State of Connecticut Office of Policy and Management

This is a beta website for the Office of Policy and Management (OPM). Please visit the current OPM website.

About OPM

The Office of Policy and Management (OPM) functions as the Governor’s staff agency and plays a central role in state government, providing the information and analysis used to formulate public policy for the State and assisting State agencies and municipalities in implementing policy decisions on the Governor’s behalf. OPM prepares the Governor’s budget proposal and implements and monitors the execution of the budget as adopted by the General Assembly. Through intra-agency and inter-agency efforts, OPM strengthens and improves the delivery of services to the citizens of Connecticut, and increases the efficiency and effectiveness of state government through integrated process and system improvements. OPM is composed of seven divisions that report to the Office of the Secretary: Administration, Budget and Financial Management, Criminal Justice Policy and Planning Division,  Finance, Intergovernmental Policy and Planning Division, Labor Relations, and Health and Human Services Policy and Planning Division. The agency also maintains an office in the State Capitol for OPM’s legislative activities.Old State House - Click photo for description

OPM was established in 1977 in accordance with the Filer Commission’s recommended reorganization of the Executive Branch. OPM superseded the Department of Finance and Control, and was created to blend several previously disparate budgeting and planning functions into a single, cabinet-level agency. Among the State agencies, OPM has the unique role of providing staff assistance to the Governor as well as having oversight of operating agency activities. As outlined in Connecticut General Statutes: Section 4-65a, OPM is responsible "...for all aspects of state staff planning and analysis in the areas of budgeting, management, planning, energy policy determination and evaluation, intergovernmental policy, criminal and juvenile justice planning and program evaluation."

Since 1977, OPM's role in providing centralized budgeting and planning for state government has been continuously reinforced. In 1992 the Office of Finance was established within OPM by the legislature. In 1997 given the potential impact that collective bargaining has on the state budget, a coordinated effort between OPM staff and the labor relations professionals of the Office of Labor Relations was needed. Therefore, labor relations functions were transferred to OPM from the Department of Administrative Services. In 2006 the legislature established the Criminal Justice Policy and Planning Division and the Transportation Strategy Board within OPM.  As the issues that confront government have grown increasingly more complex, and as state finances and policy concerns have become ever more interrelated, OPM has provided four Governors with the financial and programmatic data and analyses required to implement their respective priorities.

OPM provides the Governor with a global overview of proposed policy initiatives, identifying the full range of financial and policy implications of proposed actions. On the Governor’s behalf, OPM analyzes and assesses financial, programmatic, and legislative proposals of State agencies, the General Assembly, and the federal government. While OPM most often advocates and supports the proposals of other State agencies, it must also advise the Governor in those instances where such actions are, for financial or policy reasons, not consistent with the Governor's policy initiatives or directions.

Another critical role of OPM is that of coordinator/leader of interagency problem solving efforts. Most significant policy issues faced by the State involve the overlapping jurisdiction of more than one State agency, and encompass a range of programmatic, budgetary, and policy concerns. OPM is often called upon to lead, convene or facilitate multi-agency efforts to address these problems. In this role, OPM provides the Governor with an objective view of the issues and a clear assessment of the available policy alternatives. Moreover, OPM is in a position to clearly communicate the Governor’s concerns to agencies involved in multi-agency efforts.

To learn more about the Office of the Secretary and each of OPM’s seven offices and divisions you can click on any of the following:

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