An extensive service review at Parramatta City Council has taken out one of the top gongs at the annual Local Government Management Association NSW Management Excellence Awards in 2010.
The award for Excellence in Leadership and Innovation – Metropolitan Councils, was given for its services review project, which commenced in late 2009 and aimed to improve performance across all 41 of its business areas.
CEO Dr Rob Lang said that the award recognised the direction that Council was now headed and congratulated staff for contributing to the Services Review and its ongoing implementation.
“The services review provided the opportunity to engage and interact with staff on how we can improve our organisation and make it more financially viable,” he said. “Without their ideas and effort, we wouldn’t be in the strong position we are in today.
“We’ve benchmarked our services against other councils, reviewed processes and looked at ways we can continually build improvement. As a result of the services review, we now have over 120 recommendations that will significantly improve our business and generate positive community outcomes.”
One successful result of the services review has been to give pet owners more peace of mind. Providing a micro chipping service has improved current animal control service, enabling the return of animals to owners in a short period of time and reducing the resources associated with transferring animals to Blacktown Pound.
Michelle Burke, Animal Management Officer said Council has made several pet owners happy with the quick return of their animals, while also complying with the relevant animal identification legislation.
Residents also have the option to have their pet micro chipped by Council at home as part of the pet registration process.
“Home micro chipping has reduced the need for prolonged correspondence and potential enforcement action against owners failing to comply with animal identification legislation,” Michelle Burke said.
Another services review recommendation was to add online facilities bookings and the renewal of resident’s parking permits to Council’s website.This has reduced the workload for the officers responsible for these previously paper laden processes. People are now able to take a 360 degree virtual tour of any of Parramatta’s facilities, view availability and submit a booking request all online.
Residents can also renew their parking permits online from the comfort of their own home. The user friendly application is a true time saver, enabling online users to renew their permits without having to come into Council’s administration centre.
Dr Lang said that Council’s approach was centred on creating a shared vision within the organisation allowing it to provide services that are not only efficient, but will meet community needs now and in the future.
“I’m extremely proud of this award, one of the most prestigious in the state, and I look forward to Parramatta City Council continuing to set new standards when it comes to best practice in Local Government,” he said.
