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?