2004 County Achievement
Award Winners
·
Prime West Health System
Big Stone, Douglas,
Grant, McLeod, Meeker, Pipestone, Pope, Renville, Stevens and Traverse Counties
Prime West is a Joint Powers County-based Purchasing Project that has
enjoyed enormous success since its inception in 1998 to the benefit of less
fortunate county residents. Its
success is due to the perseverant and dedicated leadership and sacrifice of the
participating county commissions, human services agencies and public health
agencies.
·
Elected Officials: A U-Lead Program
Carver County
Upon
completion of the Carver County Quality of Life Indicators project in 2000,
Carver County Commissioners, the Quality of Life community team and a group of
local elected officials, wanted to take the indicator results to the
communities. Their goal was to have local elected leaders use the indicator results
as a planning tool to address key countywide policy issues. The team approached
the University of
Minnesota Humphrey
Institute to provide topic and process resources for a leadership development
program. A design team comprised of
Carver County local elected officials,
Extension Educators, Humphrey Institute and other community partners was
formed. They developed the first six-session 2001 pilot educational leadership
program, which focused on the growth and affordable housing. The main objectives of the program were
to provide a forum for networking and support, while building leadership skills
and learning more about important local issues. It is an opportunity to learn together
and from each other - small and large governments, rural and urban, experienced
and new. Carver County feels that
this program is a significant achievement because of these
accomplishments: 1)Each year,
approx. 52% of the145 local elected officials from Carver County attended at
least one or more of the sessions; 2)Participants have increased their elected
leadership network as they now seek out fellow local government participants or
staff on common questions or content between sessions; 3)Participants
discussed, developed and are modeling implementation of an agreed upon set of
Carver County Leadership Values; 4)draft Carver County Vision Statements have
been discussed and developed with future implementation strategies being
discussed; 5) Improved communications, understanding and trust has led to
valuable dialogue on key issues facing Carver County.
·
Measuring Performance/Improving Outcomes: The Balanced Scorecard
Project
Dakota County
The Balanced Scorecard is a leading private sector tool to communicate an
organization’s overarching strategies, link them with everyday actions,
and measure progress, improvements, and results. In 2002, Dakota County
took the initiative to adapt this methodology to its operations in the public
sector in order to continue the County’s evolution in measuring and
improving organizational performance.
Over the last two years, Dakota
County has developed (1) more than 35
“navigational scorecards” to measure progress monthly toward 13
strategic objectives of the County
Board and (2) an annual
“evaluation scorecard” to measure the outcomes of County
initiatives to achieve these strategic objectives. Tangible results from monthly Scorecard
reviews by senior managers and quarterly assessments for the Board of
Commissioners have included identification of critical county needs and
opportunities (e.g., by linking the annual budget process to the Scorecards and
using them in setting budget priorities), measuring progress toward major goals
(e.g., redesigning processes to increase MFIP work participation rates), and
improving how the County does business (e.g., through an emphasis on process
improvements and a focus on “communicating value”). A “Development and Deployment
Guide” prepared by Dakota
County can assist other
counties in adapting this methodology to their needs. County and Department “strategy
maps” and measures can be used as models to guide other counties.
·
Belview Learning Center
Redwood County
The Belview Learning
Center is an Adolescent Day Treatment
Program located in Redwood
County. The facility opened its doors on
September 15, 2003, in the former Belview
School. The Belview Learning
Center provides students
with the tools needed to be successful academically, behaviorally and
socially. It is designed to meet
the needs of students who are experiencing mental health problems and are
receiving special education services.
This program filled a service gap to children in Redwood County
and contributed to our reduction of our of home placement costs.
- Methamphetamine
Education & Drug Awareness (M.E.A.D.A.) Coalition
Wright County
In January 2004, Wright
County waged war
against methamphetamine. The
Methamphetamine Education & Drug Awareness Coalition was formed to
educate youth, families, and citizens of Wright County
on the dangers of drugs, with a focus on methamphetamine. The coalition hopes to develop a
mindset in Wright
County of zero tolerance
for chemical use, especially methamphetamine. It is a collaboration of the
following Wright
County community
groups and organizations: The
City of Buffalo, The Buffalo Police Department, The Wright County
Sheriff’s Department, Wright County Court Services, Wright County
Attorney’s Office, Wright County Social Services, Wright County
Brothers and Big Sisters, as well as concerned students, school staff, and
parents. This organization not
only helps educate about the dangers of drug usage, but also helps improve
communication between many community organizations. This more efficient communication
allows for information sharing between agencies, and makes MEADA that much
stronger.