Services...

Performance Management – Organization Improvement

Organizations are faced with fiscal challenges requiring an evaluation of current service delivery models to determine where they can be modified for greater effectiveness and in some cases, to develop new delivery models.

Performance management provides for an assessment of value-added contribution for core services, programs and regulations with clear performance measures and management to those expectations to form the five key components of performance management.

• Core Service Review:

  Identify core services noting sub-components of core services that “crept-in” during the up-cycle. Assess core services and confirm or eliminate sub-components, applying “value-for-money” criteria. Core service reviews can lead to enhancing service delivery processes for operational efficiency.

• Program & Regulation Review:

  Identify and assess “Tier 2” programs for validity and timing. Identify regulations that add little value. Municipalities are not staffed to enforce many regulations except by complaint. Assess regulations and where warranted, seek to eliminate those regulations not making a value-added contribution.

• Identify & Apply Performance Measures:

  Follow-up the question “Are you doing a good job?” once answered in the affirmative, with the question “How do you know?” This leads to reflection for staff and managers not having performance measures in place. Ensure core services have clear performance measures in place to support evidence-based decision making supporting effective service delivery. Performance measures also meet provisions of the Community Charter.

• Performance Management & Continuous Improvement:

  Analyze performance measure data to identify opportunities for improvement. Workloads shift during down-cycles; resources can be shifted to higher priority core services.

• Cost Reduction & Containment:

  Analyze staff time usage to achieve efficiency. Department staffing budgets are in the range of 65-92%. Cost containment to ensure optimal usage of available time is a best practice. Absenteeism, overtime, call-out, lieu time accumulation, and contingent liabilities (e.g. unused credits) impact resource availability and service cost.