The Office of Management & Budget leads Rhode Island’s program evaluation function. By law, OMB conducts performance reviews and audits of executive agencies to assess whether programs achieve intended outcomes (R.I. Gen. Laws § 35-3-24.1(c)(1)) and produces analyses and recommendations to improve program performance and support evidence-based budgeting (§ 35-3-24.1(c)(4)).

According to state law, the OMB Director is charged to conduct reviews, evaluations, and assessments of program performance across state government (§ 35-1.1-3(b)(6)) and oversees the Performance Management Unit (the “performance management office” in statute) (§ 35-1.1-3(a), (b)(1)). Additionally, the Office of Internal Audit & Program Integrity (OIAPI) is established within OMB and reports to the OMB Director (§ 35-7.1-1(a)); OIAPI is responsible for providing an independent appraisal and evaluation of the effectiveness of financial and operational controls through objective analyses, evaluations, and recommendations on operations, systems, and contracted services of state government (OIA website; § 35-7.1-1(b); 35-7.1-2(a); 35-7.1-3; 35-7.1-4).

The OMB Director serves on the Rhode Island Integrated Data System (RIIDS) Governing Board (§ 42-165-5(a)(1)(iii)). Through this formal, multi-agency governance structure, with co-chairs from the Department of Administration and the Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner, Rhode Island promotes a statewide culture of program evaluation, sets policies for interagency data use, and supports evaluation services across agencies (§ 42-165-5(b)).