I. INTRODUCTION
What is Performance Measurement?
 Performance measurement is the regular collection of specific information regarding the results of Town services. It includes the measurement of the kind of job we are doing, and includes the effect our efforts are having in our community. Together with benchmarking and continuous improvement, performance measurement forms the nucleus for managing for results. In short, good government listens, learns and improves.
Performance measurement by the Town of West Boylston government is certainly not completely new in some respects. Back in 1999, the Town undertook a major survey to track how the people and businesses of the Town felt about the Town Departments and services. While future citizen surveys are likely to be done, there are also managerial and supervisory performance measurements that can lead town administration and decision makers to a better understanding of how our departments are doing.
In general, a good performance measurement system should be able to provide answers for the following questions:
- What was achieved?
- How efficiently was the work done?
- How were citizens helped by the effort?
Why Measure Performance?
The most powerful reason for measuring performance is that citizens are continually demanding more responsive and competitive government. In Town of West Boylston, revenue growth has been limited, while citizen expectations for top quality services remain high.
Balancing these realities has been, and will continue to be the most significant challenge facing us. In the quest for a consensus on services, service levels, service qualities, and cost, the need for sound information about the performance of services remains vital.
Performance measurement is a practice that has permeated all levels of government – from the Federal Government’s Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) to numerous state and local programs. Rather than being a passing fad, performance measurement is a practice that is gradually being integrated into all aspects of management, including but not limited to, performance budgeting, strategic planning, customer feedback, compensation strategies, and continuous improvement efforts.
 In 1994, the Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) adopted a concept statement strongly encouraging local governments to adopt annual Service Efforts and Accomplishments or SEA reporting, a type of standardized performance report that provides a means for comparing government performance over time and against other jurisdictions. While SEA reporting is not mandated, there is the expectation that governments at all levels will disclose performance data as they do
financial data so citizens and elected officials have access to the information they need to make informed decisions in a democratic society.
Benefits of Performance Measurement
In addition to these reasons, many governments report beneficial changes to their organizational culture as a result of performance measurement. In general, governments that measure performance do so because it:
- Strengthens accountability
- Enhances decision-making
- Improves customer service
- Assists governments in determining effective resource use
- Supports strategic planning and goal-setting
- Provides early detection of problems
- Can potentially enhance our bond rating
Performance Measurement Approach – Overview
In the first year of this program, the Town Administrator requested that all municipal departments develop mission statements that tie back to the Town of West Boylston’s Mission Statement. At the same time, the Town Administrator worked with various departments in Town to develop measurable tasks on a monthly basis. These were items that were easily measured and meaningful to measure. The Town Administrator continues to refine these performance indicators and look to expand them in subsequent years.
This process is intended to build an internal benchmark of a year’s performance in West Boylston for future comparative purposes. Benchmarking is a continuous process, which enables organizations to strive for, and in some cases, surpasses some previously determined standard. Benchmarking can be viewed as a systematic process of searching for best practices, innovative ideas, and highly effective operating procedures that lead to superior performance. With improved knowledge, practices, and processes gleaned from the benchmarking process, agencies can take actions to improve performance.
 In future years, the Town of West Boylston should plan to expand its benchmarking horizons by comparing these results to other communities of similar size and demographics. The Town Administrator is planning for this to begin this process next year after the Town has several years of data collected. An opportunity may exist for West Boylston to join the International City and Town Management Association’s (ICMA) Center for Performance Measurement. Membership in
this annual benchmarking effort provides the Town with access to performance data from more than 200 jurisdictions across the country that are also committed to excellence. This will also further the goal of continuous improvement by providing comparative data the Town can use to gauge performance in relation to other jurisdictions, as well as learn best practices from high performers.
As was done last year, the areas that Town of West Boylston benchmarks as part of this effort include:
- Police Services
- Fire/EMS Services
- Public Works and Sewers
- The Council on Aging
- Computer Administration
- Utility costs for municipal buildings
- Assessor application processing
- Building Department
- Library Services
- Sick time usage
Summary
This report is being prepared in an effort to get West Boylston started in the progressive arena of performance measurement. The purpose of this report is to:
- Explain the importance of performance measurement and why we are continuing to improve our system.
- Provide information about the components of a performance measurement system – mission, goals, objectives, and indicators, and how they should be linked and presented.
- Provide guidance on how to focus goals on outcomes, determine service areas, focus objectives on outcomes, and develop indicators that give us the feedback we’re seeking.
- Provide guidelines on allocating costs to service areas in order to calculate various indicators.
As mentioned earlier, this report is a starting point and will continue to be improved according to identified needs. As our experience and understanding grows, additional information, examples, techniques, and tips will be added. The Town gladly invites your ideas/comments and request that they be directed to the Town Administrator. His contact information is:
Leon A. Gaumond Jr., Town Administrator
Town of West Boylston
127 Hartwell Street
West Boylston, MA 01583
The following succinctly summarizes why performance measurement is essential:
WHY MEASURE PERFORMANCE?
If you don’t measure results, you can’t tell success from failure.
If you can’t see success, you can’t reward it.
If you can’t reward success, you’re probably rewarding failure.
If you can’t see success, you can’t learn from it.
If you can’t recognize failure, you can’t correct it.
If you can demonstrate results, you can win public support.
from Reinventing Government
by David Osborne and Ted Gaebler
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