Policy-based budgeting: Performance and fiscal accountability in the courthouse

This article describes an approach to court budgeting that requires both performance evaluation and cost analysis. Policy-based budgeting is a process that involves the precise identification of public policy objectives, delineation of the means and resources for accomplishing them, and an accurate assessment of court departments' accomplishments. By focusing on how well an organization is meeting its objectives, policy-based budgeting allows legislators and other government officials to make more informed decisions concerning funding levels and the allocation of resources. It also provides a means for the court to demonstrate its efficacy while promoting realistic performance standards. Most significantly, it requires finding sources to make decisions concerning the expenditure of public funds by contemplating a particular level of performance for the courts' ancillary and nonadjudicatory functions.