The training changes instituted by Vermont Secretary of State Deborah Markowitz exemplify the transforming potential of quality training for government workers. When she took office in 1999, Vermont's office of Business Registry was deplored by its workers and business-owner "customers" alike. A large part of the problem turned out to be that the staff was not aware of the role their services provided for business owners and how it facilitated Vermont's business economy. For example, staff members felt mistakenly disrespected by the bankers and lawyers who frequently asked for rushed services with little time flexibility, not understanding that the timing was dictated by business protocol.
By simply convening a training session that included meeting with the businesspeople who used their services -- much as a private-sector organization does customer-service training -- the Vermont workers gained a better understanding of what the business people did and a new appreciation for the importance of their own jobs. Before the training, workers had reported that they believed their main job was to file paperwork. Once they understood their role in providing a valued service, the workers appreciated the importance of being professional, and staff morale and service improved dramatically.
Another way to improve worker effectiveness and retain highly skilled government employees is to improve their incentives, starting with their compensation package. While there is often little budget room to negotiate pay raises for government workers, there are innovative ways to improve compensation -- for example, the programs in Stamford, Conn., and San Jose, Calif., help employees afford homes. Struggling to compete for skilled employers in an area with an extremely high cost of living, Stamford is offering affordable units for city employees under the city's "inclusionary zoning" regulations. Extended to teachers in San Jose and to all government employees in Stamford, these programs have the added benefit of potentially bringing more financially secure, middle-class families into urban areas.
In Delaware, State Treasurer Jack Markell has crafted an approach to attract and keep highly sought after information technology (IT) workers. Recognizing that IT workers are the most "New Economy" of New Economy workers, Markell and his IT Task Force developed a compensation plan to allow IT employees to be promoted and paid more as their relevant skill level, responsibility, and productivity increase. While IT workers may have a particularly unique New Economy outlook on work, all hard-working employees have good reason to prefer a job that rewards performance with greater benefits, whether it is better pay, more flexibility, or some other performance incentive.
To reward performance, government managers need to first be able to gauge and facilitate performance. Providing this quality management means defining clear job expectations and offering quantifiable indicators of progress toward defined program goals. There are a number of "data-driven performance results" models that use information technology to assemble data on how well employees provide government services (see "Data-Driven Play"). By providing information about what is and is not working, these models allow managers to see clearly where workers are falling short and take steps to help workers improve their performance. In cases where additional training and other supports do not improve employee performance, the well-defined definition, quantified performance shortcomings, and documented provisions of employee supports make it easier for managers to remove failing employees.
Under the leadership of former Mayor Larry Stone (now Assessor of Santa Clara County, Calif.), the city of Sunnyvale pioneered public sector performance management. In building clear expectations about service levels into the budget, the city clarified and strengthened the roles and expectations of officials, and ultimately made Sunnyvale "the best managed city in the country," according to President Clinton in 1999.
Ironically, another way to help government workers more effectively serve residents is to teach residents more about how government works. Ordinary residents rarely know and understand the full extent of government responsibilities and challenges. To address this problem and get residents more involved in shaping and holding government officials accountable, former Mayor John Fernandez established the Citizens' Academy, offering Bloomington residents a free nine week interactive learning experience about city services, programs, and responsibilities.
Founded in 1999, the academy provides tours of city departments, in-depth discussions with city officials, roundtable brainstorming about how programs can be improved, as well as presentations at various locations on departmental services and responsibilities. By seeing firsthand some of the challenges facing city government, budget limitations and day-to-day operations, Citizens' Academy participants graduate with new knowledge of government operations, understanding of the vital role of citizen participation, and appreciation of the challenges government workers face. One graduate concluded, "The experience convinced me that our city government is doing a lot of good work. It also reminded me that communities are built and maintained by people."
In addition to at least temporarily fostering greater trust in government, the attacks of September 11 also showed that improving government effectiveness is a matter of life and death. To meet and exceed citizen expectations in all government responsibilities, policymakers must couple activist government with aggressive reform. Helping government workers more effectively provide government services is fundamental to that endeavor.
Innovation Journal: A nonpartisan, internet-based journal devoted to sharing idea and information about public sector innovation
www.innovation.cc
Government Innovators Network
www.innovations.harvard.edu
American Productivity and Quality Center
www.apqc.org/portal/apqc/site
The National Center for Public Productivity
www.ncpp.us
Citizens' Academy, Bloomington, Ind.
http://www.bloomington.in.gov/hand
"Idea of the Week: Citizens' Academies," Democratic Leadership Council, December 21, 2001
www.dlc.org/ndol_ci.cfm?
contentid=250058&kaid=131&subid=207
"New Dem of the Week: John Fernandez," Democratic Leadership Council, November 19, 2001
www.dlc.org/ndol_ci.cfm?
contentid=3950&kaid=104&subid=117
"Budget Solutions," The Public Strategies Group, Inc.
http://www.psgrp.com/resources/budgetsolutions.html
Vermont Secretary of State Deborah Markowitz press releases
www.sec.state.vt.us/
secdesk/pressreleases/2001/feb01.htm#egov
Larry Stone
Assessor, Santa Clara County
County Government Center, East Wing
70 West Hedding Street
San Jose, CA 95110-1770
(408) 299-5500
Vickie Provine
Citizens' Academy
401 North Morton Street
Bloomington, Indiana 47404
(812) 349-3420
provinev@bloomington.in.gov
Betty Poulin
Director
Vermont Corporations
(802) 828-2386
bpoulin@sec.state.vt.us
Deborah Markowitz
Secretary of State
Redstone Building
26 Terrace Street
Drawer 09
Montpelier, VT 05609-1101
(802) 828-2363
dmarko@sec.state.vt.us
Bill Dalton
Vermont Deputy Secretary of State
bdalton@sec.state.vt.us
Mayor Dannel P. Malloy
Stamford Government Center
888 Washington Boulevard
Stamford, CT 06904
(203) 977-4150
dmalloy@ci.stamford.ct.us
William Callion
Director
Stamford Public Safety, Health, and Welfare
(203) 977-4153
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