The city of Fort Collins has been working to improve its strategic planning and performance measurement processes over the past decade. It began publishing annual performance reports in 2009-2011 and launched a community dashboard in 2013 to provide transparency. The city completed its first strategic plan in 2014 and now reviews performance on the plan quarterly using strategy maps. The processes have evolved through a continuous improvement approach, with the goal of using data and metrics to demonstrate progress on strategic objectives and ensure resources are effectively allocated to achieve desired outcomes for the community.

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October 12, 2017
Measuring the Success of Your Strategic Plan
Lawrence Pollack | Budget Director, City of Fort Collins

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Budgeting for Outcomes (BFO)
Implementation of Budgeting for Outcomes (BFO) was a
transformational catalyst for Fort Collins
Was the inception of our 7 key strategic Outcomes
Foundational question: How do we know if we are being
successful in achieving our Outcomes?

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Our Journey

4. 4
2009 - 2011
First Steps in Measurement Reporting
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
Published first
measurement
report to the
community
fcgov.com/communications/scorecard.php

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2009 - 2011
First Steps in Measurement Reporting
Worked Well:
- Displayed current performance and trends
- Good marketing piece
Learning Opportunities:
- Only 1 of 70 metrics had a target
- No comparable data (benchmarks)
- Time intensive manual process to create
- Only updated annually
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017

6. 6
2011
Began journey with Rocky
Mountain Performance
Excellence (RMPEx)*
as a framework for
continuous improvement
* Regional equivalent of Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award
Continuous Improvement
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017

7. 7
Launched Community Dashboard Website
Community Dashboard
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2013
fortcollins.clearpointstrategy.com

8. 8
Community Dashboard
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2013
Worked Well:
- Involved City Council in its creation
- Allowed viewers to ‘put their finger on the pulse’
of the overall health of Fort Collins
Learning Opportunities:
- Manual process to update
• Later automated in 2016
- Department Head level review not successful

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Completed City’s 1st Strategic Plan
Strategic Planning
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2014
https://www.fcgov.com/file-gateway/?id=145

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Strategic Planning
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2014
Worked Well:
- Great first step
- Included formal reviews with City Council
Learning Opportunities:
- Using Community Dashboard metrics did not
reflect performance on achieving each strategic
objective
- Strategic objective descriptions included ‘how’ to
achieve them; needed to focus on ‘what’ / ‘why’

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Measurement Integration with Budget
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2014
fcgov.com/citymanager/budget.php
Linked Online Metrics and Strategic Objectives with
Budget Requests

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Measurement Integration with Budget
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2014
Worked Well:
- Linkage of charts & graphs with budget requests
- Budget requests indicated how they support
achieving linked strategic objectives
- Leveraged metrics from a central repository
- Posted online for community transparency
Learning Opportunities:
- Many metrics were too operational
- Metrics did not link to the Strategic Plan

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Began 1st Executive Level Review of Metrics
Quarterly Service Area Reviews (QSARs)
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2015

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Quarterly Service Area Reviews (QSARs)
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2015
Worked Well:
- Monthly executive level review including metrics
- Audience appropriate
- Leveraged metric reports from central repository
Learning Opportunities:
- Too many metrics
- Good discussion about metrics, but without
context to why they were important

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Where We Are Today

16. Vision / Mission / Values
16

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City Plan / Master Plans
City Strategic Plan
Budgeting for Outcomes
Performance Measurement/
Performance Review
(QSARs and Strategy Maps)
Capital Improvement Planning
Talent Management
Total Rewards
Safety
Workforce Planning
Procurement
Organizational Performance Improvement
Public Engagement
Financial Monthly Review
Council Priorities / Agenda Planning
THE CITY’S PRIMARY KEY PROCESSES CREATE THE CITY’S LEADERSHIP SYSTEM
Leadership System

18. Strategic Objectives
• Multiple Strategic Objectives (SO) per Outcome
• Achieving SOs helps achieve our Outcomes
• Performance demonstrated by metrics per SO
Key Outcome Areas
• Highest level Strategic Goals
• 7 Key Strategic Outcomes
• Used in City Plan, Strategic Plan, BFO, Etc.
Budgeted Initiatives (BFO)
• Reflects all City programs and services
• Multiple BFO Initiatives for each SO
• Initiatives designed to achieve SO
Strategic Hierarchy
18

19. Biennial Planning Calendar
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
OddYearsEvenYears
Inputs for the Strategic Plan Strategic Planning Process Budgeting for Outcomes
Offer
Creation
BFO Teams
Public Engagement
BLT
Budget
Prep
Council & Public
Hearings
Capital Improvement Plan
Strategic Risk Assessment
LT Financial Plan
Community Engagement
/ Citizen Survey
Dept. Input
Strategic Plan
X
X = Council review of Strategic Plan at 2nd Work Session of the month
BFO Off Year Revision Process
Results
Review
Strategic Plan
Council
Elections
X
THE CITY’S BUDGETING PROCESS BEGINS WITH THE STRATEGIC PLAN
19

20. STRATEGIC WORK & ANALYSIS – AN ISSUES BASED PROCESS:
STRATEGIC PLAN (5 YEAR HORIZON):
• Implications, Conclusions, Challenges, Opportunities, Advantages, Priorities
• Define Issues to be addressed in the Strategic Objectives
• Outcomes – highest level focus areas
• Strategic Objectives – 6 to 9 per Outcome; help achieve Outcomes
• Metrics and Initiatives – tied to Strategic Objectives
ENVIRONMENTAL
SCAN
STRATEGIC PLAN DRIVEN BY CITIZEN, COUNCIL AND STAFF INPUTS & PRIORITIES
Citizen Input & Priorities
• Citizen Survey
• Focus Groups / Outreach
• Boards & Commissions
• City Plan
• Citizen Priorities
Council Input & Priorities
• Community Concerns
• Retreat Priorities
Departmental Inputs
• Economics & Financials
• City Plan & Master Plans
• Emerging Trends / Issues
• Infrastructure Issues
• Workforce trends
• Metrics
Issues Based Strategic Planning
20

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Began reviews of performance
on the strategic plan
Monthly meetings with
Department heads
Each Outcome covered quarterly
Used operationally by discussing the performance
of the metrics and initiatives aligned with each
Strategic Objective
All underperforming metrics and initiatives also
require an action plan for improvement
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2017
Strategic
Objectives
Budgeted
InitiativesMetrics
Strategy Maps – Strategic Plan Performance

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Strategy Maps – Strategic Plan Performance

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Strategy Maps – Strategic Plan Performance

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https://fortcollins.clearpointstrategy.com/cnl-strategy-map/
2017
Strategy Maps – Strategic Plan Performance
Worked Well:
- Audience appropriate
- Gives context to the discussions about metrics
- Includes status of performance on our
community commitments
Learning Opportunities:
- Better measurability of Strategic Objectives
- Some metrics still need refined / defined
- Post some content to the web for transparency
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017

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Big Picture Overview
STRATEGIC PLANNING, BUDGETING, PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND MANAGERIAL
REVIEWS ARE ALIGNED IN OUR PDCA MODEL OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

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A = Running
B = Walking
C = Crawling
D = Infant
E = New Born
B = Walking
City of Fort Collins’ Report Card

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Performance
Management:
It’s a Journey,
not a Destination

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Key Takeaways
- Leverage your existing plans to focus on a shorter time
horizon (e.g. 5 years)
- What are the areas your organization needs to strive
toward achieving over that period of time? Those could be
strategic objectives.
- How would you measure if you are successful in achieving
each strategic objective?
- How do your budgeted programs and services support your
strategic objectives?
JUST GET STARTED; KNOW IT WON’T BE PERFECT AND
THEN MAKE IT BETTER WITH CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

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Using data to continuously improve
service delivery to our community
Information is Power