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LEADERSHIP AGENDA

OPERATIONAL SCAN

DEPARTMENT PERFORMANCE

Operational Scan 

The scan of economic, fiscal and administrative indicators that affect state government's ability to better serve Iowans. Click below to see data and explanations.

• Agency Operations
  A. Number of employees per supervisor in state government (FTEs/Span of Control)
  B. State employee performance evaluations completed on time.
  C. Minorities and persons with disabilities (PWD) in state government (%).
  D. Number of grievances filed.
  E. Energy costs and consumption for the Capitol Complex.
  F. On-the-job injuries in state government
  G. Prison population vs. baseline

• Government Finance
  H. Current revenues
  

• Economic Indicators
  I. Personal income
  J. Average weekly earnings
  K. Employment level and Unemployment rate
  L. Home sales
  

Why this is important:
The Executive Branch of state government contains over 19,000 employees. Of this amount, over 1,800 employees are classified as supervisors and over 17,000 employees are classified as non-supervisors. A span of control of 1:12 is critical to state government's mission because it optimizes the ratio of supervisors to employees in the workforce. This permits the allocation of resources to more appropriately accomplish the work of the organization. As the graph indicates, improvement continues to be made toward the 1:12 goal.

What we're doing about this:
A concerted effort within state agencies is being made to decrease the number of supervisors. Each agency carefully evaluates job responsibilities as supervisory positions become vacant. As the situation dictates, supervisory responsibilities may remain unchanged, may be transferred to existing supervisory positions, or may be eliminated.

Why this is important:
This graph indicates that state government continues to make progress in completing timely employee performance evaluations, though the FY 2004 percent completed dropped 4.9% from the FY 2003 rate. Periodic and timely performance feedback provides necessary advice and counsel to employees that permit them to maximize productivity and to more meaningfully contribute to organizational goals.

What we're doing about this:
Data regarding the timeliness of employee performance evaluations is periodically provided to the Governor and to state agencies. DAS personnel continue to monitor agency progress and inform agencies of completion status. No apparent trend explains the dip in the percent completed in FY 2004 versus FY 2003. Though many state agencies and institutions achieved a 90-100% completion rate, enough larger state agencies and institutions had significant numbers that were not timely, which contributed to the decline from FY 2003.

Why this is important:
State government is fully committed to equal employment opportunity, affirmative action, and overall diversity in the workforce. Ideally, the number of minorities and persons with disabilities in the state workforce would be equal to or great than their representation in the Iowa labor force, which is based on periodic census data. According to the 2000 Iowa Census, the percentage of persons with disabilities is 11.8% and the percentage of minorities is 6.022%. ?Although we continue to make steady progress, it is important to recognize that due to changes in demographics in the State, the available labor force is constantly changing. For minorities in particular, 6.02% represents a minimal goal.

What we're doing about this:
State hiring practices were reviewed this past year. As a result of this review, Governor Culver issued Executive Order Four, which provides for a more comprehensive and aggressive approach to increasing diversity in state government.

Key elements of Executive Order Four include:

• Directing all state agencies to implement hiring and management practices that will enhance diversity of the State's workforce;
• Increasing DAS oversight of the state agencies;
• Increasing collaboration with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, Department of Human Rights, and Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services;
• Requiring annual diversity training for all state employees making hiring and promotion decisions; and
• Creating a Diversity Council to provide additional input into the recruitment and hiring practices of the State.
  

Why this is important:
The number of grievances reflects the union's reaction to departments' policies and the way those policies are implemented. Grievances provide both the union and management a process to resolve issues and problems.

What we're doing about this:
The state and AFSCME have formed a labor/management committee to work through the state's current grievance resolution process to insure there is an effective method available to resolve grievances at the employee/supervisor level. Resolving grievances at the department level reduces the number of costly arbitrations.

Why this is important:
Ongoing evaluation of energy cost and usage is critical, especially during the winter months. Energy prices have increased significantly over the past years. The Department continually compares natural gas cost and usage with fuel oil cost and usage to determine which fuel source is most cost effective. By finding ways to conserve energy and reduce consumption levels, DAS keeps the cost of energy down.

What we're doing about this:
The department is working on energy management improvement projects and analyzing data to determine the most effective means of reducing energy cost.

Why this is important:
Workers' compensation claim submittals are an indicator of employee on-the-job safety. The higher the number of workers' compensation claims filed, the higher the cost and the more likely a serious claim will occur. This is of particular importance because the state is self-insured and the current annual cost exceeds $17.0 million. Iowa state government has one of the lowest worker injury and illness incident rates in the Midwest. The data indicates that the number of reported injuries is fluctuating while the average cost per claim is declining.

What we're doing about this:
The Department of Administrative Services (DAS) employs a Safety Officer who works with all agencies to encourage the development and implementation of effective safety programs that will impact new claims frequency. DAS is also providing early notice of accidents and prompt, thorough accident investigation to determine which claims or medical conditions may not be deemed 'work-related.'

Why this is important:
The primary purpose is responsible prison management. Prison overcrowding is often a contributing factor in the likelihood of conditions suits being filed.

What we're doing about this:
The Department of Corrections is employing strategies to increase the number of release recommendations to the Parole Board, and improve pre-release planning.

Why this is important:
This web site shows the amount of general fund receipts received to date by the state compared to last year at the same date. This is one of the tracking mechanisms used for general fund revenues. It gives the viewers updated information on general fund revenues are being received compared to last year.

What we're doing about this:
Over the past few years, general fund revenues have either grown very little or declined. It is important to understand that general fund revenues are the main funding sources for state programs, so efforts are underway to realign state spending with revenues. It is also important for budgeting purposes for accurate general fund revenue estimates and efforts are underway to improve the data that is collected from tax returns, and expand and analyze state and national economic information to better help the estimating efforts.

Why this is important:
Personal income measures income received by households from wages, fringe benefits, rents, interest, dividends, and transfer payments like Social Security. It represents the main component of consumer purchasing power. Because consumer spending accounts for about two-thirds of economic activity, growth (or declines) in personal income have a major impact on the economy.

What we're doing about this:
The State has aggressively pursued new, well-paying jobs. From July 2003 through October 2007, the Iowa Department of Economic Development has made awards to 487 companies, to create or retain 37,692 jobs. The average wage of funded jobs is $43,565 per year.

In recent years, the State has assembled the tools to achieve the goal of creating 50,000 high-wage jobs in industries equipped to compete world-wide, and to improve the State's capacity to provide needed and desired public services. We are using the Iowa Values Fund, and other state business funds that have been re-tooled to increase marketing Iowa as a business location, to provide business financial assistance, university research, and other activities.

Why this is important:
This represents the money income of workers in all industries. Changes in the figures over time reflect underlying trends in industry wages.

What we're doing about this:
The State has aggressively pursued new, well-paying jobs. During the 2005 session, the Legislature adopted Governor Vilsack's recommendation that the State renew the Grow Iowa Values Fund, a significant new investment in economic development originally created in 2003. A ten-year commitment of $35 million per year was appropriated under the new Values Fund for direct assistance to businesses that will create new quality jobs, or retain jobs that would otherwise be lost. While the State has had a number of programs for job creation and retention over the years, the Values Fund has provided a dramatic increase in resources available for this purpose.

Why this is important:
Employment figures are a count of the number of filled jobs, excluding the self-employed, domestic jobs in private households, farm jobs, and the armed forces. Because some people work more than one job, the employment level also exceeds the number of working persons. Employment is the main source of household income and has a direct impact on consumer spending and the overall health of the economy.

The unemployment rate measures the number of persons 16 years of age and older who do not have jobs and are available for and actively seeking work within the labor force as a whole. This is a major indicator of the degree to which the state economy provides jobs for those who are seeking work.

NOTE: All of the figures were revised downward in the spring of 2005 in response to the Bureau of Labor Statistics benchmarking effort and using the methodology changes which took affect in January 2005.

What we're doing about this:
The State has aggressively pursued new, well-paying jobs. During the 2005 session, the Legislature adopted Governor Vilsack's recommendation that the State renew the Grow Iowa Values Fund, a significant new investment in economic development originally created in 2003. A ten-year commitment of $35 million per year was appropriated under the new Values Fund for direct assistance to businesses that will create new quality jobs, or retain jobs that would otherwise be lost. while the State has had a number of programs for job creation and retention over the years, the Values Fund has provided a dramatic increase in resources available for this purpose.

Why this is important:
This reflects the number of residential home sales within a year. Home sales are often a product of favorable interest rates, economic activity, and gains in disposable income.

What we're doing about this:
The State has aggressively pursued new, well-paying jobs. From July 2003 through October 2007, the Iowa Department of Economic Development has made awards to 487 companies, to create or retain 37,692 jobs. The average wage of funded jobs is $43,565 per year.

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