About CountyStat
CountyStat is the performance management and data analytics team within the Office of the County Executive of Montgomery County, Maryland. Established in 2007 and serving under the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), CountyStat uses an outcome-focused performance framework to strategically monitor, assess, and improve the effectiveness and efficiency of County services. Employing the latest analytics software, CountyStat utilizes data to help departments solve problems and develop targeted action plans and strategies to deliver results for our residents.
Beyond our oversight role, CountyStat’s work as internal consultants ranges from one-off analyses to long-term strategic initiatives, ensuring that our County government leverages its data to make smarter decisions and achieve better outcomes -- and champions accountability and transparency for our residents and employees. CountyStat also serves as a forum to convene stakeholders to promote collaboration across organizational boundaries and address cross-cutting multi-departmental efforts that share a common goal.
Collectively, our work is designed to ensure, on behalf of the CAO, the development and growth of a culture of “managing for results” in Montgomery County.
Our Services
Monitoring and evaluation: We maintain all departmental and cross-cutting performance plans on behalf of the County Executive and Chief Administrative Officer. Annual data are collected, reviewed and processed into the Open Performance data platform. We work closely with departments, community partners, and the Office of Management and Budget throughout the year to identify performance gaps and evaluate performance measures.
Coordination and collaboration: In addition to convening internal and external stakeholders for working groups and sessions, we provide a workspace for collaborative efforts and facilitate collective action planning with multiple departments and stakeholders.
Data-driven insights: Data drives everything we do. Utilizing operational, programmatic, fiscal, and public data, we conduct complex analyses which drive working groups and sessions, provide critical insights for County departments, and inform County leadership decisions.
Our Capabilities
Data analytics and visualizations: At a fundamental level, we crunch data. Using internal and external data sources, we conduct in-depth qualitative and quantitative analyses for Montgomery County and convert our findings into user-friendly and informative charts, graphs, infographics, and maps utilizing a wide variety of tools and software.
Process reviews: Routines and processes, rather than ad hoc decisions, deliver results. For this reason, solutions to problems and improvements in performance often require an analysis of processes and systems by examining the connections between high-level strategies and front-line implementation.
Capacity building: We work closely with departments to build their capacity to conduct data and performance analysis independently. This effort involves providing trainings on new tools and techniques and showing departments the valuable insights hiding in their current data.
Our Products
Performance plans and measures: Each executive branch department has a performance plan containing headline performance measures reflecting its individual core mission and strategies to improve current performance. Montgomery County expanded this performance management effort to include cross-departmental initiatives with joint action plans and collective impact measures.
Indicators and benchmarking: Key indicators reflect the quality of life in Montgomery County. While influenced by multiple departments and subject to external factors often beyond the control of County government, these indicators allow Montgomery County to compare its own performance over time and against other similar counties.
Working groups and sessions: Regular working groups and sessions bring County leadership, program managers, and community partners together to analyze data, review performance strategies, and plan new performance improvement efforts. Some working groups and sessions are reoccurring where as others are one-time meetings to address a specific issue.
Countystat Meetings
Single Department – The meeting topic focuses on the data and performance of one department in the executive branch.
Cross-Department – The meeting topic focuses on the data and performance of an initiative or problem that requires the collaboration and/or input of multiple executive branch departments. Examples include overtime, positive youth development and pedestrian safety.
CountyStat Support – CountyStat is not the principal driver of the meeting, but is providing support in terms of data analysis or strategic guidance.
Awards
Montgomery County has been recognized by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Center for Performance Analytics with a "Certificate of Excellence" for the EIGHTH consecutive year.
