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November 2003 |
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Managing for Results: Strategic
Planning and Performance Budgeting Managing for Results: Strategic Planning and Performance Budgeting Long Beach Strategic Plan and Performance Measurement Project Underway The
Performance Institute recently met with staff from the City of Long Beach
to discuss efforts the City has undertaken to develop departmental performance
measures that align with the City’s comprehensive strategic plan. Along
with other cities nationwide, Long Beach is facing financial challenges—the
City’s General Fund structural budget deficit is expected to rise to approximately
$97.9 million by FY06. In response to this challenge, the City has recognized
the importance of performance management and the ultimate goal is the
implementation of a city-wide system of performance-based budgeting. Thus
far, the results have been overwhelmingly positive and the City continues
to be at the forefront of promoting transparency and accountability at
the municipal level. To view the City’s strategic plan, proposed FY04
budget, and other City government resource documents go to: Nassau County to Use Strategic Planning to Address Growth Issues Nassau
County (FL) Commissioners began planning for their future when they held
the first of four meetings to discuss the County's exploding growth and
what they can do to control it. The goal of the meetings was to give commissioners
an opportunity to discuss the current status of the County, where they
see it in the future, and to fully understand what they need to shape
that future. At the recommendation of staff, commissioners have considered
hiring a strategic planner to replace the planning and zoning director
who resigned in August. Furthermore, commissioners created a strategic
planning committee composed of employees from the county's road and bridge,
building, emergency services and other departments, and gave members six
months to bring back strategic plans for the development of transportation,
drainage, public schools, recreation and public safety. Future meetings
will focus on the county's comprehensive plan and give residents, developers,
home and business owners and regional officials the ability to provide
feedback to commissioners on how they believe growth should be addressed
in Nassau County. To view this article go to: Chesterfield County, VA. – A Model of Best Practice in Local Government At
a Best Practices Forum hosted by the Performance Institute, Fran Pitaro
talked about Strategic Planning and Change Management, focusing on the
successes seen in Chesterfield County, VA. Mr. Pitaro is the Director
of General Services responsible for providing timely services in a manner
that is transparent, accountable and performance-based. The successes
in Chesterfield County have led it to be a “best-practice” in State and
Local governments, and this presentation highlights the successes in its
performance goals, measures and services while also being an employee-friendly
atmosphere. To view the presentation slides go to: King County Seeks Approval of Two-Year Budget Cycle Elected
officials from King County, WA, have requested that they have the option
to shift to a two-year budget cycle in order to help the county cope with
growing budget shortfalls. The County Council is pushing for an amendment
in the county charter to change the requirement that budgets be adopted
annually. If adopted, the amendment would give county officials the option
to put any or all county money on a two-year budget cycle. The annual
budget cycle from early October to late November focuses the council to
balance costs and revenues particularly in the current expense fund --
the $495 million pot of money for basic county services -- without spending
enough time on the rest of the overall, $3.1 billion budget. The Performance
Institute has long advocated biennial budgeting to make programs consider
long-range implications of budget requests and program operations. A comprehensive
analysis of a two-year budget cycle is done in the Institute’s “Citizens’
Budget” plan. A biennial budget could enable the council to spend one
year preparing the current expense fund and focus during the second year
on some of the big, separate agencies, such as the county's bus, solid
waste and sewer utilities, for special scrutiny. Biennial budgeting should
improve long-range and strategic planning, an important factor as the
county faces the prospect of continuing general fund deficits, including
projected deficits of about $20 million in 2004 and $24 million more in
2005. To view this article go to: 2004 Best Practices Forum on Strategic Planning and Change Management in Government (January 23-24, Arlington, VA) The
Performance Institute is hosting an event to help agencies develop an
effective strategic plan, linking performance to results. This involves
creating clearly defined end outcomes and developing strategies to best
link your resources to your agency’s GPRA goals. By using a Strategic
Issue Landscape Assessment, the Institute can assist you determine what
steps must be taken in order to implement your strategic plans and fulfill
your agency’s mission. An emphasis is given on building stakeholder support
to obtain the input of internal and external stakeholders to ensure your
plans are fully integrated. Assessing organization culture to ensure readiness
for adoption of new performance plans and accountability requirements
will also be covered. For more information go to: Workforce: Strategic Management of Human Capital New Guide to Encourage Young Professionals to Work in Local Government In light of the human capital crisis, local government management is facing a great challenge to attract young people to fill local government jobs. Today’s managers are nearing retirement, and fewer young professionals are in line and prepared to fill their shoes. Attracting and retaining qualified young and mid-career professionals is further complicated by today’s political culture, which teaches young people that government service is bureaucratic, second-rate work. As a result, many potential candidates overlook the deep satisfaction that comes from leading a local government through times of innovation and change. At the same time, few public managers consider that they are also responsible for the critical job of developing young and mid-career talent. As a result, a new report has come out titled “Preparing the Next Generation—A Guide for Current and Future Local Government Managers”. It was developed to inspire young and mid-career professionals and to help the senior public manager prepare, develop, and motivate the next generation. To view this report go to: http://www1.jobs.icma.org/documents/next_generation.pdf Succession Management Prevents Disruption at Contra Costa County When
the CFO of Contra Costa County, California's Department of Information
Technology (DoIT) suffered a heart attack and was hospitalized, DoIT was
ready to continue with business as usual. The reason was that the CFO
had been attending a succession management pilot. The program required
a "hat" -- a detailed written description of how each person
carried out his or her multiple responsibilities. The succession plan
pilot was conceived in response to national publicity about baby boomers
reaching retirement age. The pilot became more important when the financially
stressed county put together an early retirement plan. In 2002, retirement
rules were changed from 59 to 55. A survey of county staff indicated that
30 percent of the county's 10,000 staff would probably leave. In response,
the county selected Effective Training Solutions (ETS) to run a pilot
in DoIT that could be used countywide. ETS utilizes a succession management
program called "Hats & Stats" based on the its manual that
lays out the process DoIT followed. To view this article go to: Arkansas Public Employees Retirement System
Under proposals being considered
by the Arkansas pension board, local government employees who are hired
after July 1, 2005, and become members of the Arkansas Public Employees
Retirement System would be required to pay 3-6 percent of their salaries
into the system. Local governments stand to benefit if this proposal is
enacted since they would no longer be required to pay as much into the
retirement system for those individuals who contribute part of their
salaries. Though some in the state are concerned about the effect this
proposal may have on hiring entry-level employees, only four other public
employee retirement systems in the nation don’t require their members to pay
into their systems. Furthermore, a contributory plan would help offset the
rising employer rate, which has financially burdened many localities. The
system includes 17,000 local government employees who receive an average
salary of $20,570 a year. The 46-year-old system has 18,000 retired members
who receive an average benefit of $9,240 a year. To view this article go to: 2003 Best Practices Forum on Human Capital Planning and Workforce Assessment (December 1-2, Arlington, VA)
Government agencies must
recognize that a more strategic approach to human capital management is
essential to improve performance. Good management starts with good
planning. Human capital plans must be aligned with agencies’ missions. The
Performance Institute is hosting a forum to help agencies develop a
strategic approach to attract qualified employees, conduct a workforce
assessment to effectively managed their human capital, and identify the most
effective performance measures. For more information go to: Technology: E-Government and Information Technology Digital Counties Survey Shows E-Gov Successes
In the past, technology was seen
as an infrastructure used by individual departments to meet operational
needs, but today it is known as the enabling foundation which supports every
government leader, service provider and decision-maker throughout the entire
organization. According to the first Digital Counties Survey, most county
governments are striving to deliver high-quality online services to citizens
despite budget challenges. The survey revealed that on average, 82 percent
of counties give citizens the ability to search for county job information
online, and 85 percent allow citizens to e-mail elected officials and
receive responses in a few days. Additionally, 67 percent of responding
counties provide citizens with immediate, visible information on national
and local emergency preparedness. The survey shows that technology is truly
transforming government at the county level. Information technology is
helping local governments execute more effectively in producing
priority-driven results. To view this article go to: New York City’s Technology Committee Launches Ambitious IT Agenda
At a Technology Forum in New
York, Gale Brewer, Chairman of New York City's Select Committee on
Technology in Government presented a five-point plan intended to deliver
matter-of-fact results to city residents. Dubbed the New York City
Technology Agenda, the initiative would use technology to expand digital
opportunities, open up government, maintain public safety, streamline
government services, and reduce waste and fraud. Brewer believes that
technology should play a fundamental role in strengthening government
operations and delivering practical benefits to citizens. He said it is
important to explain to New Yorkers how technology improves their daily
lives. To view this article go to: Inter-Agency Collaboration Pays Off
One year after the launch of
eCityGov.net, a permit portal, online usage of the application has exceeded
expectations. It was developed by the collaborative effort of a regional
e-government alliance in King County, WA. Participating municipalities in
the alliance expected the online system to account for about 30 percent of
all the counter permits issued. Instead, usage exceeded that target and in
some cases neared 50 percent. Contractors and property owners performing
work within participating municipalities can apply for mechanical, low
voltage, plumbing, and electrical permits online using the
MyBuildingPermit.com portal. Contractors must register with the site so the
alliance can verify they have the required state and local business
licenses. The system accesses the back-end systems for each municipality,
verifies credit card transactions, sends payments to the jurisdictions and
provides permits in a PDF format to contractors, who can print the document
and post them at the work site. The permit portal is the first of a number
of transactional capabilities planned for the alliance. To view this article
go to: Small and Medium-Sized Regions Can Also Benefit from IT Development
The tech boom of the 1990s
created significant wealth of the nation's economy. However, the benefits of
technology development have largely accrued to a relatively small number of
regions nationwide, leaving many other communities interested in replicating
it. Communities in Washington State, where technology-based development has
been an explicit policy focus, were used in a report describing case studies
that show how to broaden the impact of technology to a wider number of
places. The study examines five Washington regions—Bellingham, Tacoma,
Spokane, the Tri-Cities, and Wenatchee—that have chosen a technology focus
for their local economic development efforts. These five areas are located
in different parts of the state, have varied economic bases, and somewhat
different goals and strategies for expanding their respective technology
sectors. Their efforts to grow or attract new companies provide insights on
strategies that may be useful in other regions of the country. To view this
report go to: Richmond Citizens Can Request Services Online
The Richmond, VA, Web portal lets
citizens make requests for city services around the clock. Users can send in
their requests to the Citizens’ Requests System, at www.richmondgov.com, for
tree trimming, pothole filling and other city services. The current portal
features a user account system called MyRichmondgov.com. When a citizen
submits a request, the system assigns it to the appropriate department with
a tracking number. Each department assigns the item an estimated completion
date. One application verifies user addresses against an address database
for the area. The site also has a geographic information system that maps
requests digitally, which was very useful during and after Hurricane Isabel.
The system averages about 1,200 requests a month. The month after Isabel
hit, the site received more than 3,170 requests. To view this article go to: Performance-Based Contracting and Outsourcing Strategies for Government IT (December 3-5, Arlington, VA)
The Performance Institute is hosting an event to help
agencies
design and manage competitive outsourcing
initiatives
related to IT projects. The Institute will guide agencies through a
seven-step process to manage contracts for the best results. You will acquire
useful tips for forming effective teams to monitor IT performance-based
contracts, assess their performance, and provide vendors with feedback. For
more information go to: Procurement: Competitive Sourcing and Contracting Managing Public-Private Partnerships for Water and Wastewater Projects
The Partnership Council has
released a handbook for municipal officials that offers guidance on
establishing and managing public-private partnerships for water and
wastewater projects. Based on interviews with 30 community leaders and
industry experts, the handbook covers the basics of partnering and cost
savings, as well as taking care of employees and developing effective
contracts. To obtain a copy of the handbook go to: Dana Point City Shifts to Contracting
The city of Dana Point, CA, has
recently restructured its staff by filling some management positions with
workers from contracting firms that specialize in city projects. Outsourcing
allows the city to adjust the level of service more rapidly and more
efficiently. Dana Point now has 17 full-time contract employees from the
private sector plus four working under contract from Orange County and 15-20
from the Orange County Sheriff's Department. Dana Point's Public Works
Department has gone from being nearly full staffed by city employees to now
having most of its work managed by a contracting firm. To view this article
register with Orange County Register at: New Guide on Public-Private Competitions A working group with the Federal Acquisition Council has issued a new guide, “Managers’ Guide to Competitive Sourcing,” on how to conduct public-private competitions. The guide describes what competitive sourcing is, and the claimed benefits of subjecting government employees to competitions with contractors to perform services readily available in the commercial world. The manual walks government managers through the most recent version of OMB Circular A-76, which is the rulebook for public-private competitions. The manual advises that competitive sourcing is not about contracting out or reducing the government payroll, but rather it is about conducting public-private competitions to assess how best to deliver services to the public. The 24-page manual was written for federal managers, however it can also be applied at the local government level. To view this guide go to: http://www.fac.gov/documents/managers_guide.doc 2004 Government Contracting Summit – Increasing Cost-Efficiency, Transparency and Accountability Through Competitive Sourcing and Performance-Based Contracting (January 27-29, 2004, Washington, DC)
Government contracting is
increasingly becoming more results-oriented. Recently released rules are
designed to make the process of managing public-private competitions and
direct conversion outsourcing more streamlined, cost-efficient and
performance-based. The cutting-edge, seven-step process developed by leading
government procurement officials and leading government procurement
officials has simplified the implementation of performance-based contracting
(PBC) and illustrates the most efficient ways to achieve goals. To assist
your agency in implementing these changes, you are invited to join
administrative officials, competitive sourcing managers and national
performance-based competitive sourcing experts on January 27 - 29, 2004, at
the 2004 Government Contracting Summit in Washington, D.C. For more
information go to: Reform Update: Restructuring, Charter Changes, and Consolidation Polk County Reorganizes
Newly appointed Polk County (FL)
Manager, Mike Herr, has promised change for one of the state's largest
workforces. Herr officially unveiled his reorganization of county offices,
eliminating an entire level of management, moving around some staff and
creating three new departments. The reorganization will create more
accountability and group similar divisions together for more efficiency.
Herr said his reorganization means he'll receive six direct reports instead
of 10, and the county will see $140,000 in savings by eliminating two
assistant department directors' salaries. Herr's reorganization will go into
effect on November 10. To view this article go to: Cumberland County Charter Commission May Be Established
The ballot in Cumberland County,
Maine’s 27 towns and cities will ask residents whether they favor the
creation of a Cumberland County Charter Commission. If created, the
commission would write a charter that could reshape county government,
changing its size, structure, and the services it provides. Candidates are
discussing a charter that could potentially make certain elected positions
appointed, increasing the number of county commissioners and giving the
county the ability to tax residents directly. The creation of a charter
commission would come at a time when Governor John Baldacci and other state
officials have began a push toward regionalized government. If
municipalities provide certain services together, the theory contends, the
services will cost less and government would become more efficient. To view
this article you must register with Portland Press Herald at: Pay-As-You-Throw – A New Waste Collection Program A solid waste collection program that promotes environmental benefits and economic savings is being used by more than 6,000 cities that are turning garbage disposal into dollars through pay-as-you-throw (PAYT). Similar to the way utilities charge their customers for water and electricity, PAYT charges residents based on the number or size of trash containers discarded. PAYT has a proven record of success in a variety of cities. PAYT programs’ widespread success is attributed to their flexibility in adapting programs to city needs. Administrators can analyze their municipality's needs based on its unique circumstances and construct a PAYT system that best suits the city. Planners can tailor a PAYT program by selecting from key features — tag or container type (bag or can), pick-up schedules, accounting systems and rate design. They can choose the features that match their community's goals and needs. No two PAYT communities are alike. For example, residents in Mount Vernon, Iowa, a suburban college town of 3,700 residents, opted to use a tag program. Residents purchase tags for $2 each at either city hall or a local retail store. The tag is placed on the bag or container and allows residents to dispose of 30 gallons of waste. In addition to the cost of the tags, Mount Vernon residents also receive an $8 monthly waste bill, which helps offset the cost of the city's recycling program. The city saved $46,000 for the city's 980 households, and it is estimated that the average household reduced the amount of land-filled trash by 40 percent. Another example is San Jose, CA., a city serving 186,000 households, that uses four sizes of cans with prices based on the cart's size. The program also offers residents an extensive, free recycling program. Under PAYT, San Jose has reduced municipal solid waste costs by $4 million per year using private contractors. Additionally, the city more than doubled its amount of collected yard trimmings and recyclables. PAYT is not only an environmental solution that promotes source reduction and increased recycling rates, but it also is an economic one. Cities are able to generate a relatively stable funding source, as well as increase recycling rates and reduce landfill costs. By providing an equitable accounting of costs versus services provided, municipalities can make residents more conscious of their waste disposal behaviors, which can lead to savings for both residents and municipalities.
For more information go to:
President:
Carl DeMaio City and County Management Innovations Newsletter is provided as an informational newsletter to all city and county government employees. Should you not wish to continue to receive the newsletter, please respond to this email address with "unsubscribe" and your email will be taken off of the distribution list.
The Performance
Institute is a private think tank that serves as the nation’s leading
authority and repository on performance-based management practices for
government organizations. Its mission is to identify, study and disseminate
the leading management innovations pioneered by “best-in-class” government
programs at federal, state and local levels. Through its national
conferences on pressing issues, interactive executive training programs, and
best practice research projects, the Institute provides cutting-edge
expertise in the design, implementation and evaluation of strategies to
solve operational challenges and enhance government performance. |
