Performance Measures and Performance Improvement

What They are

and

What’s In It for You

Performance Measures

Refers to objective, measurable outcomes of activity, such as items produced, customers served, specific services provided

– How many?– How often?– How much?

Who cares?

Our Citizens (what have you done for me lately?)

Our Elected Officials (what can I tell my constituents) --and wannabes

Potential residents and business (considering moving to the area)

The Media (on behalf of the above)

Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) (on behalf of citizens and uniformity)

Why should YOU care?

Hard data may be used to make a solid argument for the following:

– Budget justification

(for additional resources)– To justify new initiatives– To combat unfounded attacks– To toot your own horn – Enables management by results

(SMART goals)

GASB Recommendations

Service Efforts and Accomplishments tracked Specific criteria for what type of

measurements and how each measurement is reported to establish regular and consistent reporting over multi periods

Involvement of stakeholders in the establishment of goals

Measuring Government vs. Measuring Business

Business measures success in terms of profit– Does what I sell bring in more $ than it cost to produce?– Business term: return on investment

If an owner puts $1 into a business, how much more than $1 does she or he get back?

Government measures success in terms of services provided that are demanded by the citizens

– Do I maintain or improve the well-being of citizens? What specific services are provided and what number of

people are served?

Serving the citizens

Provide multiple services and enforce laws that enhance or maintain the well-being of their citizens.

Usually services not provided by private (for-profit sector)Must be at “quantity, quality, and price considered appropriate by public policy”For government, financial statements don’t tell the story as well

What is reported

Major service groups– Law and code enforcement– Emergency services– Water utility– Recreation programs– Public works development and maintenance

Each group is in turn broken down

What specific services

How many served

Quality of life impact measures

What about administration?

All organizations, for profit, not for profit, and government, have necessary functions that do not directly serve the organization purpose but enable it, and particularly, increase the efficiency of all operations

– Personnel, – finance, – information services, etc.

Even administrative functions have measurements

Number of checks/Purchase orders processed (finance)

Number of applications accepted and processed

Number of computer terminals set-up or maintained

Satisfaction ratings

What does this mean here?

Many departments already report through independent reports

– Fire– Police– Water

Others have measurements – Parks (# of programs)– PACE (# of permits)– Library (# of volumes)

What can the mid-level manager do?

Learn what information is available for the City as a whole and for his/her respective department

Brain storm on what measurements can be tracked on a cost effective and worthwhile basis

– What are you already doing?– How could you make a slight change to include tracking?

Share this information with your supervisor to gain his/her support (and your department)

Develop a system to track the measurements Establish a system to communicate the results to the

employees, management, and potentially citizens.