Advancing performance-based government is one of the ways the auditor's office promotes cost-effective and accountable county services. Much progress has been made that lays the groundwork for a countywide performance measurement program. Since 2002, the council has enacted legislation seeking to improve the county's use of performance measurement. These motions directed the auditor's office to lead that effort and to establish a countywide performance measurement work group composed of participants from all three branches of county government, including all countywide elected officials. In addition, the council, executive branch, and other county agencies have taken significant steps to be more performance-based.
Our office completed a collaborative effort to review the performance measures of four county departments and developed guidelines for establishing good strategic plans and measures. The consultant facilitated this effort and prepared a summary report of the work accomplished by the Performance Measurement (PM) Work Group. These guidelines are incorporated in the executive’s budget instructions. They have helped improve development of measurable, outcome oriented goals. Linkage of performance measures and strategies to achieve goals has also improved.
In 2006, the council passed a motion adopting the work plan proposed by the PM Work Group for establishing a countywide strategic planning, performance measurement and management system, and the council mandated that the PM Work Group prepare a proposal outlining the framework for a countywide system. Reporting to the council in August 2007, the county auditor and deputy county auditor outlined that framework and recommended additions to county code to require strategic plans, countywide goals and measures, and annual countywide public performance reporting by a future date such as 2011. Legislation has been introduced to adopt this framework. Moreover, a motion has been introduced to continue the PM Work Group, so it can continue to provide advise on implementing the countywide system.
Other recent developments that involve performance measurement include Priorities for People in the council adopted 2007 budget goals, and a council funded citizen engagement process to identify budget priorities for 2008.
As a part of the 2008 budget preparation, the council updated its Priorities for People, and the executive published the 2008 AIMs High: Annual Indicators and Measures Report, a report that received AGA’s Certificate of Excellence in Performance Reporting. Implementation of the executive’s KingStat program is also underway.