The city of Phoenix developed the City Manager’s Executive Report (CMER) to provide performance information to the mayor, City Council, city management and the public on city programs and activities.
While the City has utilized performance data for several decades, there is a new commitment to broadly sharing this information inside and outside the City organization. This is in line with the city’s commitment to the Renewing Phoenix project. Developed during the 2006-07 fiscal year, Renewing Phoenix began when the city manager requested all city departments provide an inventory of core services and programs to include costs and performance measurements. Departments were asked to relate services to department goals, objectives and mission statements.
Development of the City Manager’s Performance Report
In 2007, the city manager asked a team of city staff to develop an improved approach for publishing citywide performance measures. This new report, which replaces the City Manager’s Executive Report, is called the City Manager’s Performance Report (CMPR).
In developing the CMPR, staff from the City Auditor’s Office, City Clerk, Finance, Public Transit, and Budget and Research and the Public Information Office worked to:
- Define the goals and objectives of the new CMPR;
- Identify and meet with department stakeholders and management;
- Assist departments with selecting appropriate performance measures; and
- Test the new CMPR with department/function representatives.
The new CMPR includes all City departments and functions. Departments were asked to identify and report only key measures. These key measures would also need to be reported monthly. Because some measures do not lend themselves to be reported monthly, they are communicated to management via other communication avenues.
Why Performance Measurement?
Performance measurements are useful in determining the effectiveness of an organization in providing service to the community. While the CMER was a tool designed to assist city management and the public in evaluating the progress of city programs and activities, the new City Manager Performance Report (CMPR) is designed to assist the mayor, City Council, and city management in making decisions in where and how to improve services and performance. This customer-oriented focus more comprehensively addresses community needs and trends.
In addition to the CMPR, a separate annual performance report will be developed to provide meaningful information to the public on city services, programs and progress.
Data Reliability and Reporting
Department/function stakeholders will continually monitor and report performance, integrate results into department decision-making, and review and update the program. The City Auditor’s Office will conduct a review consisting of 20 percent each year of reported performance measures to ensure reliability of the results. In addition, departments/functions will continue to monitor their performance measurements for validity or meaningfulness in today’s environment.
More About the Data Reported
The following is provided to assist the reader of the CMPR:
- All listed targets are annual targets.
- Historical data is presented for all performance measures. Where it is not presented, the department either did not previously track this data or the data was not tracked in the same manner.
- Most performance measures included in the CMPR are reported monthly, and either report on the activity for the month or the year-to-date activity as noted.
The performance goal for the CMPR is to have the new report ready for viewing on the 20th of every month.
