continuous improvement & innovation, response to the core

Continuous Improvement and Innovation Response to the Core Services Review

Report

March 2006 (Version 2.0)

Prepared by: Program Review City Manager’s Office

On Behalf Of: All Departments

Continuous Improvement and Innovation March, 2006 ii

Continuous Improvement and Innovation March, 2006 iii

Continuous Improvement and Innovation

Table of Contents

A. Introduction ..................................................................................... 1

B. Strategic Themes ............................................................................ 3

C. Opportunity Log............................................................................. 15

D. Other Strategic Initiatives .............................................................. 30

E. Corporate Processes .................................................................... 33

F. Corporate Improvements............................................................... 38

G. Key Performance Indicators .......................................................... 43

H. New and Enhanced Services ........................................................ 48

I. Discretionary Items ....................................................................... 50

J. Conclusion .................................................................................... 54

Appendices A. April 27th Report to PRIVATE Executive Committee B. Opportunity Log C. Opportunity Log – Mini Business Case Summary D. New and Enhanced Services E. Discretionary Items

Continuous Improvement and Innovation March, 2006 iv

Continuous Improvement and Innovation March, 2006 1

A.Introduction In early 2004 City Council and the Board of Police Commissioners undertook an independent review of the City of Regina and Regina Police Service operations. The reasons for the review were:

• To obtain an external opinion about the operations provided by the City and Police Service;

• To try to ensure that the City and Police Service were doing the right things for the right reason, the right way;

• To gather suggestions for improvement from all employees;

• To provide more focus to the decision making process to pursue City Council’s vision;

• To find any efficiencies or savings that were available; and

• Because the status quo is no longer a viable option for this organization.

Continuous improvement requires the organization to challenge the status quo on an ongoing basis because:

• Similar to all service organizations, this organization is experiencing increasing demands and expectations from citizens in a changing urban environment;

• Maintaining current service levels and/or adding new services without adding revenue is not sustainable;

• Changes to the workforce (mostly due to retirements) will result in changes to the employee base over the next few years;

• The organization is experiencing increased liabilities and infrastructure deficits;

• The organization is experiencing dwindling reserves and limited revenue growth; and

• The effort expended on the budget preparation process is extensive as compared to the resulting changes.

In response to the desire to challenge the status quo, the City of Regina in cooperation with the Regina Police Service engaged TkMC Management Consultants to perform a Core Services Review (CSR). The program specific goals of the Core Services Review were:

• To validate current programs and deliverables;

• To validate work processes;

• To become more accountable to citizens;

• To link corporate strategic priorities to the extent that they are articulated; and

• To position the organizations for future innovation.


At the January 24, 2005 City Council meeting, TkMC officially presented City Council with the Final Report: Core Services Review, Choices for Redefining Excellence.

TkMC’s final report on the Core Services Review outlined choices and opportunities that will assist the City of Regina now and in the future. This report entitled Continuous Improvement and Innovation – Response to the Core Services Review, outlines the work completed by the Administration to address the choices and opportunities outlined in the final report. On page three of the Executive Summary of the final report, TkMC provided the following recommendation:

“TkMC recommends that the first two actions involve the development of a Regina Strategic Plan and the Establishment of a Program Management Office (PMO) to act as the clearing house for the organization, control, management and reporting of the individual projects.”

The strategic plan is discussed in the next section of this report. The Program Review Office within the City Manager’s Department was established in 1999 and has the responsibility to provide program review support to the various City departments as well as facilitation support for corporate reviews and initiatives. Program Review, with the support of the departments, was responsible for working with TkMC on the Core Services Review. Over the next several years Program Review will continue to steward and facilitate the integration of the results of the Core Services Review into the continuous improvement initiatives for the organization. This report has been prepared by Program Review, in close cooperation and on behalf of the City Manager’s Office and the nine departments that make up the Administration of the City of Regina.


B.Strategic Themes TkMC’s report specifically discussed strategic planning:

“Council, the Board of Police Commissioners and the respective Senior Management groups must create a shared commitment to the change process. Council’s role is to define the strategic plan for the City and develop the policy framework for the evaluation and decision making related to strategic direction. The development of the plan and policy is supported and implemented by the Senior Management. Fundamental to this process and new municipal organization is the creation of an environment that results in a new Council/Management relationship that results in long term change that is driven by the vision, mission, organizational values, specific strategic initiatives and strategic decision making.”

On January 24, 2005 when City Council received TkMC’s final report they also dealt with report CR05-19 from Executive Committee: Core Services Review – Report Release, Communication Plan and Work Plan. At that time Council approved the following motion:

“The City Manager develop a work plan for consideration by the Executive Committee in March 2005.”

Throughout the month of February 2005, Program Review conducted feedback sessions with the various departmental and divisional management teams that make up the City of Regina’s corporate management team. More than 100 managers, general managers and department heads provided suggestions and ideas on methods that departments and the corporate management team could use to move along the road of continuous improvement, the premise on which this organization is based. The City Manager presented the required work plan in a report to the April 27, 2005 Executive Committee meeting. The plan was based on the outcomes of the feedback sessions and several intensive sessions with the Senior Management team to develop the most appropriate approach to implementation. For various reasons the report was tabled to the June 20, 2005 Executive Committee meeting. In June the report was reviewed and it was determined that due to the uncertain labour environment at the time, it was most prudent to table the report to a fall meeting. On November 9, 2005 Executive Committee considered the report. The report, attached as Appendix A to this report, outlined a work plan that would provide results through two concurrent processes.


1. A strategic alignment process for the organization.

2. A process to address both the improvement opportunities provided in the Core Services Review Opportunity Log and other opportunities for improvement identified by the departments, and integrate them into the daily operations of the various service areas.

At that meeting it was determined that it would be extremely difficult to embark on a traditional strategic alignment process at this time. The Administration’s focus for the remainder of 2005 needed to be 2006 budget preparation and recovery from the job action. In addition the Mayor’s Task Force on Regina’s Future was involved in a community visioning process entitled Shaping Regina. The results of this visioning process may require that City Council revisit A Vision for Regina. Embarking on a strategic alignment process after, rather than before that review and update, ensures alignment of the strategic initiatives from the Administration through City Council and to the community vision. Finally, because the engagement of the current City Manager was quickly coming to an end, it was determined that it would be in the best interest to delay the strategic alignment process until such time as it could be done under the leadership and guidance of the next City Manager. It was determined that the Administration would introduce a process to provide a presentation for members of Executive Committee on the key issues and initiatives within the various departments and an update on the CSR Opportunity Log. The original intention was that the departments would provide presentations for Executive Committee outlining the various issues and initiatives within their own department. As the Senior Management team worked together to develop their presentations it quickly became clear that there were six major, strategic themes that should drive strategic choices. The Senior Management team adjusted the concept of departmental presentations to allow for the development of one cohesive presentation that they would provide to Executive Committee as a team. The benefits of this approach include:

• The Senior Management team has an opportunity to work very closely together;

• Executive Committee can get a better understanding of the overall issues and initiatives and can provide policy direction at the highest level and is not required to respond to “one of” choices;


• Executive Committee can see and understand the types of strategic choices that the Administration faces on a regular basis, and can provide support and direction as required;

• The Senior Management team and Executive Committee can work together to develop solutions to common issues; and

• The discussions related to the six strategic themes can serve as a foundation for the more comprehensive strategic planning process that will follow. It is the first step in “the creation of an environment that results in a

new Council/Management relationship that results in long term change that is driven by the vision, mission, organizational values, specific strategic initiatives and strategic decision making” (TkMC’s report).

On February 9, 18 and 25, 2006 the Senior Management team provided the six-part presentation to Executive Committee. The six strategic themes are:

1. Mandate; 2. Asset Management; 3. Service Delivery; 4. Revenue Generation; 5. Customer Service; and 6. Contemporary Employer

These six strategic themes cover the majority of the more strategic issues and opportunities raised in the CSR and at the same time provide perspective to ongoing issues and initiatives within the departments.

1. Mandate Mandate refers to the determination of which services the City provides, the level of service provided and the goals and objectives of the particular service. Examining and determining mandate is the initial step in aligning the organization and setting its future direction. Ultimately a municipality’s role is to do for its citizens collectively, those things they cannot do for themselves on an individual basis. Mandate is a strategic topic because City Council is constantly challenged to provide new and enhanced services to the community without parallel increases in funding to pay for the new or enhanced services. In an attempt to meet their commitments to the community, City Council challenges the Administration to find new and innovative ways to provide services. The first step in developing new ways to provide service is to confirm the mandate for the service.


This provides opportunities to:

• Reaffirm the services the City directly delivers or supports by investment;

• Determine if there are some services that should be phased out;

• Determine if there are some services where the service levels should be changed or adjusted;

• Determine the priority of services so that they can be strategically funded. There are several tools available to City Council and the Administration to assist with determining the mandate for particular civic programs. One of those tools is A Vision for Regina.

A Vision for Regina

By 2010 Regina will be:

A city of 250,000 citizens, within a region of 300,000; A city where people grow together;

A city recognized for its economic, social and environmental sustainability; A city that is the hub of a region of diversified economic growth;

A city that is people centered; A city of inclusiveness, that celebrates its cultural diversity;

A city where Aboriginal people participate fully in economic and community affairs;

A city where people are drawn to because of its quality of life; A city that is attractive, generous, affordable, accessible, compact and

competitive; A city where seniors can retire in security and young people can thrive in

opportunity; A city that is plainly "a good place to live."

At the centre of the vision is the word "prosperity."

Service provision decisions for the City of Regina must align with the vision to ensure that they are meeting the needs of the organization and the community. The Mayor’s Task Force on Regina’s Future is currently facilitating a community engagement process entitled Shaping Regina. The Shaping Regina website describes the initiative:

“Shaping Regina is a project of the Mayor's Task Force of Regina's Future where we will create a community vision for the next 100 years by focusing on specific priorities that are flagged by the community. From


there, strategies and action plans will be developed to allow us, as a community, to work towards a sustainable future.”

City Council will be able to use the results of the community visioning process to update A Vision for Regina to ensure that it most effectively portrays the vision for this community. TkMC introduced the Core Continuum through the CSR. The continuum was vetted through the CSR Steering Committee (members of The City of Regina Finance and Administration Committee and the Regina Board of Police Commissioners), the Senior Management teams for the City of Regina and the Regina Police Service and through a focus group process within the community. This is a new tool that articulates very clearly the relationship of specific programs and allows for the City of Regina to help determine service mandates and define where specific services fit within the core responsibilities for the organization.

TkMC describes the Core Continuum as:

“The purpose and value of the “Working Definition of Core” [Core Continuum] is to establish for the City of Regina, a shared decision-making framework based on values or a vision. The application of this framework helps the City confront the need to make choices in a more reasoned way.”


A Vision for Regina complements the Core Continuum. The two need to be considered together to make mandate decisions. The timeline below provides examples of the various services and programs that the City is involved in. In some cases the services are provided by the City, in other cases the City is a partner in service provision or the City has made an investment and another service provider (either public or private) is responsible for actual program delivery.

In relation to the Core Continuum for the City, the majority of the services that are most core (or at the top of the continuum) have been provided by the City for a very long time. Some, like fire, police and water services have been provided since the time that Regina became a town, and then a city. A Vision for Regina, on the other hand most specifically addresses those services and programs that have developed or become civic responsibility over a longer time period, and much more recently. When compared to the Core Continuum, the Vision specifically acknowledges services and programs that are further down on the continuum (or less core). The vision, it seems, for the most part assumes the


existence of more core services that the City provides, and concentrates on the less core services that influence quality of life. City Council with the support of the Administration has a responsibility to allocate funds to civic services in a manner that most effectively meets the requirements and wishes of the community. It is important that the tools outlined in this section of the report are used in a balanced approach. If decisions are based solely on the core continuum, the limited financial resources would be used up long before the requirements for less core programs are addressed. If the vision is used in isolation of the continuum, the assumed services (more core) would probably be more severely under funded. The relationship of A Vision for Regina to the Core Continuum is important and has a significant impact on mandate decisions. The analysis provided here clearly shows that one tool cannot be used in isolation of the other. These relationships make discussions about the strategic direction for the organization related to mandate important. For the most part, the strategic direction related to the more core (more basic) City services can be inferred. However, it is much more difficult to infer appropriate, aligned direction on the less core services that the City provides. Discussions to date have set the stage for more specific direction with respect to mandate. The Administration will bring reports to the appropriate standing committees looking for more specific direction related to programs such as Fire Sprinklering in New Developments, Service Mandate for Transit, Service Mandate for Leisure and Recreational Services.

2. Asset Management Asset Management is defined as the management process of acquiring, maintaining, upgrading, operating and decommissioning physical assets cost effectively. Asset Management provides a framework for both short and long range planning, facilitates an organized logical approach to decision making and supports sustainability. The CSR included Asset Management as a corporate improvement (see Section F of this report). The mini-business case conducted during the CSR limited asset management to the purchase, management and disposal of corporate equipment. It excluded computer and printing equipment managed by Information Systems and fleet vehicles and equipment. Asset management as described within this theme is much broader than that. Municipalities are responsible for billions of dollars worth of assets including water and waste water infrastructure, roadways and traffic infrastructure, civic buildings, fleet and equipment. Cities in general have been very successful in


recent years to inform and educate elected officials (at all levels of government) and residents of the growing infrastructure gap within their communities. Reducing the funding gap is a large part of all discussions related to community sustainability. In Regina the infrastructure gap is a result of aging infrastructure that is not being supported aggressively enough through maintenance and replacement programs. In addition some infrastructure (e.g. some leisure facilities) has not been adapted to meet changing program needs. Past funding shifts from the provincial and federal governments have played a big role in determining the infrastructure’s current condition. Regina is also subject to conditions related to its location, with weather, soil conditions and climate all contributing to asset condition. Another reason for the current condition is related to the age of the city and the infrastructure. Regina grew significantly after World War II and into the 1950’s. All of the infrastructure built in that time period is now more than 50 years old and reaching the end of its useful life. Why focus on Asset Management?

• A formalized asset management program is a powerful tool for decision makers to engage citizens, senior governments, funding agencies and businesses;

• It facilitates a more organized logical approach to decision making;

• It defines the effort required to maintain the asset to a level that supports the pre-determined service level (mandate);

• It provides a framework for both short and long range planning;

• It ensures fiscal responsibility;

• It can be used at a detailed level to assist with the management of operations and programs; and

• It can assist with timely asset preservation that: o Is more effective over the longer term o Allows for sustainable service levels o Maximizes the useful life of the asset.

Adequate asset management for the City of Regina requires clear corporate asset management principles that include:

• A framework for preventative maintenance, upgrades, changes and decommissioning of assets;

• Planned long-term investment programs to ensure sustainability of the assets;

• An integrated approach to maintenance, repair and upgrades that link decision making on different types of assets to ensure the most effective decisions (e.g. if it is necessary to rebuild a road, it may be prudent to rebuild the underground infrastructure at the same time).


The Administration is committed to developing a sound asset management framework, built on principles that ensure strategic and effective asset management within program areas across the organization and within the community. The basis for the principles must be closely tied to A Vision for Regina in that they must ensure sustainability from an economic, social and environmental perspective.

3. Service Delivery The discussion about Service Delivery revolves around the City’s responsibility to ensure the most effective and efficient service is provided to Regina citizens. Various service delivery methods can be considered to ensure this goal is met. They range from provision solely by the City of Regina, to solely contracted services and community investments in other service providers. Examples of various methods currently in use within the City of Regina include:

• Own and manage the delivery mechanism o Fire Suppression and Rescue, Waste Water Treatment,

Cemeteries, Landfill, Regular Transit, City Clerk

• Complete provision by private sector provider o Infrastructure New Construction, Major Capital Projects

• Mixed provision (City and Contractor) o Golf Courses, Paratransit, Infrastructure Renewal, Solid Waste

Collection (Big Blue Bin is Contracted)

• Partner with Community o Community and Zone Boards, Regina Humane Society

• Invest in Private or Community Provider o Social Development Investments, Globe Theatre Investment,

Strategic Alliances (Wascana Centre Authority, Saskatchewan Roughriders, University of Regina (turf)).

The City’s paramount role with respect to service delivery decisions is to ensure that the most effective and efficient service exists. There are a number of drivers that are considered when determining what method to implement for specific programs and services.

• Basic service levels versus peak demand;

• Requirement for specialized equipment;

• Requirement for skills and expertise;

• Cost effectiveness; and

• Limited Resources.


When new services are added or there is a significant change in the current situation, service delivery decisions are evaluated based on these drivers and the environment at the time. Decisions are consistent and provide good value. However, the process could be solidified and may be more transparent if decisions were based on a set of principles (policy). The foundation of those principles should ensure that decisions:

• Are based on comprehensive business plans;

• Meet required service levels;

• Address any requirement for in-house expertise (is this something that we cannot rely on private sector or community to provide);

• Are reflective of the requirements for long-term sustainability (asset management);

• Ensure that efficiencies and learnings gleaned from external service providers is applied to city operations;

• Ensure long-term cost effectiveness (over the shorter term this may be the more expensive alternative); and

• Ensure a balance between external and internal service provision to appropriately manage risk for selected programs.

o Essential service provision o Competition and Comparison (performance measurement)

In addition, as service delivery decisions are made, and when determining whether or not to engage outside parties to assist with the provision of services, there are various considerations.

• Changing skill sets for managers. If managers work more with outside parties than they traditionally have, in addition to operational skills, they require contract management skills.

• Changes to the method of providing a service do no eliminate the costs of providing that service.

4. Revenue Generation The theme Revenue Generation focuses on methods and initiatives that have the potential to increase the revenue pool for the City of Regina. It concentrates on the development of a corporate Revenue strategy, examines potential for growth in existing sources of revenue and attempts to identify new sources of revenue. Discussion with respect to a revenue strategy in general focus on identifying principles that could be used to evaluate various revenue policies. It is important that the revenue strategy always be considered in light of the other strategic themes, and decisions related to revenue reflect the strategic direction of the organization.


Specifics within the revenue strategy theme include a requirement for a clear and consistent definition of cost recovery as well as clear direction from City Council with respect to whether the organization, in some circumstances, should attempt to provide programs at a profit. The theme also examines the potential for new taxes, a base tax or special tax to raise funds for specific programs/projects. The discussion highlights the importance of lobbying senior levels of government. It highlights a requirement to revisit and revamp development charges to accurately reflect current development practices. Finally, a strategy must pursue discussion related to the use of an index to ensure that all options related to the potential for automatic growth are considered. For example, is it possible to base increases to fees and/or taxes to an index such as CPI or a municipal index of some kind?

5. Customer Service The City of Regina’s objective with respect to customer service is to ensure the delivery of municipal services meet the needs and expectations of Regina’s citizens by becoming a customer focused organization. This requires a corporate commitment and culture shift, and training and education of all employees. These efforts should allow this organization to parallel or exceed service delivery levels of other organizations. Customers expect flexible, accessible and timely service, using innovative and integrated service delivery methods (Seamless One Stop). They expect to encounter skilled and knowledgeable people when they interact with the organization, and most recently they are concerned about the protection of their private information. All employees whether they provide front line service to a customer, or whether they work in the background processing information and providing support, have customers. All customers, whether they are the public or another employee deserve the same respect and high quality service. Employees throughout the organization need to be aware of their customers, their needs and expectations and need to strive to meet those needs and expectations. In order to achieve these objectives the organization has an obligation to ensure that employees understand their role and responsibility. The organization must provide training, support, and resources to help the employees achieve customer service objectives. Developing and embracing an organization wide visible customer service commitment is a significant culture shift and will require work and time to accomplish. A detailed comprehensive customer service strategy is required to carry forward this initiative efficiently and effectively.


6. Contemporary Employer The City of Regina recognizes that its people are its most key and valuable resource. Recruitment and retention strategies that ensure appropriately skilled employees accept and retain positions are paramount. Flexible and contemporary (not leading edge) wages, benefit and personal development programs that provide opportunities for advancement and growth within the organization can ensure availability of experienced and dedicated employees to implement strategies and programs described in previous themes. The City of Regina’s experience is similar to other organizations with respect to human resource issues. The effects of the aging workforce are evident with the increasing number of retirements, and for some positions there is significant difficulty attracting and retaining the highest quality candidates. Similar to other organizations it is becoming increasingly difficult to attract some specific skills (trades and professionals), and the competition for highly skilled, highly educated aboriginal candidates is intense. The City of Regina continues to work towards achieving outcomes to best serve this organization and this community. The outcomes include:

• Employment opportunities and careers that are challenging and that meet identified service requirements;

• Hiring for immediate need with view to strategic directives;

• An environment where employees learn, develop and move into positions of increased responsibility and build loyalty to the organization;

• An organization that recognizes and values the contribution of employees;

• A diverse workforce;

• Pay and Benefits that are competitive (not leading edge);

• A stable workforce in all occupations; and

• Ongoing continuous improvement. The strategic themes outlined in this section drive strategic choices for this organization and are the basis for the development of a comprehensive strategic plan that this organization will use as it continues to strive for continuous improvement.


C.Opportunity Log TkMC’s final report included an opportunity log of 1237 ideas and suggestions. Opportunities were gathered from several sources:

• Employees submitted opportunities electronically; • Employees submitted opportunities through the opportunity boxes placed

in all City facilities; and • Opportunities were collected from services area managers through

templates. During the CSR the Administration and City Council both committed to reviewing each and every opportunity raised by employees through the review process. The process to honour that commitment is outlined here. It is intended that the opportunities be integrated into the ongoing commitment to continuous improvement at the City of Regina. The diagram below depicts the various streams of improvement opportunities that each department considers on an ongoing basis.

Core Services

Review

Opportunities

Existing

Initiatives

New

Initiatives

Continuous

Improvement


Program Review completed an initial sifting and sort of the opportunities assigning them to departments for review and response. Opportunities that were very similar and duplicate opportunities were combined for review purposes. Several departments added new opportunities that were not identified through the review process that they wanted to be considered through this process. Some opportunities contained more than one idea and these were separated into individual opportunities so that each different idea could be assigned and considered by the appropriate department

A total of 1061 opportunities were assigned to specific departments, 103 opportunities involved more than one department, 82 involved all departments and 13 were considered to be beyond the scope of the municipality either because the subject matter falls beyond municipal jurisdiction or because the opportunity failed to provide adequate information. The assignment of opportunities to Departments detailed in this table includes only those opportunities that were clearly the responsibility of one department to lead and review.

Department No. of Opps.

City Manager 15 Community Services 143

Corporate Services 209 Engineering and Works 133

Finance 72

Fire 43 Human Resources 122

Legal 7 Revenue Admin. and Assessment 84

Transit 73

Regina Police Service* 160

* Responses to the Regina Police Service Opportunities are beyond the scope of this report.

Each department undertook a review process that allowed them to consider and report on each opportunity. The review process included a comprehensive sifting, sorting and categorization process. The opportunity log including departmental responses has been recreated as Appendix B to this report. The opportunities are separated by department. Two additional sections are included in the appendix. The Shared section is for those opportunities that are shared by more than one department and a lead department has not been determined. The All Departments section is for opportunities that have been assigned to all departments and a lead has not been determined at this time.


Each opportunity now includes a response from the department indicating the status of the opportunity. The responses have allowed for categorization of the opportunities into one of four categories:

• Complete – the issue or suggestion outlined in the opportunity has been undertaken by the department and the initiative to address the suggestion has been completed.

• Underway – the work required to address the issue or suggestion outlined in the opportunity is currently underway.

• Further Consideration – the opportunity has neither been acted upon nor abandoned at this time, and requires further consideration before a decision can be made. It is possible that with further consideration the opportunity may be abandoned, but it is possible as well, that with that further consideration it may be determined that the opportunity is valuable and will be implemented.

• Not proceed – for reasons outlined in the departmental response, the opportunity will not be pursued.

1. Departmental Results This section of the report outlines results of the opportunity log review on a departmental basis and provides departmental summary progress reports. It also provides detailed information on some of the high impact opportunities for each department.

a. City Manager’s Department

Status Number

Complete 3 Underway 6

Further Consideration 4 Not Proceed 2

Total 15 Opportunities for the City Manager’s department included a suggestion (#17) to partner with the Regina Public Library and the Regina Exhibition Association. Through the review process this opportunity was classified as Underway, as partnerships are in place with these organizations and many others throughout the community. The City always looks to partnering as a method to deliver service within the community (strategic theme – service delivery), and acknowledges that there will always be room to consider more partnerships, beneficial for all involved parties.


The Opportunity Log included five opportunities related to strategic alignment. These have also been given a status of Underway, as the work on the six strategic themes is the foundation for the forthcoming strategic alignment process for the organization.

b. Community Services

Status Number

Complete 17

Underway 41


Total 143 Some of the significant opportunities for Community Services include:

306 Centralize booking of all facilities. 342 Implement leisure program registration via the internet. 399 Wascana Centre Authority and the City should combine tree nurseries. 659 Review annual grant process and internal reporting structures. 903 Combine Bylaw Enforcement and Property Standards roles and

responsibilities.

Centralizing booking of facilities would provide for one stop shopping for customers looking to hold an event in a City facility. It will remove the requirement to check with each facility for availability and amenities. This is a priority for the division for 2006, and should create more effective and efficient customer service, free up resources to provide other services and avoid duplication of work.

The upgrade to the CLASS system will allow for the implementation of leisure program registrations via the internet. Work is underway with implementation slated to be completed this year. This will enhance customer service by making the registration process much more convenient.

Community Services has held initial discussions with Wascana Centre Authority to determine the feasibility of an integrated tree nursery. Both parties are currently considering a partnership arrangement. Further discussions will also include a broader look at services to determine if there are other areas where benefit could be gained through a partnership arrangement.

The most immediate change for grants is a change in name from grants to investments. The Community Association Funding Review, the Social Development Community Investment Funding Review and the Self-Help Funding


Review which were initiated in 2005 and that will be reported on in 2006 provide opportunity to rethink and address current community investment issues with contemporary programs that can more appropriately align with the goals of this organization and meet the needs of the community.

Finally, the opportunity to combine Bylaw Enforcement and Property Standards roles and responsibilities is underway. This change should allow for more timely responses to issues and concerns and provide more effective service to customers.

c. Corporate Services

Status Number

Complete 49

Underway 56


Total 209 Some of the significant opportunities for Corporate Services include:

958 Improve consultation with service areas to ensure fleet specifications are appropriate and meet the needs of the area. • Implementation of an Equipment Application Study Process for

major fleet purchases is underway. This will introduce a better method to develop specifications, and will describe major equipment needs based on the documented job requirements.

Asset Management – A number of opportunities (including 506, 527, 636, 584, and 679) assigned to Corporate Services relate directly to improving the control and management of City assets including facilities and other buildings. These opportunities speak to increasing financial commitments to sustain infrastructure, increasing focus and commitment to building maintenance and replacement, and implementation of formal preventative maintenance systems to improve the management of facility assets.

This is an area of focus for the department and the organization, and it ties directly to the Strategic Theme of Asset Management. Implementation of recommendations from past initiatives such as The Yard Study are underway, and will occur as part of a multiple year process with capital funding allocated in 2006 to begin work on priority facilities.


Document Management - Software for the management of records (TRIM) has been purchased, and the system is currently being implemented for paper records first, and will then be reviewed for application to electronic documents. There were numerous Corporate Services opportunities (including 57, 862, 793, and 75) that relate to improving document management across the organization, including management of electronic data. The first step of addressing paper records will position the organization to then focus in the same way on electronic document management. This is a significant undertaking for the organization and for the City Clerks Division who leads the project, and the process will occur over a number of years.

Communications - There were a large number of individual ideas and suggestions for improving how the organization communicates and interacts with customers and employees (including 894, 107, 97, 559, and 226). These opportunities are being incorporated and addressed as part of 2006 initiatives that are underway including:

1 Updating the Public Engagement Manual. 2 Reviewing internal communications. 3 Redesigning the City of Regina website and intranet sites. 4 Exploring the premise of 3-1-1 implementation.

Global Positioning System Technology - Many opportunities for the Information Systems Division (including 318, 146, 374, and 386) suggested ideas and innovations that use global positioning system (GPS) technology. This is an area of focus for the division and for the service areas for whom this technology can help improve efficiency, streamline processes, provide valuable management information, and improve customer service.

Corporate GPS and Automatic Vehicle Locator pilot projects are in the works and mobile field devices are planned for future rollout of several system implementations. The current expansion of the City’s Municipal Area Network over wireless will create the foundation needed for the city network to enable these types of applications to be implemented.


d. Engineering and Works

Status Number

Complete 25

Underway 31


Total 134 Significant opportunities for Engineering and Works that are being undertaken in 2006 include:

138 Explore equipment partnerships to manage peak Situations • An initiative is currently underway to ensure that Tandem

Trucks are shared amongst divisions within the department to maximize fleet utilization. How this opportunity can be expanded to other equipment is being reviewed by the Sewer, Water and Waste Management Division and the Roadways and Traffic Division.

139 Control the methane gas generated at the Landfill • Construction and operation of a landfill gas control system is

planned for 2006. Funding is allocated to the initiative in both the 2006 capital and operating budgets. This will improve the environmental quality of the landfill and will also create opportunities for technology development and the potential for new revenue from the sale of landfill gas.

183 Partner with SGI on budget for traffic safety education and public communication • Expansion of the current partnership with SGI that involves

public education and communication will be considered in 2006.

511 Decrease the large amount of manpower and equipment that is presently deployed to do simple repairs on water and sewer mains • The potential of decreasing manpower and equipment

requirements on some sewer and water jobs will be reviewed in 2006 with a view to reallocating manpower and equipment to increase efficiency of operations.

There are a number of opportunities submitted for Engineering and Works that suggest training sewer maintenance and capital installation crews to multitask in order to be more competitive with local contractors.


The organizational review being conducted by the Sewer, Water and Waste Management Division in 2006 will consider these opportunities.

e. Finance

Status Number

Complete 18

Underway 35


Total 72 Within the Finance section in the Opportunity Log there are a number of opportunities that reference acquisition policies and the Regina Administration Bylaw (authority to purchase). These are discussed in the Corporate Process section of this document (Section E.3. Procurement Process). Others to note include:

756. Implement Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) to reduce costs of paying suppliers. This opportunity was implemented in April of 2005 and has provided for a more effective process.

758. Collect payment at time city service is provided to customer rather than billing. The Revenue Collection Review is addressing policies to implement this where feasible. The implementation of the CLASS system and related policies has significantly reduced the number of incidences where recreation bookings are done on credit.

864. Ensure consistent corporate process for issuing refunds. This opportunity refers to the process being inconsistent within the organization. A draft refund policy is in progress. One of the major principles of the policy is to develop a program where the policy is as consistent as possible across the organization, ensuring that customers receive the service they expect based on their previous experience with the organization.


f. Fire

Status Number

Complete 7

Underway 14


Total 43 Opportunities to highlight for Fire include:

275 Combine manager function for Fire Prevention and Public Education. 350 Implement steps to ensure that the Fire Inspection division meet inspection cycle standards (2 yrs.). 359 Ensure that there is a full-time dispatcher on all shifts in the Fire Communications centre. 373 Install mobile data terminals in Fire apparatus. 510 Mandate the installation of fire sprinklers in all new construction including residential.

The combination of the manager function for Fire Prevention and Public Education is underway. This amalgamation presents the Fire Department with the opportunity to combine the divisions that affect fire and life safety leadership prior to an emergency within the community. Integrating the areas into one division presents the opportunity to align the human behavioural Fire education with the application of community readiness as it relates to the physical building code, inspection, enforcement and investigation.

City Council supports the goal of a 24 month Fire inspection cycle. Work is underway to review business processes, investigate the possibility of using handheld computers to record inspection findings in real time, and the effects of the recently implemented records management system to find efficiencies and better measure the requirements of achieving the 24 month cycle.

Currently Fire dispatch backup staffing is drawn from Suppression and Rescue personnel. The goal for the new configuration would ensure at least one fulltime dispatcher is on duty most of the time. The Fire Administration has initiated discussions with the Firefighters Association to implement this change.

Mobile Data Terminals in Fire apparatus will assist emergency workers to have immediate access to critical information (location, site plans, hazardous materials storage, etc.) and improve response times. Work on the wireless network for the City of Regina will allow for this technology to be available within the apparatus.


The mandatory requirement for fire sprinklers in new construction (including residential), has been raised by the Fire department a number of times. Work continues to prepare the community through education and promotion. In addition the Fire department continues to develop specifications for water service, construction, etc.

g. Human Resources

Status Number

Complete 17

Underway 38 Further Consideration 14

Not Proceed 53

Total 122 Opportunities related to Human Resource issues covered various subject areas and it is difficult to associate them with just one opportunity. Some of the subject areas addressed through the HR opportunities include:

• Attendance Management – The Return to Work Coordinator continues to provide support to policy development and implementation.

• Implementation of an E-Recruitment system – work continues on the development and application of a comprehensive E-Recruitments system for the organization.

• Preparation for upcoming negotiations – the Opportunity Log provided numerous suggestions that are being considered as HR moves towards negotiations with unions for 2007 and beyond.

• Development of core competencies for positions – work continues to develop core competencies.

• Supervisory/leadership development – this is an area that was outlined as requiring focus before the CSR. The opportunities provided by employees help to guide the shaping of programs to address issues in this area.


h. Legal

Status Number

Complete 4

Underway 0


Total 7 Opportunities to highlight for Legal include:

196 Reduce the time delays in getting legal advice. • There continues to be a growing demand for legal advice and

services and the recruitment and retention of lawyers is challenging. The department is focused on meeting the needs of its internal customers and will continue to evaluate the resource levels required to provide timely services.

The department conducts annual service evaluations with the departments it serves in order to identify issues, areas of concern and to obtain feedback that assists the department in improving its service provision.

549 The Freedom of Information Act needs to be reviewed and guidelines and policies need to be developed for the City to minimize the risk and still allow the freedom to make prudent business decisions knowing the impact. • Developing a comprehensive corporate education strategy for

dealing with privacy legislation, which includes policies and procedures is a priority for the department. The department has provided internal training sessions in this regard and will continue to do so as needed in 2006 and in future years.


i. Revenue Administration and Assessment

Status Number

Complete 8

Underway 28


Total 84 Highlights of the opportunities underway in the Revenue Administration and Assessment Department include:

520 Implement online payment for utility bills, taxes, parking tickets, licenses etc. • Internet initiatives such as this one continue to be a priority in

the delivery of services. In 2006 the department will consider the need to accept credit card payments for services, the impact and necessary policy development that will be required.

541 Bill water charges monthly and start taking delinquency action earlier on outstanding accounts. • There are a number of benefits to be gained by moving to

monthly billing for utility accounts. This will be reviewed in 2006 for possible implementation in 2007.

821 Use handheld devices for issuing parking tickets. • With new legislation for parking ticket enforcement, handheld

technology for parking ticket issuance is part of a key project for the department in 2006.

j. Transit

Status Number

Complete 15

Underway 4

Further Consideration 37

Not Proceed 17

Total 73 Opportunities for the Transit department included a significant number of interrelated ideas and suggestions that relate to changes, improvements and additions to a number of route and schedules. A detailed review of all routes and services is planned for 2006 and will consider all of the opportunities identified. These types of opportunities include:


546 Extend transit service on Sundays. 1197 Re-evaluate transit routes as there are too many empty buses. 1202 Review transit service on routes 7 and 9. The route is too long for

the traffic and volume. 1236 Increase transit service levels by providing service on statutory

holidays.

Other opportunities to note include: 716 Recruit more transit operators

• Four new operator positions have been created 731 Explore the opportunity to receive requests for Paratransit service

trip bookings via the internet. This could assist with the volume of trip bookings.

• This item is included for consideration in the e-government initiatives review for 2006.

733 Paratransit should pursue the cost recovery from school boards and health organizations • This initiative is complete. The school boards will pay on a cost

recovery basis by September 2007.

2. Opportunity Log – Mini Business Cases During the CSR the Program Management team completed a high level sort of the opportunity log to filter those opportunities that met an initial test for ease of implementation and return on investment. Sixty-three opportunities were chosen and the Review Team completed mini-business cases for each one. The mini-business cases focused on identifying further details, potential value, implementation considerations and costs. The detailed mini-business cases were included in an appendix to the final report. TkMC provided the following:

“The information contained in the mini-business cases is a very high level and each case requires more review and analysis prior to implementation. As the implementation of change moves forward, each item will be reviewed with the associated Department to ensure that the analysis was appropriate and the conclusions are correct.”


Appendix C to this document provides the sixty-three detailed opportunities and the departmental response for each one. Of the 63 opportunities, 11 are related specifically to the Regina Police Service and beyond the scope of this report. The remaining 52 have undergone an initial review by the associated departments to determine their applicability.

Total City of Regina Opportunities 52

Complete 7 Further Consideration 19 Not Proceed 15 Underway 11

Within the complete category three of the opportunities include:

• Review computer leasing program – in 2005 the length of lease was changed from 3 to 4 years to provide for more effective and efficient computer upgrade processing while ensuring that employees have access to appropriate equipment.

• Cost recovery service to School Boards for Paratransit – new charges are being phased in and School Boards will be paying full cost by September, 2007.

• Review of parks maintenance standards – current parks maintenance standards were reviewed and approved in 2002. Parks Maintenance continues to earn one of the highest levels of customer satisfaction as measured through the annual omnibus survey. (Note that the $617,000 estimated in the mini-business case will not be realized because the decision is to maintain current service levels.)

Some of the initiatives underway include:

• Develop best practice outline for Facility Operations – currently being pursued.

• Bill water charges monthly – when this was considered in the past, the added cost of monthly billing (particularly the postage cost) exceeded the gain on interest from the advanced cash flow. The analysis may be different at this time or may be different for certain types of accounts, such as commercial accounts, rental accounts, etc. This will be reviewed in 2006 for possible implementation in 2007.

• Close 22 outdoor non-boarded skating sites – the current Outdoor Ice program operates at a number of locations throughout the city. Some sites have two ice surfaces - boarded and non-boarded, while other sites have only one non-boarded ice surface. This opportunity will be considered further and may be presented as an option for the 2006 - 2007 season.


Several of the opportunities that require further consideration include:

• Equipment partnerships to manage peak situations - An initiative is currently underway to ensure that tandem trucks are shared amongst the divisions to maximize fleet utilization. The opportunity may exist to expand this to other equipment and perhaps with other service providers.

• Increase cost recovery fees for the Building division from 75 to 100% - Although this topic was the subject of an extensive review in 2000 and 2002 and the Planning Commission did not concur with the proposal, the issue should be readdressed as part of a larger corporate review that addresses the City’s philosophical position on fee structures and cost recoveries.

Examples of opportunities that will not proceed include:

• Recover pest control costs for services to external jurisdictions – the City does not provide pest control services to other jurisdictions.

• License plumbers to be allowed to operate City curb boxes – the department indicates that allowing third parties to operate curb boxes exposes the City’s assets to the potential for damage and the need for excavation and repair. Curb boxes can be prone to failure when operated, and a failed curb box can expose the City to additional risk.

• Review transit mechanic training to provide more wide spread opportunities – various training opportunities are provided to the journeyman mechanics, including engine and transmission overhaul training.

The opportunities included in the CSR have been fully integrated into the operation of the City of Regina, and have become part of the ongoing process to improve operations and meet the ongoing commitment to continuous improvement.


D.Other Strategic Initiatives TkMC’s final report outlined seven strategic initiatives that they believed to be the most important and fundamental. These included:

1. Strategic Planning 2. Creation of a Program Management Office 3. Organizational Change 4. Shared Services Model 5. Integrated Community Building through a Network Organization 6. Long Range Financial Planning 7. Public Participation Strategy

This report has already discussed Strategic Planning and the Program Management Office. Following is a brief discussion (including information from the CSR) of the other five initiatives.

3. Organizational Change Municipal organizational structures are a dynamic of functions and behaviours; in effect, they are a compilation of multiple semi-dependent businesses. As stakeholder needs and aspirations evolve and external environments change, organizational structures and the tone of the organization need to be responsive to these changes. Structure follows strategy – and to that end it will be necessary to structure the municipal corporation and align it to meet the strategic intent.

4. Shared Services Model The concept for a shared services model is to bring together functions that are frequently duplicated across departments and offer these services through a shared services hub that operates as a freestanding business with management structures that promote efficiency, value generation and cost savings. The City of Regina and Regina Police Service share services on a regular basis and in a number of different areas. Within the City of Regina there are various departments that provide support functions for other departments. As well the City and RPS work closely together where the City provides labour relations support, legal counsel and various financial functions. One area where the RPS provides corporate support is through the Radio Management system that provides management and support to the entire two-way radio system (a system that is shared by the organizations).


To date, consistent comprehensive shared service strategies including agreements and processes have not been developed. Documented, consistently applied processes may provide more effective and efficient processes. Review and further understanding of potential concepts will ensure best value for efforts extended.

5. Integrated Community Building through a Network Organization

The Networked Organization has been defined as one where independent people and groups act as independent nodes, link across boundaries, to work together for a common purpose; it has multiple leaders, lots of voluntary links and interacting levels. The Regina Inner City Community Partnership (RICCP) is an good example of a networked organization. The partnership is a result of long-term commitments of various groups coming together to reach a specific aligned goal. Arguably the work that the City of Regina and Regina Police Service have done in the past led to the development of RICCP. There are probably various other networks that can be exploited to achieve similar success in other areas.

6. Long Range Financial Planning A long-range financial plan (LRFP) encompasses all of a municipality’s operations, plans, projections, commitments and statements of principle and policy – and illustrates the combined financial implications of these elements over a multi-year period (likely 10 years or more). An LRFP captures essential information and multi-year projections to guide financial decision-making, including business plans and annual budgets. An LRFP helps to shift financial decisions from single bottom line concerns focused on the short term, to service delivery within a longer term financial horizon. An LRFP should be a key component in municipal financial and business planning. The barriers to LRFP include the variability of funding commitments from senior levels of government. In the past senior governments (federal and provincial) have made municipal funding decisions on an annual basis, rather than based on long-term funding formulas. It has not been possible to accurately estimate the amount of senior level funding that a municipality will receive over a longer period. In addition, and understandably, the vision of a City Council is directly related to the length of their term in office. It is difficult to engage members of Council in


discussion and especially in decision making that affects a term longer than their term of office. In that regard, in the past the Administration has attempted to work with three year plans (to match the term of office) and members have been hesitant to even look at a process that long.

7. Public Participation Strategy The common principle underlying all public participation strategies is that “the public should have a say in decisions about actions that affect their lives.” Fundamentally, Regina, like other municipalities must determine the “why” of public participation before it determines the “how, who when and where.” A comprehensive policy can provide a level of clarity and certainty and form the basis for more effective public participation planning and practices. A well articulated and commonly understood public engagement policy will predict when and how the public will be engaged on new or changing policy. The City of Regina has a public involvement manual and is currently in the process of updating it. The updated documentation must be inclusive, meet the needs of the various civic departments and programs and be aligned with the strategy and vision for this organization and community. The Administration understands the value of each of the initiatives raised by TkMC and is committed to more intensive research and review to formulate appropriate implementation plans for those that can affect positive results within the organization and the community. These initiatives, and perhaps others not raised in the CSR must all be researched and evaluated in light of a comprehensive corporate strategic plan. To expend resources to implement any of these initiatives to any significant extent without an alignment to the strategic plan is not recommended.


E. Corporate Processes As part of the CSR, six corporate processes were selected for more intensive review. CSR teams examined the current state, researched leading practices in other municipalities or government entities and analyzed the extent of resources currently dedicated within the organization to the process and suggested benefits to making changes. The time and resources allocated to the review of each process were limited at best, and the results of the reviews are the best efforts of the CSR team within the parameters they were faced with. In many cases the review team was not comfortable providing dollar value estimates based on the limited time and availability of sound information. The term “value not determined” in the table below is an indication of that. The table below (taken directly from Page 28) of the TkMC final report indicated the very preliminary information developed through the CSR process. TkMC provides the following comments (in Appendix D of the final report).

The information contained in the mini-business cases is at a very high level and each case requires more review and analysis prior to implementation. As the implementation of change moves forward, each item will be reviewed with the associated Department to ensure that the analysis was appropriate and the conclusions are correct.

Savings Cost

Corporate Process

One-time Cost Savings

Annual Efficiency/Cost Savings

One-time Implementation Cost

On-going Annual Cost

Grant Review Process

Value not determined

$5,000 Value not

determined Value not

determined Recruitment Process





Procurement Process

$85,000 $1,150,000 $337,000 $132,000

Public Engagement Process


$100,000 Value not

determined Value not

determined

Estab. & Admin. of Boards & Committees


$100,000 $0 $0

Customer Relationship Management


$800,000 $1,040,000 Value not

determined

Totals $85,000 $2,155,000 $1,377,000 $132,000


It is important to understand that the actual cost calculations for each process were accumulated, based on templates completed within each service area where the time required to work within each of the processes was estimated. For example each manager was asked to estimate how much time his or her service area spent working within the procurement processes or the recruitment process. In that regard, savings identified (especially annual savings) are almost totally opportunity savings. In other words, saving incurred as a result of efficiencies in these areas will not result in additional funding. Rather the result will be individuals able to focus their time and effort on other things and not on the process as identified in the current state. The following section provides a short description of progress to date on improvements related to each of the six processes.

1. Grant Review Process Grants have been renamed to more appropriately reflect their purpose and are now called Community Investments. Community Services, the department responsible for the majority of Community Investments are currently reviewing processes to administer and allocate community investment funding. The Community Association Funding Review, the Social Development Community Investment Funding Review and the Self-Help Funding Review provide opportunity to rethink and address current community investment issues with contemporary programs that can more appropriately align with the goals of this organization and meet the needs of the community.

2. Recruitment Process The general conclusion of the recruitment mini-business case in the CSR was that the steps currently being undertaken to work towards e-recruitment are very positive steps that will enhance the recruitment process. Further, the initiatives outlined to meet desired outcomes (e.g. recruitment and retention of well qualified employees) provide a strong basis for continued improvement within the human resource area throughout the entire organization. This corporate process, as well, links directly to the strategic theme Contemporary Employer.

3. Procurement Process The procurement process is dealt with extensively in the opportunity log review as there were a significant number of opportunities directly related to this corporate process. The Finance Department responded to the opportunities, highlighting the fact that the Regina Administration Bylaw and the Acquisitions


procedures were very new within the organization at the time of the CSR. Since then numerous steps have been taken to streamline and update the procurement process. Focus has shifted to education and the development of process templates and forms that should continue to improve the process. In addition, process improvements focus on using the intranet and internet to provide better support and information for employees and vendors. Similar to most policies and procedures, the procurement policies were designed to address the common or “usual” purchasing practices. There will always be “one-of” situations where the process needs to reviewed and perhaps modified to ensure applicability for that particular item or purchase. The savings outlined for this process are efficiency savings. Improved processes free up the time of the individuals involved in the process and allow for them to spend more time on other things.

4. Public Engagement Process This issue is addressed in the previous section E. 4, Public Participation Strategy. The savings outlined in this section reflect time saving for the individuals involved.

5. Establishment & Administration of Boards and Committees

The mini-business case compares the 55 committees listed in the City of Regina’s Boards and Committees book to the 19 committees listed by the City of Saskatoon. In their research the Review Team found that by reducing the number of committees through dissolution and amalgamation, approximately 5 to 10% of the time spent by the Administration could be saved. Based on the analysis this was calculated to be $100,000. This would consist totally of time savings that would allow for more effort to be focused in other areas. Other significant findings of the review team included:

• Determination that some of the committees do not have a clear understanding of their mandate.

• In some cases support is not centralized. However, in those cases where the committee gains support from another organization, it is questionable as to whether it would be useful to take over the support just to consolidate it.

• At times schedules are difficult and it is difficult to attain quorum.


• One of the most difficult processes to undertake is the dissolution of a committee.

The Procedure Bylaw includes a requirement that each committee be reviewed every three years. Recently a review was completed for all advisory committees, resulting in some principles for advisory committees being adopted and included as part of The Procedure Bylaw. Committees are required to provide an annual report to Council including a recommendation on whether or not the committee should continue. Over the past several years, the City Clerk’s Office has taken over responsibility for the administration of all City of Regina committees. Several years ago the City of Regina combined the Property Control and License Review committees. In more recent years, the Community Services and Parks and Recreation committees were amalgamated. In 2005 an attempt was made to dissolve the Purchasing Advisory committee, but an item for their consideration arose at about the same time that decision was to be finalized and it was determined that the more favourable alternative would be to maintain the committee.

6. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) CRM helps businesses use technology and human resources to gain insight into the behaviour of customers and the value of those customers. Essentially, this will allow the corporation to provide better customer service: convenience creates consistency, timely, knowledgeable and courteous service, successful resolution to inquiries, and multiple channels for customer interaction. Customer satisfaction research has long shown that it takes a sustained period of excellence to wipe away memories of poor service. Consistent customer service using CRM technologies that result from a comprehensive customer service strategy are paramount to success. The report outlines that the City does not have one set customer service process for all departments. The discussion related to themes (earlier in this document) outlined a requirement for a customer service strategy that would align all customer service initiatives with the corporate strategy. It is expected that over the long-term the organization could expect to see annual savings with respect to customer service provision if it is delivered within the framework of a comprehensive customer service and CRM strategy. It is also expected however that the initial costs required to develop and implement CRM systems is great (much greater than estimated in the CSR) and will require extensive focus over the next number of years. The Administration understands and looks forward to pursuing these initiatives, within the context of a larger corporate strategic plan.


In summary, the information provided in the CSR related to the corporate processes is appropriate and accurate and the Administration continues to pursue enhancement and improvement in all the areas addressed as well as many others not outlined in the CSR. With respect to the savings outlined in this section of the CSR the Administration cautions that the majority is efficiency savings, which can allow staff to focus on other initiatives. This is valuable and necessary improvement, but will not “free up” funds to be used for other purposes. The one corporate process that outlines savings that probably can result in actual monetary savings that could perhaps be reallocated is CRM and it requires significant funding and input over the next number of years, before any of those savings could be realized.


F. Corporate Improvements Through the review of the opportunity log and a session with the Review Team to reflect upon their experience in the collection of information from across the organization, there were a number of opportunities identified which were corporate in nature. The eleven identified through the review include:

1. Corporate Strategic Planning 2. Integrated Business Planning 3. Corporate Revenue Strategy 4. Rates and Fees Review 5. Succession Planning Strategy 6. Employee Wellness and Attendance Management 7. Asset Management Strategy 8. Customer Service Strategy 9. Deployment of Workflow Technology 10. Corporate Project Management Office 11. Knowledge Management Centre

The administration has determined that the most appropriate grouping and prioritizing for the eleven corporate improvements is within the following two categories:

1. Addressed within the Strategic Themes (Section B of this document)

The strategic planning corporate improvement is inherent to the strategic themes. In the absence of a corporate strategic planning process, the Administration has been working closely with Executive Committee to outline and provide definition to the six strategic themes. This is the foundation for a strategic plan. Integrated business planning serves as a communication tool for departments to show how their programs align with the statements of strategic alignment (strategic plan). This issue will be reviewed further in the context of a corporate strategic plan. The strategic theme Revenue Generation addresses a corporate revenue strategy. That strategy would also include a comprehensive rates and fees strategy. The Contemporary Employer strategic theme addresses both succession planning and employee wellness and attendance management.


With respect to Asset Management, the mini-business case in this section of the CSR refers only to corporate equipment. It does not refer to the underground and roadway infrastructure or the buildings and facilities the City owns. The strategic theme entitled Asset Management commits to undertaking an asset management strategy for all assets of the organization. Customer service is also one of the six strategic themes. Aligning this corporate improvement within the strategic theme is appropriate.

2. Lower Priority Corporate Improvements Deployment of Workflow Technology refers to the deployment of a system that defines, creates and manages the execution of workflows through the use of software, which is able to interpret the process definition, interact with workflow resources and invoke the use of information system tools and applications. A Corporate Project Management Office could be established to provide project management standards and procedures, ensure consistent project management practices, provide project management mentorship and ensure the capture and distribution of lessons learned across the organization. A Knowledge Management Centre includes a process and technology to support the capture and sharing of knowledge; ensuring knowledge shared is kept relevant and current; communicate the availability of corporate knowledge and the expectations and responsibility of employees to capture and document their knowledge; and work the knowledge gained, especially lessons learned back into the organization. Although these are important and valuable initiatives, the Administration would classify all three somewhat lower in the range of importance than the other eight corporate improvements highlighted by TkMC. Information provided in this report outlines steps being taken right now to address the eight more strategic initiatives outlined in this section. Processes to complete more research and develop a better understanding of the other three initiatives will be undertaken over the next several years. As with the Corporate Processes previously discussed within this report, TkMC asked the Review Team (as part of the development of the mini-business cases) wherever possible to estimate costs and savings related to the corporate initiatives. They provide the following advice in relation to the high level review and analysis undertaken to complete the business cases.

“At this level of review, savings identified and quantified as part of opportunity or corporate process improvement analysis are determined using reasonable assumptions and estimates within the context of a


business case approach to the opportunity. These order of magnitude numbers are to be used with some caution, pending further analysis and refinement. The opportunity for realising the gains from the many opportunities is real; however, they need to be subjected to further analysis and an effective decision-making framework.”

The high level estimates related to the eleven corporate improvements are provided in the following table. In a previous table in this report the term “value not determined” was used when dollar value estimates were not possible. Upon further review of the information that evolved into the table below, it is unclear whether the “0’s” represent “0” or “value not determined.”

Savings Revenue Cost One-time

Cost Savings

Annual Effic./Cost Savings

One-time Implement. Revenue

Annual Revenue

One-time Implement.

Cost

On-going Annual Cost

Corporate Strategic Planning

0 0 0 0 0 50,000

Integrated Business Planning

0 1,333,333 0 0 100,000 1,666,667

Corporate Revenue Strategy

0 400,000 0 3,000,000 50,000 382,000

Rates and Fees Review

0 0 0 2,100,000 15,000 0

Succession Planning Strategy

0 0 0 0 10,000 100,000

Employee Wellness and Attendance Management

0 500,000 0 0 50,000 300,000

Asset Management Strategy

0 0 0 0 30,000 0

Customer Service Strategy

0 0 0 0 25,000 50,000

Deployment of Workflow Technology

0 0 0 0 140,000 60,000

Corporate Project Management Office

0 0 0 0 100,000 0

Knowledge Management Centre

0 0 0 0 100,000 0

Total 0 2,233,333 0 5,100,000 620,000 2,608,667


The Administration provides the following comments to increase understanding of the estimates provided in the preceding table.

• Corporate Strategic Planning - The estimates related to the annual cost to implement Corporate Strategic Planning are probably an accurately reflection of real dollar spending required to implement a program. However, they do not include the cost of the time that will be spent developing and renewing the plan each year. This time will include the time of members of City Council as well as senior administrative staff.

• Integrated Business Planning - The net cost each year ($430,000) to

complete integrated business plans is probably accurate. It is unclear how much of this is related to shifting staff time (concentrating on this task).

• Corporate Revenue Strategy - The recommended new revenues for the

City and the Regina Police Service, outlined in this mini-business case focussed on corporate sponsorships, naming rights, additional marketing initiatives and infrastructure development fees. It also points to some initiatives that would require changes to legislation (lodging tax 1% of nightly rates), and suggests that a potential revenue source is a new development charge of $3,000 per home (at approximately 800 new homes per year [Regina Leader Post – Feb. 21 06] - $2.4 million annually). The Hotel and Motel industry has recently instituted a voluntary lodging tax (beyond the municipality’s jurisdiction), while Calgary has recently announced a similar development charge for new homes with significant negative response from the development community.

• Rates and Fees Review - The additional $2.1 million in new revenue

outlined here is based on significant rate and fee increases. There is some question as to whether fee increases of this level meet the specific goals for A Vision for Regina, especially as they relate to inclusiveness and access for all.

• Succession Planning Strategy – Within the next 10 years approximately

one-half of all City employees will be eligible for retirement. The mini-business case describes the draft succession planning strategy that the HR department has been developing in consultation with the departments. The business case encourages implementation of a program based on the feedback from the various management teams within the organization. The program would not net any cost savings or revenue for the organization, but research indicates that a well executed succession management plan is essential to successful future recruitment to replace those that are leaving.

• Employee Wellness and Attendance Management - The potential savings

of $500,000 outlined in the Employee Wellness and Attendance


Management mini-business case is said to be linked to estimated reductions in Workers Compensation premiums. The upgraded Attendance Management processes and Return to Work management process currently in place within the organization have resulted in an environment where operational managers are accountable for ensuring that they manage the attendance and return to work of injured workers. Together with the Return to Work Coordinator in Human Resources, departments have been successful in maximizing the return to work effort whether to full employment in the employee’s regular position, or as a light duties or work adjustment accommodation to get employees back to work sooner. In 2004, more than 70 employees “got back to work” through the Return to Work program, and in 2005 that number increased to more than 90. At this point it is uncertain that the organization can recoup the funds outlined in the mini-business case, but it is clear that the updated program is resulting in more value for salary dollars for those employees that are returning to work and contributing to the best of their abilities.

• Asset Management Strategy - A comprehensive asset management

strategy as outlined in the strategic themes will require a significantly larger investment than $30,000 on a one-time basis to be effective. It will require annual investments in the millions of dollars to be effective.

• Customer Service Strategy - A customer service strategy, based on a

corporate commitment to customer service as described in the strategic themes section is much more comprehensive than suggested through the mini-business case. The strategy details a corporate philosophy and commitment to customer service, priorities and activities that guide customer service delivery and innovation throughout the organization. The costs outlined in the mini-business case will not be adequate to adopt the philosophy as outlined.

• Lower Priority Corporate Improvements - The costs related to Deployment

of Workflow Technology, Corporate Project Management and Knowledge Management Centre could be appropriate and will be examined in closer detail in the future.

In summary, based on the comments in this section and several others within this document (most significantly – Strategic Themes), it is clear that the Administration agrees with the concepts of improvement and is currently pursuing the highest value/impact improvement suggestions. However, it is also clear that savings and revenue estimates outlined in this section are extremely difficult to attain.


G. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) The Core Services Review final report notes:

“there is a lack of policy, directions or criteria to decide on appropriate service levels (i.e. key performance indicators, specific targets) for many service areas. . . . the lack of a clear set of performance indicators generally impeded effective decisions on “how much or little” of a given service should be provided.”

Through the template process the CSR collected information from all City departments and service areas to provide an understanding of what programs and services the City of Regina provides. As part of the information gathering process, those departments that regularly use performance indicators provided a description of the indicators in use, targets and actual performance. Other service areas, where performance indicators are not used as extensively, tried to quickly develop some indicators that could be useful to measure the success of their programs. Many of the performance indicators outlined in the templates are reported in the annual budget narrative for each department. These performance indicators are specific to the business area and can provide essential information about the levels of service being provided to Regina citizens and information about the quality and value of the service. In addition, this type of information is collected in relation to the levels and quality of service being provided internally between departments. Generally, the intent is that KPIs are designed to report on how successfully the service area achieves its objectives and the data provides vital management information that aids the operation of the area. These indicators are used in a variety of ways across the organization, including:

• To compare actual results to the specified target level or standard for a particular activity, product or service;

• To communicate “what” and “how” the City is doing with members of City Council, Committees of Council, Regina citizens, employees and a variety of stakeholders;

• To identify deficiencies in service levels or identify areas in which customers are being over serviced;

• To highlight improvement opportunities; • To measure customer satisfaction, financial returns, efficiency and

effectiveness; • To identify trends and changing demands; and • To provide information that aids the decision making processes.

Both City Council and the Administration acknowledge the importance of performance measurement and are committed to continuing to improve the performance management process within the organization. However, there is a


lack of understanding at all levels about the intent and purpose of KPIs and they are used somewhat inconsistently across the organization.

• Some service areas have progressed further with establishing useful performance indicators.

• Some service areas, which are more experienced with developing and using indicators, have linked their indicators to specific outcomes and objectives and use them as a tool to improve management of the area.

• There is a mix of areas where indicators exist but may not necessarily add value or provide information that is valuable or useful.

• For some service areas, the Core Services Review challenged the area to consider KPIs for the first time.

An area of concern for managers is a lack of connection between performance indicators and corporate strategy. The consistent message from managers is that there is a need for departments to establish performance indicators that align to corporate strategies. The indicators would show how successfully the organization is in moving towards the accomplishment of those strategies. In turn, a set of indicators would link to department strategies that support the corporate objectives and this framework would cascade into individual service areas. Measuring just for the sake of having measures is of no value to citizens of Regina or to the organization and can be costly (resources and funds). The performance indicators used throughout the organization should provide the City of Regina with information that allows managers to continuously focus on whether programs and services are having the desired outcomes, and provide management with information that facilitates good service delivery and continuous improvement. Best Practice: There is an overwhelming amount of information available about performance management. A multitude of models, methods and approaches can be found, many of which could be applied in a corporate approach for the City of Regina.1 The International City/Council Management Association (ICMA) in its publication, “Performance Management: When Results Matter”, provides the following:

“Performance Management not only helps an organization achieve its strategic objectives but also serves as a means of uniting diverse stakeholders in the common goal of building a better community.” “Performance Measurement involves collecting date in a systematic and objective manner to determine the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery and program objectives. Performance management is the application of such data into an integrated management system that informs resource allocation and decision making to move an organization


toward the achievement of strategic objectives.”

In the Compassion Capital Fund National Resource Centre’s Intermediary Development Series guidebook: Measuring Outcomes they provide the following description of outcome measurement:

“Outcome measurement is “a systematic way to assess the extent to which a program has achieved its intended results. The main questions addressed are: What has changed in the lives of individuals, families, organizations or the community as a result of this program? Has this program made a difference? How are the lives of program participants better as a result of the program? …. So what?”

There are some common concepts to note regarding performance management. These key considerations and aspects of the performance management process are highlighted in much of the best practice information and can also be seen in the performance management practices of municipalities such as Saskatoon, Calgary and Winnipeg. Many of these concepts were identified in the questions and requirements identified by City of Regina managers when they were asked how the KPI process should proceed following the Core Services Review.


Concepts and key considerations include:

• Define clear objectives and corporate direction; • Link performance management objectives to the corporate strategy and

objectives; • Create measures that are outcome based so the organization knows what

results, impacts and effects are resulting from the programs and services it delivers;

• Identify base characteristics of a “good” performance indicator to guide the development of measures;

• Develop measures that are balanced and provide a complete view of the corporate picture;

• Collect the right things, not everything; • Develop indicators that are easy to gather and manage but have value in

managing the business; • Cascade the strategic direction throughout the organization so that the

measurements used in an individual area can be connected to the corporate, department and division objectives;

• Involve those responsible for achieving the results in the development of the measures;

• Demonstrate strong leadership and commitment to objectives at all levels; • Ensure that measures and the process of measuring add value and are

meaningful both to the organization and the citizen; • If there are new indictors to be measured, then understand the cost of the

effort compared with the benefit to the business; and • Communicate, educate and report at all levels of the organization so that

each employee understands how they contribute. Overwhelmingly, the key consideration repeated again and again in documentation about successful performance management systems is the need for clearly defined corporate strategy and objectives. Performance indicators are then linked specifically to each of the corporate objectives. Managers within this organization are strong advocates of this approach and conclude that KPIs should link to the overall direction and flow through corporate, department and divisional strategies. For KPIs to provide real value they must indicate the specific program’s success at meeting the goals of the program, within the overall strategy for the division – the department – and the organization. The strategic themes section of this report outlined the process to initiate a corporate strategic planning process. The six strategic themes provide a foundation for future corporate strategic planning. They also provide a foundation for enhances performance management processes based on the principles outlined above. A much improved performance management process should be an outcome of the corporate strategic planning process.


1The City of Regina has done a significant amount of research over the years related to

Performance Management and Key Performance Indicators. Some of the references used to develop this section of the report include:

• Centre for Improving Government Performance. National Academy of Public Administration. Performance Management: “A Start Where You Are, Use What You Have” Guide.

• City of Grand Prairie. Performance Measurement in Government.

• Institute of Public Administrators. Performance Measurement “Linking Results to Public

Debate” by John English and Evert Lindquist.

• 1997 Report of the Auditor General of Canada. Crown Corporations: Making Performance Management Work.

• Municipal Interface. November 2004. Performance Measurement: Achieving Strategic

Objectives Using Performance Measurement (Town of Markham) by Biju Misra and Rhonda Bosch.

• International City/County Management Association. Centre for Performance

Management. (Various)

• Compassion Capital Fund. Intermediary Development Series: Measuring Outcomes


H. New and Enhanced Services Page 25 of the CSR final report provides the following:

“During the Review there was an opportunity for Departments to identify any new or enhanced services that should be considered for future implementation. This same opportunity was presented to all staff in both organizations through the opportunity suggestions. The new or enhanced services identified in Appendix [D] should be reviewed against the corporate priorities of RPS and the City using the Core Services Continuum and other strategic tools as they are developed. Implementation should be based upon the development of financial capacity through implementation of CSR recommendations or the creation of new revenue through taxation or other means. The total New/Enhanced Service Priorities have a value of $3.8 million [in 2004 dollars].”

The complete listing of new and enhanced services is provided in Appendix D of this document. Some of the items listed here are also listed in the opportunity log and have been addressed in that section of this report. The more significant enhancements (in terms of expenditure required to implement) suggest the addition of resources (FTE’s, materials, funding) to enhance or improve a service. Examples include:

� Increasing Fire ladder companies from two to four staff to meet NFPA standard 1710 ($1,250,000 annually);

� Increase Transit Information Centre hours of operation ($61,000); � Increase the number of front line police officers ($61,000 per additional

officer); and � Additional resources for Parks and Open Space Management – 9 FTE,

water and materials to improve tree replacement in parks, life cycle upgrades for pathways and playgrounds which are several years behind ($500,000 annually).

Enhancements, such as those outlined in this document, and various others that are submitted each year at budget time are evaluated against current service provision and available resources. Consideration is given to each and every item in an attempt to enhance services. However, annual budget shortfalls result in ranking and decision making to match funding levels. There are seldom, any additional funds available to undertake the types of enhancements outlined in Appendix D. Of all the items listed in the Appendix, probably the most significant enhancement that has been included in the 2006 budget and that will be implemented is the introduction of additional resources (2.0 FTE) to support consistent and effective management in the Engineering and Works Department


targeted to job skills training and certification. This was accomplished primarily through a reallocation of funding within the department and will introduce two Workforce Development Coordinators, working in Sewer Water and Waste and Roadways and Traffic to provide facilitation and delivery support to the training, development and certification initiatives required within those two divisions. The cost of this enhancement is approximately $130,000 annually.


I. Discretionary Items Major Program Activities for the Core Services Review were categorized into three stages:

1. Current State Definition 2. Opportunity Analysis 3. Corporate Priorities

Within the Corporate Priorities stage there were three specific activities:

a. Corporate Ranking b. Implementation Recommendations c. Final Report

TkMC’s description of the Corporate Ranking process is:

“PAC [Program Administration Committee] and Steering Committee guidelines and principles developed through Executive Direction Setting were used to rank Department and service area activities from core activities through to discretionary activities. Guided by the Review Team and utilizing these guidelines, a number of prioritization sessions were conducted starting from service areas through to a corporate ranking exercise to develop an organization-wide priority ordering of services. The method requires Service Areas to determine the core 80% of their operating budget activities and then determine the priority for reinvestment of 5% increments. This is done within service areas right through to Divisions, Departments and then on a corporate basis. Whole services may or may not be ranked depending on the priorities of each service area.”

The Executive Direction Setting process or environmental scan as it was commonly referred to during the Core Services Review consisted of TkMC interviewing approximately 40 individuals including members of Council, Police Commissioners, Senior Administration and Union/Association Presidents. The key elements of information gathering related to needs, priorities and opportunities across all service areas. There was also discussion with all interviewees surrounding the culture of each organization [City and RPS] and strategic alignment with the vision and mission for the organizations. Through the Division and Department ranking processes, services deemed discretionary were identified as candidates for removal pending review and determination of appropriate service levels. TkMC deemed that services or activities that have one or more of the following attributes could be considered to be candidates for discretionary savings:


• There is an element of discretion to determine the appropriate service level.

• The service exceeds target objectives. • The existing service level is beyond expectations.

Discretionary services may provide opportunities to eliminate cost by discontinuing a portion of a service, an entire service, or reducing current service level. City of Regina and Regina Police Service Senior Management Teams that participated in the ranking workshop left with an understanding that there was very little deemed discretionary as part of the exercise. Workshop participants were told at the beginning of the workshop that at some point in the ranking process it would be possible to “draw a line” and all items that ranked above the line would be deemed core and those that fell below the line would be deemed discretionary and subject to further review. That line was never drawn and at the end of the workshop there was an understanding that for the most part, the workshop revealed that both organizations primarily focus on the appropriate services and programs. Further the CSR final report on page 22 indicated the following:

“During the corporate ranking process there were no specific services identified as Non-Core.”

Both management teams had previously acknowledged that with more formalized service objectives and KIPs it may have been possible in some cases to “draw a finer line” related to service levels and program expenses (for example – how many people are affected, and how are they affected if Paratransit service is reduced by 1 hour; what will the effect be if Environmental Engineering consulting services are reduced by 5%.) Many of the service bundles that TkMC reported as discretionary were items that were placed in the “parking lot” for a time during the corporate ranking workshop because they were blocking other more important service bundles from being ranked. When these service bundles were later ranked within the larger group it was understood that they were core. In fact, for the most part, those service bundles that TkMC determined to be discretionary in their final report, and those that are reported on in this document were not ranked “at the very bottom” of the list. In total, 74 program and service bundles were identified by TkMC as discretionary. All 74 service bundles (5% buy-backs) are included in Appendix E of this document The 74 items outlined by TkMC in their report have been re-examined by the Administration with the following conclusions:


• 11 of the items are Regina Police Service items and outside the scope of this report.

• 45 of the items are deemed core and not recommended for change. • 18 of the items are deemed discretionary and require City Council

decisions to determine whether they should be pursued. Deemed Core – Not Recommended for Change As indicated previously, the entire list of buy-backs is included in Appendix E to this document, examples of some of the service bundles deemed core include:

• Maintain full function for inspections of residential, construction, renovations and alterations within the Building division. This is a legislated service.

• Restoration of Paratransit service by 10 hours per day. Paratransit service is already overstressed and in great demand. To reduce the hours of service available will affect the ability of the physically challenged to travel within the City.

• Restore staffing levels in Bylaw Enforcement. Reductions of service in this area would affect the substandard housing inspection programs.

• Restore Real Estate staffing levels (2 entries). The revenue generated through these items exceeds the expenditure by $182,000 per year.

• Restore Parks Maintenance standards to the levels that were approved by City Council during the 2002 operating budget approval process. (At that time a comprehensive review and comparison to Saskatoon was completed and it was determined that current levels are appropriate.)

Deemed Discretionary – Require City Council Decision The balance of service bundles included in the list are items that the City of Regina could decide to eliminate or reduce. Examples of some of the items include:

• Reducing Transit night service for 2 hours each night. • Removing School Extra transit routes and the Heritage route. • Discontinue the Commercial Waste Collection program. • Discontinue the Condominium Grant program. • Discontinue the planting of annuals in flower beds throughout the City. • Reduce programming at the Neil Balkwill Civic Arts Centre. • Discontinue external financial audits and reviews (not the annual financial

statement audit). • Discontinue the spay and neuter program.

The total cost (in 2004 dollars) of the items in this list was $2,807,000; the total revenue was $1,356,000 for net potential savings of $1,451,000 per year (in 2004 dollars).


There were two additional items for the City of Regina, that the Administration expected to be in the discretionary items list, and that could be included in future deliberations related to the discretionary items lists. These included:

• Promotional items sold by the Communications division. • Dispatch hours of operation (49) at Engineering and Works.

The total cost (in 2004 dollars) of these items was $136,000; the total revenue was $4,000 for net potential savings of $132,000 per year (in 2004 dollars). The total potential savings related to the items that could be reviewed is $1,583,000 per year (in 2004 dollars). There is potential to incur an operational savings of approximately $1.5 million per year (in 2004 dollars) should City Council determine that the items outlined in this list are not core and can be eliminated. However, all of these items reflect a particular Quality of Life for this community that citizens expect and value. Decisions to reduce service in these areas would negatively affect Quality of Life for at least some Regina residents. The items would rank low on the core continuum, but are an integral part of A Vision for Regina. Items on this list will be brought forward to the appropriate standing committees as part of future reports on related topics.


Conclusion The Core Services Review was a very valuable undertaking for the City of Regina.

� The process provided a valuable work experience for the review team, providing each of the individuals within that group new skills that they continue to provide service within this community;

� The process challenged service area managers to articulate in a clear and concise manner, a description of their programs, customers, KPIs (or potential KPIs) and the desired outcomes;

� It provided an opportunity for all employees to participate in the review through the “Opportunity” (suggestion) process;

� It assisted with the evolution of enhanced communication processes for the management team;

� It provided data that will assist with evaluation and progress for improvements within all service areas;

� It provided new tools to assist with the development and delivery of appropriate and aligned programs (Core Continuum); and

� It provided a foundation for change. The most significant outcome of the CSR is probably that the program provided to the Administration an opportunity to prepare itself for change. Over time it has become increasingly obvious that the status quo is no longer an option for the City of Regina (sixth bullet outlining reasons for the review in Section A Introduction). The CSR came at the right time for the City of Regina. The organization is on the brink of change and is ready to move forward. TkMC probably describes it best with the following:

“The review has initiated an expectation among Council, the Board of Police Commissioners, and employees of ongoing change and continuous improvement based upon the process and findings. The change process will take time and the organization will need to adjust to the demands caused by change.”

Before change can be successful, those involved have to be somewhat unsatisfied with the current situation and ready for the change. Based on the approach taken by the Administration to respond to the recommendations and opportunities outlined in the CSR, it is clear that this organization is ready for that change, and has in fact begun the long process. The most significant tangible finding and recommendation of the CSR was that the City of Regina should focus on the development and implementation of a


corporate strategic plan. TkMC’s report in the Executive Summary outlines the rationale:

“Municipalities are becoming more strategic in their approach to service delivery and are examining the extent to which services are provided and challenging the status quo. The conflicting demands of continued or increasing services, holding the line on taxes or increasing the revenue stream is forcing municipalities to systematically evaluate what they do. The ability to comprehensively review the service level base, account for the cost and offsetting revenues of service as well as examining the relative value of a service when tested against a definition of “Core Service” was the principle reason behind the Core Services Review (CSR) program administered by TkMC.” “The Strategic Plan will become the roadmap for the City and RPS to set out the vision, mission and values of the organization, set specific goals and objectives and establish a means to measure and report on progress.” “During the course of the CSR it was acknowledged that there were governance issues that needed to be addressed. There is need for the Council and the Administration to be expedient in a number of areas to ensure an effective environment and effective mechanisms for moving forward. All of these will have to do, ultimately, with an improved governance process and more strategic decision-making to take full advantage of the findings of this review. The elements should include, but not necessarily be limited to the following:

� Continue the work on the decision-making framework; � Development of a governance policy framework which should

include the codification of accountabilities and the definition of roles and responsibilities for Council and Administration;

� Develop a framework within which Council and Administration can work on developing, reviewing and revising operational strategy.”

For various reasons the development and implementation of a strategic planning process could not be accomplished in 2005. In an attempt to move forward the Senior Management team, using the information in the CSR as one of their tools, challenged themselves to think differently and in turn challenge the status quo. The result was the articulation of the six strategic themes. These themes are a foundation and platform for the forthcoming strategic planning process. Mandate: What services do we provide? What services should we provide? What business are we in? The mandate discussion clearly shows that while the Core Continuum is a good tool for determining what businesses the organization should be in, it cannot be


used in isolation of A Vision for Regina which clearly speaks to the quality of life in this city and the type of community that Regina should be. Asset Management: Once business lines have been established – what assets are required to provide those services, and probably more importantly, what steps (actions and investment) are required to ensure the sustainability of those assets? There are significant funding gaps with respect to asset management and preservation, and this will continue to be a struggle for Regina and other municipalities across this country and around the world. Service Delivery: When the businesses have been defined and decisions about what assets are required to provide service (and how they are maintained/preserved) it is necessary to analyse service delivery and ensure that the most appropriate methods are employed at all times. Civic services are provided using a variety of methods. Some services are provided by the municipality, others are provided by the private sector and the municipality pays a fee for that service. Other services are provided through a mixed method, while others are provided through community investments by the City. Revenue Generation: After business lines are defined, assets and service delivery methods determined, it becomes necessary to find the way to pay for the services. Traditional revenue sources for the City include taxation, utilities, electrical, gas and interest payments, operating and capital grants, rates, fees fines and other charges. Strategically, municipalities need to continually look for new revenue sources and ways to increase revenue generation to pay for the services that are provided. Customer Service: The way the organization interacts with customers and meets their needs. The City of Regina has an opportunity to make a clear commitment to customer service. The timing is right within the guise of a corporate strategic plan and significant improvement within this area will serve both the organization and the community. Contemporary Employer: The way the organization engages and interacts with its employees.


A contemporary employer is successful in recruiting and retaining highly skilled, qualified employees to carry out all the functions outlined within the other themes. A commitment to employees through the contemporary employer theme will go far to ensuring success in the other areas of focus. In addition to the strategic planning process which is well underway with the development and articulation of the six strategic themes significant work has been done to address other issues raised within the CSR. Appendix B of the Continuous Improvement and Innovation report provides departmental responses to all CSR opportunities included in the Opportunity Log. Many of the opportunities have been completed or are underway. Through the strategic themes, work will continue on those that have a relationship to the outlined themes. Strategic initiatives continue to be addressed much the same way, as do Corporate Processes, Corporate Improvements, KPIs and New and Discretionary Items. It is important to understand that for numerous opportunities the dollar savings are a saving of time and effort. In other words, there are no real savings in funds; rather the individuals involved in the particular activity will have more time to focus on other tasks, issues or initiatives. These types of savings are extremely valuable to the organization, but they must be considered in a different context than real dollar savings. Within the specific sections of this document the Administration has attempted wherever possible to outline the difference.

Some of the saving and all of the new or increased revenue opportunities within this document relate specifically to choices that must be made. For the most part these are service level choices which are required at the highest level of the organization (City Council).

TkMC’s report identified that more than $1.5 million savings can be accomplished in the discretionary items section if City Council chooses to make the service level decisions outlined. Many have previously been considered and rejected by City Council. In the corporate improvements section, approximately $5.1 million is attributed to revenue generation and rates and fees initiatives. To accomplish the revenue generation outlined, it would be necessary to significantly increase fees and charges. It would also be necessary to charge an additional $3,000 per new home in development charges, and the Regina Police Service would be required to charge for all voluntary criminal record checks.

TkMC outlined in their report to make significant advancement such as those outlined above would take difficult decisions and choices that are not easy to make.


“… it should be understood that the fundamental approach of the Core Services Review has challenged some of the existing premises for services and allowed for opportunity for making different choices. The recommendations contained in this Report should allow the City and RPS to fully explore those choices.”

City Council is in an unenviable position with respect to rising costs to provide services and programs, and the desire to continue to provide these high quality services, and at the same time keep property tax increases to a minimum. Every decision to change a program, reduce a service level or discontinue a program will negatively affect someone. Every decision to raise a fee, implement or increase a tax or develop a new revenue source will also affect someone negatively. City Council and the Administration must continue to work together to strategically focus efforts on initiatives and programs that will benefit the community most. The development of a corporate strategic plan, based on the six strategic themes discussed in this report is a good first step in that direction.

continuous improvement & innovation, response to the core

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