About Planning & Performance

Performance Results Division

The Division is responsible for implementing and administering the state's Performance Management System established in 2001 through the Iowa Accountable Government Act. Iowa's performance management system provides a framework for actively using performance data to improve state government results so we can better serve our customers. Our division ensures executive branch state agencies have sound performance planning and reporting, strategic planning and proven results.

Iowa's performance management system provides a framework for actively using performance data to improve state government results so we can better serve our customers. The cornerstones of our framework are planning and measurement, reporting, assessment and continuous improvement (Lean). These cornerstones are the building blocks to help agencies develop performance goals and targets, identify performance successes and gaps and guide leadership and managers in prioritizing and allocating resources. Our performance management system is designed to inform leadership and managers about results that can help them determine needed operational adjustments or strategic changes in policy or program directions to meet goals.

• Enterprise Strategic Planning: The State of Iowa enterprise strategic plan establishes goals, strategies, and action plans around key priority areas important to Iowa's future. Goals are accompanied by measures or indicators. An enterprise scope and broad goals encourage departments to collaborate across agency boundaries to focus on results for Iowans as well as internal improvements for increased state government effectiveness and efficiency.
• Agency Strategic Planning: Executive branch agencies look three to five years into the future to identify essential goals, strategies, and measures to guide progress in achieving the department's vision and mission as well as define how the agency contributes to achievement of the enterprise goals. Additionally, where possible, the measures that appear in this document should be aligned with the director's Flexible Performance Agreement.
• Agency Performance Planning: Agency performance planning looks at the agency mission (the purpose or why the agency exists) and defines the operations (core functions and key services, products and/or activities) that are in place to achieve that mission. An effective performance plan identifies measures for each core function and for key services, products and/or activities and monitors how well the agency achieves performance targets. In essence, a performance plan is a snapshot of what the agency does and how well it does it. The plan also helps to pinpoint improvement opportunities and identify opportunities to achieve better results.
• Agency Performance Reporting: Agency performance reports and the Results Iowa Website compare actual performance with projected levels for key areas outlined in the agency strategic plan and the agency performance plan. When a projected performance level is not met, an explanation is provided for why the target(s) was not achieved, and steps are described for meeting the target(s) in the future. Performance reporting is a way for agencies to provide information to Iowans about what was achieved for their investment of tax dollars.