[Archived] City of Alexandria Launches New Performance Reports and Community Survey

For Immediate Release: December 8, 2015

Alexandria City Manager Mark B. Jinks has announced the timeline for several initiatives intended to continue greater transparency and accountability for City government programs.  These efforts include the publication of performance reports for each program, a community survey to gauge resident satisfaction and priorities, and the development of an interactive performance dashboard.

"A key goal of City government is to provide accountable, responsible, and well-managed services to our customers," said Jinks.  "These new initiatives will help us document what is going well and identify opportunities for improvement."

Individual performance reports for each City program are now available at www.alexandriava.gov/Performance.  The reports include a selection of indicators used by managers to determine whether the program is meeting its goals.  The reports will be expanded over time to include additional measures and background information, and will be transitioned to an interactive dashboard of indicators.  The reports are intended as a starting point for the publication of performance data, and the public is encouraged to provide feedback.

In order to collect additional data on residents’ satisfaction with services and priorities, the City will conduct a community survey beginning in December 2015 and concluding in Spring 2016.  The survey, developed in conjunction with the National Research Center and the International City and County Managers’ Association (ICMA), will include both standardized questions to allow comparison to national benchmarks, and questions specific to Alexandria needs.  Results will be used to guide the City’s budget process, as well as to provide additional indicators for performance reports.

The community survey will be distributed to a random, representative sample of Alexandria residents by mail. Respondents will have the option to return the survey by mail or complete it online. A random sample approach will ensure that the survey is completed by a diverse group of residents across Alexandria.

For media inquiries, contact Craig T. Fifer, Director of Communications and Public Information, at craig.fifer@alexandriava.gov or 703.746.3965.