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Minnesota Council on Local Results and Innovation <br />Standards for a Comprehensive Performance Measurement System <br />The Council on Local Results and Innovation was empanelled by the Minnesota Legislature to <br />foster the use of performance management by local governments. Earlier this year, the Council <br />completed the first phase of its legislative charge by recommending standard sets of <br />performance measures for cities and counties. <br />This report completes the second phase of the project by recommending minimum standards <br />for comprehensive performance measurement systems. The Council continues to see value in <br />having all Minnesota cities and counties develop performance measures that they use to <br />manage their jurisdictions, and sharing the results of those performance measures with citizens <br />and property tax payers. <br />Performance measurement and reporting are at the core of a well-functioning performance <br />management system. Performance measurement supports strategic planning, performance <br />budgeting, results-oriented management, and program evaluation. These functions are critical <br />for a well functioning public entity. <br />The best performance measurement systems approximate the ideal system for effective <br />management and responsive governance. However, many local jurisdictions are just beginning <br />to measure their performance. To guide and encourage those initial steps development, the <br />Council developed the following three minimum standards for cities and counties as <br />intermediate goals for their performance measurement systems: <br />1. First, adopt comprehensive outcome goals for the services that are provided by the <br />jurisdiction. Outcome goals describe the desired impacts on citizens. An example <br />outcome goal for public safety services might be a 10 percent decrease in Part I and II <br />crimes over the next year. <br />2. Next, establish appropriate outcome and output performance measures for the services <br />being provided. Output measures detail the units produced, goods or service provided, <br />or people served. Outcome measures describe the results of those efforts, and are used <br />to help assess whether the outcome goals are being met. Taken from the Council's <br />previously recommended standard performance measures, an example of public safety <br />services outcomes would be police or fire response times. <br />1 <br />