Performance Improvement
Adding Value to Everything You Do
Wendorf Beward & Partners has developed a reputation for producing creative, implementable solutions to difficult problems. Setting up systems, getting things done on time and on budget, providing professional training and measuring improvement requires real life experience in a public agency, as well as academic and analytical skills. At Wendorf Beward & Partners, we have the skills and knowledge to transform and add value to critical systems.
Setting the Standards and Measuring Results
Wendorf Beward & Partners has provided performance improvement development and rollout for various public service activities. A key component of the development is to set goals, efficiencies, effectiveness and productivity standards. Data sets, transaction analysis, cost allocations and other details are all part of the standards. Management must review and observe these standards to understand if the standard has been met and if there is a positive or negative deviation, understand the “why” to make significant positive change better or to change the negative progress to a positive impact.
Getting More from What’s There
In addition to developing performance improvements for clients, Wendorf Beward & Partners has also provided the back check on programs not initiated by Wendorf Beward & Partners to note standards and deviations along with recommendations for positive improvement to those programs.
How A Major City Made Major Improvements
Wendorf Beward & Partners implemented Service Level Agreements (SLA) at the departmental level in the 7th largest city in the United States, the City of San Antonio. External SLAs were published in the annual budget and Internal SLAs were used as leading indicators for daily, weekly and monthly management review and action. Performance measures for program management in the consulting role were developed and utilized for continuous review and formal monthly project reviews. Standards of performance were established and reported in a formal manner for budget, scope and schedule control. Accountability ran as a “thread” throughout the high performance organization.
Operational improvements in public service delivery occurred including:
- Reorganization of service delivery and customer service processes to better serve the public.
- Policy and ordinance review, development and execution in the areas of utility coordination, right of way management and capital improvements.
- Training of construction inspection personnel in all aspects of plan review, safety, construction inspection and documentation of projects.
- Developed and implemented the City of San Antonio’s Public Works Department adopted 5 Year Rolling Infrastructure Management Program as it related to street maintenance, drainage maintenance and sidewalk installation for the City.
- Improvements in the areas of street maintenance and operations, stormwater utility operations, traffic operations, right of way management and parking operations.
Business Tools Customized to Boost Public Agency Performance
Process improvement activities related to business process analysis and redesign including risk and issue mitigation for contracted functions and operations have been developed and implemented with success in the State of Texas agencies, Special Districts (Port Authority of Houston and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey) and local public agencies such as the City of San Antonio using Total Quality Management approaches, Service Level Agreement development and Management by Objective approaches.
Evaluation metrics to determine if programs are achieving results on an ongoing basis are a critical service Wendorf Beward & Partners has performed. Most recently Wendorf Beward & Partners has assisted the Port Authority of Houston in the development of Service Level Agreements and other performance measurement tools in regards to a Strategic Asset Management Program.
Translating Sophisticated Processes into Simple, Solid Results
Wendorf Beward & Partners through its public service and consulting experiences has performed rigorous studies that are statistically detailed with regression analysis along with simplified, practical methods such as “check sheets” and “fishbone diagrams”. Projects have consisted of providing analysis and productivity reviews (to include analysis of program data sets, transactions and overhead cost allocation across corporate entities, including parent and affiliates) and impact and outcome studies, time studies, and in-house studies.