Policy & Practice December 2018

asked my leadership team to work with staff to identify what matters most (to the vulnerable Coloradans we serve, to the legislature, to our funders, to our oversight agencies, and even to legal counsel for those suing the department). Once the definition of success is identified, we ask what is the most meaningful and reliable way to measure it with existing data. And then we discuss those measures, the targets, the strategies, barriers, and examine progress, or lack thereof. Each Wednesday, I lead a two-hour conversa- tion with one of my five programmatic office directors to learn about systems, processes, and the people involved in improving the measure’s performance. This steadfast commitment (approxi- mately 240 hours per year) safeguards our persistent focus on what matters most to those we serve. Over the years, we have learned that each measure and how to improve the performance it represents is unique. Not every performance problem is only a systems or process problem. There are human actors involved, and their behaviors (what they do) play a critical role in advancing performance. The practice of holding leadership account- able or answerable is necessary but insufficient to achieve continuous improvement. Accountability does not have to equal fear, and when paired with a commitment to learning, it can accelerate performance gains. What We Are Doing and Human services agencies across this country face some of society’s toughest problems. The most productive path to solution is by creating an environment that fosters learning and curiosity. Each C-Stat meeting is a dedicated space and time when we are repeat- edly learning how to learn together. The C-Stat leadership team includes the resource managers responsible for budget, human resources, facilities, information technology, quality assur- ance, audit, and medical care. We are collectively committed to bringing resources to solve these challenging problems. At times, that has meant that I pick up the phone to call one of What You Can Do 1. Commit to learning and continuous improvement.

my peers in another state agency to remove an obstacle. Questions are asked, assumptions are challenged, myths are busted, and much of the dialogue is based in data. Rarely are we discussing hypotheticals, anec- dotes, or random musings driven by self-interest or politics. C-Stat Leadership is also willing to adjust and replace measures and targets to reflect new insights. 2. Foster data access and literacy. Counties and contractors deliver two-thirds of CDHS services to Coloradans across the state. In 2015, we released the “County C-Stat Report,” which extracts data from nine administrative databases into one report. This monthly report shows the performance of the 20+ C-Stat measures that 64 Colorado counties are responsible for achieving. We also release a one-page “County C-Stat Dashboard” that simply conveys progress toward targets over the past 12 months using red and green colors. For small and medium counties, this was the first time they were able to see their own performance data organized in a way that was accessible and action- able. County directors and their county commissioners (elected officials) have regular access to their detailed data and to CDHS staff for training and technical assistance. These efforts put the data in the hands of those doing, supervising, and leading the work. 3. Invest in methods to mitigate against gaming. At the CDHS, there are multiple methods used to give us confidence that the data are as reliable, accurate, and timely as possible. One of these methods is the “Data Integrity” review to ensure that we are actually discussing what we think we are dis- cussing and that actual performance is as it appears on the slides. The C-Stat performance analysts conduct reviews of the data in order to ensure the integ- rity of what is being discussed in C-Stat meetings, and consequently, what is driving work and informing decisions. These reviews document the “life” of a piece of data. They examine the activity or behavior the data capture, how it is written or the data entered,

In 2011, John Hickenlooper became governor of Colorado. A businessman and former Denver city mayor, he was committed to measuring what mattered to Coloradans. He appointed me to his Cabinet to serve as the executive director of the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS). Before this role, I led the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families and I built KidStat to understand and improve performance of child support, child welfare, public assistance, and child care programs. At CDHS, a much larger, more diverse and complex state agency, I decided to pursue a similar PerformanceStat framework. The CDHS pursues learning, truth, insights, and ultimately, improvements. Without any framework, how would my executive team and I select which of the many problems to address? How to choose which problems across the 15 divisions that live within five pro- grammatic offices? Without targets or measures, how would we know whether we were making progress or when “done” is “done”? How would CDHS staff, and our county and con- tracted partners who want to “do good,” know whether the good they are doing is making any difference? To answer these questions over the last seven years, I have continuously

Reggie Bicha is the Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Human Services.

MelissaWavelet is the Director of the Office of Performance and Strategic Outcomes at the Colorado Department of Human Services.

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Policy&Practice December 2018