New Mexico Human Services Department Performance Scorecard

HSD's programs serve more than 1 million New Mexicans; and, with a Fiscal Year 2021 budget of $7,560,018,800, the department makes budgetary and policy decisions that have long-term effects on both state spending and its customers. As a result, HSD is deeply committed to incorporating principles of evidence-based governance, using data to drive decision making to achieve optimal results aligned to strategic priorities. As stewards of New Mexicans' tax dollars, HSD staff and leaders have a responsibility to use data in the delivery and monitoring of high-quality health and human services programs, and to be transparent about (and held accountable to) its performance.

The HSD Performance Scorecard is a strategic management tool used to identify and improve various internal business functions and their resulting outcomes, and provide feedback to key stakeholders, including HSD customers, the public, and legislators. It is designed to help answer the most common questions New Mexicans may have about the Human Services Department. Individuals can use the Scorecard to choose a Medicaid Managed Care Organization that best meets their needs, or to determine how quickly they can apply for and get benefits via several different routes. For example, by reviewing the visualizations under Goal 1-MCO Families and Children, an individual who is pregnant can check how well the three Managed Care Organizations (Blue Cross Blue Shield, Presbyterian, and Western Sky Community Care) are doing at working with providers to enable their patients to have prenatal and postpartum appointments. [then after the applying for benefits statement] For example, by reviewing the visualizations under Goal 1-Medicaid and SNAP, an individual can see how well HSD is meeting federal timeliness requirements for processing applications for new benefits (non-emergency and emergency applications), as well as for ensuring customers maintain their benefits (reapplications). Some of the metrics show opportunities for improvement; and, ultimately, the Scorecard shows what HSD is doing and how well the Department is performing.

The Pew Foundation has published extensive data on evidence-based policy making, outlining five key components that each require evidence, and the Scorecard supports the Department in all these areas:

  1. Program assessment: review public programs to understand their evidence base.

  2. Budget development: use evidence of program effectiveness in budget processes to make more informed investment choices.

  3. Implementation oversight: support effective implementation to ensure the benefits of evidence-based programs are achieved.

  4. Outcome monitoring: measure and report outcome data to determine whether programs or priorities are achieving desired results.

  5. Targeted evaluation: support impact evaluations of select public programs to learn what works.

The HSD Performance Scorecard is designed to: 

  • Promote greater intra-departmental communication and accountability ;

  • Maintain strategic focus ; 

  • Determine what is critical to measure; 

  • Implement changes and measure outcomes; and, 

  • Tell HSD’s story accurately, consistently.

With a total of 39 measures, the Scorecard categorizes measures among the mission and four goals outlined in the HSD Strategic Plan.

  1. Improve the value and range of services we provide to ensure that every qualified New Mexican receives timely and accurate benefits.

  2. Create effective, transparent communication to enhance the public trust.

  3. Successfully implement technology to give customers and staff the best and most convenient access to services and information.

  4. Promote an environment of mutual respect, trust and open communication to grow and reach our professional goals.


Each measure includes the following:

  • Graph with measure name, legend, description of x and y axes, and data values

  • Description of the measure

  • Target, if applicable

  • Results (description of trends and driving factors in change)

  • Initiatives (what HSD is doing to affect this measure)

  • More information about each measure is available here including reporting frequency (e.g. monthly, quarterly, annually), numerator, denominator, and data source

Pursuant to the Accountability in Government Act (AGA), quarterly reports are required of key state agencies (such as the Human Services Department), including performance measures and targets approved for each fiscal year by the Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) in consultation with the Legislative Finance Committee (LFC). These quarterly reports can be viewed here on the NM Legislature website and here on the Scorecard site.

Although many measures are included in both the Scorecard and the AGA quarterly reports, HSD developed a Department Performance Scorecard because it offers more flexibility and is an opportunity to showcase many diverse measures that tie directly to its Strategic Plan. Whereas LFC measures may be consistent across administrations, the Scorecard reflects the vision of the current administration and uses the most accurate and up-to-date methodology for data collection and reporting.

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