January 29, 2003
2003-04
(External Distribution)
In February 2002, the Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) initiated a project to
develop a performance measurement and benchmarking framework for the fire
service in Ontario. Once this framework has been established, it will be
available to the OFM, fire departments and municipal decision-makers across the
province to support them in achieving their goals for effective and efficient
delivery of fire protection services.
The move to establish a formal performance management process is timely.
Governments at all levels are striving to improve services, and increasingly
the OFM and fire departments across the province are expected to incorporate
measures into their work and report more on their strategic and operational
achievements.
Some factors that prompted the OFM to initiate a performance measurement and
benchmarking project for the fire service at this time are outlined below:
The Municipal Act and the Fire Protection and Prevention Act, 1997 (FPPA) established increased local accountabilities for the delivery of fire protection services.
The Municipal Performance Measurement Program requires all Ontario municipalities to measure and report their performance in nine core service areas, including fire services. The program was announced by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (MMAH) in October of 2000. The OFM was successful in securing the recognition and support of MMAH to develop, in consultation with key fire service stakeholders, performance measures that would best depict the efficiency and effectiveness of the service at the local level.
The Ontario Public Service performance measurement system requires that measures be identified at various operational levels.
Pressures are being applied to municipal fire departments to increase their involvement in non-fire related public safety and emergency services.
The Provincial Auditor recommended that performance measures be developed by the OFM for both provincial and municipal levels.
The Performance Measurement and Benchmarking Project will
develop and test a performance measurement framework capable of establishing
and/or reviewing appropriate performance measures for the planning and delivery
of current and future fire protection services.
For the purpose of the project, “fire protection services” is being defined as
fire-related services only, i.e. public education and prevention, fire safety
standards and enforcement, and fire suppression. The restricted application of
this project, focusing on fire-related services only, is to simplify the
development of a single framework that can later be applied to all other
services delivered by fire service providers, e.g., hazardous materials,
rescue.
The Performance Measurement and Benchmarking Project is a partnership project
involving the OFM, the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs, municipalities, fire
departments, and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. The OFM
believes that partnering with fire service stakeholders provides the best
opportunity to identify appropriate and meaningful performance measures for the
Ontario fire service. As well as delivering the above-mentioned framework,
project objectives include:
establishing a cooperative and collaborative project relationship with fire protection stakeholders;
helping municipalities meet mandatory fire prevention and public education responsibilities;
developing performance measures that are relevant and meaningful for municipal management and decision-making, and for meeting high-level reporting requirements; and
identifying best practices that can help improve municipal service quality across the province.
Using the performance measurement and benchmarking framework,
municipalities, fire departments and the OFM will be able to align their
strategic directions with measurable outcomes, assess more quickly the adequacy
of their strategies, and make critical decisions more easily in order to
enhance service delivery. Having this process in place will also allow them to
communicate their performance to the many audiences that are affected by the
management and delivery of fire protection services.
The performance measurement and benchmarking framework will make it easier for
municipalities to introduce a continuous improvement strategy that focuses on
user satisfaction, process improvement, and employee involvement. This will
assist fire departments to identify and meet changing community needs. The
process will also encourage fire departments to optimize services and learn
from the best practices of others - leading to improved service delivery.
The attached ‘Project Update’ sheet provides further details about the project.
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