Report Card Evaluates How States Manage Public Resources

All 50 states received report cards today evaluating each state government's performance in serving the public. Grading the States 2008 said The Pew Center on the States, is the only 50-state assessment of its kind that evaluates and grades each state based on a range of areas, from budget and finance to roads and bridges. The report demonstrates the importance of state governments that work better and cost less, said Pew, particularly in the wake of widespread budget deficits and a weakening national economy.

"Fostering meaningful change through fact-based research provides all states with useful knowledge to pursue innovative solutions that will strengthen performance and service to the public," said Susan Urahn, managing director of The Pew Center on the States. "State leaders and managers should look beyond the grade and pursue the opportunity that the report provides: to operate more efficiently and effectively, improve transparency, and be more accountable for results."

Overall state performance in 2008 ranged from A- (Utah, Virginia, and Washington) to D+ (New Hampshire). The national average among the 50 states was B-, which 18 states received. Thirteen states earned grades above the national average and 19 states' grades were below the national average.

States that received the highest grades are making better management a top priority. Washington state holds governor-led public meetings to monitor program results and improvements; Utah has implemented a financial tracking system that provides real-time data for decision-making; and Virginia provides employee rewards linked to improved service delivery and agency goals. States that received lower marks, like New Hampshire, have limited cost and performance information and are not closely managing resources.

At the report launch, Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm discussed how a strategic, statewide perspective drives all aspects of agency actions in the state's executive branch -- even under the toughest of economic circumstances. Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue shared his experiences pressing more than 300 private-sector representatives into volunteer service with the state, benchmarking state operations against best business practices. The changes have achieved stronger customer service results.

State-level managers and opinion leaders provided more than 12,000 pieces of data. States are not ranked, or graded against each other; they are graded based on a set of criteria, according to a release from Pew.