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 factor  Fire departments could want to use a national average to determine response times for EMS OR do local peer comparison  National 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 step  Including the people doing the work is important to assure buy-in  Making the metric relevant and understandable  Training 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 inefficiencies  Engages citizens  Place it on line to allow for transparency  Use it to tell your story

Buy In and Training  What is in it for staff?  Additional services  Additional 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?