Nicola Brackertz

A service delivery approach to measuring facility performance in local government

This paper presents a new method for measuring facility performance that encompasses financial and non‐financial indicators. This method is the outcome of a pilot study conducted with a local government authority (LGA) in Melbourne, Australia. The service balanced scorecard takes a stakeholder approach to the setting of performance objectives in relation to the LGA’s key result areas, and then assesses facility performance balancing financial and non‐financial indicators. The service balanced scorecard takes into account four different perspectives of facility performance – the community, services, building and financial perspectives – resulting in a facility performance profile. While in this particular instance the service balanced scorecard was used in local government, the method may also be adapted for use in a corporate environment.

Evaluating community facilities in local government: Managing for service enablement

Strategic management of facilities is now generally accepted best practice. Appraisal of facility performance has developed correspondingly and financial measures are no longer seen as the prime indicator of success. Holistic models that include the processes supporting fulfilment of an organisation’s strategic aims are now considered to provide more appropriate measures. Recent focus in the service‐oriented context of local government authority (LGA) facility management has particularly turned toward such models. This paper discusses the issues and inherent tensions arising from the strategic measurement of local government facilities in a service delivery context. It is argued that outwardly the strategic objective of service delivery is common to the private and public sectors, but fundamental differences in the desired outcomes and responsibilities of the two sectors require different solutions. Even if one accepts the current trend in ‘balanced’ performance measurement, differing parameters in the private and public sectors impact on the design and evaluation of performance measures, especially in relation to process, efficiency, strategy formulation and responsiveness of the organisation to customer needs. If a facility is considered to be an enabler of processes that lead to desired outcomes, these differences must necessarily affect the design of facility performance measurement tools. The research with eight LGAs, reported here, supports the need for a new model for the evaluation of community facilities applicable in the local government context. Using stakeholder‐based focus groups, the need was identified for a service‐oriented model, where the facility is understood as the intersection of aspects of service provision, physical building substance and the community utilising the facility.

Enabling processes for strategic outcomes: CRE in the Australian private and public sectors

Abstract Private as well as public sector organisations now recognise the contribution that CRE makes to enabling the processes that lead to desired strategic outcomes. Here a focus group study is described that identifies issues in Australian CRE, contrasting the public and private sectors. Building on this, the authors present a strategic facilities management tool that was developed as a major initiative with eight local government partners in Victoria, Australia. Quantitative as well as qualitative data is contributed by multiple stakeholders via a centralised database that is accessible over the Internet, thereby facilitating access from multiple points as well as benchmarking. Indicators relate to strategically important aspects of facility performance and can be weighted according to their strategic importance.

The impact of financial counselling on alleviating financial stress in low income households: a national Australian empirical study

In Australia financial counselling has emerged as an important component of policy responses to assist low income households and individuals in financial stress. However, the evidence on its effectiveness in alleviating or resolving debt-related issues is patchy. This article contributes much-needed empirical evidence on its impact on low income households and presents the results of a recent national study of financial counselling clients in Australia. The research findings demonstrate the complex factors contributing to financial stress and the effectiveness of financial counselling in providing positive outcomes on a range of measures, including debt resolution, financial capability and health and wellbeing, and highlight the importance of early intervention. From a policy perspective, the study points to the importance of having a mix of strategies to address financial stress in low income earners that combine approaches based on individual responsibility and models based on social justice and advocacy.