Mission

The Center for State and Local Government Performance promotes excellence and innovation in state and local government by providing the latest tools and strategies for solving operational and managerial challenges in a number of relevant topic areas. The center identifies and disseminates the latest best practices and lessons-learned in management strategy and performance measurement to state and municipal managers. By focusing on the "five pillars" of high performing organizations-strategic planning and performance measurement, performance-based budgeting, human resources management, performance-based contracting, and information technology/e-government-the center has become an unquestioned leader in the advancement of performance management at the state and local levels.

Through the Institute's national conferences on emerging issues, interactive training programs, best-practice research reports and strategic consulting services, the center provides cutting-edge expertise in the design, implementation and evaluation of strategies to solve operational challenges, improve customer service and enhance organizational performance. Center programs utilize the Government Performance Logic Model to ensure that state and local agencies align their activities and work processes with the attainment of mission goals.

Conferences

The center for State and Local Government Performance sponsors national conferences and best practices forums to address improvements in performance management to managers at both the state and local levels. The City and County Innovations Summit, held annually in San Diego, Calif., brings together municipal leaders throughout the country to discuss the latest management innovations.

The center has also launched a number of best practices forums for state government that have tackled a number of performance management issues. The forums have presented the latest concepts in performance management, from strategic planning to implementation and management of performance measures for all programs.

Facilitated In-House Briefings

The Performance Institute builds the skills and capacities of managers at the state and local levels of government by offering customized in-house courses on a range of issues relating to performance management. Offered for one agency at a time, the in-house briefings assist in the implementation of an effective performance management framework for state and local government. The Logic Model ensures alignment between agency activities as well as mission goals and objectives.

Extensive Research Base on State and Local Government Innovations

In addition to conferences and training sessions, the center seeks to broaden the dialogue on government management challenges through the publication of free research reports and e-newsletters addressing pressing issues. One of the center's most noteworthy projects has been the California "Citizens' Budget." Performance Institute spent five months examining the California state budget for ways the state could balance a mind-numbing $38.7 billion deficit, and our recommendations were published in a 150-page report released in April, 2003. In this groundbreaking budget plan you'll find how various management reforms can produce substantial cost savings to state and local managers across the nation-from performance management and workforce planning to competitive sourcing and performance-based contracting. The report is available at this link or through our main page, www.performanceweb.org

The center has also launched two free e-newsletters on management innovations at the state and municipal level. The "State Management Innovations" and "City and County Management Innovations" newsletters are received by over 20,000 senior managers and contain updates on state and local government innovations in key management, budgetary, civil service, technology and contracting topic areas.

Consultation on State and Local Performance Management Issues

The center's consulting services are geared specifically to the needs of state and local government. These services provide access to comprehensive and experience-tested methodologies for organizations to achieve radical transformations within their programs and among their workforce. The center collaborates with a number of state and local government agencies to improve performance management while maintaining transparency and promoting accountability to managers.