The Strategic Approach describes the system and philosophy that guide the work of the people of CWS as we meaningfully contribute with a common purpose toward five Key Strategic Outcomes (KSOs). These KSOs are the organization’s areas of greatest expertise; those strategically important, specialized capabilities that are central to fulfilling our mission and that provide an advantage in our region and to the people we serve. They set the overall direction for CWS both for the short term and long term.
Clean Water Services Key Strategic Outcomes
- Organizational Excellence: Clean Water Services is a highly effective and transformative organization that maximizes the capabilities, talent, and effectiveness of our employees to provide services and products that deliver on the values of the region we serve.
- Integrated Water Resource Management & Resilient Watersheds: In partnership with others, Clean Water Services creates resilient watersheds by optimizing and integrating the management of water resources for the benefit of the public and the environment.
- Research, Innovation & Resource Recovery: Clean Water Services provides services and products that deliver practical and pragmatic water solutions for our region to recover resources and to optimize our operations through innovation that is shared globally.
- Catalyzing Transformational Partnerships: Clean Water Services goes beyond organizational boundaries to create and sustain strategic partnerships in the region to accomplish more than any one organization can alone.
- Contributing to the Region’s Environmental & Economic Vitality: Clean Water Services’ sound planning, investment and stewardship in regional assets is essential to Washington County’s continued appeal as a place to invest, live, work and play.
Performance Excellence
Clean Water Services has adopted the National Institute of Standards and Technology Baldrige Excellence Framework, an integrated systems approach for evaluating business process maturity and organizational performance. The Baldrige Excellence Framework focuses on people, process, planning, dialogue and implementation to help CWS deliver timely, responsive service and products for our customers and stakeholders – and help deliver on the region’s values. Under the guidance of the Strategy Development & Enterprise Performance Management program, interdisciplinary teams develop and document the specific strategies that CWS will implement as an organization to reach our Key Strategic Outcomes. This process requires participants to clarify the purpose, goal and scope; to assess the current and future state; to define objectives; to consider multiple strategic perspectives; to measure, set targets and track progress; to identify initiatives; and to create action plans. Staff in each of the seven departments developed roadmaps that identify department service levels; measures; objectives and initiatives; and linked objectives to the Key Strategic Outcomes.
Performance Measurement
CWS’ pay delivery system for employees consists of two elements: performance-based pay and goal sharing. This system has been extensively reevaluated to refine and improve the overall programs to better connect employee compensation to measurable business results. The pay-for-performance program is focused on the individual level and is administered through the evaluation process with employees. This also improves the competitiveness of CWS’ salary structure. No automatic pay increases are built into the system. The CWS Goal Sharing program has been very successful in promoting cost savings and service enhancements by encouraging both practical and innovative employee approaches and solutions to improve delivery of priority services to ratepayers. This Goal Sharing program provides a critical linkage between employees’ achievement of meeting targets, working together and the related financial compensation. This will help continue the trend of increasing employee productivity. In addition to these performance measurement systems, CWS tracks and reports on a wide array of other performance indicators for regulatory and operational purposes.