Effective and Efficient Government

These proposed strategies were developed based on the extensive background work completed by the Countywide Strategic Planning Teams. The Board will determine which strategies will be pursued, as well as when they might be undertaken. This process will be highly flexible and will adapt to respond to community conditions as they evolve over time.

NOTE: Strategies have been re-ordered to fit within their related Indicators of Community Success. Strategies with the * symbol have been added or revised to include recommendations from the Chairman's Task Force on Equity and Opportunity.

Customer Satisfaction with County Services

• EEG 1. Implement a human-centered, highly responsive design approach across county and school programs and services to improve the customer experience.
• EEG 2. Implement a comprehensive approach to consistently solicit customer feedback on their service experience and share results regarding the quality of the county’s programs and services.

Inclusive Community Engagement

• EEG 3. Enhance communication and outreach to the community by using all available communication methods and tailoring messaging to individual needs.
• * EEG 4. Improve public participation and engagement opportunities to ensure all facets of the community are represented and have the physical, technological, and language access necessary to engage and participate in community discussions and decisions. 
• EEG 5. Increase volunteerism to enhance county, school and community service delivery and coordinate efforts to enable one-stop identification of volunteer opportunities.
• * EEG 6. Expand capacity to meaningfully engage the community in places that are accessible and in ways that consider needs, traditions, and values of diverse ethnic, racial, and cultural groups. 

Effective and Representative County and School Workforce

• EEG 7. Review and improve the structure, operations and impact of county boards, authorities and commissions to better reflect current needs and demographics of the community.
• * EEG 8. Improve the county’s competitiveness as an employer to recruit, hire and retain a diverse, highly qualified workforce utilizing data to determine barriers and target strategies for marginalized groups.
• EEG 9. Make the onboarding process for all new employees streamlined, consistent and compelling, so that staff have the information, tools and technology they need to begin their county careers effectively.
• EEG 10. Enhance countywide succession planning and ensure continuity of operations by focusing on key positions and critical functions where effective knowledge transfer and smooth workforce transitions are required.
• EEG 11. Expand employee learning opportunities to increase staff competencies and experience in the areas of leadership, equity, cultural proficiency, use of technology and innovation to meet the needs of a changing environment.
• EEG 12. Initiate a regular, countywide process for conducting organizational assessments and employee surveys and then implementing identified changes that will lead to improved employee engagement.
• EEG 13. Implement a workplace culture change effort to actively promote equity and inclusion, collaboration, excellence, innovation, customer service, transparency, accountability and trustworthiness.
• EEG 14. Provide more flexibility in the areas of workplace environment, benefits, career progression and nontraditional employment arrangements to compete more effectively with surrounding private and public sector employers for the next generation of employees.
• * EEG 15. Establish a Community Advisory body, with representation from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and low-income individuals, to monitor the degree to which each county agency has prioritized and addressed the needs of BIPOC and lower income communities. 
• * EEG 16. Ensure diverse representation and inclusiveness in power and decision-making opportunities.
• * EEG 17. Ensure local leaders, public and private, have the knowledge and capacity to understand the drivers of racial inequity and their contribution to structural racism, and use their power to build more equitable communities. 

Financial Sustainability and Trustworthiness

• EEG 18. Using lessons learned during COVID-19, re-engineer county practices and procedures to improve      performance, reduce cost and eliminate redundancies.
• EEG 19. Pursue professional and industry accreditations for all applicable county and school programs; implement recommendations and promote accreditation, once achieved.
• EEG 20. Create "communities of practice" around areas of functional expertise (such as human resources, financial management, data analytics or performance measurement) to foster innovation, increase collaboration and share best practices across the county workforce.
• EEG 21. Strengthen the use of data-informed decision making through regular data collection, evaluation and distribution.
• EEG 22. Evolve the budgeting process to align resource allocation to those programs and activities that will most effectively advance the outcomes outlined in the strategic plan.
• EEG 23. Provide greater access to information, engage with our community in an inclusive way and receive wide and diversified community input regarding spending priorities.
• EEG 24. Pursue policy, fiscal and legislative options to provide county leaders with the flexibility and tools needed to respond to the challenges associated with becoming an increasingly urban county.
• * EEG 25. Develop, pilot, and institute Fairfax County equity-based decision-making tools for planning, projects, decision making and resource allocation.

Effective Technology and Quality Facilities

• EEG 26. Implement a data governance policy that standardizes and strengthens how the county collects, analyzes, warehouses and shares data across departments and with the community.
• EEG 27. Implement a consolidated county and school technology plan to enable innovative solutions, reduce operational costs and deliver exceptional outcomes.
• EEG 28. Increase utilization and shared use of county facilities so that residents are better able to access needed services within their neighborhoods and facilities can support community use and satellite service delivery.
• EEG 29. When building new county facilities and infrastructure, incorporate design that results in multi-use spaces, promotes efficient use of sites and maximizes return on investment.
• EEG 30. Increase resiliency and energy efficiency of existing and new county facilities and infrastructure to improve performance, reduce building maintenance costs and increase the ability for facilities to self-sustain during emergencies.
• EEG 31. Equitably assess and perform ongoing maintenance, upgrades and replacement of county facilities, infrastructure and equipment so that they can meet future demands and provide a safe and healthy environment for residents and staff.

Indicator: Customer Satisfaction with County Services
Metrics:

• % of residents who rate the overall quality and accessibility of Fairfax County Government services as excellent or good
• % of customers of individual Fairfax County Government services (internal and external) who report they were satisfied with the service they received
• % of transactions that meet a specified service or performance standard (for those that have a standard)

Indicator: Inclusive Community Engagement
Metrics:

• % of residents who feel they have authentic opportunities to participate in Fairfax County Government decision-making
• Difference between the demographics of appointed officials and the demographics of the population
• % of registered voters in Fairfax County who voted in the most recent local election

Indicator: Effective and Representative County and School Workforce
Metrics:

• Difference between the demographics of the county government workforce and the demographics of the community
• % of Fairfax County Government positions filled within a defined period of time
• % of hiring managers who are satisfied with the plicant pool they were provided when filling a position
• # of positions that are reposted within x weeks of the original posting due to not being filled initially
• % of new hires who feel they were onboarded effectively and prepared for their positions
• % of employees who report high levels of engagement at work
• Rate of voluntary and involuntary turnover (excludes retirements)
• % of county government and school district employees who live in Fairfax County

Indicator: Effective Technology and Quality Facilities
Metrics:

• % of county facilities, technology, infrastructure and assets with a rating of “good” or better
• % of county space available for community use that was used during the times it was available/open
• % of users of county facilities who rate them as accessible, safe and well maintained
• Energy consumption at county facilities per square footage
• % of IT projects that are rated by project sponsors and end users as successfully meeting the project requirements

NOTE: In this section of metrics, "county" refers to all taxpayer-funded facilities - government buildings, board offices, community centers, parks, libraries, schools, etc.

Indicator: Financial Sustainability and Trustworthiness
Metrics:

• % of residents who rate Fairfax County Government as trustworthy
• % of residents who report they understand the budget process and how the county spends money
• Amount of local taxes collected, as a % of household income
• % of audit findings in which auditors have verified the desired corrective action was fully implemented
• # of settlements and # of dollars paid out by Fairfax County Government and Fairfax County Public Schools in settlements, fines and legal judgments