King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks

For the second consecutive year, the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP) has received national recognition for performance reporting excellence.

DNRP was selected by a panel of government financial managers to receive the award for King County's accountability report from the Association of Government Accountants (AGA).

"Sharing our performance goals and progress with the public is critical to the success of this new way of managing and demonstrating accountability," said DNRP Director Pam Bissonnette.

DNRP is in the third year of measuring its performance and using this performance information to improve the environment and quality of life in King County. Information on more than 40 high-level indicators and measures is gathered and analyzed.

The analysis system compares DNRP's results with ambitious five-year targets and longer-termed desire outcomes, then assigns a "stoplight" color rating – green, yellow or red. The color-coded results show managers where resources should be directed to help the department achieve success.

Copies of DNRP's performance report are available online at http://dnr.metrokc.gov/dnrp/performance/index.htm.

"This award for excellence should alert the tax-paying public, Congress, public interest groups and other financial management professionals that state and local government agencies are strenuously working to make the government more accountable," said AGA Executive Director, Relmond P. Van Daniker, DBA, CPA. "Not only are they working hard, but they are also achieving these sought after goals," he said.

The association established this award program in conjunction with the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, which granted funds to launch the Certificate of Excellence in Service Efforts and Accomplishments (SEA) Reporting Program. The program offers in-depth evaluation of SEA reports, recommendations for improvements and recognition of excellent reports with a Certificate of Excellence.

The SEA program encourages issuing regular high-quality service efforts and accomplishments reports and helps state and local governments effectively communicate performance to the public.

The purpose of the reviews is to evaluate how well the government or other organization informs the public about its performance. The review is not intended to evaluate the quality of the government or its performance. Rather, the focus is entirely on the report's usefulness to the public and other decision-makers who have a stake in the effectiveness of the government's services and programs.

AGA plans to honor the King County team at an awards ceremony later this year at the second-annual Performance Reporting and Accountability Conference in Schaumburg, Ill.

The Association of Government Accountants is a 15,000-member professional
Association devoted to meeting the continuing professional education needs of financial managers at all levels of government, the private sector and academia. For more information about the Association, or the Certified Government Financial Manager CGFM Program, call 800-AGA-7211, or visit AGA's Web site at www.agacgfm.org.