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CitiStat Buffalo

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Beginning at the outset of his 2005 mayoral campaign, Mayor Byron Brown stated that a top priority of his mayoral administration would be ensuring greater accountability and efficiency in the management and delivery of city services to the residents of Buffalo.

Mayor Brown identified CitiStat, a management tracking initiative, as the best system to achieve the level of management accountability and worker efficiency necessary to deliver the best possible services to the residents of Buffalo. 

Established years earlier in municipalities such as Baltimore, Maryland and New York City (ComStat), the Brown Administration began an aggressive implementation agenda for the management tracking initiative that came on-line six months into the Mayor’s tenure as the 58th Mayor of the City of Buffalo.

To gain a better understanding of CitiStat and to see firsthand how the system works, Mayor Brown led a fact-finding trip to Baltimore in early March 2006.  Meeting with then Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley and key senior staff directly involved with the day-to-day oversight and management of CitiStat, Mayor Brown and his staff sat in on several CitiStat meetings and were afforded an opportunity to see the direct impact of the much praised and emulated management tracking system.

Returning to Buffalo, Mayor Brown reiterated his commitment to implement CitiStat Buffalo and directed staff to continue on an aggressive scheduled for implementation.

One-year from its debut, all thirteen city departments, including the Buffalo Sewer Authority, are now fully engaged in the weekly CitiStat Buffalo meetings.

CitiStat Buffalo Objectives

• Develop and execute effective strategies and tactics for all delivery systems.

• Accurately gauge the impact and effectiveness of City service delivery.

• Identify and implement any new technologies needed to improve service delivery.

• Maintain consistent follow-up of all City functions.

• Guarantee swift deployment of resources where needed.

CitiStat Buffalo Process

• CitiStat Buffalo is overseen by a review panel of senior Brown Administration members, including:
  • Mayor
  • First Deputy Mayor
  • Corporation Counsel
  • Administration and Finance Commissioner
  • Human Resources Commissioner
  • Office of Strategic Planning Executive Director

• Department or division heads come to a CitiStat Buffalo meeting every week with the CitiStat Buffalo Review Panel.  Prior to each meeting, the specific department or division is required to submit data to the CitiStat Buffalo team, led by the Executive Director of the Office of Strategic Planning.

The data must cover a broad range of information for a two-week period.  For instance, Division of Citizen Services submits information on activities such as Mayor’s Impact Team clean-ups (from notification of a needed clean-up to successful completion) to the number of comp time, sick time or vacation time used by Division employees. 

After the data is received, the CitiStat Buffalo team analyzes the information and prepares the presentation for the forthcoming meeting. 

Accurate and timely information is critical to the success of the CitiStat Buffalo process.  The CitiStat Buffalo team is responsible for ensuring the data is accurate by reviewing it, questioning those that have submitted the material, randomly checking cases and possibly conducting field investigations.

The CitiStat Buffalo team is also responsible for comparing the received information with data received during the prior reporting period and formulating questions designed to explain the data and highlight potential problem areas.  The team then prepares briefing materials for the Mayor and the other members of the CitiStat Buffalo Review Panel.

Using GIS mapping and quantitative charts, the CitiStat Buffalo team provides pinpointed information to the review panel as to where services are being provided (or not) throughout the city. 

Policies and Procedures

CitiStat Buffalo is a management accountability initiative designed to determine the effectiveness and efficiency of service delivery in all City of Buffalo departments.

To that end, it is imperative that accurate and reliable information be provided to the CitiStat Buffalo team, who, in turn, submit the material to the CitiStat Buffalo Review Panel members.

There will be instances when sensitive personnel issues are discussed openly and candidly between the division/department heads and the Review Panel members.

To ensure confidentiality, the following procedures will be in place at all CitiStat Buffalo meetings:

• Media wishing to attend the meetings must contact the Mayor’s Office of Communications to request attendance at any meeting.
• Media attending CitiStat Buffalo meetings agree not to publish specific names of personnel reviewed during a given meeting (a .  Statistical information, however, will be available following every CitiStat Buffalo meeting.
• Given the CitiStat Buffalo’s room size constraints, members of the general public wishing to attend meetings must contact the Office of Strategic Planning (851-5035) to sign-up for designated meetings.  Attendance availability will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Additional questions and requests for information can be directed to the CitiStat Buffalo Office at 851-6506.