Agenda - 10-02-1995 - IX-A - Laserfiche WebLink

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s i 2 Of the County' s $73 million annual budget, a comparatively small portion is allotted for County operations ( excluding costs for personnel , schools , debt service , capital facilities and equipment , and outside agencies) - around $10 million, or about 14 percent of the total general fund budget . Of this $10 million, just over $4 million is budgeted for public assistance programs in the Department of Social Services. The balance, around $6 million, which represents approximately 8 percent of the total general fund budget, is left for County operations . while additional opportunities for efficiency and innovation in County operations will undoubtedly be identified, perhaps an important focus of the study should be a review of opportunities to reallocate existing personnel or operating resources from services perceived by citizens as lower in priority , to those of greater import . Jack Vogt of the IOG has agreed to work with the County on the efficiency/innovation study and to provide help and guidance to the citizen committee as it conducts its review. The Manager proposes that the efficiency/innovation committee be charged with delivering an interim report of results to the Board of Commissioners by April 16 , 1996 . Recommendations stemming from that report could be considered as part of the 1996-97 budget process , with a final product timetable established sometime later. Customer Service Study At a September 8th meeting , department heads discussed the benefits and constraints which should be considered by the Board in determining how to proceed with the customer service study. Attachment 2 outlines the major themes from the department head discussion. Perhaps the most significant will be recognition that the study represents a substantial outlay of time and effort that will require a commitment to this as a priority over an extended period. Beyond the commitment to complete the study, another key theme was the need for commitment required of the entire organization to follow through on opportunities for improvement identified by citizens. This will be vital to the overall success of the study. Incorporating outcomes determined on a department-by-department basis into future departmental workplans will provide a supportive structure for the necessary follow-through. Roger Schwarz and Peg Carlson of the IOG have agreed to work with the County and citizen committee to fashion a service quality survey similar to one they developed earlier for Lincoln County. The service quality study contemplated would involve a survey of Orange County citizens and employees that would focus on six to eight dimensions of service quality . In the Lincoln County study, these dimensions included: convenience; security; reliability; personal attention; problem solving approach; fairness; fiscal responsibility; and citizen influence . Examples of some of the findings from Lincoln County are included as Attachment 3 .