N.B. evaluating program to improve services
BY JENNIFER AMATO Staff Writer

NORTH BRUNSWICK - The Township Council is considering the implementation of the Citi-Stat program, a performance-based management system that improves service delivery.

Kenneth McCormick, assistant to Mayor Francis "Mac" Womack, gave a presentation at the June 30 council workshop meeting about the program. Its purpose is to use a data-driven approach, using Excel, a spreadsheet software program, to analyze township department operations, managers and employees.

The program works by using strict oversight by administrators to hold employees accountable for their work. According to McCormick, department heads would act as coaches and mentors, and line supervisors would report on their divisions to the business administrator. All departments would submit biweekly reports to the business administrator and would file quarterly and annual reports.

Township management would view township operations as bottom-to-top and top-to-bottom, and plans for addressing areas of concern would be drawn up and executed.

"It has improved efficiency, improved morale, instilled pride, lowered absenteeism and lowered some comp [workers' compensation] claims," McCormick said.

Citi-Stat began in Baltimore, and has been used in Union Township since 2006 for its Department of Public Works.

Sergio Panunzio, the superintendent of Union's Public Works Department, spoke at the meeting about Citi-Stat's effectiveness. Union Township has experienced a reduction of overtime by 73 percent while working with six fewer positions, and morale has increased as employees take ownership for their work. Sick time and injuries have also decreased.

"I believe in the program, and the program is definitely something the DPW has embraced," he said. "As a manager, this allows me to look at and put a value on our jobs."

Panunzio said the program can show where money is being spent, or gives notice if only a certain amount of money is left to be spent; for example, on a roads project. He said there were 450 tree stumps in town that his employees were able to identify and remove so that two months later, there were no stumps left. Or, since the Department of Public Works tends to be reactive, Panunzio said the program allows them to be proactive by, for example, identifying which trees could potentially fall down and taking care of them during a low time.

In addition, he said this helps during budget time because he can say he needs a certain amount of money for certain projects that cannot be cut.

"Now there's a price to my delivery of services," the supervisor said.

Besides calling Citi-Stat a "great program," Panunzio did say "there is always some resistance because now [employees] are accountable," but said that the resistance eventually lessens.

The program is under consideration by the council, and will not be implemented until approval is granted.