Cook County Board President Preckwinkle Unveils STAR Performance Management Report
Chicago, IL, July 15, 2011 --(PR.com)-- In an unprecedented effort to implement long-term financial planning and instill a new culture of accountability in Cook County government, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle unveiled the first Set Targets, Achieve Results (STAR) performance management report today, joined by elected officials from across the county.
This is the first time performance management is being instituted in Cook County government, and it fulfills the promises President Preckwinkle made in her Transition Report as well as the ordinance her administration championed.
STAR is aimed at lowering the cost of government, creating efficiencies, improving services, and ultimately allowing the public to judge government’s effectiveness. It will set clear, tangible goals for county agencies and departments, use data to drive the budget process, structure interdepartmental collaboration, and create a mechanism for public feedback on how well each office is performing its duties.
Preckwinkle thanked the county’s separately elected officials for taking part in the first unified attempt to examine government operations. “It is through cooperation and collaboration that we will see our best results. I applaud the other County elected officials who have put in the time and effort to help us realize our shared commitments to increased operation efficiency and financial responsibility,” said Preckwinkle.
She also credited the business firms that provided pro bono support to help organize the process and develop metrics: The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and the Civic Consulting Alliance (CCA).
“This is the nuts and bolts of defining, demanding, and instilling good government,” President Preckwinkle said. “Make no mistake; the findings in the STAR program will have consequences in the budget process and in the final fiscal-year budget. It sets up a process where improved services will be recognized and rewarded. Yet, like all county government, it is ultimately not a competitive, but a collaborative process.”
“In my 30 years of working with Fortune 500 companies, I’ve seen how the best companies use performance management to make their businesses better – running operations more efficiently, making tough decisions on where to invest,” said Hal Sirkin, senior partner at The Boston Consulting Group, a pro bono partner in the County’s efforts. “There’s a lot more work ahead, but Cook County is now positioned to provide better services more efficiently.”
The first STAR report — divided in two to examine government county-wide and by individual office — makes good on promises made in President Preckwinkle’s Transition Report, and fulfills the ordinance passed unanimously by the County Board in February. The first quarterly report sets the stage for quarterly reviews required by ordinance, and will also have a direct impact on the 2012 fiscal budget going forward, in tandem with the President’s executive order last week streamlining the budget process.
The STAR program established an unprecedented formal accountability process for County operations in order to both cut waste and improve services. The performance management initiative began in February, when the Cook County Board of Commissioners unanimously passed requiring performance management metrics be instilled within the County budget process of all County elected officials, agencies, bureaus and departments.
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This is the first time performance management is being instituted in Cook County government, and it fulfills the promises President Preckwinkle made in her Transition Report as well as the ordinance her administration championed.
STAR is aimed at lowering the cost of government, creating efficiencies, improving services, and ultimately allowing the public to judge government’s effectiveness. It will set clear, tangible goals for county agencies and departments, use data to drive the budget process, structure interdepartmental collaboration, and create a mechanism for public feedback on how well each office is performing its duties.
Preckwinkle thanked the county’s separately elected officials for taking part in the first unified attempt to examine government operations. “It is through cooperation and collaboration that we will see our best results. I applaud the other County elected officials who have put in the time and effort to help us realize our shared commitments to increased operation efficiency and financial responsibility,” said Preckwinkle.
She also credited the business firms that provided pro bono support to help organize the process and develop metrics: The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and the Civic Consulting Alliance (CCA).
“This is the nuts and bolts of defining, demanding, and instilling good government,” President Preckwinkle said. “Make no mistake; the findings in the STAR program will have consequences in the budget process and in the final fiscal-year budget. It sets up a process where improved services will be recognized and rewarded. Yet, like all county government, it is ultimately not a competitive, but a collaborative process.”
“In my 30 years of working with Fortune 500 companies, I’ve seen how the best companies use performance management to make their businesses better – running operations more efficiently, making tough decisions on where to invest,” said Hal Sirkin, senior partner at The Boston Consulting Group, a pro bono partner in the County’s efforts. “There’s a lot more work ahead, but Cook County is now positioned to provide better services more efficiently.”
The first STAR report — divided in two to examine government county-wide and by individual office — makes good on promises made in President Preckwinkle’s Transition Report, and fulfills the ordinance passed unanimously by the County Board in February. The first quarterly report sets the stage for quarterly reviews required by ordinance, and will also have a direct impact on the 2012 fiscal budget going forward, in tandem with the President’s executive order last week streamlining the budget process.
The STAR program established an unprecedented formal accountability process for County operations in order to both cut waste and improve services. The performance management initiative began in February, when the Cook County Board of Commissioners unanimously passed requiring performance management metrics be instilled within the County budget process of all County elected officials, agencies, bureaus and departments.
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Cook County Government
Sebastian James
312.603.1407
cookcountyil.gov
Sebastian James
312.603.1407
cookcountyil.gov
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