Frequently Asked Questions

What is Performance Counts!?

Why is Performance Counts! critical?

If a department has been investing in performance measurement, does this reporting structure replace what the department has been doing?

What are the different ways that the Performance Counts! system and framework are used throughout the County?

How is Performance Counts! information used in the Proposed Budget?

How is Performance Counts! information used in the Children and Families’ Budget (CFB)?

How is Performance Counts! information used in the County Progress Report?

How is Performance Counts! information used in the STATS efforts?

How is our budget impacted by achieving better program results when some programs are federally funded/mandated programs?

What is Performance Counts!?

Performance Counts! is the County of Los Angeles’ common system to consistently capture, present and report performance data. Performance Counts! is integrally linked to accomplishing the County’s mission to “Enrich Lives Through Effective and Caring Service,” and was developed and piloted under the leadership of the Guiding Coalition (GC), a leadership team of County department heads and Board of Supervisors Chief Deputies/Chiefs of Staff that guided the effort to update and implement the County Strategic Plan.

Performance Counts! provides flexibility for departments to present measures which are applicable to, and representative of, the services they provide. The Performance Counts! framework encourages managers to select those measures which link to their internal performance improvement efforts. By creating a results-oriented culture, Performance Counts! assists in creating an environment of continual operational, administrative and programmatic improvement.

Why is Performance Counts! critical?

The County faces a significant challenge in explaining to the public the results achieved, given the tremendous diversity of services provided by the County. A common set of terms is needed to allow the public, Board of Supervisors and stakeholders to understand results achieved, regardless of the specific service provided by any given department.

If a department has been investing in performance measurement, does this reporting structure replace what a department is doing?

No, Performance Counts! is simply a common system for reporting performance data. Performance Counts! provides a reporting format with flexibility to reflect the culture and management approach of each County department.

Performance Counts! promotes accountability, results and measurement and requires all departments to move toward establishing a comprehensive system to measure their results. These efforts are bolstered through the Performance Counts! common reporting framework, but departments are free to continue using current underlying performance measurement methodologies. Departments that do not currently use a performance measurement system may find it necessary to adopt a methodology, such as Balanced Scorecard or Results-Based Decision Making, to generate the required performance data and to translate it into an action plan that can be implemented for strategic and operational improvements.

What are the different ways that the Performance Counts! system and framework are used throughout the County?

• Proposed Budget
• Children and Families Budget (CFB)
• County Progress Report (CPR)
• STATS

How is Performance Counts! information used in the Proposed Budget?

County departments have been required to include performance data on each of the budget programs for several years. Data from Performance Counts! should improve the quality of service and emphasize the organizational and programmatic goals of the County and its programs. County managers and policymakers should have a better understanding of program results/accomplishments based on information provided through Performance Counts! and therefore be able to make more informed decisions during the budget process.

Ideally, measures and data within the Los Angeles County’s Proposed Budget give us a big picture viewpoint of how well our services are working, where our money is going and the tangible outcomes. This data should show us how well we are doing programmatically and how well we are doing with our current resources. Additionally, outcome data that is linked to the budget will allow us to analyze whether we can do better with more or less; and could raise the issue of whether we should shift our resources to better suited initiatives, or focus or efforts better with our current resources.

How is Performance Counts! information used in the Children and Families’ budget?

The Performance Counts! framework is used within the CFB to present outcome data from multiple agencies focused on improving program and service results for children and families in Los Angeles County. The CFB makes the shift from a departmental program inventory to an integrated performance-based budget report that is aligned around the County’s Goal 5 strategic plan strategy, Children and Families’ Well-Being. This multi-agency report helps to identify common issues and strengthens interdepartmental collaboration toward meeting specific service outcomes.

How is Performance Counts! information used in the County Progress Report?

The County Progress Report is intended to provide a summary level evaluation of the County of Los Angeles’ contribution to improving the quality of life for Los Angeles County residents. The County’s specific results are provided side by side regional or community indicators to show how the County is contributing to, or improving the conditions for Los Angeles County residents. The CPR report outlines the reasons why a program or service is important to the community and uses Performance Counts! data to illustrate how the County is doing in addressing its needs.

How is Performance Counts! information used in the STATS efforts?

STATS is a process whereby Performance Counts! data is used to improve operational effectiveness through a focused and collaborative effort to meet pre-set performance targets. Accurate and timely data are presented in regularly scheduled meeting with results being compared across time, offices and functions. These meetings are attended by all management staff responsible for the various functions for which data is being reported. This process is used to help managers make better business and strategic decisions; while it establishes a collaborative decision-making process and strengthens accountability toward the achievement of goals.

How is our budget impacted by achieving better program results when some programs are federally funded/mandated programs?

The budget may be indirectly affected by improved program results and better utilization of resources. More importantly, though, clients may achieve better results for themselves and their families as departments improve their performance and continually reassess what interventions are working. This result is the best outcome for Performance Counts!.