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Director's Message
April 30, 2004
To: DHS Employees
From: Gary Weeks, Director
In this week's message:
1. Statewide Performance and Accountability Forum
2. DHS Staffing Study
3. Increasing workloads
4. Cinco de Mayo
5. Food for thought
6. Staff news
1. Statewide Performance and Accountability Forum
On TV, in the newspaper, and maybe in your conversations with friends or family, there's a lot of discussion these days about the public's low level of trust in government.
Governor Kulongoski knows this well, and restoring public confidence in government is a priority for him. As I was pleased to hear at a major conference this week, it's also a top concern for our partners in city and county government.
About 220 people from all three levels of government in Oregon came together for a forum on performance and accountability. I was pleased to moderate the conference, which was sponsored by the state, the Association of Oregon Counties and the League of Oregon Cities, and coordinated by our deputy director, Cindy Becker.
A shared concern. As the Governor noted in his opening remarks, members of the public often don't distinguish between levels of government. Whether we work for cities, counties, the state or special districts, whether we fix roads, protect children or license businesses, the public expects excellence from us.
That means that we can't take a narrow view of our work. If something isn't "our department," for example, it's important that we help the person on the other end of the phone connect with the service they need.
Finding solutions. This problem didn't develop overnight. In one breakout session, an expert in public affairs noted that the public's confidence in all institution has been slipping for several decades.
That same speaker, who works for the Oregon Department of Transportation, also pointed out a solution.
People form their perceptions of government largely on the basis of the personal treatment they receive. For example, many people view their experience in obtaining a driver's license at a DMV service window as dealing with state government as a whole. They may not differentiate DMV from DHS, or a state office from a county one.
So we have an opportunity to build trust — not only for our agency but also for government as a whole — every time we're asked for help.
The same strategies. Of course, there are lots of other things we need to be doing to build efficiency and accountability in government. It was encouraging to hear that our partners in local government are using many of the same strategies that are important to us.
For example, an auditor from the city of Portland spoke about the importance of performance audits to help ensure that programs are meeting their goals. And the city manager in Medford described a system of setting goals and measuring performance for his department heads, all tied into a citywide mission statement.
Next steps. This week's conference was primarily for administrative and communication staff. I'm hoping that sometime later this year, we can bring together another group to focus on partnerships in the delivery of programs and services.
As you know, collaboration is one of my priorities here at DHS. Counties, in particular, play an essential role in delivering our services. So we have a shared interest with our local partners — not only in delivering the best possible services, but also in helping to build trust in all levels of government.
2. DHS Staffing Study
How many people does it take to do our work? What are the correct ratios of supervisors to frontline workers, or administrative support people to program staff?
As directed by the 2003 Legislature — and in line with the Governor's initiative of improving efficiency in state government — we're beginning an agency-wide staffing study to answer these questions.
Phase One of the three-phase program will take place during the 2003-2005 biennium. It will focus on Food Stamps, Medicaid, and Adult Protective Services.
Planning and implementation. We have formed an Executive Steering Committee to oversee the planning and implementation details of the study. Members include six private sector representatives, one labor representative, two representatives from Department of Administrative Services and the Legislative Fiscal Office, and four DHS managers.
The Steering Committee will work with the Legislative Emergency Board to select a consulting organization with experience in analyzing staffing levels in human service agencies.
Expectations. We expect the study to identify potential efficiencies and process improvements in several areas including: current staffing standards, organizational structure, service delivery methods, supervisory load and responsibilities, support service structure, and application of technology.
The Statewide Labor Management committee is also soliciting workload improvement suggestions and is particularly interested in suggestions impacting the three areas in the first phase of the study.
Results. We will put together recommendations on how to implement the results from the study, and we plan to present them to the Legislative Emergency Board in January 2005. And of course, we will use the results of the study in our 2005-07 budget discussions during the next legislative session.
3. Increasing workloads
During these times of economic difficulty, the need for our services has increased. In most cases, we have absorbed the added workload without corresponding increases in staff. I know this has been difficult for many of you.
Members of the DHS management team meet regularly with union representatives to discuss workload issues, and to explore ways in which we can provide some relief.
At one recent meeting, a labor-management group discussed concerns about the speed and reliability of our desktop computers and of our GroupWise email system.
These are essential tools as we manage our work, and I share these concerns. Our new chief information officer, Bill Crowell, will send a message to you next week, describing how we are addressing these issues.
4. Cinco de Mayo
This Wednesday, May 5, is Cinco de Mayo, a national holiday in Mexico. It commemorates the battle of Puebla in 1862, when a tired and demoralized Mexican army successfully defended itself against the invasion of a French force nearly twice its size.
Cinco de Mayo not only gives us the chance to celebrate the courage and determination of the Mexican soldiers at Puebla, it also allows us to recognize the richness of the Hispanic culture and its contribution to our society as a whole.
I hope you and your family will enjoy a Cinco de Mayo event in your area, and will take a moment to remember the bravery of all who fight for freedom.
5. Food for thought
"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all."
— Dale Carnegie
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This message is intended for all Department employees. Please read it electronically, if possible. Managers and supervisors are asked to share the message each week with employees who do not have email access.
If you have a disability and need a document on this Web site to be provided to you in another format, please send an email to dhs.forms@state.or.us or call (503) 945-7021, fax (503) 373-7690 or TTY (503) 947-5080. If you know of others who need this accommodation, please let them know it is available.
Oregon Department of Human Services
Director's Office
500 Summer St. NE E15, Salem, OR 97301-1097
Phone: (503) 945-5944
Fax: (503) 378-2897
TTY: (503) 947-6214
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