Ethics Discussion Group with the Phila. Chamber of Commerce

A City That Works - July 21, 2008

-- Report by Moderator Ellen Petersen

Performance measures (What would success would look like?):

• How easily information from the city can be accessed-in how much time, using what venue (Web or in person), and a clarity benchmark/feedback from citizens as to how clear the information was once received.

• Mirror the federal Freedom of Information Act that sets the standard for intended transparency of information and public records.

• Forty-eight hour turnaround for information or even faster for those documents on the Internet.

• Percent of documents available online without having to request face-to face.

• Measure time on the internet and number of links needed to resolve the question.

• Number of people under indictment, terminated for ethics, from year to year.

• Do a benchmark survey on state of ethics and do follow-up survey after measures in place for a year or 18 months.

• Publicize the goals and standards on the job description for the ethics officers, use it as a model for other managers.

• Number of violations of the ethics contract that all employees sign (see customer service standards).

• Scores , percent improvement on ethics test all employees take after training, every X years.

• “Inquiry measurement time” from point of allegation to resolution. Every complaint is acknowledged upon receipt and the status updated at set intervals until resolution.

• Measure percentage of questions in each department that are answered to the satisfaction of the inquiring citizen.

• Incorporate an ethics competency in performance management system and measure and develop or punish individual performance.

• Track Web-based responses and customer satisfaction on the Web versus in-person services.

Customer-service standards:

• Create a scorecard of ethics measurement that is publicized and on the Web.

• Every employee signs an ethics contract (after training?) and the number of violations and resulting actions are tracked and posted.

• Ethics training for all employees.

• Publish a “Customer Credo” or expectations so all citizens know what to expect and measure as they interact with city employees.

• “Mystery supervisor” observation approach to measuring customer service of employees. Similar to mystery shopper in fast food restaurants and retail establishments, all
employees service this person or are randomly observed by mystery customers who measure them and give their supervisors feedback on service time, tone, resolution.

• All employees wear name and ID badges, perhaps with city customer service slogan on it.