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Performance Management

Performance Management is about translating goals into results and in today’s time when local governments are already strained with increasing population and resource crunch, providing adequate services is a challenge. We believe that cities can use performance measurement as a tool to analyze their performance across sectors to set up service standards or objectives, identify best practices and compare its progress.

At UMC, we work in collaboration with ULBs to develop robust tools that work efficiently to deliver results. Cities can use performance measurement to analyze their performance across sectors, over time, for setting service standards or objectives, become more customer-focused, identify best practice, exchange information, and compare its progress with other cities.

Rapid Training Programs On JnNURM Reforms


Client: Centre for Good Governance, Hyderabad

Duration: November 2007 – March 2008

 

The Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India has initiated a Capacity Development Building Program across the country for all municipal functionaries – mayors, chairpersons, councilors, commissioners and executive officers, officers, engineers, town planners, project officers, etc. who are responsible to implement the project to bring awareness on the need, significance, and urgency of implementation of reforms to improve civic communities. The objectives of the program are as follows:

Awareness building and understanding of the context, mission, objectives, and significance of reforms and expected impact on the city;

null    To develop the political will and administrative commitment;
null    Explain their roles and responsibilities in the initiation and implementation of reforms and projects relating to infrastructure and basic services to the poor;
null    To develop ownership and a positive attitude towards the program, and
null    To create an enabling environment and managerial capabilities to accelerate as well as to manage change.

UMC conducted these capacities building programs, along with the Center for Good Governance and with the support of the Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India. The training aimed at providing a detailed understanding of the mandatory and optional reforms required both at state and local government levels as mandated by JNNURM. UMC had used a mix of methodologies like screening films, group discussions, and exercises to make these training programs interesting for the audiences. The resource persons selected were from a mix of academia, in-service experts, and sector experts.

UMC also conducted these training programs in the following states:

  1. Maharashtra
  2. Uttarakhand
  3. Rajasthan
  4. Goa
  5. Haryana


For more information contact us at info@umcasia.org 

Urban Indicators and Performance Measurement: A compilation of data across 30 cities of India.

 

 Client: The World Bank Institute (WBI)

Duration: May 2006

 

Most cities are suffering from inadequate data and information, which has undermined their ability to understand the complex forces that are shaping their cities and to develop and test effective urban policy. Cities can use performance measurement to analyze their performance across sectors, over time, for setting service standards or objectives, become more customer-focused, identify best practice, exchange information, and compare progress with other cities. In this context, there is a need for some standards to provide an overall picture of the city and how it works. Such measures could be in the form of Urban Indicators, which are variables or functions of several variables that measure particular real-world phenomena. Indicators assist in analyzing trends and impacts of policies. Indicators reflect the trend of development and also provide quantitative and qualitative information.

Few selected indicators from among the total list of indicators, termed as performance indicators, have been employed for performance measurement of a municipal body. Performance can be measured over a period of time (which is essentially self-assessment) or it can be a comparative performance measurement among the municipal bodies. The indicators can be measured against absolute (comparison with standards) or it can be a relative measurement (comparing within the ULBs).

Over the last decade, several major developments have enhanced the role and functions of local governments in urban development. The 74th Constitutional Amendment Act has both given constitutional status to urban municipalities and enhanced their functions. The Right to Information Act that was adopted in India in 2005 also requires that all government institutions have readily available information so as to provide timely information and the correct picture to its citizens.

It is in this context of increasing independence, responsibilities as well as powers to the urban local bodies, and in a world where “information is power”, that the Centre for Performance Measurement (CPM) an arm of the Urban Management Centre and drawing inspiration from the CPM-ICMA United States has initiated the program of Urban Indicators and Performance Measurement. 

UMC and the CPM conducted the Urban Indicators and Performance Measurement Program across India and also assisted organizations in the South Asia region to initiate the UIPM program. 

The CPM aimed to address issues in urban governance, specifically in core infrastructure and municipal finance for achieving better understanding and control over it. Specific objectives of the program are;

null Research and development of urban indicators and identification of performance indicators.
null To provide the urban local bodies with an analytical tool for self-assessment which would also make them more transparent and accountable
null To identify the critical areas and assess the severity of the problems
null To aid civic bodies to prioritize actions
null Provide a tool for decision making to various stakeholders in urban development

The Centre seeks to help city governments to analyze their situation with regards to the financial situation and service delivery. The long-term objective of the CPM is to develop a management information system to collect and document the data in the required format, which would enable continuous monitoring of performance over time in a municipal body as well as comparison with other urban local bodies.

UMC’s CPM has compiled data for the following urban local bodies across India:

null 10 cities (6 municipal corporations and 4 municipalities), Gujarat-2000
null 8 town municipal councils around Bangalore, Karnataka, 2004-05
null 3 Municipal Corporations of West Bengal, 2004-05
null 3 Municipal Corporations of Maharashtra, 2004-05
null 2 municipalities, Tamil Nadu, 2004-05
null 4 municipal corporations, Madhya Pradesh-2004-05

The compilation report contained data from various sectors of 30 cities across 6 states of India with elaborate preliminary results and learnings. The compilation also included the city profiles and a  detailed questionnaire prepared by CPM.

The primary objective of the report was to do a compilation of existing UIPM data available compiled over the years and attempt a comparison across and within states. To present ULBs and state governments with a tool for self-analysis and decision making for making urban governance transparent and accountable.

For more information contact us at info@umcasia.org 

Monitoring and Evaluation of Financial Institutions Reform and Expansion (FIRE - D) program


Client: The Communities Group, International (TCGI)

Location: India

Duration: July 2005 – September 2007

The FIRE Program’s main objective was to increase the capacity of India's cities to raise and allocate financial resources and to improve the availability of urban water and sanitation services. The program provided and supported communities with the opportunity to create conditions for adopting wide-scale and sustainable urban reforms by establishing an appropriate policy environment, financial incentives, and regulatory and institutional frameworks. At the local level, the program's goals were to provide municipalities with increased investment in urban infrastructure and to improve water and sanitation services for urban residents. 

The FIRE Program provided technical assistance to 16 states and 70 cities throughout India and was in the third phase of implementation during the time period mentioned above. Major results of the project include:

null    Contribution to the acceptance of demonstrated financial and public-private partnership models for urban infrastructure development.
null    Introduction of proven structure for municipal credit rating system leading to enhanced access to capital for municipalities.
null    Implementation of modern municipal financial management systems.
null    Implementation of national reforms, including tax-free municipal bonds, Model Municipal Law, National Accounting Manual, Pooled Finance Development Fund, and e-Governance for municipalities.

Based on the Urban Indicators and Performance Measurement expertise of UMC and the ICMA US, the organization provided monitoring and evaluation services for the FIRE III Program. A Performance Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Plan was completed and UMC developed cross-sectoral urban indicators and compiled data to evaluate the improvements made in municipal service delivery and municipal governance throughout the life of the FIRE- D Program.  Particular focus was paid to the financial management and water service delivery improvements.  The baseline data were collected and interpreted for the states of Karnataka, Maharashtra West Bengal, UP, and Orissa.  For this phase of M&E, UMC provided training to the City Managers Association in monitoring and evaluation, as well as performance measurement.  The training was provided with the goal of involving City Managers Associations in future M&E efforts and to build their capacity to do performance measurement for member cities.

For more information contact us at info@umcasia.org 

Designing a Performance Management Framework for the City of Lavasa


Client: Lavasa City Management Services (CMS)

Location: Lavasa 

The project included assisting the Lavasa City Management Services (CMS) Division to pro-actively monitor the performance of the CMS Division.

null    Benchmark Lavasa City with other Indian Cities (to be selected jointly by UMC and Lavasa CMS) (aligned with existing benchmarking initiatives by Govt. of India and Govt. of Maharashtra).
null    Benchmark Lavasa City with other Livable Cities (to be selected jointly by UMC and Lavasa CMS) (Globally).
null    Benchmark Lavasa City over time.

The scope of work for UMC included :

1. Refinement and adoption of an “outcome” based performance measurement and monitoring framework, from performance outcomes already developed in preliminary form by Lavasa.

The methodology followed was as follows:
null   Understanding of various departments, functions, process mapping, identification of gaps if any between performance measures and activities performed.
null   Understanding the requirements of the decision-makers of the Lavasa CMS for monitoring performance and its subsequent integration into strategic decision-making.
null   Internal monitoring and continuous improvement of performance outcome measurement techniques for improved efficiency of the MIS/PMM staff.
null   Design/review citizens’ charter/ complaints redressal system insofar as it directly relates to public use of the MIS/PMM program in decision-making, transparency, and public accountability reporting.

2. Development of the Indicators       

The methodology followed was as follows:
null    Reviewed the gamut of municipal indicators and benchmarks developed successfully elsewhere.
null    Reviewed existing benchmarking/indicators being used by Govt. of India (Services Level Benchmarking, National City Sanitation Survey by the Ministry of Urban Development, Govt. of India,); Govt. of    Maharashtra (Swajal, Sant Gadge Baba Abhiyan, Performance Assessment System).
null    Developed indicators and measures that link to requirements of the internal and external performance measurement and to the goals, strategic plans of Lavasa.
null    Developed tools for collection of data, survey instruments, and tools set sampling regime
null    Facilitated pilot-testing of the data collection templates and indicators.
null    Finalized data collection templates and processes, reporting frequency.

For more information contact us at info@umcasia.org 

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT PROJECTS

Rapid Training Programs On JnNURM Reforms

Urban Indicators and Performance Measurement: A compilation of data across 30 cities of India

Monitoring and Evaluation of Financial Institutions Reform and Expansion (FIRE - D) program

Designing a Performance Management Framework for the City of Lavasa

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