The past few weeks I have come across several articles highlighting creative efforts being undertaken by the Buffalo Sewer Authority: 1) Porous Pavement Streets– have been installed on both Clarendon Place and Claremont Avenue, which allows rainwater to permeate directly into the ground. Porous pavement reduces the amount of storm water entering the sewers, whichRead… Read more »
As Jerry Mechling a research vice president at Gartner Inc. and a former faculty member of the Harvard Kennedy School points out in a recent article there are three key steps to improving the performance of government: 1) Goals: Set motivating and verifiable goals for groups and the units and individuals within.2) Gaps: Measure andRead… Read more »
Louisville, Baltimore and Chicago are seeking new ideas from their employees to improve city services. Neil Kleiman, a special advisor to the dean of New York University’s Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, highlighted in a recent article how these three cities are seeking new ideas. Louisville– Mayor Greg Fischer applied for and received aRead… Read more »
Dealing with the bureaucracy of government is frustrating for citizens and employees. What should be a simple task often takes months and involves multiple departments. Many government officials just accept backlogs and delays as the way things are done while others push for ways to improve how government operates. The Phoenix Arizona City Council recentlyRead… Read more »
Often times it is the small things in the operation of an organization that highlights bigger dysfunctional issues. The process of obtaining a street banner to advertise a community event in Buffalo is an example of a small item that highlights bigger issues. One of the great things about living in the Buffalo area isRead… Read more »
Every year to their credit the federal Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) conducts an Employee Viewpoint Survey. In 2011 266,000 federal employees from 33 large agencies, 35 small agencies and 240 agency subcomponents responded to the survey. The Partnership For Public Service based on the OPM survey has released a report titled Achieving a CultureRead… Read more »
A local government’s Charter is an important legal document that specifies what officials must do or can’t do when operating government. Like the United States Constitution, a charter is the supreme law as to a local governments powers and responsibilities. One of the first things a newly elected official should do is to review theRead… Read more »
Most local governments resist setting and evaluating performance goals. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to their credit requires local governments that receive HUD funds to submit a Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER). The CAPER explains how a local government is carrying out its housing and community development strategies, projects,Read… Read more »
Just about every government department or agency has a backlog of work. Many just accept government backlogs as a way of life and do not try different approaches to address their operations. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has a large backlog of cases but to its credit they are establishing big measurable goals toRead… Read more »
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel estimates that Chicago can raise $25 million by letting companies advertise on city assets. Chicago has now hired an advertising consultant at a cost of $144,000 to help the City generate advertising revenue. Other municipalities have considered creative ways to generate advertising revenue such as: – transit riders in Philadelphia buyRead… Read more »