In Tasmania a benchmarking service is now being provided by the Local Government Association of Tasmania (LGAT) online to all its councils. The page is also open to the general public to view. Developed under the Networking the Nation program, the system located at www.councilsatwork.tas.gov.au is innovative as the data published in the system is not passive but can interact with users to provide comparative, trend and modelling analysis.
The public can then compare the performance of councils back to 2000 when key performance indicators (KPIs) were collected through the comparison of individual or groups of indicators and individual or groups of councils.
The web site was developed in partnership between State Government, LGAT and all councils to collect, format and produce the data. The web site enables councils to:
- examine trends on a particular KPI over a number of years
- compare their performance on the same KPI
- compare indicators with another Local Government or all councils
- analyse trends between indicators to show how one affects the other
- download raw data for more in depth, adhoc analysis
- generate customised reports.
Unlike the static annual report, the site allows for any combination of data and Councils to be compared. The system improves the flow of information between Local Governments and the community as it allows access to complex performance data to be presented in a simple format.
A first of its kind in Australia, the system demonstrates how a quality and ground breaking system can be developed when all levels of government cooperate.
