Best Management Practices

Presented by

Sonoma LAFCO

Session Objectives This session will explore the components of the key elements of a

LAFCO operation. There will be an overview of management studies and their role in assisting organizational development, followed by a review of a model “best practices” checklist.

  In order to make the assessments of operational strengths and

improvement opportunities, a set of performance measures that we call “best management practices” against which to evaluate these processes has been developed Statements of "best practices" based on experience in evaluating operations in other by the panelists.

  Each attendee will be provided with a model “best practices” for

LAFCOs. Although the list may appear comprehensive each LAFCO operations will differ and not all practices apply to all LAFCOs.

The checklist can be used with staffs to assist in goal setting, program development and reviews of management practices, polices, and processes.

Session Objectives

One of the objectives of this session is to increase the number and scope of Best Practices for LAFCOs.

As we go through the checklist, feel free to jot down ideas, comments, observations of your LAFCO as o Best Practices that our LAFCO applies.

Thanks for your assistance.

You can e-mail your ideas to richbottarini@sonoma-county.org

Your Best Practices

Definition A best practice is a technique, method, process, activity, incentive, or

reward that is believed to be more effective at delivering a particular outcome than any other technique, method, process, etc. when applied to a particular condition or circumstance. The idea is that with proper processes, checks, and testing, a desired outcome can be delivered with fewer problems and unforeseen complications. Best practices can also be defined as the most efficient (least amount of effort) and effective (best results) way of accomplishing a task, based on repeatable procedures that have proven themselves over time for large numbers of people.

A given best practice is only applicable to particular condition or circumstance and may have to be modified or adapted for similar circumstances. In addition, a "best" practice can evolve to become better as improvements are discovered.

Despite the need to improve on processes as the environment changes, best-practice is considered by some as a business buzzword used to describe the process of developing and following a standard way of doing things that multiple organizations can use for management, policy, and especially software systems.

As the term has become more popular, some organizations have begun using the term "best practices" to refer to what are in fact merely 'rules', causing a linguistic drift in which a new term such as "good ideas" is needed to refer to what would previously have been called "best practices.“

Source: Wikipedia

Why an Management Study?

A management study is designed to provide a comprehensive analysis of this Agency. In order to make assessments of operation. a set of performance measures, titled “best management practices”, were developed. These performance measures comprise the main thrust of a diagnostic assessment.

The purpose of the diagnostic assessment is to develop an overall assessment of the practices, polices, and processes.

Why an Management Study? (part 2)

The performance measures are derived from collective experience and represent the following ways to identify Commission’s strengths as well as improvement opportunities: 

Statements of "effective practices" based on experience in evaluating operations in other agencies or “industry standards” from other research organizations.

The measure of the performance against state law.

Review of other LAFCOs’ practices and procedures.

Identification of whether and how the this LAFCO meets the performance targets.

Format The performance measures are derived from collective

experience and represent the following ways to identify Commission’s strengths as well as improvement opportunities: 

• Statements of "effective practices" based on experience in evaluating operations in other agencies or “industry standards” from other research organizations.

• The measure of the performance against state law.

• Review of other LAFCOs’ practices and procedures.

• Identification of whether and how the this LAFCO meets the performance targets.

Sonoma Management Study

Commission

Budget and Finances

Customer Service

Application Processing

California Environmental Quality Act

Odds and Ends

Contacts

Sonoma LAFCO Website:

www.sonoma-county.org/lafco

California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions Website

www.calafco.org

Sonoma LAFCO:

575 Administration Drive, Room 117-DSanta Rosa, CA 95403

(707) 565-2577, Fax: (707) 565-3778