Twenty CPM Projects Earn Askew Recognition

The Management Practices Committee, Co-Chaired by Charlene Cutting for the Academy and Jack Lemons for the National Certified Public Managers® Consortium, singled out twenty exemplary CPM program projects as the best of the best. To be chosen, a project had to be innovative in its approach, demonstrate an improvement in quality within the work unit as a result of the project, show cost savings as a result of implementation, and stand out as an outstanding demonstration of CPM principles. On May 18, 1996, members of the House of Delegates voted to name the awards of the Management Practices Committee for George Askew of Georgia who was the first graduate awarded the CPM designation. George was a state and national CPM program leader, serving as President-Elect of the Academy in 1991-1992, and President in 1992-1993. Askew medals were presented for the following projects:

Arkansas:  Gary C. Isom, “Arkansas Real Estate Broker Licensing Requirements” – a project addressing weaknesses in knowledge and abilities of supervising real estate brokers. Accomplished by assessing and improving mandatory education requirements and related educational offerings, and by addressing other structural components for acquiring a broker license that can lead to a lack of well-prepared and skilled brokers. A task force of real estate brokers and instructors along with other critical stakeholders formed to identify and address the underlying problems that allow real estate salespersons to ascend to broker status without possessing the necessary skill sets to adequately teach and train those licensed under them. After problems identified, corrective measures will be developed and implemented to address weaknesses cited. Follow-up studies with measurable parameters will be used to evaluate effectiveness of actions taken to improve quality of broker education and knowledge of licensees who work under those brokers.

California:  Steve Didier, “Development and Implementation of a Voluntary Participation Green Building Program for the City of Solana Beach“ – The City of Solana Beach has become fast involved with environmental sustainability issues, signing onto the U.S. Mayor’s Agreement for climate protection and taking on main initiatives to address global warming and environmental concerns. Despite economic slowdown, the City’s building permit activity remains robust, with many residential remodeling and rebuilding projects. The City expects this trend to continue and sees development of a Green Building Program as a major initiative toward meeting its environmental goals. The Green Building Program is structured to provide financial and time incentives for project applicants to meet Green Point and LEED Program building standards. The ultimate outcome is to reduce the city’s and community’s overall carbon footprint. The capstone project included a Green Building Launch Week February 23-27 to kick off the new program and Green Building Fair to cap the event. Activities included mid-week presentations from green building professionals with 25 green building vendors and public agencies participating. Events were heavily marketed through the city’s newsletter, website, eBlast service and local media outlets and received a tremendous amount of community buzz, with a waiting list of vendors who wanted to participate. Project follow up will include an evaluation of voluntary participation in the program and periodic reports to the City Council on successes and areas for improvement, with the goal of a mandatory program in the future. The current voluntary program sets the framework for educating the community and preparing residents, builders, and staff for taking the program to the next level.

District of Columbia:  Ilona Blanchard, Becky Griesse, Rebecca L. Makely, Archie O’Neil, Courtney S. Tierney, “Youth Violence Policy ”– Youth violence is a problem throughout the Metropolitan Washington region. Jurisdictions should preserve limited resources by implementing evidence-based programs proven to prevent youth violence, shifting resources from programs that are not proven to prevent youth violence. The Social-Ecological Public Health Model, focused on the individual, adult relationship, community and social levels, is a proven model for preventions. The Youth Violence Policy Project Team recommends local jurisdictions shift funds from programs that have not proven to prevent youth violence to programs that address youth violence using the Public Health Socio-Ecological Model for Prevention; and, be the table around which stakeholders can engage in open dialogue and work together to implement evidence-based youth violence prevention programs.

District of Columbia, COHORT 21:  Detria Liles-Hutchinson, Lawrence Perry, Bernadette Todd-Atwater, Paul Melbranche, ReaShawn Crosson, “Special Education Transportation” – The project goal was to identify best opportunity areas for cost savings within current special education funding and transportation system, and to capitalize on the opportunity presented by transfer of transportation responsibilities to the OSSE from the current court ordered Transportation Administrator. Recommendations made by the team, if implemented efficiently, could also result in a cost savings of approximately $7.9 million or 10% of the projected FY 2010 budget.

Florida:  Donna Coley, Paul Coley, Annie Jackson, Marguerite Morgan, Sue Ross, Adam L. Wasserman, “Referral Process Rehabilitators” – The major project benefit was improved service delivery to Florida State Hospital residents. By reducing the number of days to process a referral and virtually eliminating referral process errors, resident access to services improved. Additionally, the number of referrals rejected because of incomplete or poorly completed paper work dropped from 14% pre-improvement to 8% post-improvement (43% reduction). Although the reduction in rejected referrals improved, the group sought to eliminate all rejections. The primary reason for rejections was incomplete documentation precisely describing the treatment or rehabilitation goal to be addressed by the referred service. Changes were made to the electronic referral system to pre-populate fields to help describe the goals. The rejection rate dropped to less than 2% after software program changes.

Idaho:  Chuck Kinkead, “Computerized Maintenance Management System” – Provided an on-line, cost-effective means to accurately track and report historical costs and performance characteristics associated with maintaining Idaho correctional facilities in eight locations throughout Idaho. Results: Ability to identify costs to operate physical plants; means to forecast replacement needs and costs; standardized statistical reports; prescribed and balanced scheduling of maintenance and on-demand requests; paperless work requests; itemized costs in maintaining equipment, specific buildings, and complete facilities. Cost Savings:  $160,000 per year by avoiding continued outside assessments of maintenance operations. Reduction of approximately $60,000 per year in compensatory time required to meet on-demand requests for maintenance  (12-14 hours saved per month x 22 people x $17.54 per hour x 12 months). Reduced legal costs–agency has avoided court by having reliable and accessible documentation to prove rationale for decisions. Without documentation, a previous court ruling favored offenders, resulting in vacating additional beds, sending 159 offenders to contract out of state at a cost of $52 per day per offender, resulting in an annual outlay exceeding $3 million. Documentation has kept the agency clear of this kind of ruling. Increased response time of 22 hours per work order (30 per month), resulting in less down time (1-2 days) for staff while equipment was repaired.

Iowa:  Cynthia Brantley, Daniela Fassbender, Teresa Griffith, Sara McMillan, Joan Oyibo, “Sustainable Workplace Design: Creating a Holistic Work Environment with Economic, Social and Environmental Benefits” – Completed the research for adaptability and implementation of the sustainable workplace. Though very complex in nature, we sought to provide a workable plan with a  simple means of immediately reducing costs and saving money. The sustainable office environment will enhance the overall work day for the employee while retaining a solid workforce with low turnover rates. It will not only increase productivity, but also contribute to the health and well-being of the individual and ultimately, the families of government employees. Multiple benefits derived from the creation of a holistic work environment encompass economic, social, and environmental concerns. As workforce demographics change, it becomes necessary for the State of Iowa to reprioritize its workplace culture and work environment so as to attract and retain the next generation of workers.

Kansas:  Conrad Kent Seyfried, Jr., “Increasing Recycling Participation & Diversion of Solid Waste” – The City of Olathe was one of the first municipalities in Kansas to own and operate its own curbside recycling program. This program was designed and implemented as a voluntary subscription/participation program. The current curbside recycling program has approximately 33% participation by residential households. Waste reduction through recycling (curbside and drop-off) and yard waste composting is less than 25% percent of residential waste generated by all Olathe households. The revised 2007 Johnson County Solid Waste Management Plan has set a diversion goal for the County to more than the national recycling average estimated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to be at 32%. This project identified best practice methods to increase participation in recycling programs offered by the City of Olathe. The project included revisions to curbside recycling program philosophy/policy and design, how curbside program is funded, incentives in rate structures to recycle (pay-as-you-throw or volume based fees), and increased public awareness/education. Project's success depends on the City Council's acceptance of changes in residential solid waste policies that have historically resulted in high customer satisfaction ratings from Direction Finder surveys for many years. In 2009, we have implemented a change from curb-sorting recyclable materials to a single stream method of collections. At this time, citywide curbside recycling is being proposed in the 2010 budget along with a plan to solicit Requests for Proposal to bring a recycling Materials Recovery to Olathe. The desired outcome would be increased participation in recycling programs, resulting in increased percentage of residential waste diversion from disposal. Cost savings are expected to be $29.77 per ton in avoided disposal fees. If recycling and waste diversion rate reaches 32%, this could relate to approximately $476,320 in annual savings.

Kentucky:  DeAnna Boling, Matt Frohlich, Scott McKenzie, Bill Overman, Laura Patton, “Recommendations for Back File Conversion of Archived Records” – State agencies are required by records retention laws to keep public records permanently or for a specified number of years. The ABC has been accumulating paper documents related to alcoholic beverage licenses since 1940s. This is applications, renewal forms, inspection reports, legal documents, correspondence, leases, and other records. Long-standing businesses have large files and management of paper files had become impossible. Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives has run out of space in their current storage and wants agencies to become paperless. Project group researched processes and technologies available for back file conversion and electronic data management. The group also made recommendations based on security, safety of records, scanning, and retrievability. The group met with ABC about the current situation, researched available technology, and met with representatives of each supplier for demonstrations and information. This information was presented to ABC in paper and electronic format. Based on the recommendations of the group, the ABC has implemented a record retention system that meets their needs. A project team member’s agency is also using the information.

Mississippi:  Jeff Wheeler, “Electronic Invoices for Payment” – One measurement of quality in the Financial Management Division (FDM) of Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) is payment timelines. MDOT processes an average of 65,000 invoices a year. These invoices must be sent to the appropriated district/division  responsible for the purchase or service being invoiced. These invoices are sent via USPS to the payment initiator, and once there, must be entered into our accounting system. After it is entered, the invoice must be mailed to the FMD office in Jackson. Depending on the distance from Jackson, this process can take two weeks and the agency can miss the payment due date, resulting in a late fee. This project will allow the district/division office to scan their invoices, enter the document for payment into our electronic accounting system, and electronically send both to FMD instantly for processing. This will eliminate the need to mail invoices to FMD and eliminate postage costs and postal time delay.

Nebraska:  Evelyn D. Bullock, “Corrections Alternative Placement Program” – Purpose  was to recommend an alternative to incarceration for low-risk offenders committed to the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services (NDCS) that would also provide a seamless transition from admission at the Diagnostic and Evaluation Center (DEC) to discharge and beyond. In the past NCDS has shown innovation in the quest to fulfill its mission “to serve and protect the public by providing control, humane care and program opportunities for those individuals placed in its custody and supervision, thereby facilitating their return to society as responsible persons.”  The creation of the Work Ethic Camp for substance abuse treatment in McCook is a good example of this innovation. Other good examples are: hiring certified teachers for its education department; increasing capacity to address substance abuse, mental health and treatment for sex offenders; developing a Re-entry Department; incorporating a classification instrument and taking this another step further by utilizing the Level of Service-Case Management Inventory (LS-CMI). Various research methods were incorporated to seek information regarding best practices for low-risk offenders utilizing the internet, NDCS library, interviewing and consulting department heads, Day Reporting Centers, community resources and analyzing data. Evidence-based practices that support alternatives to incarceration programs for low-risk offenders were discovered. Programs and treatment designed for high-risk offenders actually harm low-risk offenders and result in higher rates of recidivism for low-risk offenders. Based on the results of this project recommendations were made to the Director of NCDS: utilize the LS-CMI in conjunction with the classification tool at admission to determine which offenders could be better serviced in the community with structured supervised services; based on the Risk/Needs/Responsivity results of the LS-CMI assessment, develop the personalized plan at DEC; expand use of the Parole Violator Stabilization program; pursue community resources such as those offered at the Eastern Nebraska Community Action Program (ENCAP) and the Charles Drew Health Center; continue efforts to collaborate with law enforcement, faith-based programs, education and employment services that support a seamless transition for offenders returning to society.

North Carolina:  Dennis Igboko, “Improvement on the Timeliness of Continuous Emissions Monitoring System (CEMS) Report Reviews” – Goal: The Technical Services Section of the Division of Air Quality (DAQ) within the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is charged with provision of services including evaluation of the compliance status of Continuous Emission Monitoring System (CEMS) equipment and programs. Project purpose was to reduce DAQ Technical Services Section time to review and respond to a CEMS report and to improve cost effectiveness by increasing cost savings. A 25% review time reduction within 12 calendar months was sought for two components CEMS reports:  excess emissions reports (EER) and quality assurance reports (QA). Results: By enhancing current EER/QA review processes through implementation of short- and long-term recommendations, the team believes they can successfully improve the average reporting response time by 25%, equating to $65,000 saved over a two-year projection.

New Jersey:  Susan Mikorski, “Development of a Performance Measurement System for a Public Health Laboratory Outreach Program” – Changing focus from performance to performance management in the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, Laboratory Outreach Program, required design of a performance management system. Factors contributing to performance management success, such as client support, clarity of mission and goals, decentralized organizational management and type of organizational culture along with existing measures, were taken into consideration during the development process. Measures and standards of performance were identified, and a system to collect data for performance measurement analysis was developed. Use of the Laboratory Outreach Performance Management System as a model for development of a division-wide system is planned, following a pilot test in 2010.

Ohio:  Jill Stevenson, “Medical Repository Redesign” – Project goal was to compile and analyze a substantial amount of data  to make recommendations to assist decision makers in streamlining this data collection function within BWC.

Oklahoma:  Phil Sanger, “Overcoming Challenges” – Mr. Sanger was in charge of maintenance for the downtown DEQ building. The challenge identified was that getting a plumber or an electrician to repair a problem could take up to six weeks. Project developed a way for DEQ to obtain services immediately without violating state contracting laws.

South Carolina:  Todd Blake, “Appropriateness of Providing Transportation to Job Readiness Training” – Project focused on an evaluation of the appropriateness of the agency providing transportation to Job Readiness Training (JRT) clients. The mission of SCVRD is to enable eligible South Carolinians with disabilities to prepare for, achieve and maintain competitive employment. JRT clients observe daily work schedules and typically spend approximately 90 days in centers developing positive worker traits and stamina that will enable them to acquire and maintain a job. SCVRD operated 74 daily JRT transportation routes statewide using 15-passenger vans to pick up clients at pick-up points and bring them back after work. An analysis of the total cost of providing the transportation to clients was conducted. The analysis included evaluating driver costs, gasoline costs, insurance costs, fleet maintenance and repair, vehicle depreciation, and leased vehicle costs. He also reviewed data on ridership and routing. In addition, data related to specific impact on each of the 24 JRT training centers was calculated. An average daily cost per rider of $14.10 was determined. The total annual cost to the agency was over $2.2 million. Interview data of agency management revealed some concern that by providing the transportation to the training centers, the agency was actually impeding clients in finding employment. Since one of the major impediments to clients actually finding employment is the lack of dependable transportation, the service was delaying the need for clients to address this issue. A demonstration project was created using three centers (one urban, one rural, and one mixed) with the intention of assessing the impact of eliminating transportation. This project proposed discontinuing the service after 90 days, the typical length of stay for a client. Based on economic need, new clients would receive money for transportation assistance for up to two weeks. After that, they would responsible for their own transportation. The demonstration project was successful. Two areas completely eliminated routes; the other reduced routes by 50% and further implementation is underway. Clients have been successful in locating alternative transportation and the work of the centers has not been affected negatively. Project has the potential of saving SCVRD nearly two million dollars annually. In addition, the agency’s actions have made clients better prepared for work. Further, transportation program management will no longer be required, redirecting resources back to serving clients.

Texas:  Raiza M. Ruiz, “Tuberculosis and the Homeless: A Study of Current TB Control and Prevention in Austin/Travis County Shelters” – There is a disproportionately higher risk for Tuberculosis (TB) infection and disease among the homeless throughout the United States and the world. TB overwhelmingly affects the poor. It infects people in their most productive years with 75% of fatal cases occurring in people between the ages of 15 and 54 (Global Alliance for TB Drug Development, 2009).This research project identified and discussed the issues related to effective TB control and prevention in Austin/Travis County shelters. It compared TB risk factors between homeless and non homeless individuals and examined the effect that adequate TB infection control policies have in the early detection and prevention of TB outbreaks in shelters.

USDA:  John Trammell, “Study of the Defense Travel Section” – The agency’s electronic travel program has udergone a significant change in organizational structure and administrative and financial requirements since its implementation in 2003. The project goal is to capitalize on the system’s ability to produce data that will aid the travel section in meeting its mission and goals through performance improvement. A CPM project team was chartered to assist the Department of Community and Culture (DCC) to evaluate how it should allocate an award of $19.6 million from the US Department of Housing and Development. The team was tasked with developing an Action Plan on how it will utilize the funds by December 1, 2008, which was less than a 12 week time period from start to finish for the project. The team was assigned to research the required criteria, develop a needs assessment based on those criteria and provide an allocation summary that would be incorporated into the action plan. The team devised a two phase approach to first conduct a needs assessment focused on evaluating the economic need of each county in Utah and a second phase in which the team made specific county-by-county recommendations for the allocation assessment.

Utah:  Cheryl Brown, Kim Fuller, Jason Wilde, Kent Barnes, Bruce Young, Darren Fox, Marilyn Fisher, “Neighborhood Stabilization Program” – Recommendation of Allocations for State of Utah NSP Funds” – During the course of this project it became obvious that some of the criteria examined and evaluated were more important than others. The team used a special procedure to make this determination. The procedure provided the project team a structured approach that first established criteria weights and then applied those weights within a decision matrix. This approach provided an objective tool to help identify, evaluate, and rank the counties in the State of Utah with the greatest need for NSP funding. This approach centered on widely-used and published techniques for problem solving and decision analysis. The mathematical complexities for this project utilized a computer software package commonly used by the US Army. The recommendations of the team’s report were based upon this analysis and were presented to the DCC as the project team’s opinion on the allocation share, ranked by county, of the expected funds to be received from HUD. The team’s recommendations were embraced by the Department, held up to HUD requirements, and are currently underway to implementation.

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