What should leadership in the public sector look like as it faces significant changes in the world that impact agenda-setting and decision-making? As the strategic planning and performance manager of Pinellas County Government in the US, Aubrey Phillips leverages a unique blend of data analysis skills and interpersonal communication to optimize organizational efficiency.
One of her notable accomplishments was overseeing the development of Pinellas County’s COVID-19 dashboard and alleviation initiatives through interagency collaboration. Phillips holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and environmental studies from New College of Florida, along with an advanced certificate in Geographic Information Systems. In this interview, she discusses her professional journey and insights into the dynamic world of strategy and performance management in the public sector.
Would you tell us more about your educational and professional background? How did your previous experiences lead you to your current position?
I started working in local government as an undergraduate, eager to make a difference. Early on, I piloted using the Conservation Measures Partnership’s standards and saw the benefits of engagement and evidence. From there, I have continued seeking opportunities to practice change management, drive operational efficiencies, and influence organizational performance.
What are your main responsibilities and goals in your current role?
My role focuses on empowering employees to build a continuous improvement culture, celebrating learning, and driving strategic outcomes. My main responsibilities involve facilitating strategic and operational planning and analytics; providing courses, tools, and coaching; administering data systems and standards; and providing consultation, research, and analysis to improve service delivery and efficiency.
Please take us through your daily job routine. Could you describe in detail your activities and work hours? You may specify certain areas of your job, such as your work arrangement (remote, on-site or hybrid) and the stakeholders you frequently contact or meet with.
Anchored by a weekly team huddle, planning and time-blocking keep me focused through the week. I’m typically on-site part of the week, depending on the courses, facilitations, and meetings scheduled. Working organization-wide and with employees at every level, a hybrid arrangement helps me stay connected while minimizing windshield time.
Do you think that strategy and performance management in the public sector is different from that in the private sector? How?
Broad public records laws mean there’s no locker room in public sector strategy and performance management. Everything happens in the sunshine of the arena, presenting challenges but also opportunities for shared learning. Extending the metaphor, the goalposts in the public sector are more mercurial than relatively straightforward profit margins.
What are the main achievements you are proud of thus far during your time working in strategy and performance management in the public sector?
Whether establishing a nationally recognized community gardens program, engaging community partners and county staff to shape and deliver federally funded COVID relief programs, or analyzing and addressing key drivers of employee and community satisfaction, I take the most pride in work that has brought people together on solutions.
What are the main challenges that you face working in strategy and performance management in the public sector? When faced with such challenges, what do you do?
The main challenge is that there’s always more that can be done. Harnessing data and collective wisdom are keys to helping prioritize efforts that will do the most good. I also focus on my influence as a “decision architect” and use data to communicate the impact of decisions to others.
For the future of your career, do you intend to keep on working in the public sector, switch to the private sector, or does the sector not really matter to you? Why?
While my roots are in the public sector, where I work matters less than the mission. I expect my work will always aim to be in service to the public, and there are many private sector organizations making incredible contributions to moving strategy and performance management forward in the public sector.
If someone is looking to work in strategy and performance management in the public sector one day, what skills, knowledge and experience would you advise them to acquire?
Project and change management, process improvement, and data analysis and visualization are great to start with. Pair those with skill-building around relationships, the ability to have difficult conversations, facilitation, and learning on the fly to navigate change. From there, put some skin in the game, volunteer for opportunities to practice key skills, and seek feedback.
Read more of Aubrey Phillips’ insights on strategy and performance management in the upcoming government issue of Performance Magazine – Print Edition. Stay updated by subscribing to TKI’s LinkedIn page!
Harry Patria, the CEO of Patria & Co., is a data strategist and lecturer who founded a company that serves over 100 corporate clients, 200 analytical platforms, and 500 professionals. He is a Data Hackathon winner in the UK and graduated with distinction from his master’s degree to a PhD program with a fully-funded scholarship. Harry is a subject matter expert in several fields.
Image source: pixelshots | | Getty Images via Canva
Measuring and managing performance is critical in identifying an organization’s performance levels. Although many companies measure their performance against their financials, this approach does not always succeed when facing crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. Performance management offers a deep understanding of procedures, processes, and services or products for higher management to view, which helps in making critical decisions when crises happen.
Therefore, organizations should establish, integrate, and adopt a dedicated performance management department. As discussed in the Certified Performance Management Professional course by The KPI Institute (TKI), a performance management system (PMS) helps align employees to meet corporate strategic objectives and career goals. In addition, it creates an environment where employees reach and exceed their abilities to produce efficient and effective products or services. This system, according to Aurel Brudan, founder and CEO of TKI, refers to “the overarching human activity that is concerned with achieving desired results, thus demonstrating and achieving performance. It reflects the approach one entity has towards performance, and it integrates both upstream and downstream with other domains of administrative science or managerial disciplines.”
Placement
The placement of a Performance Management Office (PMO) in the organizational structure depends on how the organization handles planning and execution. On one hand, if planning and execution are carried out by one department, then the PMO would be an independent department. On the other hand, if planning and execution are done separately in the organization, then the PMO would be under Corporate Strategy Planning and next to the Project Management and Strategic Planning offices. To sum it up, having a dedicated PMO is not enough. It is important to place the PMO in the organizational structure according to how planning and execution are performed within the organization to ensure clear and smooth integration within its hierarchy.
Measuring and managing performance is critical in identifying an organization’s performance levels. Although many companies measure their performance against their financials, this approach does not always succeed when facing crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. Performance management offers a deep understanding of procedures, processes, and services or products for higher management to view, which helps in making critical decisions when crises happen.
The following example is a subsection from a corporate-level organizational structure showing the placement of the PMO.
Source: The KPI Institute
Imagine a scenario where the Strategic Planning Department produces a strategy plan activated through projects executed and managed by the Project Management Department. The output of those two departments is then measured and managed by the PMO. The PMO in this structure ensures the smooth and effective execution of performance management activities. This setup is optimal due to its many benefits to operations and strategic alignment.
Benefits
There are several benefits to having a dedicated PMO. Performance management starts by connecting strategic objectives to key performance indicators (KPIs), deriving strategy implementation and supporting transformation to guide the organization toward improvement and growth.
The tangible benefits of having a PMO will typically emerge after its first year of implementation, with evidence likely showing up during the annual performance review. Analyzing the organization’s current state, defining its future, and managing performance throughout the year through performance management tools can give higher management a clear vision as they take critical actions to update their strategy as the situation demands it. Moreover, the PMO can identify and understand gaps and opportunities for improvement to ensure continued organizational growth and survival.
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This article is written by Engr. Hussien Abdullah Alkhalifah, a strategy and business planning professional who specializes in corporate performance, agile project management, business process improvement, performance management, KPI implementation, quality control, and strategic planning, among others. Connect with him on LinkedIn.
Khalid G. Alharbi boasts over 20 years of experience in partnering with business unit executives to develop strategic plans, direction, market analysis, partnership, growth guide, and operation excellency. He leads large and complex projects to achieve key business objectives and promote digital transformation. He is pursuing a career in engineering, project management, sales and strategy planning. In this interview with Performance Magazine, he shares the highlights and insights of his career, providing valuable glimpses into his journey and accomplishments.
Would you tell us more about your educational and professional background? How did your previous experiences lead you to your current position?
I started as a telecom operation engineer working in the field and gradually moved to telecom planning. This gives me a full insight into the value chain of my profession. Then, I moved to the project management field as a Certified Project Management Professional (PMP) working in 2030 Vision programs.
After that, I went into the business development and sales field, looking for more opportunities based on my company’s strategic direction utilizing the skills in planning and project management I acquired from my previous work. Finally, I worked directly in formulating, implementing and measuring the performance of different strategies since 2018.
What are your main responsibilities and goals in your current role?
My major responsibilities as the Strategy and Policy – Acting General Manager are overseeing the sector’s strategy formulation, implementation and monitoring, directing research and statistical studies, including the standard development and licensing process while ensuring compliance with overall cultural strategies, policies, and standards.
Please take us through your daily job routine. Could you describe in detail your activities and work hours? You may specify certain areas of your job, such as your work arrangement (remote, on-site or hybrid) and the stakeholders you frequently contact or meet with.
My daily activities and work hours are spent monitoring the team tasks and responsibilities toward the strategic direction while conducting the coaching sessions. On top of that, I review indicators and matrices achieved looking for improvement.
Do you think that strategy and performance management in the public sector is different from that in the private sector? How?
Yes, by changing the targeted customer, including beneficiary and strategic direction. For example, the strategic direction in the public sector often focuses on the final beneficiary (citizens, residents and other government sectors) and the services provided to them. Moreover, the public sector focuses on measuring beneficiary satisfaction, improving service quality, sustaining provision, and reducing the sector’s burden in service delivery.
As for the private sector, the focus is on return on investment, as well as ensuring cash flows and the effectiveness of operational processes to reduce expenses.
What are the main achievements you are proud of thus far during your time working in strategy and performance management in the public sector?
So far, the main achievement I am proud of is my participation in formulating and implementing two strategies in the public sector.
What are the main challenges that you face working in strategy and performance management in the public sector? When faced with such challenges, what do you do?
One of the main challenges that I face working instrategy and performance management in the public sector is the shortage of manpower which leads to distraction.
For the future of your career, do you intend to keep on working in the public sector, switch to the private sector, or does the sector not really matter to you? Why?
Recently, the public sector has closely aligned with the private sector in terms of social and economic impact. This has led to a strategic shift, prompting me to consider either public or private.
If someone is looking to work in strategy and performance management in the public sector one day, what skills, knowledge and experience would you advise them to acquire?
From my point of view, to excel in strategic work and stand out, one must master employee management, ensuring subordinates adhere to policies and procedures while also possessing deep strategic thinking, maximizing gains, building strong relationships, and gaining trust to effectively implement required tasks.
In addition to analytical skills, data linking, project management, and financial planning, one should also possess the ability to set standards, develop policies, and master persuasive storytelling.
Khalid G. Alharbi will delve deeper into his insights on performance management in the public sector in the upcoming government edition of Performance Magazine. For updates on the publication release, please follow The KPI Institute’s LinkedIn page.
The KPI Institute held a webinar titled “2023 Business Pulse: 5 Trends Impacting Strategy and Performance Management” in April 2023. The event was organized for executives and professionals in strategy and performance management who want to position their companies for success in today’s business environment. The discussion is based on the “2023 Global Trends Brief – Impact on Strategy and Performance Management Practices” report, which can be downloaded for free here.
2023 Global Trends Brief is a secondary research analysis aiming to outline the most important factors affecting the business environment and how they shape strategy and performance management practices. Executives and Strategy Managers are pressured to adopt management tools and processes to create resilient and agile organizations. Our research reviewed 95 reports and articles from reputable research and consultancy companies as of March 2023. These sources cover various factors shaping markets, such as geopolitical influences, global economic tendencies, society, technology, and climate. Based on our findings, five key driving factors of change for organizations have been identified and presented in the report to set the general operating context for most companies in 2023.
