Effective and Efficient Government

Fairfax County is a place where all people trust that their government responsibly manages resources, is responsive to their needs, provides exceptional services and equitably represents them.

Indicators of Success:

Customer Satisfaction with County Services
Inclusive Community Engagement
Effective and Representative County and School Workforce
Effective Technology and Quality Facilities
Financial Sustainability and Trustworthiness

Effective and Efficient Government Dashboard

Data Dashboards are being developed for the ten Community Outcome Areas, each with headline metrics that are visually presented to easily review the data that will continuously inform the Countywide Strategic Plan.

The interactive dashboard below provides an overview of the six headline metrics for Effective and Efficient Government and enables the reader to access more detailed data and a narrative for context and clarity. Headline metrics for the remaining outcome areas are in progress. Data will be reviewed regularly to assess trends, inequities, and alignment with the strategies included in the plan.

Additional Information

Fairfax County is widely recognized as a very well-managed county, which is routinely confirmed by multiple external oversight agencies. However, sustaining a record of excellence requires the county to constantly seek new ways to improve, becoming increasingly more proactive, adaptable to change and responsive to all residents. The county has a responsibility to ensure that resources are managed in a way that is transparent, and that taxes are affordable for residents and stakeholders who choose to live and do business in Fairfax County.

To be truly effective and efficient, the county needs well-functioning facilities, secure technology that works, reliable infrastructure and an outstanding workforce that is focused on moving beyond department silos to focus on what is best for the county as whole. To succeed well into the future, Fairfax County must constantly reinforce a culture that supports employees to become more data-driven, service oriented, collaborative and adaptable to change. Leadership and staff at all levels must effectively communicate, continuously build on lessons learned, benchmark for best practices and seek new and better ways to serve the community.

The proposed strategies in this section focus on the elements of local government that will be the most impactful as Fairfax County looks ahead to the future, driving improved collaboration among employees, residents, community groups and other stakeholders.

These strategies were formulated based on the comprehensive work of the Countywide Strategic Planning Teams. Please note that the strategies have been reorganized to align with their respective Indicators of Community Success, and some have been revised or combined for clarity. Strategies marked with an asterisk (*) include recommendations from the Chairman's Task Force on Equity and Opportunity. To view the original strategies, visit the archived documents.

BOLDED strategies have been identified for implementation and will move ahead to action planning.

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.

Inclusive Community Engagement

EEG 2. Enhance communication and outreach to the community by using all available communication methods and tailoring messaging to individual needs, while providing greater access to information, engaging inclusively, and receiving wide and diversified community input regarding county priorities.
* EEG 3. Increase volunteerism to enhance county, school and community service delivery and coordinate efforts to enable
one-stop identification of volunteer opportunities.

Effective and Representative County and School Workforce

EEG 4. 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 5. Enhance the county’s competitiveness by addressing barriers to recruiting, hiring, and retaining a diverse, highly
qualified workforce, while offering flexible work arrangements, competitive benefits, and nontraditional employment options.
EEG 6. 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 7. 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 8. Expand employee learning opportunities to increase staff competencies in leadership, equity, cultural proficiency, technology, and innovation to meet the needs of a changing environment, while simultaneously implementing a workplace culture change effort to actively promote equity, inclusion, collaboration, excellence, innovation, customer service, transparency, accountability, and trustworthiness.
* EEG 9. 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.

Financial Sustainability and Trustworthiness

EEG 10. Using lessons learned during COVID-19, re-engineer county practices and procedures to improve performance, reduce cost and eliminate redundancies.
EEG 11. Pursue professional and industry accreditations for all applicable county and school programs; implement recommendations and promote accreditation, once achieved.
EEG 12. 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 13. 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 14. 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.

Effective Technology and Quality Facilities

EEG 15. Implement a consolidated county and school technology plan to enable innovative solutions, reduce operational costs and deliver exceptional outcomes.
EEG 16. Prioritize multi-use designs and efficient site utilization in both new and existing county facilities, aiming to increase shared use, enhance service access, support community activities and maximize return on investment.
EEG 17. Enhance the resiliency and energy efficiency of new and existing county facilities to improve performance and reduce maintenance costs, while equitably maintaining, upgrading, and replacing facilities and equipment to meet future demands and ensure a safe, healthy environment for residents and staff.

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Effective and Efficient Government