This document outlines a workshop on goal setting and performance measurement for city departments. It introduces the process which cascades from citywide goals set by elected leaders down to division objectives and performance measures. Citywide goals are strategic priorities that departments must align their goals to. Divisions then set objectives tied to department goals. Performance measures are metrics that quantify progress on objectives. The workshop teaches SMART goal setting techniques and practices setting department goals, division objectives, and performance measures aligned with citywide goals.

1. Goal Setting &
Performance
Measurement
Workshop
Office of Budget
Evaluation &
Development

2. Overview
Introducing the process
Understanding citywide goals
Setting department goals
Establishing division objectives
Measuring performance

3. Why do this?
Communicate alignment of staff
actions & plans with expressed
interests of elected leaders
Provide focus to achieve results

4. Introducing the process
Citywide Goals
(Council & Staff)
Department Goals
Division
Objectives
Performance
Measures

5. Citywide Goals
Set by Mayor & Council
Tracked by City Manager
Reflect strategic priorities of our
elected officials

6. Department Goals
Set by Departments
Tied to Citywide Goals
Provide foundation for Division
Objectives

7. Division Objectives
Set by Divisions
Approved by Department Head
Tied to Department and/or
Citywide Goals
Provide basis for performance
measures

8. Performance Measures
Quantified metric
Emphasis areas
Outcome
Efficiency
Tied to division objective
Reported annually

9. What are the Citywide Goals?
Established by Council in 2011
City Manager reports regularly in
regards to status, ongoing
activities, accomplishments
Reflect expressed strategic
interests of elected officials

10. Preamble
The Rocky Mount Mayor and City Council
are committed to:
•Providing good government
•Improving the quality of life in our
community
•Ensuring a safe community
•Providing opportunities and business
development
•Promoting Social Justice
•Being good stewards of the environment
•Promoting Community Economic
Development

11. Citywide Goals
Continue to expand the use of all
communication outlets including the World
Wide Web and social media:
•To improve the frequency, and accuracy of
City communications with the Rocky Mount
community and the Twin County Region.
•By launching and maintaining a positive
image campaign.

12. Citywide Goals
Update the City’s Personnel Policy to:
•Ensure fairness and to value diversity in
hiring and promotion.
•Encourage succession planning.
•Promote human capital development.
•Provide for career ladders in every
department; and
•Promote employee understanding of
expectations and appropriate grievance
and appeal channels.

13. Citywide Goals
Reinvent and transform the city
government’s organizational culture:
•To encourage and reward creative
problem-solving, innovation, and risktaking; and
•To improve the economy, efficiency,
effectiveness and the equity of city
services. This includes customer service
policies, employee training, and evaluating
impact on citizen satisfaction with city
services.

14. Citywide Goals
Build relationships between the City
Council and faith-based organizations,
churches, and clergy to address human
development.
Develop strategies to engage and recruit
young adults.
Build stakeholder support for regional
collaboration and launch a strategic
planning process for Rocky Mount and the
Twin County region.

15. Citywide Goals
Create greater internet access
opportunities, particularly in key areas
such as downtown.
Create a greater critical mass in the
Central City by:
•Creating more housing opportunities in the
downtown area; and
•Creating housing opportunities that appeal
to young adults.

16. City Staff Values
(Goals)
Excellent public service
Excellent customer service
Innovation

17. Citywide Goals & Values

18. Goal Setting
What is your purpose?
What do you expect to achieve?
What motivates improvement?
What are you trying to accomplish?
How can you advance Citywide goals?
How do you meet/exceed
expectations and standards?

19. SMART Goal Setting
Specific
Measurable
Relevant
Attainable
Time-Specific

20. Department Goals
Project significant accomplishments
Include some degree of difficulty
Reflect internal mission/vision
Incorporate, align with Citywide goals
(Council & Staff)
Provide foundation for division-level
objectives

21. Division Objectives
Statements of expectations, desired
achievement
Align with department goals
Specific, enable effective, quantitative
measurement
Agree with overall, Citywide
philosophy (goals & values)

22. Let’s Practice!

23. Performance Measures
Enable tracking of goal/objective
achievement (alignment)
Facilitate accountability
Communicate operations to elected
officials
Set stage for enabling ongoing
evaluation & improvement

24. Performance Measures
Developed & tracked at delegated
level (supervisory, operations)
Potential to positively-influence
decision-making from the “bottomup”

25. PM Components
Identify the measure
• Quantifiable
• Describes specific service dimension
• Staff able to acquire, review and
analyze data (metric) on a regular
(annual, quarterly, monthly) basis

26. PM Components
Categories of measures (preferred)
• Efficiencies: relationship between
inputs & outputs
–Cost ($) per preventative maintenance
–# days to process building plans
–Weekly meters read per reader

27. PM Components
Categories of measures (preferred)
• Outcomes: provide feedback on
service quality
–% of inspections completed within 3
business days of request
–% of Fire Department calls responded
to within 3 minutes

28. PM Components
Categories of measures (less
preferable)
• Inputs: amount of resources used
• Outputs: workload, amount of
service provided

29. PM Resources
Other jurisdictions
Professional standards
UNC Benchmarking Project
ICMA Performance Measurement
Municipal Benchmarks (Ammons)
Budget Office Library (soon online)

30. Let’s Practice!

31. Remember Citywide Goals!

32. Practice
1. Identify Citywide goal
Excellent customer service
2. Draft Department goal (Planning)
Establish and maintain a culture of
service that exceeds citizen
expectations

33. Practice
3. Draft Division objective
(Inspections)
Staff will complete inspections within
3 days of customer request
4. Assign Performance measure
% inspections completed within 3
days of customer request

34. Next Steps
Look at prior budget goals, objectives
& measures
Review Citywide Goals
Discuss department & division
strategy
Discover performance measures

35. Questions?
kenneth.hunter@
rockymountnc.gov
Extension 1335