A Campaign Of Government Change Should Include Compstat

I have watched the same question posed to Barrack Obama in several debates now. It is not a question based on the "change" sign that appears everywhere as the platform slogan of his campaign. No, this dubious debate question concerns why he does not wear a flag pin on the lapel of his suit.

Of course, these types of questions do not offer any insight on how a Barack Obama Administration would "change" the agencies of the federal government . In fact, what the voters would like to hear from the Presidential candidates is an understanding that true federal government reform requires performance standards and the tools necessary for government managers to measure performance. The reality of federal government "change" is that management without the necessary measurement tools will not lead to improved operating efficiency.

The truth is that the private sector has had performance management and measurement tools in place for decades. In fact, widely used programs such as Six Sigma and others have been invaluable in efforts to systematically improve business processes resulting in the reduction and elimination of errors and defects in many companies across different industries.

However, in the public sector, the practice of managing business process has been quite different. If more money is needed, State, Federal, payroll, property, water, sewer, trash, registry, gas, alcohol, excise, sales, and tobacco, taxes, tolls, and fees could always be raised to generate additional government revenue. Of course, this method of revenue generation does not promote government efficiency. Unfortunately, government process management simply does not exist as it does in the private sector. Often, that is what leads to critical reports from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), and the wasteful spending practices in various government agencies.

Therefore, what local, state, and federal government needs is a public sector Six Sigma program to promote the efficient spending of taxpayer money. A program that uses analysis and measurement to reduce inefficiency. A program that provides the necessary management tools and sponsors increased management communication to provide a more efficient return on each taxpayer dollar.

So, it is very encouraging that such a program already exists and is working in several places today. The program is called Compstat and it was originally developed by New York police commissioner, William Bratton, in 1993. Today, more than a decade later, as a result of the program, serious crime has been reduced in New York by 65 percent. In general, the program has been very successful in the reduction of all crime across the 76 city precincts. The program uses computer statistics, timely input of data, and a geographical basis of tracking "hot spots" to place resources in the proper place at the proper time. The success of the program has led to its adoption by over one hundred police departments nationwide. The program has even received the "Innovation in American Government Award" from Harvard's Kennedy School and the Ford Foundation.

So how did the Compstat program produce such success? Initially, it established four principles that governed the New York Police Department as follows: timely and accurate intelligence; rapid deployment; effective tactics; and relentless follow-up and assessment. All of the information gathered by the fifteen member Compstat task force was analyzed and used to facilitate those four guiding principles.

At first, the program focused on seven major crime categories. Data was captured from the most serious crimes and plotted electronically on a computer screen to determine patterns and trends. A cluster of dots in a particular location alerted officers to a string of murders, rapes, or robberies. The statistics were also used to generate a profile of commanding officers and assess their management performance.

Eventually, the Compstat program in New York was expanded to include information on more than seven hundred different performance indicators. In total, these indicators measured the performance of the entire agency and identified areas where improvement was needed. In addition to tracking crime, the program now includes keeping track of police overtime, allegations by citizens of police abuse, even things like how quickly it takes to get a police vehicle back from repair, and the maintenance of police buildings.

The principles of the Compstat program have easily be applied outside of the law enforcement field. In fact, Compstat has been the guiding force behind a program called Trafficstat which is designed to improve conditions on the highway, and T.E.A.M.S which has increased safety and efficiency in prisons. The Department of Education and the Department of Transportation also have started initiatives using the Compstat program. Compstat programs are also now being used in many smaller American cities and towns.

However, it is in Baltimore, Maryland that the positive impact of the program can best be seen. A program modeled after Compstat called Citistat tracks the city government as a whole. City agencies provide regular data about their work to a central office that analyzes the data and creates reports for the mayor. The statistics tell a story of performance and city managers are held accountable. Since the program was implemented, Baltimore has experienced a forty percent reduction in payroll overtime, saving the city $15 million over two years. The success in Baltimore has led to the development of similar programs in other American cities.

A candidate who campaigns on a platform of change in 2008, needs to be very specific about what that change means in the next Presidential Administration. Therefore, it may be helpful in the next Democratic debate if a television moderator would ask Barack Obama about the potential use of Compstat to improve the efficiency of the various agencies of the Federal Government.

Indeed, his answer will be far more important to an American voter interested in federal government reform than yet another question concerning the absence of a flag pin on his suit lapel.

James William Smith has worked in senior management positions for some of the largest financial services firms in the United States for the last twenty five years. He has also provided business consulting support for insurance organizations and start up businesses. Mr. Smith has a Bachelor of Science Degree from Boston College. He enjoys writing articles on political, national, and world events. Visit his website at http://www.eworldvu.com