Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 09-05-1995 - X-A 1 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Action Agenda [� ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Item No � Meeting Date: September 5, 1995 SUBJECT: Customer Service, Innovation, and Efficiency Study ------------------------------------------------------------------------ DEPARTMENT County Manager PUBLIC HEARING YES NO X ---------•----------------------- ------------------------------- ATTACHMENT(S) INFORMATION CONTACT None County Manager, ext 2300 TELEPHONE NUMBER Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Mebane 227-2031 Durham 688-7331 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ PURPOSE: To receive a report on a proposed course of action for pursuing a study of customer service, innovation, and/or efficiency in Orange County government services. BACKGROUND: During the 1995-96 budget worksessions in June, the Board indicated its desire to pursue a study of innovation and efficiency in County government that would lead to improved service quality and employee productivity. During a discussion of this topic during the Board' s August 10 worksession, the Commissioners agreed that a helpful step in pursuing such a study would be to gauge the current perspectives of Orange County citizens on county government service quality. The Manager and staff have since met with Institute of Government staff to explore the possibilities for a cooperative effort between the IOG and County to survey the degree of citizen satisfaction with Orange County customer service and service quality. IOG staff conducted a study of service quality in Lincoln County during the past two years, and could replicate that study, with appropriate modifications, in Orange County. IOG staff identified several points which the Board should consider in determining if and how to conduct a survey of some type. First, the Board would need to decide whether to focus on service quality, efficiency, innovation, or some combination, since each of these concepts is different and may require a different assessment approach. The IOG staff approach, used in Lincoln County, focused on service quality. If the decision is to focus on service quality, the Board would have to decide whether to pursue the IOG' s Lincoln County approach, or some alternative. That approach measures dimensions of service quality (for example, reliability, access, convenience, problem solving approach) which are part of any service, whether provided by social services, health department, or library. For each dimension of service quality, the IOG approach measures what citizens say they receive as well as z what they say they expect. This enables an assessment of any gap there is between what citizens expect and what they receive. An additional step that can be included, as in Lincoln County, is an employee survey designed to determine the extent to which various organizational conditions may facilitate or hinder delivery of quality service. That information can provide levers for improving service quality. The IOG approach relies on perceptual rather than objective measures of quality ( such as error rates) . This approach enables comparisons across departments and over time, even if the nature of the service changes . The approach does not by itself , however, tell exactly what to change: the organization would have to devote additional thought to that. Finally, how the process is managed would be important. IOG staff believe the process is most effective when there is organizational ownership of the process, since the organization will have to change to improve service quality. One way of pursuing this kind of ownership would be to appoint a committee which includes a cross-section of County employees as well as citizen representatives to work with the IOG staff to pursue the survey. IOG staff indicate that their experience has been that a process that relies exclusively on outside experts or committees to tell the organization what to do produces resistance to change rather than organizational ownership of any problems identified. The IOG staff can work with Orange County on a service quality study within the constraints of fulfilling obligations to other local government clients and refining their current service quality survey methodology. They estimate that a survey process could take nine to twelve months, depending on the level of IOG staff involvement. If the Board is interested in pursuing the service quality approach, it could consider making appointments of perhaps 8-10 citizens at the next Commissioners' meeting to a committee involving a similar number of County employees designated by the Manager, to work with the IOG staff in developing and administering a survey similar to the one outlined above. RECOMMENDATION: The Manager recommends that the Board discuss the proposed course of action for a service quality study; confirm or amend it as proposed, or identify an alternative approach; and establish a • realistic desired timetable for undertaking and completing the approach selected.