Indiana Auditor of State Tera Klutz, CPA, made the “big-reveal” of the updated Indiana Transparency Portal (ITP) offering Hoosiers a more accessible and in-depth look at the state’s finances and assets.
Utilizing the latest in data delivery technology, Auditor Klutz worked closely with several state partners to update the site that has been traditionally known for receiving the highest awards for government transparency. The transformation includes interactive dashboards that provide overviews of some of the more popular and the most complex financial information about state revenue and expenditures.
Klutz
“I know how frustrating it can be when you can’t find the information you are looking for,” Klutz said. “We have created a site that is interactive and offers more detailed information at a glance about our state finances without having to sort through thousands of lines of data on a spreadsheet. If you still can’t find what you are looking for, I have a designated team who can help you find it.”
The previous site offered static graphics and searchable fields, but it was left to the user to aggregate the information and manually combine spreadsheets to compare certain data. Enhancements to the site are designed to assist the user by offering summaries of information in dashboards that give agency snapshots of vendor payments, funding sources and travel and purchase card transactions and many other categories.
New information to the site:
- Non-General Fund Revenue with various views including by Funding Source and by Function of Government
- Monthly General Fund Revenue. This data previously had been aggregated annually
- Trending views available across the site by year, quarter and month
- New and expanded data within State Expenditures
– Personal services
– Top paid vendors statewide and by agency
– Agency to agency transfers
– Purchase card and travel card expenses summarized by agency and by expense category
Klutz added, “I can always talk about the importance of financial transparency, and I am excited to provide the data in a meaningful and relevant way.”
Improving the portal began in 2017 by holding several focus groups of interested parties including state agency commissioners and chief financial officers, legislative branch representatives, open government advocacy groups, and members of the media to seek feedback and to prioritize information for the portal. Though the site was launched this week, upgrades will continue to be implemented over the next year. The Auditor is working with the Management Performance Hub (MPH), the Indiana Office of Technology (IOT) and the State Budget Agency (SBA) in developing and implementing new features to the site.
The ITP was established by IC 5-14-3.5-2. It was launched in 2010 to provide the public with access to state revenue and spending data. The site also offers information on state assets with an acquisition value at or above $500, as well as, the annualized or hourly salary of state employees. The AOS is required under the statute to post the data. In April 2012, ITP was awarded an A- by the Center for Fiscal Accountability[1], the best grade given to any state in the Midwest. In 2016, the Portal was awarded an A+ grade earning a perfect score from the US Public Interest Research Group[2].
The site can be accessed by visiting in.gov/itp.