At the Governor's request, the legislature created a new organization within State government, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), to bring together the financial and auditing functions of the State. The OMB identifies, analyzes and evaluates methods of securing the State's long-term financial health by implementing practices that use taxpayer money more efficiently. Early in his term, Governor Daniels required each agency to clearly identify the services it delivers and determine the most efficient way to deliver those services. As a result, inefficiencies such as duplication of effort and excessive overhead were identified, and performance measurements were established to streamline services to taxpayers.
The State Budget Agency is one of several agencies under the OMB umbrella. Other agencies include the Department of Revenue, the Department of Local Government Finance, the Public Employees' Retirement Fund, the Teachers' Retirement Fund, the Indiana Finance Authority and several others. (See the State Budget Agency home page for a complete listing of agencies that fall under the purview of the OMB.)The State Budget Agency facilitates the processes of revenue forecasting, budget development and budget implementation, essentially serving as the Controller for the State's budget. The Budget Agency evaluates and communicates the fiscal and policy impacts of legislative proposals with the objective of assuring best information available to decision makers.