The International City/County Management Association (ICMA) awarded the City of Sugar Land a Certificate of Distinction in Performance Management for promoting transparency and accountability, data-informed decision-making, and citizen engagement efforts. Furthermore, ICMA recognized the efforts of both City staff and the organization's work to maintain a focus on data-driven management even in the midst of an ongoing pandemic.
As a part of ICMA's efforts to advance the practice of professional local government management, ICMA awards certificates each year to recognize programs that instill a culture of performance management, pursue comparative analysis, data-informed decision-making, and promoting transparency. The certificates are awarded on the basis of criteria that include data collection and verification, training and support, public reporting, accountability, process improvement, networking and leadership. Sugar Land was one of only 60 jurisdictions throughout the country to receive an award for data-driven management and reporting, and one of only 19 in the Certificate of Distinction category. The City's emphasis on providing comparative and benchmarking information to the public and the use of performance data in strategic planning and operational decision-making is consistent with the Sugar Land Way. This includes being responsive to the needs of residents and ensuring they can easily access information, data, and services that improve their quality of life.
An example of Sugar Land's commitment to performance management leadership is an innovative and interactive goal measures dashboard that serves as an account of the City's performance on 30 key operations. It is an online tool that educates residents on the City's performance, identifies areas of operational improvement, assists city management and elected officials in making data-driven decisions on key priority areas, and enhances government accountability and transparency. The goal measures dashboard can be accessed at www.sugarlandtx.gov/GoalMeasures.