New
budgeting method introduces
greater accountability
Each
day I think about how great Anchorage
is as a place for families to raise children and for the opportunities
we each
have to achieve our hopes and dreams. I
also think about the hard work it takes by Municipal employees to make
our
community a place in which this can happen.
But
the fiscal realities in which we developed the Municipality's 2010
budget will
continue into 2011. Tough choices will
continue to be required in order to achieve a stable level of spending
that the
Municipality can annually afford.
Compounding
this challenge will be an expectation that the Municipality will deliver
quality service at the best price. It
will be important that we clearly communicate to citizens the level of
service
they can expect and report the results achieved.
Over
the next few months each city department and division will develop a
strategic
framework that will serve as the tool by which the municipality
communicates to
citizens the purpose and value of the work done on their behalf. Each
strategic framework will include:
Public sector management involves a unique set of
challenges shrinking
resources, and greater expectations for service all combine to form a
dynamic
environment.
The "Anchorage:
Performance. Value. Results." (PVR) initiative is a framework designed
to communicate
to citizens the services currently being delivered and the results being
achieved. The anticipated results from
this process include:
Communicate
"bang for the buck."
The framework will report to taxpayers
on how well services are being delivered-and at what cost.
What
gets managed gets measured.
The framework sets a more disciplined
approach to set priorities and track progress in achieving them.
Resources
will be associated with levels of service.
The framework's results will be
integrated into the budget process and associate allocation of resources
with
expected levels of service.
The
information in the frameworks will provide:
Citizens with
information on how well the Municipality is allocating its resources and
if
promised results are being achieved.
Department managers with
information to evaluate how best to allocate resources in order to
improve program
results; and
The Mayor with improved
information
to make resource allocation decisions based on the effectiveness and
efficiency
of services.
I look forward to the opportunity to
review each city department's frameworks as we work through the 2011
budget
process.
