Developing a performance excellence council

As part of its preparation for PHAB accreditation, Ventura County Public Health (VCPH) embarked on a plan to develop a performance management system. The department had operated a Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) program for decades, but had not developed a complete Performance Management System. This new system was created in the context of the County of Ventura having implemented a Service Excellence model founded in large part in the Lean Six Sigma performance improvement and program development model. VCPH embarked on a year-long planning effort that resulted in launching its Performance Excellence Council (PEC). Core concepts used to develop this comprehensive system include National Public Health Performance Standards; the CDC's four Performance Management Systems: components: establishing standards, designing and implementing measurement, establishing reporting systems, and quality improvement processes; the “Ten Essential Public Health Services” (as modified by PHAB into 12 domains); Lean Six Sigma process improvement/project development tools as key components of project planning and implementation; and standard program planning and research methods. PEC standards include: setting organizational objectives across all levels of the department; identifying indicators to measure progress toward achieving objectives; identifying responsibility for monitoring progress and reporting; and, identifying areas where achieving objectives requires focused quality improvement processes. The PEC integrates planning and quality improvement functions into a single structure. The PEC organization is: Deployment Champions (top management), PEC Council Leads, 12 PEC Domain Leads (corresponding to the PHAB Domains), and ad hoc improvement/development teams organized to engage specific improvement activities. PEC Council Leads are appointed and rotate each year. They are selected by top department management. All staff members are part of the PEC and are encouraged to identify areas to address, and participate in the process. Community members and others may participate as a project requires.