1 Performance Measures Rebecca Stark, Court Administrator Austin Municipal Court

2 Performance Measures - Why? - Case Management –Operational monitoring / management (regular assessment) –Operational improvements Program/Project –Effectiveness Allocate/Secure Resources –Planning –Budgeting –Management Awareness Performance Review –Meeting goals and/or objectives –Overall Court –Personnel Other

3 Performance Measures - Basic Steps - Identify what statistics you want to collect and why –Write them down in short, easy-to-understand manner –Must be measurable –State them positively (not how many you don’t do) Determine how to measure it Identify goals and/or objectives –Is there target you or someone else wants you to meet? Determine frequency of reporting –Develop a “history” Monitoring / Refining (Not necessarily in this order)

4 Performance Measures - Goals/Objectives - Goals –Generally long term and vague in nature; such as “to provide excellent customer service” –Set the direction of the court Objectives –More specific and establishes a timeframe in which to be accomplished; such as “set customers on court docket within 30 days of request

5 Performance Measures - Goals/Objectives - Goals - Where do you want the Court to go or to accomplish? –Basic functions of court –Long term (overall) Objectives - What do you need to do to get there? –Specifically

6 Performance Measures - Basic Rules - –Designed to meet goals /objectives –Written down in short, easy-to-understand manner –Must be measurable –State them positively (not how many you don’t do)

7 Performance Measures - Types - Workload or Demand (how many are there to do?) –Generally not what you do, but how much you have to do Output (how many did got done?) –How many of something you did Result (what was the outcome?) –The impact of what was done; how well meeting goals –Generally % or comparisons ………….. Efficiency (how efficiently was it done?) –Relationship between workload and/or output and objectives or resources –Generally $ per something that happens ………… Other –Effectiveness (of what quality) How well something is done –Productivity (to what effect) Combine efficiency and effectiveness –Other

8 Performance Measures - Workload Measures - Amount of work to be performed or amount of services to be provided (demand) –Generally something over which you do not have much control Examples: –Number of cases filed –Number of customers served in person –Number of cases to be set on dockets –Number of cases that went delinquent –Other

9 Performance Statistics - Output Measures - How many of something that you accomplished –Generally counting something over which you have control –Units of service provided, products provided, or people served; the counts of goods or services produced or delivered –Generally relate to your goals/objectives Examples: –Number of tickets entered within 2 days –Number of hours spent on data entry –Number of customers served in 5 minutes –Number of cases set on a docket within 30 days –Number of cases terminated –Other

10 Performance Measures - Result Measures - The impact or outcome of the measure (especially as may relate to customers) –Generally expressed as percentages –How well you are meeting your goals Examples: –% of cases entered/filed within 2 days –% of customers served in 5 minutes –% of cases set on dockets within 30 days –Cases terminated versus cases filed –Other

11 Performance Measures - Efficiency Measures - Relationship between amount of work and/or output and your goals/objectives (how efficient is your output) –Usually presented as unit costs, labor hours used –How well you are meeting your goals/objectives Examples –Cost per case filed –Cost per customer seen –Revenue or expenditures per case filed –Other

12 Performance Measures – Effectiveness Measures - How well something is done –Quality of work when meeting goals/objectives Examples: –Number of cases entered in 2 days accurately –Number of customers satisfied with service –Number of cases set on correct docket in 30 days –Other

13 Performance Measures - Collection Methods - Court/case record review & tallies –existing records, logs, forms, etc. Surveys, questionnaires, public opinion polls Systematic observation or simulations Structured interviews –staff, customers, etc. Group techniques –with facilitators; more internal

14 Performance Measures - Administration - Assign responsibility for collection, monitoring, feedback Collect, monitor & analyze data Provide feedback to employees & bosses Perform periodic audits to ensure correct counts, etc. Other

15 Performance Measures - Miscellaneous - Goals –Broad expressions of how you want to perform the functions of the court; Change purpose into desired result; Set the direction of the court Objectives –More precise & declare specifically what is going to be accomplished and when –Characteristics to meet goals Focus on specific results to be achieved Written in quantifiable statements Significant Limited in number Fully communicated

16 Performance Measures - Sources - Sample performance measures – Internet – (Budget, Performance Measure Database) – ?????????????? Sources for assistance –National Center for State Courts Institute for Court Management 300 Newport Ave Williamsburg, VA (800) –Accountability for Performance: Measurement & Monitoring in Local Government Edited by : David Ammons [ICMA] –Municipal Benchmarks: Assessing Local Performance & Establishing Community Standards Author: David Ammons [Sage]

17 Rebecca Stark, Court Administrator Austin Municipal Court (512)