Posts Tagged ‘Government’

Performance measurement and reporting in Australian public hospitals

Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011

The Report on Government Services (RoGS) 2011 realized by the Steering Committee for the Review of Government Service Provision (SCRGSP) offers a detailed perspective on how the Australian government informs improvements to the effectiveness and efficiency of government services. The report includes a review of the general framework for performance reporting, alignment of RoGS indicators and developing data quality information and case studies.

For the first time since RoGS was established in 1993, this year’s report includes the alignment of reporting in Health and the Public Hospitals. The general framework for the performance indicators in the public hospitals is represented as follows:

Performance indicators for public hospitals Source: SCRGSP (2011)

The main objectives for public hospitals are to provide acute and specialist services that are:

Safe and high quality;
Appropriate and responsive to individual needs;
Affordable timely and accessible;
Equitably and efficiently delivered (SCRGSP, 2011).

The report underlines a clear distinction between outputs – the services delivered, and outcomes – the impact of these services on the status of an individual or a group.

Each objective in the framework is measured through performance indicators, such as:

# Emergency department waiting times
# Emergency department patients seen
# Waiting times for admission following emergency department care
# Waiting times for elective surgery
% Separation rates for selected procedures
% Surgical site infection rates
% Unplanned readmission
% Hospital acquired infection rates
% Pre-anaesthetic consultation rates
% Accredited beds
# Nursing workforce
$ Recurrent cost per casemix-adjusted separation
# Relative stay index
$ Recurrent cost per non-admitted occasion of service
% Patient satisfaction
# Sentinel events

The Report on Government Services (RoGS) aims to include a robust set of performance indicators, being subject to a program of continual improvement in reporting performance. By enhancing performance measurement approaches and techniques, and promoting transparency and informed debate about comparative performance, the data in the 2011 RoGS can provide an incentive to improve the performance of government services (SCRGSP, 2011).

For more insights on Hospitals Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), please visit the smartKPIs.com library of KPI examples.

Reference

Steering Committee for the Review of Government Service Provision (SCRGSP) (2011), Report on Government Services (RoGS) 2011, available at: http://www.pc.gov.au/gsp/reports/rogs/2011 (accessed 14 March 2011)

Tags: Australian Government, Government, Government Services, outcomes, outputs, patient satisfaction, performance, Performance indicators, performance reporting, public hospitals, Report on Government Services, Steering Committee for the Review of Government Service Provision
Posted in Case Study, Government, KPI, KPIs in practice, Library of KPI examples, Performance Measurement | No Comments »

From Performance Measurement to Management in the Local Government – ICMA Case Studies

Saturday, April 10th, 2010

The Center for Performance Measurement from the International City-County Management Association (ICMA) published in 2008 the book intitled „What Works: How Local Governments Have Mad e the Leap from Measurement to Management”.

This resource from ICMA is directed towards helping local public administrations to deal with and improve their performance measurement initiatives, by putting under the reader’s attention no less than 70 case studies featuring successful practices in the field of performance management and measurement, all coming from ICMA members.

Source: Center for Performance Management, ICMA, 2008

The book is divided into 16 individual chapters, presenting case studies in 15 areas of local public administration service, from Code Enforcement, Facilities Management and Purchasing to Human Resources, Information Technology and Youth Services.

One featured example in this book is the City of Albany, Oregon, represented by its Albany Fire Department and Albany Public Library. The Fire Department showcase illustrates that, for the year 2006, 97% of citizens rated the quality of contact with the Department as excellent, whereas the figure was of 96% in respect to the contact with the Department’s emergency medical center, both numbers being above the national average. The results represent an evidence of the Department’s staff efforts and customer-service trainings, as the Albany’s emergency call volume on a per capita basis makes the city one of the busiest in the state of Oregon (City of Albany, Oregon , 2008).

The Albany Library case study reported circulating an average number of 22.1 items per borrower, against a national average of 12.4 items, due to the strong community support and the increase in the Library’s budget for acquisitions.

Note:

The International City-County Management Association (ICMA) was founded in 1914 to provide technical and management assistance, training and information resources to its members and the local government community. Its mission is to create excellence in local governance by developing and fostering professional local government management worldwide (Center for Performance Management, ICMA, 2008)

References:

Center for Performance Management, ICMA (2008), What Works: How Local Governments Have Made the Leap from Measurement to Management, ICMA, Washington, DC.

City of Albany, Oregon (2008), „Albany Featured in Performance Measurement Book” press release, available at: http://www.ci.albany.or.us/services/news_releases/show_item.php?id=819 (accessed 10 April 2010).

The Center for Performance Measurement from the International City-County Management Associations (ICMA) published in 2008 the book intitled „What Works: How Local Governments Have Made the Leap from Measurement to Management”.

The books is divided into 16 individual chapters, presenting case studies in 15 areas of local public administration service, from Code Enforcement, Facilities Management and Purchasing to Human Resources, Information Technology and Youth Services.

One featured example in this book is the City of Albany, Oregon, by its Albany Fire Department and Albany Public Library.

For example, the Fire Department showcase illustrated that, for the year 2006, 97% of citizens rated the quality of contact with the Department as excellent, whereas the figure was of 96% in respect to the contact with the Department’s emergency medical center, both numbers being above the national average. The results represent an evidence of the Department’s staff efforts and customer-service trainings, as the Albany’s emergency call volume on a per capita basis makes the city one of the busiest in the state of Oregon.

Note:

The International City-County Management Associations (ICMA) was founded in 1914 to provide technical and management assistance, training and information resources to its members and the local government community. Its mission is to create excellence in local governance by developing and fostering professional local government management worldwide.

References:

Center for Performance Management (2008), What Works: How Local Governments Have Made the Leap from Measurement to Management, ICMA.

show_item.php?id=819 (accessed 10 April 2010).

Tags: Book, Case Study, Government, ICMA, Performance Management
Posted in Government, Performance Management, Performance Measurement | No Comments »

Consumer price index (CPI) – Focus on Australia

Saturday, November 28th, 2009

The consumer price index (CPI) measures the rate at which the prices of consumer goods and services are changing over time. It is a key statistic for purposes of economic and social policy-making, especially monetary policy and social policy, and has substantial and wide-ranging implications for governments, businesses, and workers as well as households. (Consumer price index manual: Theory and Practice, 2004)

Annual and Quarterly CPI Inflation Rates, Australia

Source: The South Australian Centre for Economic Studies, ABS, Statistics.

The consumer price index indicates a price change for a constant market basket of goods and services from one period to the next within the same area (city, region, or nation). The percent change in the CPI is a measure estimating inflation. The CPI can be used to index (i.e., adjust for the effect of inflation on the real value of money: the medium of exchange) wages, salaries, pensions, and regulated or contracted prices. The CPI is, along with the population census and the National Income and Product Accounts, one of the most closely watched national economic statistics.

It is one of several price indexes calculated by most national and international statistical agencies such as: The International Labour Organization, the International Monetary Fund, the Organisation for Economic and Co-operation and Development, the Statistical Office of the European Communities (Eurostat), the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe and the World Bank.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. department of labor, the CPI for all urban consumers rose 0.2% in September 2009. “The index has decreased 1.3% over the last 12 moths on a not seasonally adjusted basis”.

The latest issue released by Australia regarding CPI, was in June 2009 and the conclusions accordingly to the report were:

The all group CPI:

Rose 0.5% in the June 2009 quarter, compared with a rise of 0.1% in the March 2009 quarter.
Rose 1.5% through the year to June 2009 quarter, compared to an annual rise of 2.5% to the March 2009 quarter.

Overview of CPI movement:

The most significant price rises this quarter were for automotive fuel (3.6%), hospital and medical services (3.6%), rents (1.4%), furniture (3.7%) and house purchases (0.8%).
The most significant offsetting price falls were for deposit and loan facilities (-4.3%), vegetables (-6.9%), fruits (-7.6%) and overseas holiday travel and accommodation (-3.4%).

For the historical perspective on CPI, consult the Historical Consumer Price Index Data.

References:
International Labour Office (2004), Consumer price index manual: Theory and Practice
http://www.bls.gov/CPI/
http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/6401.0Mar%202008?OpenDocument

Tags: CPI, Government, KPI example, Metrics, Performance Measures
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IQPC podcast on Government Performance

Friday, October 9th, 2009

A sneak preview for the upcoming Government Performance Monitoring & Accountability Conference, organised by IPQC in Melbourne, between October 27 – 29, 2009.

Podcast link: http://www.iqpc.com/Event.aspx?id=215484

Guest speaker: Susan Calvert, Director Strategy and Project Delivery Unit, DEPARTMENT OF PREMIER & CABINET, NSW.

Podcast time plot:

00:50 Could you tell us about your background in politics and performance monitoring?
01:12 How do you track the impact of your changes to policy implementation?
02:05 How does the Government measure ’soft’ policies or programs like social and environmental issues?
03:09 The Global Financial Crisis has required a shift in priorities for government with immediate performance, and increased transparency for Government expenditure, how can government respond?
04:18 What new processes are being explored to align measurement of performance across levels of Government?

Tags: Government, Podcast
Posted in Events, Government, Performance Management, Performance Measurement, Podcast | No Comments »

Government Performance Monitoring & Accountability Conference

Friday, October 9th, 2009

There are 19 more days until the start of the Government Performance Monitoring & Accountability Conference, organised by IPQC in Melbourne, Australia.

The conference agenda is structured on two days ( October 27-29, 2009 ) and will focus on:
* How to develop and sustain a flexible and responsive performance framework in order to monitor and evaluate your programs and services.
* How to take a whole-of-government approach to continuously improved services, policy implementation and programs.
* How to strengthen both vertical and horizontal accountability practices with integrated operations to support your strategic planning.

In addressing these issues, the conference will benefit from the insight of an impressive list of speakers, that includes Performance Management Practitioners from various Australian Goverment Departments:

Susan Calvert, Director Strategy and Project Delivery Unit, DEPARTMENT OF PREMIER & CABINET, NSW
Chris Jones, Manager – Strategic Performance and Information Management, CENTRELINK, ACT
Kathy Corbiere, Executive Director, Strategic Projects – Strategic Policy and Evaluation, Disability Services, DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITIES, QLD
Terry Mehan, Deputy Director-General, Performance and Accountability, QUEENSLAND HEALTH
Anna Rados, Manager -Performance Unit, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, VIC
Maria Katsonis, Executive Director – Public Policy and Organisation Reviews, STATE SERVICES AUTHORITY, VIC
David Dobbs, Director Performance Evaluation Taskforce – Local Government Group, DEPARTMENT OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND PLANNING, QLD
Javier Lopez, Senior Program Coordinator, PUBLIC SECTOR PERFORMANCE COMMISSION, SA
David Reid, Director Performance Review, OFFICE OF THE AUDITOR GENERAL, WA
Alex Dolan, First Assistant Secretary, Employment and Compliance portfolio, DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES
Ben Jensen, Analyst, ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT (OECD)
Bella Sutherland, Program Manager, STATE SERIVCES COMMISSION, NEW ZEALAND
Ian Primrose, Managing Director, IAN PRIMROSE & ASSOCIATES.