How local governments can reinforce trust and quality after two years of turbulence

For decades, local governments have been regarded as a trustworthy steward of constituent needs. However, we know this trust is in decline–even prior to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. A Deloitte survey in November 2020 found that only 26 percent of respondents rated their local governments as trustworthy (with trust being calculated as the percentage of respondents who responded 8, 9, or 10 on a 10 point scale).

To combat this crisis of trust, local governments across the nation are exploring ways to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of their governance, and to communicate those changes to their communities. Many are doing so by designing performance measurement programs that drive data-driven policy making, demonstrate progress towards community goals and service improvement, and can be shared with residents to increase transparency.

The most forward-thinking local government organizations have taken steps to further their performance measurement programs by implementing regional benchmarking initiatives which allow them to compare, consult and adjust their strategic initiatives and policies in conjunction with their neighbors. In doing so, these governments work together to identify common performance measures, provide a collaborative forum to draw insights from this data, and to develop resources and best practices that help drive their collective ability to deliver better services and governance for their residents. These insights are then published publicly to their communities.

Regional benchmarking has become one of the most powerful tools at the disposal of our local government organizations as they attempt to reestablish trust, increase transparency, and improve the quality of the services they provide to their constituents.

Let’s take a closer look at how this works.

Building trust through accountability and transparency
Trust is essential to successful government as it provides the necessary foundation for a healthy democracy, effective policymaking, community safety, and even the success of public health responses. A breakdown in trust, such as the one we are witnessing now, can impact vital constituent services and make governing a more difficult task than it already is. Local governments leaders should take any deficit of trust seriously and enact measures to improve their transparency and accountability.

And while trust is essential during the best of times, this is doubly true during times of turbulence. As a result of the pandemic, local governments have been tasked with managing more than ever before, all while operating under a microscope. This turbulent period has impacted how, and how fast, local leaders are able to provide vital services to constituents. Benchmarking can speed up incremental improvement via knowledge sharing, learning from positive results, group accountability for action, and even a little good, old-fashioned competitiveness. However, it’s not about being the best or shaming the worst. Effective regional benchmarking practices for local government organizations are about working openly and collaboratively and leveraging regional data to increase the efficacy of public services.

The power of scale at a regional level: A case study from Arizona
Regional benchmarking networks are formed by local governments with similar goals. By joining together, these governments can benefit from economies of scale that lower costs, ensure best practices, and bring additional resources to bear for all.

The Valley Benchmark Communities network (VBC) is a perfect example of local government benchmarking done extraordinarily well. Established in 2011 as a consortium of staff from the largest cities and towns in the Phoenix metropolitan area, the network was formed to identify common government challenges and solutions with the goal of improving local government performance.

The VBC network works collaboratively to accomplish three key objectives. First, to identify common demographic, financial and performance information. Second, to provide and discuss the data to better understand similarities and differences between complex and diverse operations. Finally, to share information, resources and best practices that will empower each of the involved parties to better serve their own communities.

To adequately compare their services, member communities in the VBC network collect and benchmark data across the following departments: demographics; fire services; police services; libraries; parks and recreation; water, sewer and trash services; and finance and administration. The group works with a local academic partner to issue an annual report that highlights the most important trends to track for the benefit of residents and local leaders.

Today, the VBC publicly shares its data via interactive dashboards and written analysis. In this way, the group is not demonstrating transparency, but making it easier for residents to understand how local government is performing for them. 

Getting started
As a supporting technology partner to the VBC, we have learned a thing or two about what it takes to build an effective regional benchmarking network. The below points provide tangible steps towards forming, implementing, and maintaining a regional benchmarking initiative similar to the VBC.

• Find an academic partner. The VBC benchmarking group partnered with Arizona State University’s Center for Urban Innovation (ASU) to ensure that the processes for data collection and analysis remain accurate and consistent. ASU has been a partner from the formation of the group. The university assists with the end-of-year analysis and report and provides an MPA student to help gather and report on the data in a standardized way.
• Think big, start small. In the beginning of your benchmarking initiative, the different local government members will want to measure different performance indicators and in different ways. A key requisite of effective benchmarking is getting everyone measuring the same things, in the same way and at the same frequency. The best way to do that is to start small. Find performance measures that each local government is already measuring and build from there.
• Meet regularly. While the VBC issues an annual report, they meet far more frequently than that (they meet monthly except in the summer, and there is an annual meeting each year with the city managers). An important piece for any benchmarking effort is meeting regularly and using those sessions as a forum for productive dialogue on what you are doing well, and what you could be doing better.
• Anoint a champion. Like all strategic initiatives, the effectiveness of your benchmarking group will be hugely influenced by a small group of people acting as stewards of the program. Leaving your benchmarking initiative in the hands of one or two highly engaged and active employees is essential to succeeding on this journey.

• Use technology. Measuring, aggregating and benchmarking regional performance data is irrelevant to building public trust if the data is unavailable or difficult for residents to access and understand. Making all information readily and easily available on a public dashboard becomes a powerful way to demonstrate a city’s commitment to service excellence, progress, and transparency.

The future of government is transparent, and networks like the VBC are a shining example of an entire region’s commitment to building and reinforcing trust in government.

Transparent regional benchmarking initiatives provide the opportunity to evaluate your performance in context with neighboring communities, to have open conversations and learn from each other’s successes and failures.

Mike Bell is founder and CEO of Envisio, the leading strategy and performance management software solution for local government. Bell founded Envisio with a vision to build trusted, transparent and high-performing public institutions. Learn more at envisio.com.