Meeting Date: May 21, 2013 Agenda Item #: 9.1. Report Purpose To provide Council with a response to the In Pursuit of Excellence Report.

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1 Meeting Date: May 21, 2013 Agenda Item #: 9.1 IN PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE: IMPLEMENTATION PLAN Report Purpose To provide Council with a response to the In Pursuit of Excellence Report. Recommendations 1. That Council support the implementation principles and approaches. 2. That Council authorize the release of the In Pursuit of Excellence Final Report to the public. Council History April 12, 2011 Council directed Administration to identify a budget source to allow Council to initiate an Expression of Interest for an Organizational Review by an external firm; to be brought to Council for implementation by Council, and that Council establish a Council Sub-Committee (or working group) to prepare the Terms of Reference for the Organizational Review. September 27, 2011 Council approved funding in the amount of $210,000 to implement an organization-wide review of County operations, processes and structure. November 20, 2012 Council released the Summary Report: In Pursuit of Excellence to the public Background/Justification Strategic Plan: Governance X Community Well Being X Community Sustainability X Economic Viability X Service Delivery X Stakeholder Communication X Resource Management X Policy: n/a Legislative/Legal: n/a Economic: The In Pursuit of Excellence Report presents an opportunity to increase the organization s efficiency and effectiveness, ensuring the best use of municipal resources in serving the community. Social: Same as above. Environmental: n/a Stakeholder: Strathcona County residents, businesses and industry. Interdepartmental: All corporate departments

2 - 2 - Summary: The objective of the In Pursuit of Excellence organizational review was to identify ways in which municipal services could be delivered in the most responsive, efficient and cost effective manner. The Recommendation Summary with Comments Report is the administrative response to the 87 recommendations arising from the In Pursuit of Excellence Report. We are looking for Council s support of the implementation principles and approaches presented. Communications Plan Communication with: Method of Communication: (mark beside the applicable sections) Letter Newspaper Advertisement News Release X Meeting Website X Other: to all staff X Enclosure I Powerpoint II In Pursuit of Excellence Recommendation Summary with Comments Author: Rob Coon, Chief Commissioner Date: May 21, 2013 Document #:

3 Strathcona County administration response to: In Pursuit of Excellence the Farmer Report and Strathcona County 2030 Powering our New Tomorrow Executive Team May 21, 2013

4 Introduction Today, the full Farmer report is available on line at Report contains 87 recommendations Administration's response to each recommendation is also available 2

5 Today s presentation Groups recommendations into six operational categories, and Council: Finance Business plans Performance measures Morale Service tracking Organizational design All leading to better customer service 3

6 Today s presentation Each member of the Executive Team will speak to one or more categories Chief Commissioner will also speak to Council recommendations But first an overview 4

7 Background Early in its new mandate, this Council identified a need to explore opportunities for efficiency and effectiveness of services Commissioned Russell Farmer and Associates Consulting to undertake organization-wide review in September 2011 Report completed in summer of 2012 Administrative changes required waiting for new Chief Commissioner 5

8 Background Council was also working on a vision and strategic plan Released on April 23, 2013 Farmer report and strategic plan are linked Strategic + efficient + effective = You can t be everything to everyone 6

9 Farmer process Extensive survey of all staff 2 rounds of one-on-one meetings with Elected Officials 2 rounds of one-on-one meetings with directors Interviews with selected external stakeholders Workshops with department members Several one-on-one interviews with Executive Team Document reviews Benchmarking against other organizations Targeted in-depth analysis within organization 7

10 The result 87 recommendations Directed toward governance (Council) and administration Not all recommendations supported, which should be expected 8

11 Council recommendations (1-7) Develop long-term vision COMPLETE released April 23, 2013 Engage in strategic planning process COMPLETE released April 23, 2013 Council has identified priority areas Ongoing work - Budget 2014 and 2015 will refine and focus resources to meet priority areas 9

12 Council recommendations Review of Council strategic performance indicators Part of administrative business plan and corporate business plan implementation Review of Chief Commissioner performance management tool First document complete December 10, 2012 Refinement and linking ongoing 10

13 Council recommendations Council policy concerning technology use at Council meetings Fall 2013 Review of orientation program Underway First review April

14 Financial Services Department 4E review In Pursuit of Excellence recommended: County undertake a 4E review to identify opportunities to improve department process and systems Including an assessment of the suitability of the current financial software The department take a stronger role in setting administration-wide standards The department assume a greater role in financial training for all accounting staff 12

15 Financial Services Department 4E review 4E review initiated in two phases Phase 1 = initial focus on factors contributing to the current state of the department External review started Oct 2012; completed Jan 2013 Identified current challenges and solutions Recommendations currently under review to be completed Q2/Q3 to be shared with Council Phase 2 = will include a more in-depth review of processes and systems Will commence upon completion of Phase 1 May include a broader review of organization financial function 13

16 Financial Services Department 4E review - purpose Provide guidance on where the department needs to be in the future and what it needs to do to get there Achieve stability for the department to ensure a positive working environment and success Confirm a clear understanding of department s core functions Confirm a clear understanding of roles and responsibilities Identify opportunities for continuous improvement 14

17 Financial Services Department 4E review - phase 1 conclusions Department needs renewed focus a vision for the future Stable leadership essential Clarity of purpose vision and values Establish what the vision of the financial function is, and the department s role Roles and function Provide leadership throughout the organization in all aspects of the financial function; customer service i.e. Financial Connections meetings Staffing and staffing levels Ensure department has adequate and properly disbursed resources; ensure capacity to fulfill mandate Value of Chief Financial Officer model noted 15

18 Project management process review In Pursuit of Excellence recommended: Forming a Virtual Project Management Office NOT SUPPORTED - view as a concept that is difficult to understand and/or make operational Initiated a 4E review Plan to present to Council in the fall Forming a Project Management Council to bring together current areas of project management expertise Exploring concept of a community of professional practice Linked to current Capital Committee annual work 16

19 Project management process review In Pursuit of Excellence recommended (continued): Retaining and enhancing current capital project business case - SUPPORTED Establishing common terms, tools and reports for use on major projects - SUPPORTED 17

20 Procurement In Pursuit of Excellence recommended: Retaining County procurement within Facility Services Department in the short-term Placing a high priority on strengthening the County s procurement function Providing a plan to address current policy and oversight 18

21 Procurement - current action The procurement function will transition from Facility Services to a closer alignment with the financial function in the near-term High priority being given to strengthen the procurement function Purchasing branch capacity has been enhanced Revised procurement policy in progress Updated procurement/purchasing manual in progress Focus on increased education and training 19

22 The budgeting process In Pursuit of Excellence recommended completing a 4E review of the budgeting process SUPPORTED and APPROVED by Council Business plan and budget process 4E review completed in fall 2012 January 22, 2013 Council meeting Approved the review as a guiding document Authorized development of an implementation plan for review recommendations 20

23 4E review major findings Strathcona County has developed many of the elements of a comprehensive planning process: Strategic plan Sustainability plans Departmental plans Program and operational plans Budget processes Public Engagement Framework Performance measures Unfortunately, these elements are not fully integrated; they need to be fit together 21

24 4E review link to strategic plan POWERING OUR NEW TOMORROW Strategy (Council) Operational (Administration) LIVING IN STRATHCONA COUNTY VISION (20 years) COUNTY WIDE PRIORITIES (Longer Term) CORPORATE BUSINESS PLAN SUSTAINABILITY PLATFORM CORPORATE BUDGET (Medium Term) DIVISIONAL & DEPARTMENTAL BUSINESS PLANS & BUDGET (Annual) 22 Dream it! Define it! Achieve it! Support it! Report it!

25 4E review recommendations 1. Implement an integrated planning and corporate performance management framework Development of a corporate business plan will be a key milestone in moving forward to accomplish the priorities outlined in the strategic plan 23

26 4E review recommendations (cont) 2. Implement corporate and department business plans 3. Transition to a priority-based budget process 4. Streamline the budget process and software 5. Adopt zero-based review methodologies 6. Transition to multi-year budgeting 24

27 4E review recommendations (cont) 7. Expand performance measurement initiatives to corporate performance management 8. Shift public engagement opportunities 9. Define financial governance responsibilities 10. Develop a common lexicon Recommendations approved by Council. Work is in progress, with a 2015/16 timeline. 25

28 4E review implementation plan Calendar Year Council Strategic Planning Goals & Priorities Business Planning Define Methodology Pilot & Corporate Plans Roll Out Organization Wide Link to Performance Measurement and to 2015 Budgeting Performance Management Define Policy, Methods Integrate Existing & Develop Develop/Enhance Data Capture and Reporting Methods Service Delivery Model Develop Model Framework Integrate with Business Planning Performance Measurement & Budgeting Budgeting Develop Multi Year and PBB Policies, Methodologies, Requirements Modify/Develop Processes, Systems, Skills Develop Multi Year & PBB Zero Based Reviews Develop Detailed Methodology Pilot 2014 Budget 2015 Budget 2016 Budget 26

29 Performance measures In Pursuit of Excellence recommended: New strategic plan To include goals and measures Completed and approved April 23, 2013 Review of the business plan and budget process Study completed 27

30 Performance measures Strategic plan Priority areas defined POWERING OUR NEW TOMORROW Strategic goals and measures exist for Strategy (Council) LIVING IN STRATHCONA COUNTY VISION (20 years) Dream it! priority areas COUNTY WIDE PRIORITIES (Longer Term) Define it! To attain the vision, we will measure our performance at the strategic level Operational (Administration) CORPORATE BUSINESS PLAN SUSTAINABILITY PLATFORM CORPORATE BUDGET (Medium Term) DIVISIONAL & DEPARTMENTAL BUSINESS PLANS & BUDGET (Annual) Achieve it! Support it! Report it! 28

31 Performance measures Business plan New corporate business plan being developed Will include measures so we can report how we are doing in implementing Council s strategic plan Department business plans will be developed and include measures aligned with the corporate business plan and Council s strategic plan 29

32 Performance measures 30

33 Performance measures Calendar Year Council Strategic Planning Goals & Priorities Business Planning Performance Management Define Methodology Define Policy, Methods Pilot & Corporate Plans Integrate Existing & Develop Roll Out Organization Wide Link to Performance Measurement and to 2015 Budgeting Develop/Enhance Data Capture and Reporting Methods Service Delivery Model Develop Model Framework Integrate with Business Planning Performance Measurement & Budgeting Budgeting Develop Multi Year and PBB Policies, Methodologies, Requirements Modify/Develop Processes, Systems, Skills Develop Multi Year & PBB Zero Based Reviews Develop Detailed Methodology Pilot 2014 Budget 2015 Budget 2016 Budget 31

34 Morale Staff survey identified morale as a concern What does morale mean? Sources include workload, communication, Hay classification system Making progress in some areas, e.g., classification system Focus on leadership and linkage to Council s strategic plan Our commitment: Uncover and address all root causes Improve well-being of organization 32

35 Service tracking Report recommends a needs assessment Current state Different systems in different departments Information not compiled Customer service ratings and satisfaction levels Priorities not always aligned 33

36 Our approach Needs assessment that is more comprehensive than a tracking system Strategic in our work, how are we performing, what are the trends Deliverables: efficiency, improve and monitor performance with reporting, align with Council s strategic plan Engage people who will use the system Next step: report to Council in September

37 Organizational design Refine centralized services model Link service agreement to business planning Broaden reach across organization Procurement moving to a closer alignment with the financial function Enforcement Services SUPPORTED, no change 35

38 Organizational design Executive structure Associate Commissioner, Strategic Services NOT SUPPORTED Clear mandate for Corporate Planning and Intergovernmental Affairs SUPPORTED/COMPLETE Communications SUPPORTED move to Chief Commissioner s Office 36

39 Organizational design Transition to Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Under CFO Financial Services Procurement Services Assessment and Taxation Corporate Services Facility Services Fleet Services Human Resources Information and Technology Services Legislative and Legal Services CFO is a member of the Executive Team, reporting to the Chief Commissioner 37

40 Council committee changes Council requested review of committee structures New roles New opportunities 38

41 Finance Advisory Committee Support Council s strategic priorities related to efficient financial resource management Committee consists of members of Council and members of the public Advise Council on matters relating to Business plan and budgeting process Financial reporting and review matters Initial tasks Facilitate public engagement in 2014 budget Look into best practices 39

42 Priorities Committee - proposal Intent an open public forum for Council to consider and discuss strategic matters Open to public Committee is all members of Council Receives public delegations Makes recommendations to Council Consolidate other committees here (?) Formal proposal with draft terms of reference in September 40

43 Summary/conclusions A lot of moving parts Implementation is well underway 4E reviews Business planning process Budget processes Staff consultations Full implementation 2015/

44 Summary/conclusions Report highlighted many issues, but also successes Not all recommendations are supported Thank you for the time necessary for careful review Report available on line at Structure will be put in place for regular updates on progress 42

45 Strathcona County Final Report Recommendations Summary with Comments (Version Jan 10, 2013) Chief Commissioner

46 TABLE OF CONTENTS Performance Management...3 Corporate Planning...4 Human Resources...4 Assessment and Tax...5 Information Technology Services...5 Legislative and Legal Services...6 Financial Services...6 Communications...7 Fleet Services...7 Facility Services...7 Recreation, Parks and Culture...8 Family and Community Services...8 Emergency Services...8 RCMP and Enforcement Services...9 Transit...9 Planning and Development...9 Capital Planning and Construction (CPC)...9 Utilities...10 Transportation and Agricultural Services...10 Economic Development and Tourism...10 Depth Analysis Recommendations... Error! Bookmark not defined. Capital and Large Projects Project Management Process Review...10 Infrastructure and Planning Services Division Planning and Development Services Department 2010 Key Performance Indicators...12 Planning and Development Services (PDS) Operations Review (4E)...14 Planning and Development s (PDS) Municipal Development Plan (MDP)...15 Transportation and Agricultural Services (TAS) Review Standards...16 Strathcona County Transit (SCT) Program Review Draft...16 SCT Strategic Goals and Performance Measures Draft v Procurement...18 The Budgeting Process...19 Inquiry and Complaint Tracking Systems...19 Fire Prevention...19 Chief Commissioner

47 PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT 1. Council engage in an exercise to develop a long term vision statement for Strathcona County supported by defined goals in key areas like economic development, growth, and community services. Complete. 2. Council engage in a strategic planning exercise to develop a new and effective SCSP. The SCSP must include specific objectives or initiatives supported by a statement of roles, resources, performance indicators, and timelines for completion. Strategic Plan complete additional work on priority areas and measures. 3. Council engage in an exercise of service level definition and prioritization that defines service level expectations in key municipal service areas. Service expectations need to be directly linked to Council s vision for the community and strategic priorities. The Corporate Business Plan that will be developed as a result of the Business Plan and Budget Process 4E Review will be in alignment with Council s vision and strategic priorities. 4. Council review its strategic plan and performance indicators quarterly to track the progress of both Council and administration in meeting strategic objectives. Will form part of the Corporate Business Plan reporting. 5. Council review Chief Commissioner performance management tools in order to: a. Clearly define performance expectations b. Link performance measures to completion of Council s strategic priorities c. Adopt performance reporting tool that is clear and objective Complete. Performance Expectations Agreement signed December, Council adopt a policy on the use of smartphones, Blackberries, texting, and social media during Council meetings. Fall, Council collectively review its orientation program to identify opportunities for improvement which may include: enhanced role clarity, understanding of governance practices, effective communication, clarity on Council processes and policies, and understanding of planning processes and documents. Complete 1 st review April, Chief Commissioner

48 CORPORATE PLANNING 8. The Department develop and adopt a clear mandate. Complete 9. The Department develop a strategic plan to guide its business and to allow for effective reporting. Underway. 10. The Department takes the lead in the development of a strategic plan for Council and for the County. This process should begin with the development of a format and level of depth for the final product, and then define the process that will be followed to create it. Council should fully endorse the process and the final product before proceeding. Complete. 11. Corporate Planning work with Council and the Communications Department to clearly define an advocacy strategy and supporting materials. Complete. 12. The Department is tasked with the development of project management policies, tools and templates to guide project management across administration, ultimately leading to the development of a virtual project management office. This work does not fall within the new mandate as per Recommendation #8. HUMAN RESOURCES 13. The Department work with the support of ITS to identify opportunities to enhance information technology systems as a means to improve productivity and accessibility to HR information for staff. Enterprise Resource Planning Needs Assessment being done. 14. The Department review its staffing levels to determine if additional staff would address staff workload and time delays. Two new positions approved in 2013 Budget. 15. The County complete a review of the implementation of the Hay System and identify opportunities to address communications or morale issues associated with its implementation. Review complete and implementation of recommendations have commenced in An action plan has been developed to address the recommendations over the next 2 3 years. Chief Commissioner

49 16. The County adopt an Executive Team process to appeal a current position classification under the Hay System Appeal body in place and process has been developed. 17. The Department work with Legislative and Legal Services to identify process elements that are barriers to efficient operations and that require streamlining The recommendation in relation to the forms approval process issue has been resolved. ASSESSMENT AND TAX 18. The Department document performance measures that will effectively communicate the success of the Department, and report on these annually to Council and to Executive Part of a more formal corporate measurement program. 19. The Department develop and communicate to staff a strategy for cross training and succession planning Department will be involved in corporate initiative Leadership Development and Talent Management ; elements include talent development and succession planning. 20. The Department enhance access to IT training for staff The Department will be following up on training opportunities. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SERVICES 21. The Department continue to develop and adopt performance standards and report on those standards regularly. ITS has developed a number of volume measures, workgroup performance standards and corporate measures and plans to increase these over time (Business Planning). 22. The County review staffing levels within ITS and ensure that there is alignment between the Department s workload and staffing levels. Three new positions were approved in the 2013 Budget but some were deferred. 23. The County review the manner in which IT projects are being approved and resourced by other departments in order to ensure that adequate business resourcing is in place. IT projects should be reviewed following completion to determine if resourcing issues resulted in timing or budget deviations from the original project plan. Chief Commissioner

50 Departments should identify resources required for new initiatives. ITS Director working with all departments in planning phase to recognize resource requirements. The formal review of completed IT projects can be part of an enhanced corporate performance management program and Department Business Plans. 24. The Department assume a more proactive advisory role in working with other departments to meet their business needs. With appropriate resourcing the Department could assume a model similar to other Corporate Services departments with dedicated advisory staff for each Division. This model will be looked at as part of an ITS organizational review in 2014 and Service Agreement Process. LEGISLATIVE AND LEGAL SERVICES 25. The Department develop and adopt performance standards and report on those standards regularly. This process would include engaging other departments to determine their needs and their perceptions of Department services. Part of a more formal corporate performance management program. 26. The Department develop strategic and operational plans to guide its work and its priorities. Working on development of outcomes for The County review the position of L & L in within the administration to determine if it is appropriately placed within Corporate Services. Considered as part of Organizational Design review. 28. The Department review the manner in which it is staffing special projects to ensure that adequate resourcing is available. Election and census initiatives/projects are not special projects and have been adequately resourced. 29. The Department re allocate management responsibilities to establish a more vertical organizational structure. Department is organized by function. FINANCIAL SERVICES 30. The County initiate and complete a 4E review to identify opportunities to improve the Department s processes and systems, and to assess the suitability of current financial software. Phase 1 of the Financial Services Department 4E Review is complete; recommendations are under review. Phase 2 will include a more in depth review of processes. ERP Needs Assessment is complete. Chief Commissioner

51 31. The Department take a stronger role in setting administration wide standards. This includes developing standards and templates, and conducting regular audits of the financial records and processes of other departments. To be addressed in Phase 2 of the Financial Services Department 4E Review. 32. The Department assume a greater role in financial training for both Department staff, and accounting staff in other departments Addressed in Phase 1 of the Financial Services Department 4E Review. COMMUNICATIONS 33. The County review the position of Communications within the organization to determine if it is appropriately positioned and if communications resources are appropriately located. Part of Organizational Design Review. Communications Function 4E Review has been done. 34. The Department take a greater role in Communications across all County departments through the development and oversight of a policy framework that supports the current branding initiative. Communications policy and guidelines complete. 35. That the Communications Department assume a more active role as the primary communications adviser to Council. Outcome of the Organizational Design Review. FLEET SERVICES 36. Fleet Services work with the IT Department to identify IT solutions that would improve workflow and process efficiency. In process of implementing Fleet Management Software. 37. The Department develop a strategy to address effective communication with staff. Revised Communication process in place; ongoing activity. FACILITY SERVICES 38. Facility Services work with the IT Department to identify IT solutions that would improve workflow and process efficiency. Ongoing. Departments working with ITS to make improvements ie FAME application was implemented. FAME is considered a best practice application. Chief Commissioner

52 39. The County review staffing requirements for Facility Services to ensure they are adequately resourced to meeting their mandate. Reviewed through 2013 budget; approved new staffing for the Procurement and Project Management functions. 40. The Department document and track performance measures and that they report on their performance measures regularly. Part of a more formal corporate performance measurement program. RECREATION, PARKS AND CULTURE 41. The Department review areas where process documentation is lacking and work to address it. Will review and identify operational areas where process work is required, and develop a prioritized work plan by Q4, The Department provide additional training to supervisors of operation staff on effective performance management and HR policies. Supported. General corporate training is provided to supervisors, and will look at specific and direct training requirements for operations supervisors in discussions with these supervisors and Human Resources. 43. The Department review the current organization of maintenance staff in Parks to determine if the current structure of the working teams is most effective. A task analysis review and alignment that coordinates services to the public in this area is in progress as part of 2013 workplan and will be complete by Q4, FAMILY AND COMMUNITY SERVICES 44. FCS develop a system for documenting its services and service levels and actively report on them to Council and to the community in order to increase awareness. Part of corporate performance measurement. EMERGENCY SERVICES 45. The Department review HR practices and implement the training and systems required to address performance reviews and performance documentation. Have developed a new performance management process in collaboration with Human Resources. The process is currently being piloted with full implementation prior to the end of Chief Commissioner

53 RCMP AND ENFORCEMENT SERVICES 46. Municipal staff be actively engaged by senior management through small group discussions in order to identify sources of morale issues and misinformation, as well as providing a mechanism to increase communication. Complete. TRANSIT 47. The Department review HR practices including performance management and communication. Training and process need to be established and enforced. HR policies have been clarified and communicated internally. Processes for staff performance and internal communications have been updated and continue to be improved. PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT Key Performance Measurements have been developed. References to Ontario benchmarks in the report are not appropriate. Part of corporate performance measurement. Recommendations 56, 57, 28 relate to KPI performance and is being done corporately. Recommendations 59 and 60 refer to Page 13. Recommendation 61 department working on and is part of organization wide program. Recommendation 62 complete. Recommendation 63 in progress. Recommendation 64 being addressed. Accountability agreement in place. Recommendation 65 complete. Recommendation 66 complete. Recommendation 67 Land Use Bylaw currently being reviewed. Recommendation 68 complete. More information on Pages CAPITAL PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION (CPC) 48. CPC champion the continued professional development of engineers in Strathcona County. CPC has the most senior positions filled by professional engineers in the organization and as such should continue to build a community of practice in the organization for the various engineering groups to mentor each others development, share best practices and offer advise on project work as required. CPC maintains the Professional Practice Management Plan (PPMP) as required by The Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) see CPC Department on the website for the document. CPC maintains and updates the Permit to Practice engineering which requires identification and update for those who are designated as responsible members (RM s). 49. Participate in the Project Management Council recommended in the Capital and Large Project Depth Analysis. As described in the Depth Analysis, the project management expertise housed in CPC will be a valuable addition to the Project Management Council and in the development of County standard tools and processes. Chief Commissioner

54 Complete/ongoing. CPC completed a major rewrite of the Department s Project Management Manual. IPS Directors from TAS, Utilities, PDS and CPC working with the Facility Services Director to develop improvements for internal project management practices. UTILITIES 50. Utilities staff continue to participate in the development of Growth Management Plans to guide and prioritize future utility needs in the County. Part of Growth Management Strategy. Cost of Service Study in progress. PDS is leading this work. 51. Participate in the Project Management Council recommended in the Capital and Large Project Depth Analysis. As described in the Depth Analysis, the project management expertise housed in Utilities will be a valuable addition to the Project Management Council and in the development of County standard tools and processes. Utilities is part of the Implementation Committee. The Implementation Committee work is still in progress. TRANSPORTATION AND AGRICULTURAL SERVICES Recommendation 69 The asset condition rating scale currently utilized by TAS provides administration with the detailed data to effectively manage our rural road infrastructure. Concur with the report that our scale can be modified when we are undertaking benchmark comparisons with neighbouring municipality s rural road infrastructure. Estimated completion date: December 31, Recommendation 70 TAS has, and continues to use the TAC Guidelines in the management of our road infrastructure. We continue to promote the need for consistency utilizing these guidelines in the face of increasing pressure by some stakeholders to do otherwise. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM Part of proposed re organization. Do not agree with moving the department from the IPS Division as there is a very close link to Planning and Development Services and other departments in the IPS Division such as TAS, CPC and Utilities especially for projects in Alberta s Industrial Heartland. DEPTH ANALYSIS RECOMMENDATIONS CAPITAL AND LARGE PROJECTS PROJECT MANAGEMENT PROCESS REVIEW 52. Strathcona County should form a central Virtual Project Management Office. In keeping with the structural changes recommended in the Organizational Design Section, a virtual project management office should be formed in the organization. We use the term virtual to indicate a limited human resource complement. The main purpose of this body will be to lead the County s Project Management Council and to provide an owner for the project management methodology and tools for the County. Chief Commissioner

55 Do not support Virtual Project Management Office. 4E Review on Internal Development Approval Processes has been completed. A review will be conducted utilizing the 4E Review as guidance with a goal of increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of internal project development. The Implementation Committee recognizes the need to improve internal project development. 53. The County should bring together their four areas of project management expertise to form a Project Management Council to support the work of the Virtual Project Management Office (VPMO). As noted in the findings, there are at least four areas in the County currently using formal project management, Facilities, TAS, CPC, Utilities and ITS. These groups should work with the VPMO to form a Project Management Council. Critical internal customers of the project management processes; such as, client departments (RPC, Emergency Services, Transit, etc.) and information users (finance, human resources, communication, etc) should supplement the identified four areas. Internal Development Approval Processes Committee developing implementation strategies. This group under the leadership of the VPMO will be tasked with a number of specific projects but will also exist to act as a community of practice for project management in the organization. Acting as a community of practice will mean supporting professional development in project management across the organization, becoming an owner for project lessons learned and support their dissemination across the County and championing the use of developed tools, templates and terminology. 54. The capital project business case format should be retained and reviewed to determine if there is a need for a less detailed document for smaller projects. There seems to be a great deal of support for the current capital budgeting business case format, though some pointed out that there is a lot of work involved to appropriately prepare one. We would recommend the continue use of the format for the capital budgeting process, but would further recommend a less detailed version be prepare to support scoping and decision making around smaller projects. We would further recommend that the PMC be charged with defining the terms large and small projects based on dollar value, risk and client. For instance, a $2 million road work project does not require the same rigor and oversight as a $2 million IT contract. Internal Development Approval Processes Committee developing implementation strategies. 55. The Virtual Project Management Office should draw upon the expertise of the Project Management Council to establish common terms, tools and reports for use on major projects. One of the highlighted areas in the findings is the lack of standardization across the departments with regard to project management. The VPMO should use the members of the PMC to develop, deploy and maintain a number of project related tools and templates, including: Project management terminology, Capital budgeting business cases, Project charters, Change orders, Communication plans, Stakeholder engagement plans, Chief Commissioner

56 Requests for decision, Project reports, and Project evaluation reports. Internal Development Approval Processes Committee developing implementation strategies. The Business Plan and Budget Process project implementation will also address. INFRASTRUCTURE AND PLANNING SERVICES DIVISION PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT 2010 KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS 56. Wherever possible, use measures that easily communicate desired behavioural changes that will improve measures. Most of PDS measures in the Service Standards are based on timely completion. We understand that there is currently an emphasis for PDS staff to complete these processes rapidly. We recommend that consideration also be given to the impacts of focussing exclusively on timeliness in measurement. The behavioural response to such measures is for staff to potentially lose focus on quality or cost standards because they are not measured. Later measures appear to recognize the element of complexity in the types of applications. The on time service standard drops from 100% to provide some buffer for the less standard types. This may balance the behavioural aspects. A more appropriate measure may be constructed by rolling up the process measures into one indicator of hitting each targeted timeline. Alternatively, it is worth considering if it s best to focus on specific measures and supplementing the timebased nature of measures with other aspects that illustrate complexity (time/application) or cost ($/application). Complete 57. Benchmark your performance against yourself and other jurisdictions. There are a number of benchmarking services such as the Ontario Municipal Benchmarking Initiative ( that can be used to gauge performance, but the unique character of Strathcona County may be better served establishing targets based on your own performance. Many of the performance measures in the OMBI do not measure efficiency or effectiveness of services. 58. Produce a minimum KPI set for regular reporting to Council. Complete Council will make the best use of a small number of intuitive KPIs that are reported over time in a consistent fashion. Other organizations have rolled these measures up in generic manners around things like customer satisfaction or budget variance. Chief Commissioner

57 Combining this recommendation with Recommendation 2 may provide some useful suggestions from reporting. The OMBI report mentioned above uses the following measures under their categories of Building Permits and Inspections and Planning. Building Permits and Inspections How many building permits were issued for all types of construction? How many new residential dwelling units were created? What is the dollar value of construction activity? How many applications are processed? Planning How many development applications are processed within the legislated timeframe? Development Application Received (Single Tier) How much does it cost to process development applications? How much does it cost for planning services per resident? 59. Wherever possible, use measures that easily communicate desired behavioural changes that will improve measures. For example, the measure cost/hour of service provides limited value for staff to interpret. The desired trend for the measure is to drop. To do this, the organization must lower cost or increase the hours of service. Lowering costs is a desirable behaviour to incent but hours of service allows for very limited control, if any. A more appropriate measure may be cost/km or cost/passenger. The use of kilometres as the denominator provides the driver with incentive to keep the vehicles moving, potentially enhancing schedule reliability, fuel economy, and emissions. Using passengers provides a reminder for customer service excellence by focussing on increasing ridership. Complete 60. Establish appropriate three or five year targets for each measure. Determine appropriate targets for your measures. There are a number of benchmarking services such as the Ontario Municipal Benchmarking Initiative ( that can be used to help set targets, but the unique character of Strathcona County may be better served through establishing targets based on your own performance. Chief Commissioner

58 Applying target timelines out three to five years can provide more of a strategic focus to measurement and may remove annual anomalies. Occurrences like major roadway construction can influence transit measures for a season, greatly skewing short term data. Longer timeframes removes the risk of misleading data. Some measures have been completed. Corporate reporting mechanism being worked on. PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES (PDS) OPERATIONS REVIEW (4E) 61. A formal succession plan should be developed across PDS PDS should develop a formal succession plan across their Department. Studies suggest that good succession planning can provide potential staff with the training and work experiences that they require to move into key leadership roles within the organization. Efforts, such as moving retired staff into contract roles, have allowed PDS to retain some of their internal knowledgebase. Additional efforts, such as key training opportunities, leadership awareness and missioncritical project experience will provide many benefits to their Department and may increase employee retention. Will form part of organization wide program to be developed in Identify and review positions that require a high level of expertise PDS should identify and review positions, such as Safety Code Officers, that require a high level of expertise. These positions are often hard to staff and can be expensive to retain. Reviewing staffing practices from comparable jurisdictions should be conducted to gain a better understanding of how other organizations are retaining highly expert staff. Complete 63. PDS should continue to cross train staff The success of PDS cross training has provided many benefits such as increased capacity. Continuing to cross train staff in various disciplines will ensure PDS fully leverages their resources and will provide service delivery benefits. In progress. 64. PDS should develop and complete a similar planning process to continue improvement. To develop the 4E Report, PDS had to document the issues that were facing the department, define solutions and execute them. This appears to have occurred in a structured and coherent fashion. The majority of the activity in this endeavour focussed on human resource and staffing issues. Chief Commissioner

59 PDS should renew the process to look at operational opportunity for improvement. A similar format can be adopted under, which particular issues are identified and a recommended course of action is provided. Once complete, the new Director can present this document to the Associate Commissioner for approval. The approved document can become part of a performance agreement with the new Director. Being addressed. PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT S (PDS) MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN (MDP) 65. Council should provide strategic direction to support the MDP Council should provide strategic direction to determine if the current MDP aligns with Council s vision for Strathcona County. This would provide a greater level of direction for administration to plan accordingly and ensure the County is able to achieve its vision. Complete. 66. PDS should provide Council with an overview of their MDP PDS should provide Council with an overview of their existing MDP and identify what impacts this has on future land development. This will ensure that both Council and PDS have a shared understanding of the MDP restrictions and allow PDS to focus their efforts on identifying and presenting future developments that meet Council s vision for the County. MDP update completed. Currently working on the Bremner Growth Management Strategy. 67. Review discretionary use categories Strathcona County should work to reduce the number of volume or latitude of discretionary use aspects in its land use zoning. The objective of this review is to reduce the reliance on Development Officers to interpret Council s intent on a case by case basis. Currently being worked on as part of the Land Use Bylaw review. 68. Current planning priorities align with the existing MDP PDS should work with Economic Development and Tourism (EDT) to incorporate land use requirements and identify economic opportunities for the County. An Economic Development and Tourism plan should be developed that takes these factors into account and guide future commercial and industrial development. Complete Chief Commissioner

60 TRANSPORTATION AND AGRICULTURAL SERVICES (TAS) REVIEW STANDARDS 69. Adopt a recognized rating scale to compare the County s rural road network with comparable jurisdictions Strathcona County uses a more detailed rating scale that other comparable jurisdictions to assess and manage its road network. The condition rating scale was reviewed in 2010 and found to be very effective as tool to manage and compare road segments, both urban and rural within the County. Unfortunately it does not lend itself to comparisons with other jurisdiction which makes benchmarking of surface conditions very difficult. Strathcona County should investigate the ability to convert their scale to a more common approach to allow inter jurisdictional comparisons. This rating scale would be used in tandem with their proven and existing condition rating scale. This data would allow the County to better understand the quality of other comparable jurisdictions and how their rural road network compares. This information is important for the County to understand in order to make better funding decisions in regards to their road network. Refer to Page 10 under Transportation and Agriculture Services. 70. Continue to leverage TAC technical guidelines to ensure road network consistency and safety Refer to Page 10 under Transportation and Agriculture Services. STRATHCONA COUNTY TRANSIT (SCT) PROGRAM REVIEW DRAFT 71. Explore opportunity to enhance Transit bus maintenance SCT, with the support of Executive Team, should explore the opportunity to enhance their current bus maintenance agreements. A service level agreement between Transit and Fleet Services should be explored to identify goals and objectives, roles and responsibilities and performance measures (KPI s). This agreement should be reviewed on an annual basis to ensure expectations are being met. This would also provide an opportunity to identify internal corporate efficiencies. If either of these are deficient, an exploration or business case should be developed to review and assess opportunities for re tendering the maintenance contract or to reissue fleet maintenance to Transit. Associate Commissioners for Community Services and Corporate Services and the Transit and Fleet Directors are working to develop a service level agreement to clarify roles, responsibilities and expectations for the two departments. 72. Develop a process to arbitrate decisions across Departments When disagreements occur between Departments as process is required to arbitrate a decision quickly clear expectations and roles could reduce friction. An internal prioritization process across the County or the introduction of a business case system would assist to alleviate this concern. Failure to introduce these solutions could result in a strained relationship between Departments. Chief Commissioner

61 Through the leadership process, we have been working collaboratively and have established a process for moving forward. Team Agreements and values are being used. 73. Transit should align their communications and materials with the corporate brand, when developed As the new branding strategy is rolled out, Transit as one of the most public facing pieces of the organization will be required to maintain a corporately consistent brand identity. Complete 74. Transit should champion a corporate complaint tracking system High performing organizations have a means to provide timely and accurate information on trends in customer complaints. As well, they are able to be responsive to opportunities by tracking individual complaints. Strathcona County handles the tracking of complaints in an ad hoc fashion that is often highly manual in nature. A corporate complaint tracking system should be introduced across the County. Transit has identified this as a priority area for their operations and is thus, well positioned to act as a champion for such an initiative in the County. Recommendations 85 and 86 deal with this recommendation. Transit is identified as a stakeholder. 75. Lead the development and introduction of customer service training across the organization A customer service training program should be introduced across the County. Transit would be a good candidate to assist with this training due to the success of their internal program. General customer service training is available corporately. Each department provides Customer Service Representative training specific to the department service/situation. SCT STRATEGIC GOALS AND PERFORMANCE MEASURES DRAFT V. 2.2 Will be using Council Strategic Plan as a guide for moving forward. Measurements have been and continue to be developed. 76. Wherever possible, use measures that easily communicate desired behavioural changes that will improve measures. For example, the measure cost/hour of service provides limited value for staff to interpret. The desired trend for the measure is to drop. To do this, the organization must lower cost or increase the hours of service. Lowering costs is a desirable behaviour to incent but hours of service allows for very limited control, if any. A more appropriate measure may be cost/km or cost/passenger. The use of kilometres as the denominator provides the driver with incentive to keep the vehicles moving, potentially enhancing schedule reliability, fuel economy, and emissions. Using passengers provides a reminder for customer service excellence by focussing on increasing ridership. Chief Commissioner