The city of Joburg is measuring up

Transcription

1 to global standards The city of Joburg is measuring up

2 CHAPTER 10 PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT YTEM INTRODUCTION Citizens of outh Africa expect that the policy and regulatory changes introduced by government will be translated into tangible service delivery. Elected representatives, in particular, must demonstrate that national, provincial and local government are capable of managing public resources in a way that delivers benefits to its citizens. President Thabo Mbeki often speaks of a performance-driven public sector and has referred to the critical role that local government will play in this process. Municipalities which are at the coal-face of service delivery are being challenged to demonstrate their ability to execute both basic as well as enabling services crucial for social and economic growth and development. This challenge finds expression in the requirement that municipalities are expected to report on their performance, from both a civic and policy perspective. DEFINING PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT Performance management is the setting and measurement of desired outcomes and activities of an organisation, its individual components and its staff that contribute to the achievement of the strategic vision of the organisation. It is a multilevel process that starts with an overall strategy and cascades to individual performance appraisal. The City has adopted this definition because it accepts that the City s performance must be measured at many levels and in a comprehensive manner. Performance management encompasses the monitoring, measurement and reporting of performance at a citywide, organisational (departmental, regional and UACs) and individual level. Municipalities are being challenged to demonstrate their ability to execute services crucial for social and economic development LEGAL AND REGULATORY DEVELOPMENT The building blocks of the City s approach to performance management include: development and formal adoption of a system that complies with the Municipal ystems Act and the Municipal and Performance Management Regulations of The system represents the municipality s cycle and processes of performance planning, monitoring, measurement, review, reporting and improvement; development of performance indicators (including prescribed indicators) that encompass inputs, outputs and outcomes and enable the measurement of strategic/ developmental priorities and objectives and set targets in relation to these indicators. These indicators should be reviewed, refined and changed annually, if necessary; establishment of formal mechanisms to monitor, measure and review performance. This would include performance audit committees and management information systems. Performance management is the setting and measurement of desired outcomes and activities of an organisation, its individual components and its staff REVIEWING PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT The legislation places specific emphasis on the process of reviewing performance and the application of performance management within the organisation. During the 2002/03 financial year, the City initiated the balanced scorecard approach to planning and performance management. Integrated Development Plan 2003/04 Page 245

3 CHAPTER 10 PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT YTEM This led to the development of a City corecard, Departmental corecards and Individual Performance corecards. A review of the process has highlighted the following issues: The relatively new unicity administration, which was two years old, meant that the initial focus of the City corecard and Performance corecards were on input and process indicators as many programmes, projects and initiatives were in their start-up phase. The absence of baseline information made it difficult to determine clear standards and targets. The new system meant that managers were both unclear and/ or uncertain about developing indicators and setting targets. There was particular uncertainty about translating Departmental corecards into Individual corecards. The absence of mechanisms to measure indicators meant that sometimes certain indicators were excluded. The review process has been used as a basis for consolidating and enhancing the City s approach to performance management. CITY APPROACH TO PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT The City s performance management approach is a part of a broader system of strategic management. This strategic management system ensures that the city is directed through the integration of planning, budgeting and performance management processes. The review process has been used as a basis for consolidating and enhancing the City s approach to performance management The figure below shows how the performance management process both mirrors and integrates with the planning process. Figure 10.1 Relationship between performance management and the planning process P R O C E Integrated Development Plan PM Planning Monitor Evaluate Performance planning Monitoring and measurement Evaluation and review R E U L T Integrated Development Plan Quarterly and half-yearly reports Final evaluation and annual report Page 246 Integrated Development Plan 2003/04

4 The performance management process then unfolds at a number of different levels, each aligned to the next. The city-wide level focuses on city-wide performance, the organisational performance management level focuses on performance of the departments, regions and UACs. The individual performance management level focuses on individual staff members. Though aligned, the levels differ in the types of indicators that are used to assess performance. The figure below demonstrates the alignment between the three levels and also indicates the different measurement and the tools used in each level. Figure 10.2 Levels of performance management The City has initiated a project to develop outcome indicators or City indices that will enable it to measure impacts. The indices will enable comparison with outher cities, locally and internationally Multi-level Performance plan KPIs Measurement tools City-wide PM City corecards Outcomes, indices urveys, benchmarking Organisational PM Departmental corecards Input, process, output Impact Audit Reports Individual PM Individual Performance corecards Input, process, output Performance Appraisal This year, the City has placed more emphasis on developing outcome and output indicators. This is part of a broader set of initiatives to strengthen both the planning and performance management systems within the city. CURRENT TATU OF PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT IN THE CITY The City has introduced a range of initiatives to strengthen its performance management capability at all three levels. CITY-WIDE LEVEL The City has initiated a project to develop outcome indicators or City indices that will enable it to measure impacts in line with its strategy. The indices will enable comparison with other cit1nd internationally and has been discussed at the outh African Cities Network, a forum of the nine largest cities. The following indices have been proposed and are in the process of being researched and developed: a human development index (HDI); a city development index (CDI); an economic development index (EDI); a poverty index (PI); a service delivery index (DI); a green index (GI). Integrated Development Plan 2003/04 Page 247

5 CHAPTER 10 PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT YTEM The process of developing the City corecard has focused closely on political priorities and Joburg 2030 projects. There is also a particular emphasis on the prescribed indicators from the regulations. This has resulted in a more specific focus on output and outcome indicators. A city-wide survey focusing on City performance will be conducted in the 2003/04 financial year. This will build on the City s consultative process and give citizens and stakeholder groups a direct opportunity to influence City performance management. Limited benchmarking exercises have been carried out in areas such as emergency management and planning to explore appropriate standards for turnaround times. ORGANIATIONAL LEVEL The development of balanced corecards for the departments, regions and UACs has ensured that the performance indicators cover key strategic areas including political and developmental priorities, legislative compliance and the departments core mandate or business. corecards have been reviewed to assess sources of evidence relating to the indicators and to identify gaps. New mechanisms are being developing to gather evidence that could be used as appropriate indicators. A city-wide survey focusing on City performance will be conducted in the 2003/04 financial year tandardised quarterly and half-yearly reporting frameworks have been developed, together with an automated database that captures corecard information and other related evidence. The system will be utilised to generate quarterly and half-yearly reports. The performance management system at the organisational level has been consolidated by: the centralisation of corporate planning and performance management in the Office of the City Manager; the development and implementation of an executive training programme and strategic management video to help managers produce high-quality balanced corecards which they can manage, monitor, review and report on to improve organisational performance. INDIVIDUAL LEVEL The performance management system at the individual level has been improved by a number of new initiatives: A formal employee performance management policy and system has been completed. Fixed term performance based contracts have been formulated and finalised for senior managers. A clear methodology to ensure the effective development of individual scorecards for senior managers has been developed. The Individual Performance corecards are based on the balanced corecard of the department or region outlined above. Performance agreements with all senior managers up to level four have been signed. tandardised quarterly and half-yearly reporting frameworks have been developed, together with an automated database that captures corecard information and other related evidence Page 248 Integrated Development Plan 2003/04

6 Mid-term and annual performance reviews based on the Individual Performance corecards have been completed. A performance management and remuneration panel to monitor performance and evaluate senior managers has been established. Individual performance management has been cascaded throughout the City through the provision of targeted support to line and regional directors. Managers have been trained in the utilisation of the individual performance management system and the automated system of reporting. CONOLIDATING PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT AND CITY PERFORMANCE A review of current practice in national, provincial and local government structures conducted by the City suggests that the City s performance management meets both legislative and best practice guidelines. The use of the balanced scorecard in an overall strategic management system puts Johannesburg on a par with a number of international cities. The performance management system is expected to significantly contribute to the implementation, monitoring and review of the City s IDP and long-term strategy. A review of current practice in national, provincial and local government structures conducted by the City suggests that the City s performance management meets both legislative and best practice guidelines Integrated Development Plan 2003/04 Page 249