Using Performance Measures to Implement Your Strategic Plan

CHRISTINE THROWER, MBA

DIRECTOR

CITY OF WEST PALM BEACH

DEPARTMENT OF RECREATION & STRATEGIC INNOVATIONS

Session Objectives

The importance of using data to justify budgets and operating expenses

Training staff on collecting and understanding data

Linking performance measures to strategic plans

An interactive session – ask you questions any time!

Why link your data to benchmarking?

Benchmarking

Deciding who to benchmark against is an important factorFire departments could want

to use a national average to determine response times for EMS OR do local peer comparisonNational benchmarks reveal a 4-minute response time

Benchmarking

Peer benchmarks reveal a 7-minute response time

The city’s average runs between 6 and 9 minutes

Who would you want to compare to? What would you want to strive for?

Benchmarking

Determining WHAT to benchmark is another crucial stepIncluding the people doing the work

is important to assure buy-inMaking the metric relevant and

understandableTraining on the importance of

tracking

FBC Parks and Recreation (PR)

The primary objective of the Parks and Recreation Service Area is to build a performance measurement system that is specific to parks and recreation.

This service area provides benchmarking measures in key areas of operations and management.

These measures are designed to help participating organizations improve their operational efficiency and effectiveness.

FBC Parks and Recreation (PR)

Utilizing the performance information, managers can determine how their parks and recreation department performance compares to others across the state.

These measures also provide an informational tool to bridge communication deficiencies with administration, elected officials, patrons and others by educating them in the benefits of Parks and Recreation to their respective organizations and to the community as a whole.

Benchmarking

What does it do?Case Study in Parks & Recreation

Line staff began collecting information on their assigned responsibilities and the time it took to do them

Analyzing the amount of time on a task let them identify the expected resource needs for a process

Irrigation maintenance, lawn mowing, camp registration each had metrics

Benchmarking

Why Do We Do It?

1. As a gauge of good performance

2. As models of good measure

3. As a means of raising interest in local performance by offering context

4. As a diagnostic tool preceding further analysis and action

5. As inspiration for conscientious public servants

What Does Data Do?

Cuts out inefficienciesEngages citizensPlace it on line to allow for

transparencyUse it to tell your story

Buy In and Training

What is in it for staff?Additional servicesAdditional staff

Determine measures we need to track that is being tracked by similar agencies

Train staff that benchmarking is different than setting goals

What tools can we use to collect data

Use Data To Tell Your Story

And …what do you do with it

Strategic Plans should be developed around data

Budgets can be designed to illustrate how the strategic plan incorporates the data and the budget document reflects meeting the needs

Commission/Council Agenda items tie directly back to both the budget and strategic plan

Questions?