Commission on State Governmental Management--an assessment

The Commission on State Governmental Management has nearly completed a five-year study of the executive branch of Virginia government and has developed a number of recommendations which have been implemented to varying degrees at this time. The reorganization efforts of this Commission have resulted in the initiation of a more integrated management and decision-making system--a system that promises to improve procedures for allocating resources and encourage increased accountability for performance in state government.

The degree of success and also the particular failures that the Commission has experienced are explained through examination of previous reorganization efforts and the problems in state governmental management which prompted its formation--providing an outline of the historical and contemporary constraints and opportunities influencing the reform process. The Commission's approach and procedures, its specific proposals and the present status of these proposals are discussed. Special emphasis is placed on evaluating the management, planning, and budgeting systems developed as a result of Commission recommendations. This analysis is intended to provide a background for suggesting the difficulties that Commission reforms face in implementation and for preliminarily assessing the impact of the Commission's work on Virginia government.