EUGENE TAKES TOP HONORS FOR PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT

The City of Eugene was awarded a Certificate of Distinction by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Center for Performance Measurement. The Certificate of Distinction, the highest honor the ICMA bestows for performance measurement, recognizes Eugene for its exceptional use of performance information in the management of local government.

“Performance management helps us increase our effectiveness and accountability,” said City Manager pro tem Angel Jones, who received the award at the ICMA’s annual conference in Pittsburgh. “I’m proud to see our work recognized.”

The award is the result of a rigorous assessment of jurisdictions’ performance management activities using a set of best-practice-based objective criteria to identify top performers. The City has a well-developed performance measurement system, collecting data across 38 services, and using it to inform management decisions and report on the City’s performance. Eugene benchmarks its performance against 229 communities through the ICMA’s Center for Performance Measurement, using that information to look for top performers and best practices. The City has also been working with the National Center for Civic Innovation to develop ways of making performance information more accessible and useful to the public.

In addition to using performance measurement effectively to manage its own services, Eugene has taken a leadership role in improving the practice of performance measurement in the region. The City co-founded an organization that brings Oregon state and local government staff together to address key performance management issues. Eugene helped launch a performance consortium that gives Oregon communities access to regional comparative data for a broad range of local government services. Additionally, the City is part of an effort that brings together government and non-profit agencies in the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia to look for innovative ways of measuring and reporting on the outcomes the public cares most about. The City’s performance measurement work has been highlighted in national publications and conferences, and other communities frequently seek advice from Eugene on how to improve their own efforts.

Joining Eugene in receiving the Certificate of Distinction, using the ICMA’s most demanding criteria for performance measurement, were:  Bellevue, WA; Coral Springs, FL; Dallas, Texas; Fairfax County, VA; Gainesville, FL; Henderson, NV; Long Beach, CA; Miami-Dade County, FL; Palm Coast, FL; Phoenix, AZ;  Prince William County, VA; Reno, NV; San Jose, CA; Santa Barbara, CA; Sarasota County, FL; Sterling Heights, MI; University Place, WA; Vancouver, WA; Washoe County, NV; Westminster, CO. The jurisdictions receiving the Certificate of Achievement, which uses less exacting selection criteria, were: Des Moines, Iowa; Fishers, IN; Las Cruces, NM; North Las Vegas, NV; Orlando, FL; Peoria, AZ; Sammamish, WA; Tacoma, WA.

For more information, contact Terrie Monroe at terrie.e.monroe@ci.eugene.or.us or 682-5412.