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NCPP home:
http://newark.rutgers.edu:80/~ncpp/,
email:
ncpp@andromeda.rutgers.edu
Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, Campus at Newark
Graduate Department of Public Administration
National Center for Public Productivity
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1995 Exemplary State & Local
Award Winners
Bucks County Prison Braille Project, Bucks County Pennsylvania
Summary: A lack of adequate braille materials for blind students in Bucks
County made it very difficult for these students to participate in regular
classes. An interagency effort on the part of the County's Lion and Lioness
Clubs and the Bucks County Correctional Facility facilitated the involvment
of inmates in brailling texts.
Text: Until an interagency alliance was formed between the County's Intermediate
Unit, the Bucks County Correction Facility and the County's Lion and Lioness
Clubs, blind students in Bucks County found it very difficult to excel in
regular classes because of a lack of adequate braille materials. Teachers
had to spend inordinate amounts of time to braille text books and other
materials needed by blind students. The funds from the Lion/Lioness Clubs
allowed the acquisition of special software and computer hardware, which
is housed in the Correctional Facility. Instead of teachers inmates now
braille textbooks, workbooks, and dittos. This cooperative effort not only
increased the involvement and productivity of blind students, but also the
productivity of inmates involved in the project. Teachers now have more
time to dedicate to classroom teaching and inmates are learning a valuable
skill.
Contact: J. Allen Nesbett, Director Bucks County Department of Corrections
1730 South Easton Rd Doyleston, PA 18901-3822 215/ 345-3700
Competition and Costing: Competitive Bidding Indianapolis, Indiana
Summary: "Competition and Costing: Competitive Bidding" is a program
designed to make the public sector more competitive. Service delivery is
improved through competition, rather than privatization. Instead of turning
a City service over to a private vendor, City employees are encouraged to
bid in competition with the private sector.
Text: The marketplace in which cities operate has changed. Major cities
no longer compete against each other for businesses and families. They compete
against their suburbs, and they are losing. Suburbs generally offer lower
taxes, less crime, better schools, and fewer environmental risks to businesses.
Large numbers of businesses and families are migrating to the suburbs, leaving
the financially disadvantaged behind. Indianapolis' effort to alleviate
some of these structural disincentives to decrease migration to the suburbs,
largely rests on the provision of some city services through competitive
bidding. "Competition and Costing: Competitive Bidding" is a program
designed to make the public sector more competitive. Service delivery is
improved through competition, rather than privatization. Instead of turning
a City service over to a private vendor, City employees are encouraged to
bid in competition with the private sector. What makes competition possible
is activity-based costing, a financial and accounting tool that determines
the internal costs of government activities that City employees can use
in their bids. Competition improves the delivery of services by making private
sector vendors and city workers far more efficient and creative about how
to provide improved services to city residents at lower costs. By enabling
city workers to compete fairly against private sector vendors, Indianapolis
has reduced its budget by $10 million. The savings are re-invested in the
City, allowing Indianapolis to put more police officers on the streets,
and invest in a $500 million infrastructure rebuilding program, the largest
in city history, without raising taxes. The program emphasizes competition,
innovation and entrepreneurial thought among city employees, together with
the adaptation of activity-based costing to the public sector.
Contact:
David Lips Mayor's Office Suite 2563 City County Building 200 East Washington
Street Indianapolis, IN 46204 317/ 327-5806
Hillsborough County Health Care Plan Hillsborough County, Florida
Summary: The "Hillsborough County Health Care Plan" is a response
to the problem of provision of health care to an indigent population with
income at or below the federal poverty level. This managed care network
has improved the integration of existing medical, mental health and social
services.
Text: The Hillsborough County Health Care Plan is a response to the problem
of provision of health care to an indigent population with income at or
below the federal poverty level. Hillsborough County's medically indigent
population had very little access to medical care, and usually sought treatment
through the emergency room after the onset of illness, instead of receiving
primary or preventive care. The County found that the cost was exorbitant
due to uncompensated care at the only public hospital. Hillsborough Health
Care has increased access to quality health care; improved the integration
of medical, mental health, and social services; enhanced prevention and
education; and reduced per patient expenditures. The number of primary care
sites has increased from four to sixteen, and the number of patients served
annually has risen from 15,000 to 24,000. With no premiums, copayments,
deductibles, pre-existing condition exclusions, or maximums, and the inclusion
of dental and vision care, the average cost per member is $294 a month.
The service has diverted 11,456 potential emergency room visits, at an estimated
cost avoidance of over $5,700,000 in two years. This managed care network
includes both public and private providers and is divided into four geographic
networks.
Contact: Pat Bean Senior Assistant County Administrator 601 East Kennedy
Boulevard, 26th Floor Tampa, FL 33602 813/ 272-5750
L.A. County Telecommuting-Telework Program, Los Angeles County, California
Summary: A regional mandate to downsize local government by managing
human resources and office space more effectively prompted Los Angeles County
to introduce a telecommuting program.
Text: The primary objective of this
program is to promote a more productive work-at-home or near-home work option
for employees who commute long distances to their work places. The secondary
objective was to meet a regional mandate to downsize local government by
managing human resources and office space more efficiently. Both of these
objectives enable the county to meet regional environmental regulations
of the Clean Air Act. Labor representatives were consulted and a telecommuting
agreement was negotiated outlining employer/employee responsibilities. The
agreement is supported by behavior change and work place alternatives training
models. The use of telecommuting as a work place emergency response initiative
enabled the County to keep County services available to clients immediately
following the Northridge earthquake in 1994 Through a reduction in sick
leave and overtime, the County has realized a 10% increase in productivity
and $13 million in annual savings. Over 4,000 employees in Los Angeles County
telecommute an average of 1.5 days a week.
Contact: Evelyn M. Gutierrez, Program Coordinator Los Angeles County
Chief Administrative Office 500 W Temple St, Rm 526 Los Angeles, CA 90012
213/ 974-2495
Life Enhancement Alternative Program, Salt Lake County, Utah
Summary: The "Life Enhancement Alternative Program" (L.E.A.P)
is a court-sanctioned project designed to provide early intervention to
youths 14 years of age and younger with minor delinquent offenses. The intentions
of the program are to provide immediate intervention and a comprehensive
therapy milieu to help youths and their families deal with the crisis of
delinquency, to help prevent youths from committing future crimes, and to
help youths reach adulthood as healthy, happy and productive citizens.
Text: The Life Enhancement Alternative Program (L.E.A.P) is a court-sanctioned
project designed to provide early intervention to youths 14 years of age
and younger with minor delinquent offenses. L.E.A.P is offered free of charge
and is part of the Salt Lake County Division of Youth Services. This 60
day program includes weekly law- related education classes, individual and
family therapy, school tracking and a community service project. The youth
and his/her family earns points based on their active participation. Successful
completion of L.E.A.P (achieving at least 500 points) may result in the
case being closed with a non-judicial standing by the Juvenile Court. The
intentions of the program are to provide immediate intervention and a comprehensive
therapy milieu to help youths and their families deal with the crisis of
delinquency, to help prevent youths from committing future crimes, and to
help youths reach adulthood as healthy, happy and productive citizens.
Contact: LaMar Eyre, Director Salt Lake County Division of Youth Services
92 West 3900 Suite 101 Salt Lake City, Utah 84107-1430 801/ 264-2254
Management by Unreasonable Objectives, City of Dayton, Ohio
Summary: The City of Dayton was discouraged by the lack of an increase in
productivity after incorporating MBO techniques. Out of frustration they
decided to implement a different management approach, "Management by
Unreasonable Objectives."
Text: The City of Dayton was discouraged by the lack of an increase in productivity
after incorporating MBO techniques. Out of frustration they decided to implement
a different management approach. The new technique, Management by Unreasonable
Objectives (MBUO), is a system that is used selectively to create significant
change. The three basic tenets of MBUO are: - there must be a clearly stated
objective;
- the objective has to be so good that the workers and the managers
emphatically agree that it is a worthwhile goal; and
- the objective must
be so unreasonable that the workers and managers first response is that
it cannot be done.
MBUO promotes innovation and encourages employees to
think "outside the box." To reach unreasonable objectives managers
must break through the typical restraints of the mind. Hard results of these
initiatives are substantial productivity, growth, increased revenues, and
an efficient and proud staff.
Contact: Timothy H. Riordan, Program Coordinator
City of Dayton, Dept. of Finance 101 West Third St, P.O Box 22 Dayton, OH
45401 513/ 443-3578
New York State Partnership for Long Term Care, State of New York
Summary: The New York State (NYS) Partnership for Long Term Care (LTC), implemented
in 1993, emphasizes shared responsibility for financing Long Term Care by
offering New Yorkers an alternative way to pay for their LTC. The Partnership
targets middle-income citizens for participation based on the rationale
that while they cannot pay for long-term healthcare services, they could
afford quality long term care insurance coverage.
Text: The New York State (NYS) Partnership for Long Term Care (LTC), implemented
in 1993, emphasizes shared responsibility for financing Long Term Care by
offering New Yorkers an alternative way to pay for their LTC. New York State
nursing home costs are among the highest in the nation, with an average
monthly charge in excess of $5333. Before the Partnership, New Yorkers faced
a Hobson's Choice: pay out-of-pocket and risk impoverishment, or transfer
assets to appear impoverished. Regardless of the route to impoverishment,
people come onto the Medicaid program, which then pays for their LTC at
taxpayers' expense. The Partnership targets middle-income citizens for participation
based on the rationale that while they cannot pay for long-term healthcare
services, they could afford quality long term care insurance coverage. The
Partnership provides a disincentive for purchasers to rely primarily on
Medicaid to pay for their LTC by offering "total asset protection."
They qualify for Medicaid eligibility after approved LTC insurance benefits
are exhausted. The premise of the Partnership is that it holds the potential
of significant savings to the Medicaid program over time as more people,
who would have spent down or transferred assets absent the program, purchase
LTC insurance. The core resource of the Partnership is the cooperative relationship
between participating insurance companies and the New York State government.
Contact: Gail Holubinka, Director NYS Partnership for Long Term Care, NYS-DSS
40 North Pearl St Albany, NY 11243-0001 518/ 473-7705
Operation Fatherhood, State of New Jersey
Summary: New Jersey's "Operation Fatherhood" was designed to provide
inner city males between the ages of 13 and 19 with the skills and motivation
to become successfully independent, healthy, and socially responsible young
men.
Text: In 1989, Union Industrial Home for Children and Planned Parenthood
received a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to begin solving
the "other side" of the adolescent childbearing problem -- the
fathers. First Steps, Union Industrial Home's first teen fathers program,
was designed to provide inner city males between the ages of 13 and 19 with
the skills and motivation to become successfully independent, healthy, and
socially responsible young men. Building on the success of First Steps,
Union Industrial Home for Children (UIH) was selected to participate in
a pilot project designed to enhance the economic responsibility and family
involvement of non-custodial fathers whose children are on welfare. The
project is one of nine pilot sites, nationwide, selected to test the effectiveness
of job training and supportive services for non-custodial fathers (between
the ages of 16 and 45) whose children receive welfare.
Contact: Barbara Kelley-Sease, Executive Director Union Industrial Home
for Children 864 Bellevue Ave Trenton, NJ 08618 609/ 695-1492
Orange County Community Distribution Project, Orange County, Florida
Summary: The "Orange County Community Distribution Center" (OCCDC)
is a private/public partnership developed to provide meaningful work experience
for minimum risk offenders while at the same time making the best use of
surplus construction materials.
Text: The Orange County Community Distribution Center (OCCDC) opened in
1993 as a private/public partnership to: - reduce waste of construction
materials that would otherwise go to the landfill;
- provide a central
clearinghouse for donations of surplus usable construction materials from
individuals and the construction industry;
- provide a continuing source
of free building materials to eligible non-profit agencies; and
- provide
training in warehouse operations for minimum risk offenders, using meaningful
work experiences.
The center has diverted over 500 tons ($1,000,000.00)
of usable materials to over 200 non-profit agencies and has graduated over
120 offenders, networking them into vocational placement services
Contact: Tom L. Allision, Director Orange County Community Distribution
Center P.O Box 4970 Orlando, FL 32802-4970 407/ 836-3573
Schools in the Age of Technology, Hunterdon, New Jersey
Summary: Hunterdon Central School District has made a commitment to educating
students to be self-directed learners by equipping the facility to provide
school-on-demand. "Schools in the Age of Technology" is a concerted
effort on the part of teachers and administrators to provided the highest
quality and most technologically advanced levels of education to students
in the Hunterdon school district.
Text: Hunterdon Central School District
has made a commitment to educating students to be self-directed learners
by equipping the facility to provide school-on-demand. These goals have
been achieved through a campus-wide fiber optic backbone, classroom computers,
telephones and video receivers, student-run TV and radio stations broadcasting
to the classrooms and the community, and four state-of-the-art prototype classrooms --
physics, applied technology, biochemistry, and fine arts. A democratized
management system has been utilized to make decisions about staff development
and training, changes in the schedule, and new and innovative instructional
strategies.
Contact: Raymond Farley, Superintendent Hunterdon Central Regional High
School 84 Rt. 31 Flemmington, NJ 08822-1239 908/ 284-7135
"Sparkling Water System" Largo Reclaimed Water Project, City
of Largo, Florida
Summary: The City of Largo's solution to increasing
population, water-wasting habits, and drought-like conditions involves using
alternate sources of water for non-essential purposes.
Text: Increasing population, water-wasting habits, and drought-like conditions
have taken their toll on central and southwest Florida's freshwater supply
to the extent that water restrictions are now ineffective. The City of Largo's
solution involves using an alternate source of water for non-essential purposes,
such as irrigation. The program conserves drinking water ( for example reclaimed
water is used in air conditioning cooling towers), decreases effluent discharge
into Tampa Bay, and replenishes water being withdrawn from the Floridan
Aquifer. When a new commercial or industrial customer installs a reclaim
water main on their property the city would buy it from them through "reclaimed
water credit". The customer will not pay any fees or charges until
the credit is exhausted, after which they become a normal paying customer.
This credit amounts to the cost of construction incurred by the customer.
Contact: Anthony Andrade, Program Coordinator City of Largo P.O Box 296
Largo, FL 34649 813/ 587-6718
Tax Assistance Workshops, State of Texas
Summary: The goal of the "Tax Assistance Workshops" is to
assist people who cannot afford to pay someone to complete their tax returns,
and to inform and educate these people about EIC and how to apply. Earned
Income Credit was designed to increase family financial stability and help
working people maintain independence from the "welfare" system.
Text: Lack of resources and language barriers often keep low-wage earners
from filing federal income tax returns. Bilingual Texas Department of Human
Services volunteers in Brownsville staff Tax Assistance Workshops and provide
a free service, which is critical in this area. The poverty rate of this
area is 39.9%, and for children ages 0 to 7 the rate is 58.8%, while the
unemployment rate is 10.8% compared to the national rate of 6%-7%. By helping
working low-income families complete income tax forms and apply for Earned
Income Credit, which averages $2528, these volunteers are increasing the
economic well-being of their clients and that of Brownsville. The goal is
to assist people who cannot afford to pay someone to complete their tax
returns, and to inform and educate about EIC and how to apply. Earned Income
Credit was designed to increase family financial stability and help working
people maintain independence from the "welfare" system, and that
is the ultimate goal of this program.
Contact: Euedina Chavez-Gomez, Program Coordinator Texas Department of
Human Services 600 S Bicentennial McAllen, TX 78501 210/ 630-9441
Telefile: Filing Taxes by Phone, State of Massachusetts
Summary: "Telefile" allows taxpayers to file their state income
taxes via touch-tone telephone, and was born from the recognition that services
were ready for innovative changes. Taxpayers can access the program 24 hours
a day and can expect their refunds within four days.
Text: The Massachusetts Department of Revenue(DOR) has a mandate to provide
the best customer service for the lowest possible cost. Telefile allows
taxpayers to file their state income taxes via touch-tone telephone, and
was born from the recognition that services were ready for innovative changes.
The cost of processing a telefile return will ultimately reduce DOR costs
by 80 percent when the program is expanded next year. Taxpayers can access
the program 24 hours a day and can expect their refunds within four days.
An innovative component of Telefile is the "Prize Program." Funded
by private donations, it was designed to encourage taxpayers to participate
in Telefile and reward them for filing early. This component had to be approved
by the state ethics commission.
Contact: Sandra L. Steele, Deputy Commissioner
Department of Revenue 100 Cambridge Street, Rm 806 Boston, MA 02204 617/
626-2580
United Methodist Army Repair Project, State of Texas
Summary: The mission of the "United Methodist Army Repair Project"
is to minister to needy Texans who are registered with the Texas Department
of Human Services Community Care for the Aged and Disabled Services Program.
The program meets the structural and home repair needs of persons with disabilities,
the elderly, and the homeless, and marshals more resources for this purpose.
Text: United Methodist Army (U.M. Army) Reach-Out Mission By Youth is part
of the Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church. Its mission is to
minister to needy Texans who are registered with the Texas Department of
Human Services Community Care for the Aged and Disabled Services Program.
It meets the structural and home repair needs of persons with disabilities,
the elderly, and the homeless, and marshals more resources for this purpose.
The program is entirely self-supporting, since volunteers donate labor and
pay their own expenses. The Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church
has become an invaluable community partner in service to clients of the
Texas Department of Human Services. This proves - government cannot do
it alone and
- government and the private sector can have successful cooperative
ventures.
Contact: Nancy Gibson, Program Coordinator Texas Department
of Human Services 1400 Wilson St Henderson, Tx 75652 903/ 655-6246
Washington Personnel Programs, State of Washington
Summary: The Washington State Department of Personnel recently implemented
two innovative initiatives designed to attract the "best and brightest"
to public sector careers. The Washington Management Services streamlined
the personnel system for the state's 2,500 plus middle level managers and
the Executive Search Services effectively designs and carries out a proven
method for identifying, screening, interviewing, and ultimately hiring top-level
executives for state government.
Text: The Washington State Department of
Personnel recently implemented two innovative initiatives designed to attract
the "best and brightest" to public sector careers. The Washington
Management Services streamlined the personnel system for the state's 2,500
plus middle level managers. These positions retain the protections of the
civil service system, but are covered by a separate set of personnel rules
which emphasize flexibility, decentralization, and individual accountability.
The Washington Management Service does away with traditional civil service
standards, such as job classifications, recruitment registers, and salary
ranges. Instead, a point factor evaluation system is used to place each
position into one of four broad management bands, which provide parameters
for salary determination. The Executive Search Services effectively designs
and carries out a proven method for identifying, screening, interviewing,
and ultimately hiring top-level executives for state government. The program
designs and leads nationwide searches for director, deputy director, and
assistant director type positions. Managed and staffed by state employees.
The main purpose of this service is to provide quality public sector executive
recruitment expertise at a very reasonable price (one-fifth the national
average of a private search firm). Executive search services are available
to any state agency, board, commission, or institution of higher education.
In addition, the program provides services to public sector entities such
as cities, counties, port districts, other states, and the federal government.
Contact: Dennis Karras, Director Washington State Department of Personnel
P.O Box 47500 Olympia, WA 98504-7500 360/ 586-4667
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Last updated March 15, 1997.
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