To browse all LAO publications, visit our Publications page.
January 21, 2010 -
The In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) program is the fastest–growing major social services program, providing care for over 430,000 recipients, at an annual total cost of about $5.5 billion. The program, which is available to low-income elderly and disabled persons, provides various services to recipients in their own homes and can enhance the quality of life for recipients by making it easier to live at home.
For many recipients, the program allows individuals to live at home rather than in an institutional setting (typically, a nursing home). By preventing—or at least delaying—the move to a nursing home, the program can save money for the state. In this report we look at the net fiscal impact of the IHSS program on the public sector and conclude that the state maximizes its net fiscal impact by targeting IHSS services to those recipients who are most likely to enter a nursing home in the absence of the program. Given the state’s continuing fiscal problems, we offer additional options for the Legislature to consider that can achieve state savings through increased targeting.
(Short video introducing this report)
November 11, 2009 - In this four-minute video, analyst Erika Li summarizes the LAO report Expanding Multi–Stage Procurements for Large IT Systems.
November 11, 2009 -
The state's traditional approach for IT procurement, called the firm fixed price (FFP) procurement, creates a prescriptive process that gives equal footing to all vendors to help ensure open competition and reduce the state’s exposure to protests and potential lawsuits due to perceived vendor bias. As an alternative the state is beginning to look to so-called multi–stage procurement because it creates a collaborative environment for state and vendor staff. Our analysis indicates that an earlier evaluation of procurement strategy can reduce the risks of cost overruns and schedule delays, so we recommend that the Legislature require state entities to include procurement strategies in project documents when they submit them for approval.
(Short video summary)
October 28, 2009 - Presented to: Assembly Budget Committee and Senate Budget Subcommittee No. 3 on Health and Human Services
June 9, 2009 - Presented to Budget Conference Committee
June 9, 2009 - Presented to Budget Conference Committee
June 9, 2009 - Presented to Budget Conference Committee
May 28, 2009 - Seventy-five percent of California foster youth perform below grade level standards, and by third grade 83 percent of foster youth have had to repeat a grade. We believe the state and local programs must reprioritize the way existing funds are spent in order to improve educational opportunities for foster youth. We recommend changing guidelines to provide certain services to all current and recent foster youth, expanding programs to include academic counseling and completion of education passports, and consolidating programs at County Offices of Educations. We also suggest convening a workgroup to address the transportation needs of K-12 and postsecondary foster youth.
April 1, 2009 - Presented to Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 1 on Health and Human Services
March 24, 2009 - Presented to: Senate Human Services Committee
March 17, 2009 - Presented to: Senate Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations Assembly Committee on Labor and Employment
March 13, 2009 - Governor's Reorganization Plan to Consolidate Information Technology Functions
January 22, 2009 - Legislative Analyst Director of Social Services, Todd Bland, discusses the third report in the LAO’s 2009-10 Budget Analysis Series.
January 22, 2009 - At a cost of approximately $10.2 billion in 2008-09, California’s major social services provide a wide array of benefits to its citizens. The Governor proposes $3 billion in budget reductions for social services programs in 2009-10, mostly in grant payments to the aged, blind and disabled or low-income families. We present alternative approaches to reducing costs which tend to have less savings and less adverse impacts on recipients and clients. We also present approaches to drawing down more federal funds pursuant to recently enacted federal legislation.
December 1, 2008 - The role of the Legislative Analyst's Office is to review state programs and make recommendations to the Legislature as to how the state can operate more effectively and efficiently. This report summarizes various changes to law that we have recommended in recent years. Recommendations in this report include, among many others: (a) Simplify and Consolidate K-12 General Purpose Funding, (b) Promote the Adoption of Health Information Technology in California, (c) Fund Inmate Education Programs Based on Actual Attendance, and (d) Increase and Index the State Gas Tax.