NEW ORLEANS – The City of New Orleans announced that it has received a Certificate of Excellence for superior performance management efforts from the International City/ County Management Association’s (ICMA) Center for Performance Analytics™. The certificate program assesses a local government’s performance management program and encourages analysis of results by comparing to peers and gauging performance over time.
Of the 52 jurisdictions honored overall, New Orleans is among the 34 receiving the Certificate of Excellence – the highest level award. Certificates are awarded at the levels of Achievement, Distinction and Excellence. The City received a Certificate of Distinction from ICMA’s Center for Performance Analytics™ for its work in performance management in 2013, and a Certificate of Excellence from ICMA’s Center for Performance Analytics™ for superior performance management efforts in 2014 and 2015.
“Upon taking office in 2010, we made a commitment to dramatically improve the accountability, transparency and performance of city government by setting goals and tracking our progress so that our residents could hold us accountable like never before,” said Mayor Mitch Landrieu. “I want to thank the International City/County Management Association for this honor and for recognizing the City of New Orleans as a leader in performance management.”
City reps said in January 2011 Mayor Landrieu created the Office of Performance and Accountability (OPA) to implement a performance management system for the City, where the analysis of data is used to promote better results and to demonstrate the public’s return on investment for their tax dollars. OPA coordinates the development of the City’s strategic framework, uses performance measures to track progress towards the goals in the strategic framework, reports the results in ResultsNOLA reports and STAT meetings, and reviews results to understand what’s working, what’s not, and to identify solutions for improvement.
"Our goal is to promote better City services through data-driven management decision-making and accountability to deliver results for our residents,” said Deputy Mayor and Chief Administrative Officer Andy Kopplin. “Once again, our aggressive work is being recognized on a national stage.”
“It is an honor to receive the International City/ County Management Association’s Certificate of Excellence as validation of our hard work,” said Oliver Wise, Director of OPA. “We are working every day to make city government more efficient for the residents of New Orleans.”
Performance management aids in cost reduction, program prioritization, and quality improvement. It also encourages accountability and transparency, City reps said.
“The certificate program recognizes communities that have demonstrated leadership in continuous improvement and community engagement using performance analysis,” said ICMA Executive Director Robert J. O’Neill, Jr. “Performance analysis is an integral component of professional local government management, and jurisdictions meeting the certificate qualifications serve as examples for other governments to follow.”
Criteria for the Certificate of Excellence include:
• Reporting of performance data to the public through budgets, newsletters, and/ or information provided to elected officials
• Data verification efforts to ensure data reliability
• Staff training
Use of performance data in strategic planning and operational decision-making
• Sharing of performance measurement knowledge with other local governments through presentations, site visits, and other networking
• Commitment to tracking and reporting to the public key outcomes
• Surveying of the both residents and local government employees
• Effective and timely reporting.
