High Performance and Innovation

The High Performance and Innovation initiative is an organization-wide effort to measure, analyze, improve and report on the services provided by the City of Scottsdale.

Reports

Quarterly performance report

The quarterly performance reportlinks to external site provides progress updates regarding key performance measures included in the annual budget book. Quarterly updates are also provided on the organization strategic planlinks to external site.

Report to our community

The City Manager's Office prepares an annual report (PDF) consistent with the AGA's citizen-centric reporting initiativelinks to external site. The short report is intended to give the community a better understanding of their government and provide a more meaningful debate about fiscal priorities, performance results and future challenges. We have given a presentation (PDF) about our annual report and how it is prepared.

Scottsdale overview and demographics

An overview presentation (PDF) based on the annual budget and annual report is available along with documents that are included in the annual budget and updated each year. A booklet with all of reports (PDF) is also available. 

Budget and Financial Reports

Performance information is included in the annual budget at the division and department level. In addition, ten years worth of data on selected indicators is included in the Annual Comprehensive financial report. Both documents, as well as an archive of prior year information is available at www.ScottsdaleAZ.gov/finance.

Organization Strategic Planning

The citywide strategic planning effort (PDF)is part of the performance management initiative. The current organization strategic plan was approved at a council meeting in April 2019. Updates on the progress of the organization strategic plan are on this online dashboardlinks to external site and on the Mission and Priorities page.

Organization Mission Statement

In addition, in December 2013, the City Council adopted a new mission statement for the organization: “Simply better service for a world-class community” The new mission statement is being implemented through citywide internal initiatives. These are: “Simply” - Streamlining the services we provide through process improvement, “Better” - Formalizing our benchmarking efforts to ensure our services are “better,” and “Service” - Reinstating training programs and standards for providing high-quality customer service. In addition, to clarify what is meant by a world-class community, we partnered with graduate students at Thunderbird School of Global Management to formalize the definition and attributes of a world-class community and create citywide customer-focused outcomes and key performance indicators. The final project is available online  (PDF)

Valley Benchmark Communities

The city of Scottsdale is a founding member of the Valley Benchmark Communities collaborative. The purpose of Valley Benchmark Communities is to improve local government performance in Arizona by working collaboratively to identify and share resources, best practices, and common demographic, financial, and performance information to better understand the complex and diverse operations of the 13 participating cities (Avondale, Buckeye, Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale, Goodyear, Mesa, Peoria, Phoenix, Queen Creek, Scottsdale, Surprise, and Tempe).  Annually, since FY 2013-14, the Valley Benchmark Communities initiative publishes a report to share 24 Valley-wide measures with city leadership and the public. This report includes measures in the following service categories: Demographics, Fire Services, Police Services; Library Services; Parks and Recreation Services; Water, Sewer, and Trash Services; Finance and Administration Services. Explore the most recent main trend report or the Valley Benchmark Communities websitelinks to external site

Presentations

Performance Management Overview

This was a 2-hour course prepared for staff in FY 2012/13 to provide training on key concepts in the Strategy and Performance Management initiative.

Download Presentation

Performance Management Department Workshop

This was a hands-on course prepared in FY 2013/14 to assist department management in identifying efficiency and effectiveness measures that are tied to customer-focused outcomes.

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Managing Organizational Performance

This is a 3.5-hour course taught quarterly to city staff in FY 2014/15 to provide training on strategic planning, performance measures, evaluation and reporting.

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Accomplishing Results

This 6-hour class was updated in 2017 to teach how to define results, achieve results, review results and improve results. An abbreviated 3-hour version was presented to the Mandela Washington Fellowship class hosted at Arizona State University in July 2017.

Download Full Presentation

Citizen Survey Results Presentations

These presentations on citizen surveys were prepared for an ICMA workshop (PDF) ICMA workshop in October 2012 on how Scottsdale utilized survey results, and also for general presentations in 2011 on 2010 survey results (PDF). A presentation on internal services survey results was also given at the ICMA Conference in September 2015 (PDF). The 2016 Citizen Survey has been completed with more information available on the survey web page.

View Results

Aligning Organization and Employee Goals Presentation

This 3-hour course (PDF) was developed in FY 2015/16 to train managers in how to align employee goals in the annual performance evaluation with the citywide mission.

Download Presentation

Valley Benchmark Cities Report

The initial Valley Benchmark Cities report was issued in September 2015. A presentation about the effort was given at the September 2015 ICMA Conference in Seattle (PDF), and an article about the effort was included in the December 2015 edition of ICMA's PM magazine. A presentation was also given at a GFOAz training session on the effort (PDF). To see all Valley Benchmark Cities reports, visit the Alliance for Innovationlinks to external site.

Download Report

Arizona State University (ASU) Presentation

In March 2017, this presentation (PDF)was a guest lecture to graduate students at ASU about managing and measuring performance.

Download Presentation

New Employee and City Manager's Office Overview Presentations

The city manager's office presents monthly to new employees (PDF)an orientation about the city and the organization, including mission and goals. In addition, presentations are regularly given to local groups such as Scottsdale Leadership.

Download Presentation

About

What is performance management? Performance management is an ongoing, systematic approach intended to improve results by integrating objective evidence with decision-making processes.

The guiding principles of the Scottsdale performance management effort are:

  • Aligned with City Council and General Plan mission, goals, priorities
  • Results focused. Strategies, processes, and decisions are designed to achieve desired results
  • Relevant. Matters to both the city government and the community
  • Transparent. Easy for stakeholders to access and understand
  • Timely, Accurate and Pertinent. Data drives decisions and processes
  • Transformative. Continuously improves the organization, management decisions, and policy-making processes
  • Sustainable over time and across organizational changes

Program Concepts

Resources

Other external resources helpful in developing an performance management program.

Recognition

ICMA and National Research Center, Inc.
(National Citizen Survey)

Voice of the People Awards for Excellence

2017, 2014, 2011


Voice of the People Awards for Transformation

2011

ICMA Center for Performance Analytics

Certificate of Excellence in Performance Measurement

2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019

ICMA 2019 Certificate of Excellence in Performance Management Award


Certificate of Distinction

2012


Certificate of Achievement

2011

AGA

Certificate of Excellence in Citizen-Centric Reporting

2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016

Government Finance Officers Association
Distinguished Budget Presentation Award

Special Performance Measures Recognition

FY 2011/12 Adopted Budget Book


Giving citizens numbers they can understand

Mark Funkhauser, Governing.com, Feb. 25, 2013

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Joining Forces: Arizona Cities Collaborate to Improve Performance

Brent Stockwell and David Swindell, PM Magazine, December 2015

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Making Strategic Planning Work

Brent Stockwell and Joe Casey, Government Finance Review, April 2016

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