ROLE 3: Define or Measure Performance:
Practice 3a. Help choose measures or targets: Provide advice on determining performance measures or performance expectations.
Kansas City, Missouri, City Auditor [Profile]
The City Auditor’s Office occasionally conducts special studies focused on identifying performance measures for a city agency, resulting in “special reports” on how an agency should measure results (for two examples, see “reports”). In addition to examining existing measures, reviewing the literature and external sources for other possibilities, and interviewing staff, the Auditor’s Office has sometimes conducted focus groups of a department’s users and other stakeholders to identify types of information stakeholders would use to evaluate department services. For example, for a parks and recreation study, the Auditor’s Office conducted five focus groups with members of neighborhood associations, service organizations, and patrons of recreation services. For an information technology (IT) study, the Auditor’s Office particularly included internal stakeholders in focus groups, such as department executives, city users of IT, and members of the City’s Information Technology Advisory Board and Information Policy Oversight Group.
How to measure city performance related to housing has repeatedly been a focus of the City Auditor. In 2001, when requested by the Mayor to recommend performance measures for the City’s housing activities, the City Auditor did not need to conduct a new study, but could draw upon a 2000 special report and a 2001 performance audit report, as well as other material such as city budgets and ICMA comparative performance measures. The City Auditor used that information to prepare a memo to the Mayor recommending 12 performance measures focusing on outputs and outcomes of the City’s housing efforts. In 2006, in response to a City Council resolution to identify procedures for council oversight of housing efforts, the City Auditor’s Office recommended that the council’s role begin with policy development, and that council should participate in identifying housing information to be gathered and shared to improve the program.
In a 2005 study, auditors focused on performance expectations for city employees rather than department measures. The Auditor’s Office conducted an audit of the city’s employee performance management system, used as the basis for annual employee salary increases. Some employees alleged that they had no performance expectations in place, so they did not know the factors and standards for their evaluation. For the audit, the Auditor’s Office examined supervisor-employee communication in depth, including interviews that revealed employees knew what was expected of them and were appraised fairly. However, the Auditor’s Office also found differences in employee and supervisor perceptions of performance management feedback.
More information on studies that produce “special reports,” on performance measures, including the level of effort typically involved [Example in 2004 Guide-PDF]
Reports:
Relevant reports available include:
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