City of Tempe, AZ
Home MenuAcceleration Models and Performance-Led Budgeting
On this page:
- Learn about Performance-led budgeting.
- Learn about Tempe Accelerates Performance (TAP).
Performance-led Budgeting
In preparation for the annual Operating and Capital Improvement Program budget process, Council prioritizes select performance measures to accelerate achievement. Utilizing the S.T.A.R.T. Tool (Strategy Tool for Aligning Resources for Tempe), Council distributes a theoretical $100 across the performance measures. While not appropriating funds, the S.T.A.R.T. Tool provides the Mayor and Council an early opportunity to communicate areas of focus for the upcoming budget year.
S.T.A.R.T. Tool Results
The S.T.A.R.T. Tool contains opportunities for improvement identified in the city’s community, business, and employee surveys that rate of high importance yet achieve lower satisfaction. This data is presented alongside performance measure targets and status. The performance measures identified by Mayor and Council for “acceleration” and their aligned teams are enrolled in the Tempe Accelerates Performance (TAP) team, facilitated by SMIO.
Tempe Accelerates Performance (TAP)
To advance the success of the Acceleration Models prioritized in the annual Performance-led Budgeting process, SMIO leads a data-driven facilitated series in partnership with interdepartmental performance measure teams through collaboration and innovation to accelerate achievement of the Mayor and City Council priorities and performance measures.
After TAP performance measures are identified in December of each year, TAP teams are established to develop measurable strategies and action plans to capture work that will be completed over the upcoming fiscal year. The teams include performance measure owners, responsible for managing, tracking, and advancing progress on a performance measure, and strategy partners, colleagues and community partners whose strategic work aligns with the performance measure.
Every other week, TAP teams meet to hyper-focus on progress in achieving their measurable strategies (“from x to y by when”), address challenges, celebrate wins and document progress using a team huddle board and action plan. This format promotes cross-department strategies, accountability, leadership, and succession planning. Each quarter, TAP teams provide a data-driven report-out at a City Manager and Director’s leadership meeting. The teams’ presentations focus on progress on strategies, challenges, successes, and results.