Six years ago, Mayor Martin O?Malley started CitiStat. The city management system incorporates and builds on measurement programs that worked well for New York?s police department and the city of Chicago.
Baltimore?s system is unique in that it includes a 311 number residents can call when they think they?re not getting what they pay for in city services and for non-emergency issues. The process relies on the proven management idea that what gets measured gets done and bosses need to inspect what they expect.
From repair of potholes to disposition of abandoned buildings to cleanup of disgusting alleys, from effectiveness of sewage screens and to crime and police resource deployment and lots more, our city executives set goals and track turnover, overtime and job performance.
The city has saved $350 million in six years by using CitiStat, according to Stephen Kearney, the director of policy and communication for Mayor O?Malley.
In a room equipped with enough electronics and audio-visual support to remind visitors of the “Star Trek” control room, city department managers must stand, report and defend their performance and that of their people on a regular schedule and answer questions in hearing/near-trial format about why they are or are not performing and what they plan to do to get better.
Among many other things, the CitiStat approach helps to catch employees who chronically don?t complete work during business hours and cause overtime expenses.
It also shows how messy Baltimore residents and visitors can be. Just one of the city?s garbage collection bags in Harris Creek draws about three tons of garbage in a couple of weeks. That helps keep the Inner Harbor ? a major tourist draw and source of income ? clean. CitiStat tracks how much money is needed to have the screens cleaned up and when.
Senior leaders from lots of cities, states and foreign countries have attended CitiStat meetings and gotten the PowerPoint briefing.
A check with the governor?s aides found that he hasn?t visited for a departmental review meeting and walk-through of the program.
And our state hasn?t emulated Baltimore with a StateStat program. It?s worth a look and our governor might want to visit. He?ll probably find a flaw or two and suggest some tweaking. But he also might decide he could take the system to the state and save all of us some money there. And, just because it?s O?Malley?s thing doesn?t make it a bad idea, does it, Gov. Ehrlich?
