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Legislative Services Office introduces impact review team and analysts to support JFAC work
Summary
Paul Headley and LSO staff introduced a five‑member impact review team and a set of budget analysts on Jan. 8, describing new research and IT skills available to support committee analysis of outcomes, evidence and performance measures during budget review.
Paul Headley, deputy chief of the Legislative Services Office, introduced new and reassigned LSO staff and a recently formed impact review team to the Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee on Jan. 8, describing the group’s role in evidence‑based research and geographic analysis to support the committee’s performance‑focused review.
Headley told the committee the new impact review team will provide short answers, two‑page memos or deeper research products on evidence for proposed programs and projects. He introduced team members with legal, audit and technical backgrounds and said they will support assignments such as public schools, higher education, natural resources, transportation and public safety. Headley emphasized the team’s ability to locate empirical evidence about program effectiveness and outcomes.
The nut graf: The LSO additions provide analysts, an IT/GIS specialist and impact reviewers who will assist committee members and work groups with research, performance measures, mapping and IT analysis during the FY 2026 budget review.
Staffing and skills: Headley named five staff in the impact review team and described their skills: law and policy analysis, audits and evaluations, IT analysis and GIS/mapping. He also summarized several budget‑policy analysts assigned to subject areas (natural resources, capital budgets, health and welfare, highways, higher education) and reminded members to connect with analysts for their assigned work groups.
Evidence and performance focus: Headley said the team’s primary theme is “evidence” — determining whether a proposed program has worked elsewhere, whether there is data supporting the proposal and where to find it. He said the impact review team can provide brief answers or deeper evaluations, and that staff from the McClure Center for Public Policy were loaned to LSO to support fellowship research and additional capacity.
Operational context: Bybee and committee chairs also introduced individual budget analysts on the LSO team, noting experience levels and urging members to meet their analysts early. Committee leaders told members the analysts will coordinate work‑group assignments and will supply agency and program detail during hearings.
Ending: The staffing introductions framed the legislative support available during the session and signaled greater LSO capacity for targeted research, performance evaluation and technical mapping in support of committee decisions.
