Evaluation of the Impact of Model Committee Staff Projects - An Assessment of the Legis/50 Programs in Health, Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, and Juvenile Justice

摘要

Three model committee staff projects formed by the Citizens Conference of State Legislatures (Legis/50) are discussed. The projects focused on health, alcoholism and drug abuse, and juvenile justice. Each of the three projects was coordinated from Legis/50's headquarters in Denver, Colorado and was geared toward a moderate management style. Twenty states participated in the projects, with a few states occasionally terminating project involvement and ultimately being replaced by other interested states. The project design of the three projects included the provision of one procedural specialist and one issue specialist for each state legislature. Eighty-five percent of responding legislators agreed that the professional staff helped their committees function more effectively. It is suggested that future projects be evaluated annually. The evaluations should include thorough examinations of the legislative environment prior to, during, and after a committee staffing project and should be conducted by organizations strongly familiar with governmental processes.