Performance Management system frequently asked questions
Will changes to measures or other components of the Performance Management system require legislative approval?
No. When the legislation was created, measures, thresholds, and outcomes were not specified in statute. This flexibility in the legislation allows measures to evolve and change as the needs of Minnesotans and counties change; future reports may contain new measures. For example, if all counties are consistently meeting a measure, we may replace it with another, more relevant measure.
How often will counties receive outcome reports?
Currently, the Performance Management team publishes reports three times each year, providing annual performance data for each measure as data becomes available. The team and the Human Services Performance Council recognize that counties need access to more timely data in order to impact improvement. The Performance Management team is exploring ways to make data more accessible to counties.
Are the reports being published online?
Data provided in the individual county report may not always be considered public. In particular, data privacy is a concern when reporting numbers for counties with very small denominators. Individual county reports have not been published online for that reason.
What is the small numbers policy?
If a county or service delivery area (SDA) has a denominator of 20 or fewer and is not meeting the threshold for a measure, the county’s previous year performance will be used to determine if the county is required to complete a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) for that measure. Counties with a denominator of 20 or fewer will be required to complete a PIP if their performance is below the measure’s threshold for two consecutive years.
Policy details:
- The small numbers policy will be applied to a measure when a county has a denominator of 20 or fewer.
- County performance below the threshold for any one measure will begin the PIP process.
- Measures using a regression model threshold will not be subject to the small numbers policy. Regression models account for a variety of factors outside of county control, including caseload size. The Self-Support Index is the only current measure using a regression model, though others may be launched in the future.
- For some measures, the number of people may be used in place of the measure’s denominator to determine small numbers. For example, the measure, percent of days children in family foster care spent with a relative, uses days as the denominator, but we use the number of children included in the measure to assess small numbers.
What happens if my county does not reach the performance threshold?
If a county does not reach a performance threshold, the county is required to develop a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP). The PIP is developed by the county and used to identify improvement targets, barriers to success, and action steps to address the barriers. Once complete, the PIP is submitted to the Performance Management team within 60 days of notification. Once the PIP is approved, the county can begin PIP implementation.
What support is available to assist counties with performance improvement?
In addition to the support provided from specific program areas of DCYF and DHS, the performance management team is available to support the counties in the following ways: PIP development; education and support around the data; continuous improvement tools and resources; referrals; or other research if needed.
How long do PIPs last?
An initial PIP generally lasts for two years. If the performance threshold is met at the end of the first year, the PIP ends early. If, at the end of two years, the threshold has not been met but progress toward that goal has been made, then the PIP will be re-negotiated and will continue for an additional year.
How does the Performance Management system report performance by different ethnic and racial groups?
Race and ethnicity data are collected and reported differently by different divisions at DHS and DCYF. Part of this is due to the data systems that are used for recording the data, but it is also driven by policies and the process by which the data are collected. Where available, performance data for counties by racial/ethnic groups is provided where there were 30 or more people of a group included in the denominator. The race/ethnicity is that of the case applicant; other household members may have a different race/ethnicity. Be cautious when comparing racial/ethnic groups across program areas because they may be defined differently.
What is the remedies process and fiscal sanctions?
While some portions are defined in statute, the remedies process is continuing to evolve. As the process develops, the Human Services Performance Council (Council) and the Performance Management team are working to ensure the process allows counties time for improvement. For example, if a county has a PIP, there is no expectation that performance would jump from 10 percent to 90 percent in one year. Instead, the Performance Management team will work with the county to determine expected improvement and determine sufficient progress over time. More information on the remedies process can be found here.
If a county is not making sufficient progress over time, it could be subject to a fiscal penalty as outlined in Minn. Stat. Sec. 402A.18. The fiscal penalty will be structured to reallocate funds to the program that is underperforming rather than take money from an area and then expect that area to perform better. This process is likely to take years, and there is a limit to how many fiscal penalties a county can accrue. The legislation also gives the state the authority to take over a county’s program if it fails to improve sufficiently over several years, pursuant to Minn. Stat. Sec. 402A.18.
However, it is important to keep in mind that the goal of the Performance Management system is to improve performance and not to punish counties. The Council and the team are committed to working with counties to improve.
Whom do I contact if I have additional questions?
If you have additional questions, contact the DCYF Performance Management team at hspm@state.mn.us or 651-431-5780.
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