2015 -- H 5567

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2015

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT - RHODE ISLAND MUNICIPAL

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

     Introduced By: Representatives Morgan, Giarrusso, Filippi, Roberts, and Lancia

     Date Introduced: February 25, 2015

     Referred To: House Finance

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Title 42 of the General Laws entitled "STATE AFFAIRS AND

GOVERNMENT" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following chapter:

CHAPTER 157

RHODE ISLAND MUNICIPAL PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

     42-157-1. Legislative findings. -- For decades, private industry has been utilizing

continuous improvement tools in order to make operations more efficient and effective. These

improvement tools have been a critical and important component for successfully competing in

the global economy. Unfortunately, the concept of continuous improvement has largely been

absent from municipal governmental operations. However, during the past few years, governors,

and state departments and agencies across the country have begun implementing improvement

tools in the workforce. As a result, inefficient governmental operating systems have been

streamlined, workforce effectiveness has been enhanced and improved customer service has been

provided to constituents. Moreover, states that have adopted the programs have realized not only

improvement in constituent service and satisfaction, but also, through a more efficient

deployment and use of resources, these states have also realized savings that far outstrip the costs

of implementing the program.

     In Rhode Island, both the state and our municipalities have struggled with spending cuts

and lagging revenues in the past many years. They have tightened their budgets and cut personnel

and programs. Some have already begun to use performance management techniques, others have

not. This program is proposed to help all government entities learn quality tools and techniques

and deploy them throughout their workforce and facilities in order to improve governmental

efficiency and effectiveness, and enhance governmental services for the residents of Rhode

Island.

     42-157-2. Rhode Island Municipal Performance Management Program. -- (a) There

shall be established a Rhode Island municipal performance management program ("program") to

funded by the department of administration, and consisting of three (3) parts, a performance

management roundtable, a scholarship program and an awards competition.

     (b) Guidelines and criteria for the programs will be developed by a performance

management advisory council consisting of seven (7) members. The chair of the council shall be

the director of the Rhode Island office of management and budget, or his/her designee. The chair

shall appoint the remaining six (6) members for the council, in consultation with the governor's

office. The chair shall select members from the business community, academia and/or

government with extensive experience in performance management, Lean/Six Sigma, quality

assurance, process improvement, or other related skills including, but not limited to, faculty of the

University of Rhode Island, members of the Rhode Island section of the American Society for

Quality (ASQ), and other qualified organizations. This council shall also be responsible for

reviewing submissions, judging and selecting the projects that will receive the scholarships and

the winners of the awards programs. They will be responsible for administration.

     (c) Performance management roundtable. This is a monthly meeting at which participants

will share best practices in common municipal and government issues. The council will select and

supervise the facilitator. Staff from any state or local government entity is invited to attend. A

small fee, not to exceed ten dollars ($10.00) will be charged for materials. The facilitator will also

conduct trainings in pertinent quality improvement tools as part of the meetings. The annual

budget shall not exceed thirty thousand dollars ($30,000).

     (d) The department of administration shall fund eight (8) six (6) month scholarships to a

maximum amount of ninety-six thousand dollars ($96,000). Scholarship recipients shall be

chosen by lottery from interested municipalities. The scholarships may be extended for an

additional six (6) months, the total cost not to exceed one hundred eight thousand dollars

($108,000). The scholarship recipients will be given the use of a consultant and materials. This

consultant will work collaboratively with the municipal staff on projects involving performance

management processes. Processes shall include data collection, data-driven analysis, decision-

making, use of statistical measurement and control, and best practices and continuous

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improvement techniques.

     (e) The department shall also fund a second scholarship year for new applicants under the

same terms as set forth in subsection (d) of this section, provided that the second year of the

program must be reauthorized by the general assembly.

     (f) The department shall report the results and effectiveness of the scholarship program to

the general assembly within six (6) months after the end of the second scholarship year.

     (g) Competition and awards program. Any government or quasi-government entity is

eligible to submit a quality improvement project to the awards program. Each year the council

will select the three (3) most successful projects for recognition. The council is responsible for

developing the criteria, which will be modeled in coordination with the International Team

Excellence Awards (ITEA) program administered by the American Society for Quality. In

addition to a trophy and recognition by the governor at an annual ceremony, the winners will

receive a monetary award which must be used to fund additional improvement projects.

     The three (3) winners will be submitted to the regional ITEA competition of the

American Society for Quality. If any should be selected as winners at the regional level they will

consequently be submitted to the National ITEA competition. The annual cost of this program

shall not exceed twenty thousand dollars ($20,000).

     (h) Preparatory course. As a precursor to the launch of the above three (3) programs, the

council will develop an introductory, non-credit certificate program which will include

information on common tools and techniques, lean government, Kaizen events and other topics

that will become the foundation for participants' common understanding of quality strategies and

continuous improvement. The cost of developing the program, materials, hiring an instructor and

marketing shall not exceed sixty thousand dollars ($60,000). The goal is to train three hundred

(300) employees in the first year.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT - RHODE ISLAND MUNICIPAL

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

***

     This act would establish the Rhode Island municipal performance management program

which would be funded by the department of administration with the goal of improving the

delivery of services in the government sector. The act would also require the funding of a

performance management roundtable, a scholarship program and an awards program to

accomplish the goals set forth in the act.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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