Self-Assessment: A Process for Improving Your Public Works Department

1. Allegheny CountyDepartment of Public Works Dan Onorato Chief Executive Thomas E. Donatelli, P.E. Director Self-Assessment:A Process for Improving Your Public Works Department February 27, 2008Local Government Academy

2. Cathy TrexlerAPWA Accreditation Manager Philip A. LaMay Deputy Director of Administration & Operations Allegheny CountyDepartment of Public Works Dan Onorato Chief Executive Thomas E. Donatelli, P.E. Director

3. AND YOU THINK YOU’RE HAVING A BAD DAY AT WORK? WE’RE HERE TO HELP!

4. Session Topics • Why Are You Here? • What is Self-Assessment? • Why Should You Do It? • Self-Assessment Process • Accredited Agency Results • Wrap Up

5. WHY ARE YOU HERE?

6. What Is Self-Assessment? Definition: The evaluation of an agency’s existing management practices in comparison to recommended best practices.

7. “…recommended best practices.” A collection of 529 recommended practices developed by public works experts from throughout North America.

8. The Manual . . . • Provides guidance to WHAT should be done – not HOW it should be done

9. Using the Manual • Informal Evaluation • New Department Organization • Self-Assessment • Peer Review • Agency Accreditation

10. Self-Assessment • What does the agency get out of it? • What do I get out of it personally? • What do the citizens get out of it?

11. KEEPING UP ISN’T GETTING ANY EASIER!

12. Efficiency vs. Effectiveness “Efficiency is doing things right. Effectiveness is doing the right things.” - Peter Drucker

13. Why Should You Do It? • Find ways to do more with less • Identify strengths and weaknesses • Not about “What are we doing wrong?” rather “What can we do better?” • Provide opportunities for improvement

14. “The need for change continues to accelerate. The APWA accreditation process has proven to be the perfect tool for assessing our operations in order to deliver high-quality services in the most efficient and cost-effective manner.” Thomas E. Donatelli, P.E. Public Works Director Allegheny County, PA

15. Why Should You Do It? • Involve employees at all levels in continuous improvement • Provide community services in the most cost-effective, responsive manner • Contribute to the strategic planning process

16. “In these tight economic times, we are using the self-assessment/accreditation process to enhance performance, increase productivity, clarify budget needs, and strengthen employee morale …” H. Reed Fowler, Jr. Director of Public WorksNewport News, VA

17. Benefits • Promote staff and community pride • Enhance department’s image • Promote teamwork and staff development

18. Benefits (cont’d) • Encourage interdepartmental coordination • Improve trust and accountability • Identify duplication and wasted effort

19. THE SELF-ASSESSMENT PROCESS

20. Before You Get Started • Assess the agency’s overall leadership and management abilities • Why are we here? • Where are we going? • Mission, Vision, and Value Statement

21. Mission Statement “We, the employees of the Allegheny County Department of Public Works, are committed to providing the citizens of Allegheny County with world-class infrastructure, maintenance and engineering services delivered in a timely and cost-effective manner.”

22. KEY ELEMENTS FOR SUCCESS • Committed leadership all the way to the top • Commitment to improvement • A high degree of employee involvement • An organized system of documentation • Policies • Procedures • Practices

23. Committed Leadership All the Way to the Top • Director / City Manager / Council / Commissioners • Division Managers • Supervisory Staff • Team Leaders • Organized Labor

24. Commitment to Improvement • Willing to accept change • Employee empowerment: Ownership of procedures • Interdepartmental coordination • Create and maintain a safe environment

25. A High Degree of Employee Involvement • Everyone participates • Employees have a say • Employee Involvement = Employee Ownership • Employees contribute to continuous improvement and ongoing success • Builds teamwork

26. “The achievements of an organization are the results of the combined effort of each individual.” - Vince Lombardi

27. An Organized System of Documentation • Files • Electronic access • Standard operating procedures • Software • Manuals • Technical • Operations • Policies & Procedures

28. “The secret of all victory lies in the organization of the non-obvious.” - Marcus Aurelius

29. GETTING ORGANIZED • The Director’s Role • Appoint a program manager • Appoint an assistant or teams • Develop the plan, timeline and budget • Tools available

30. The Director’s Role • Lend support to Program Manager • Establish agency-wide support • Seek support from the chief elected and appointed officials • Seek support from organized labor • Direct involvement

31. Appoint a Program Manager • Understanding of public works • Commitment of time • Willingness to serve • Ability to work well with people on all levels

32. Types of Teams Review (Steering) Functional area Dedicated task group Who’s involved? Front line employees Mid-level managers Managers Other Departments Outside agencies Appoint Assistant or Teams

33. Develop the Plan, Timelines and Budget • Workload review • Costs • Milestones • Maintain momentum!!

34. Tools Available • The Practices Manual • Outside assistance • Peer review • Focus groups (networking) • For accreditation applicants • APWA web site (agencies in progress) • APWA accreditation message board • Facilitators

35. LET’S GET STARTED

36. Determining Jurisdiction (preliminary stage) Does your agency perform the service? • All? • Some? • Contracting the service? If not your agency, who? Note: First 9 chapters are applicableto all agencies!

37. Preparing the Written Practice Vince’s “Missouri Test”: • “Show me” the written practice/ policy/procedure • “Show me” proof that you follow it Vince Auriemma Deputy Public Works DirectorGolden, CO

38. Documenting the Agency’s Practice • Practice description complies with Manual’s statement

40. Documenting the Agency’s Practice • Practice description addresses key issues from Manual’s description • Practice description complies with Manual’s statement

42. Why Document the Practices? • Clarifies roles/expectations • Aids succession planning • Solves arguments/moves forward • Identifies duplication of effort • Proves to yourself, citizens and elected officials you are providing the most cost-effective, responsive services

43. GROUP EXERCISE

44. Compliance Rating • Full Compliance(complies without exception) • Substantial Compliance(consistently meets provision of the practice) Note: Must meet either full or substantial compliance for accreditation

45. Partial Compliance(meets some of the provisions) Non-compliance(fails to meet the provisions) Not applicable Waived due to: Legislation Labor Agreements Court Order Case Law Compliance Rating (cont’d)

46. Supporting Documentation (formal) • Laws / Ordinances • Official Local Policies / Codes / Charters • Intergovernmental agreements • Union agreements

47. Policies, procedures, rules Interdepartmental memos Letters Computer printouts Photos Job descriptions Forms Budgets Logs Year-end reports Newspaper articles Supporting DocumentationWritten Policies / Procedures(most desirable)

48. Supporting Documentation(non-written proof) • Interviews (name/date) • Observation (verifies personally)

49. Present Findings to Elected Officials • Formally completes the self-assessment process • Keeps them informed • Can help support improvements • Necessary for accreditation

50. Are We Finished? “After you’ve done a thing the same way for two years, look it over carefully. After five years, look at it with suspicion. After ten years, throw it away and start over.” - Alfred Edward Perlman