[Durham INC] Durham Recognized for Performance Management Success

Tue Aug 7 08:17:09 EDT 2012

CITY OF DURHAM

Office of Public Affairs

101 City Hall Plaza

Durham, NC 27701

News Release

News Media Contact:

Amy Blalock

Sr. Public Affairs Specialist

(919) 560-4123 x 11253

(919) 475-7735 (cell)

Amy.Blalock at DurhamNC.gov 

http://Facebook.com/CityofDurhamNC 

http://Twitter.com/CityofDurhamNC    

For Immediate Release: August 7, 2012

Durham Recognized for Performance Management Success

Durham One of Only 15 to Receive this National Honor

DURHAM, N.C. - Durham residents have one more award to be proud about
thanks to the recent recognition of the City of Durham for its
performance management success.

The International City/County Management Association (ICMA) announced
that the City is being recognized for superior performance management
efforts with a Certificate of Distinction from the ICMA Center for
Performance Measurement(tm) (CPM). Durham is one of only 15
jurisdictions in the United States receiving this honor this year and
the only one in North Carolina.

"The certificate program recognizes the principles of performance
management," said Wayne Sommer, acting director of CPM. "Jurisdictions
meeting the qualifications have demonstrated leadership in continuous
improvement and community engagement, and they serve as examples for
other governments to follow." 

Certificates are awarded at the levels of Achievement, Distinction, and
Excellence. The certificate program assesses a local government's
performance management program and encourages analysis of results by
comparing to peers and gauging performance over time. Criteria for the
Certificate of Distinction include the use of performance data in
strategic planning and operational decision-making; reporting of
performance data to the public through budgets, newsletters, and/or
information provided to elected officials; data verification efforts to
ensure reliability; staff training; and sharing of performance
measurement knowledge with other local governments through
presentations, site visits, and other networking. 

According to City Manager Tom Bonfield, the City's Strategic Plan and
online dashboard reporting system were key criteria met for this award.
"The Strategic Plan clearly shows the City's roadmap for the future,
guides decision-making and resource allocations in a transparent manner
that allows residents to hold elected officials and the administration
accountable," Bonfield said. "Performance management ultimately aids in
cost reduction, program prioritization, and quality improvement. I'm
very proud that this organization won this recognition and I hope Durham
residents are pleased that their local government has been recognized
for sound leadership and for our demonstrated commitment for providing
an excellent and sustainable quality of life for all who call Durham
home."

According to Budget and Management Services Department Director Bertha
Johnson, this award also clearly demonstrates the City's commitment to
performance management. "We make every effort to develop meaningful
performance measures tied to our programs and services and to use the
data to make operational decisions, allocate resources, and hold
employees accountable," Johnson said.

Several departments have played a major role in the performance
management process thus far, including the Budget and Management
Services, Audit Services, and Technology Solutions Departments along
with receiving extensive support from many City employees from across
the organization.

According to Audit Services Department Director Germaine Brewington, the
extensive data verification the City puts forth as part of its
performance management encourages accountability, transparency, and
ultimately builds strong credibility for the organization. "The
continuous monitoring of the data on the City's Strategic Plan dashboard
is critical to ensure the integrity of the data and to ensure our
residents know that this data is certified and they can trust that it's
accurate," Brewington said. 

For more information about the City's Strategic Plan, visit 
http://www.DurhamNC.gov/StrategicPlan/Goals. 

About the Budget & Management Services Department

The Budget and Management Services Department is responsible for
preparing, implementing, and monitoring the City's annual operating
budget as well as the five-year revenue/expenditure projections for all
City government services. The department also provides operational and
organizational studies as identified by the City Council, City Manager's
Office, and department staff. Guided by the City's Strategic Plan, which
the department established and maintains, the department helps to ensure
that the City of Durham is a well-managed city by working with City
agencies to build and implement performance measurement monitoring and
evaluation. The department is also responsible for preparing the Capital
Improvement Plan (CIP), coordinating the City's process for petition and
City-initiated annexations, conducting resident satisfaction surveys,
and evaluating departmental achievement of City goals and objectives.
For more information, visit 
http://DurhamNC.gov/ich/as/bms/Pages/Home.aspx. 

About the Audit Services Department

The Audit Services Department performs an independent appraisal function
designed to examine and evaluate activities within the City as a service
to management, the Audit Services Oversight Committee, and elected
officials. The department acts as a managerial control that measures and
evaluates the effectiveness of other controls.  It also reviews external
entities to determine whether revenues have been properly remitted to
the City and whether grant and pass-through funds are appropriately
used. The department is also responsible for the administration of
external audit contracts. Guided by the City's Strategic Plan, the Audit
Services Department helps to ensure that the City of Durham is a
well-managed city and good stewards of the City's physical assets. For
more information, visit http://DurhamNC.gov/ich/asd/Pages/Home.aspx.

About the Technology Solutions Department

The Technology Solutions Department aligns the City's information
technology infrastructure and systems to the business needs of the
City's departments. It designs, implements, and maintains the technology
hardware, applications, and programs. Guided by the City's Strategic
Plan, Technology Solutions ensures that its services support making
Durham a great place to live, work, and play by helping provide a
well-managed city and stewardship of the City's physical assets. For
more information, visit http://DurhamNC.gov/ich/as/ts/Pages/Home.aspx.

About the International City/County Management Association 

 The International City/County Management Association (ICMA) advances
professional local government worldwide. Its mission is to create
excellence in local governance by developing and advancing professional
management of local government. ICMA provides member support;
publications, data, and information; peer and results-oriented
assistance; and training and professional development to nearly 9,000
city, town, and county experts and other individuals and organizations
throughout the world. The management decisions made by ICMA's members
affect 185 million individuals living in thousands of communities. For
more information, visit http://icma.org/en/icma/home. 

About the ICMA Center for Performance Measurement 

ICMA's Center for Performance Measurement is dedicated to helping local
governments use performance information to better the lives of the
people they serve. Jurisdictions are assisted with the collection,
reporting and analysis of data relating to quality, effectiveness and
efficiency of government services. For more information, visit 
http://icma.org/en/results/center_for_performance_measurement/home. 

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