Presentation to LWM: Performance Measurement in WI Municipalities

1. Presentation to LWM: Performance Measurement in WI Municipalities Craig Maher Associate Professor UW-Oshkosh MPA Program Alan Probst Local Government Center UW-Extension

2. The Role of The Common Council • A common council serves as the legislative arm of the city government. • It decides policy matters. Source: LWM, Handbook for Wisconsin Municipal Officials

3. In What Form is Information Presented to Enable Policy Decisions to be Made? • Elected officials need evidence on results that have been achieved from taxpayers’ dollars. • They need to use that evidence to help make resource and policy decisions. Source: NLC and Urban Institute’s Legislating for Results Presentation

4. Does this budget format look familiar? If this were a budget proposal how would you react? Are the questions posed really about policy?

5. Some Basic Questions to ask During the Budgeting Process • What is the primary objective of your program? • What are the key expectations from your program? • How do you track progress? • How has the program performed over the past several years? Source: NLC and Urban Institute’s Legislating for Results Presentation

6. Example – Library Performance Source: NLC and Urban Institute’s Legislating for Results Presentation

7. Performance-based Budgeting (PBB) • Performance-based budgets focus on “return on investment”—that is, what do we get for our investment of resources? • Basic service level (or continuation of basic services)? • Increased services (more services to same recipients or expansion of same services to more recipients)? • Better (higher quality) services? • More efficient services (cost savings in service delivery)? • Mitigation or resolution of a problem?

8. Using Results Information for the Operating Budget • Consider the results expected, as well as the costs. • Ask for both recent and projected results information early in the budget process. • Obtain help in identifying the important costs and results you should consider. • Identify for the administration the council priorities at the beginning of the budget process. Source: NLC and Urban Institute’s Legislating for Results Presentation

9. Using Results Information for the Capital Budget The same questions apply

10. Example: Statement on Proposed Capital Investment We will complete much needed reconstruction and signalization of North Broadway from first street to 20th street. This work will speed up traffic and reduce congestion in this area. We expect that peak hour driving time from one end of the work to the other will improve from its current average of 12 minutes to approximately 5 minutes. In addition it is expected to reduce traffic accidents by about one-half, from the 36 accidents over the past 12 months. Source: NLC and Urban Institute’s Legislating for Results Presentation

11. Types of Information on Performance • Inputs • Activity (Process) • Outputs • Outcomes (results) • Efficiency and productivity • Explanatory information Source: NLC and Urban Institute’s Legislating for Results Presentation

12. Types of Indicators of Performance • Inputs—resources expended to deliver service • Outputs—the amount of products and services delivered (completed) • Outcomes(results)—the events, occurrences, or changes in conditions, behavior, or attitudes that indicate progress toward a program’s mission, goals, and objectives. Outcomesare not what the program itself did but the consequences of what the program did. Source: NLC and Urban Institute’s Legislating for Results Presentation

13. Maricopa County, AZ Performance Report Examples of Types of Performance Measures

14. Maricopa County, AZ Performance Report Input Measure

15. Maricopa County, AZ Performance Report Output Measure

16. Maricopa County, AZ Performance Report Outcome Measure?

17. City of Portland, OR – PoliceOutcome Measures

18. City of Portland, OR – PoliceOutcome Measure—Citizen Perceptions

19. Is Budget Time the Only Time to Use Performance Measurement? • Budget time most common • Both operating and capital • Throughout the year; program review and/or program audit (GASB working on “recommendations’) • Communicating with citizens • Communicating with the press Source: NLC and Urban Institute’s Legislating for Results Presentation

20. Reviewing Key Services and Policies Throughout the Year • For programs of particular interest, periodically check progress on key indicators. • Each year select and review a small number of programs about which the council (or its committees) has concerns. • Use information from the reviews to encourage agencies to improve programs and policies. • Keep handy a set of basic questions you can use during these reviews. (Bookmark—see next slide) Source: NLC and Urban Institute’s Legislating for Results Presentation

21. Bookmark—Examples of Questions • What are the key results that should be expected from your agency/program? • What key performance indicators do you use to track progress in attaining these results? • To what extent have you met previous years’ targets? If not, why not? • What actions are you taking that will improve the quality of your services for our citizens? Source: GASB

22. Communicating with citizens and media What information should elected officials seek from citizens? • Their needs/wants—periodic “needs assessment” • Suggestions as to what results should be tracked • Their evaluation of results Source: NLC and Urban Institute’s Legislating for Results Presentation

23. City of Bellevue, WA

24. Communicating with citizens and media How can information on results be used to help elected officials communicate with their citizens? 1. Ask administration to post results information regularly on the government’s web-site. 2. Provide annual “How Are We Doing?”/”State of the City” reports to citizens. Source: NLC and Urban Institute’s Legislating for Results Presentation

25. Building Council & Staff Capacity What actions might elected officials take to obtain needed training on legislating-for-results? • Provide new council members with information on obtaining and using results information • Ask the administration to provide results-based training to elected officials, as well as to managers and to all staff. Source: NLC and Urban Institute’s Legislating for Results Presentation

26. Building Council & Staff Capacity What other sources of training are potentially available to elected officials for obtaining further information? • One of the greatest impediments has been and continues to be resources; • Most municipalities lack resources to spend on data collection, analysis, information dissemination, etc. • ICMA offers service… at a cost • Working on joint effort between ourselves (UW-O and UW-Extension LGC), WCMA and LWM

27. Getting Elected Officials Interested in Using Information on Results for Decision-making

28. Getting elected officials interested in using results-based information • Provide educational sessions on the value and uses of performance information for elected officials. • Ask senior administrative staff to discuss how information on results can be used by staff to manage their operations and continually improve the outcomes of programs and services. • Ask departments to how they see elected officials using it. How can elected officials be encouraged to address and use outcome information? Source: NLC and Urban Institute’s Legislating for Results Presentation

29. Getting elected officials interested in using results-based information How can elected officials be encouraged to address and use result information? (continued) • Provide examples of how performance information has helped other cities/counties improve decision making, communicate with citizens, and help meet the goals of elected officials. • Use materials from UW-O, UW-Extension LGC, the NLC, ICMA, and other sources. Source: NLC and Urban Institute’s Legislating for Results Presentation

30. Getting elected officials interested in using results-based information What Should the Council do to Initiate the Effort? • Form a partnership with administrative staff to work on implementing a performance measurement and reporting process. • Ask senior staff to prepare a process that would provide regular information to elected officials on government service outcomes. • Seek advice from citizens and business community on such a process. Source: NLC and Urban Institute’s Legislating for Results Presentation

31. Getting elected officials interested in using results-based information What Should the Council do to Initiate the Effort? (continued) • Establish a council committee to monitor the process of establishing a performance information system. • Begin the process of developing a strategic plan with citizen and elected official involvement – using key outcome indicators to track progress. Source: NLC and Urban Institute’s Legislating for Results Presentation

32. Recent Example:Project Done by UW-Oshkosh MPA Students for Waunakee, WI

33. Village of Waunakee Village of Waunakee Performance Scorecard Performance Scorecard Evaluating Waunakee: A Resident’s Manual Evaluating Waunakee: A Resident’s Manual

38. Why is this Important? • Most Federal grants now require outcome evaluations (performance measurement) in their applications • Bond sales require indicators of financial condition which are well presented by performance data • Local government revenues are becoming insufficient making effective use of resources imperative • Promotes the logical tie between planning and budgeting

39. Resources Available • National League of Cities • Urban Institute • ICMA Craig Maher (maher@uwosh.edu) & Alan Probst (UW-Extension, Local Government Center) (alan.probst@uwex.edu)