Mission

As the Cabinet-level office that directly supervises the thirteen operating departments, the traditional function of the Managing Director's Office (MDO) has been to oversee, support and assist those departments. While maintaining these established duties, the MDO has broadened its mission to meet the challenges facing government in the 21st Century.

By the late 1990's, the traditional model of municipal government had changed. Individual departments and agencies had historically supplied specific, discrete services to residents. But with the increasing complexity and seriousness of urban problems, this traditional approach needed to be augmented. If communities were to flourish, their problems had to be addressed by comprehensive, interdepartmental initiatives which targeted a wide spectrum of their needs; consequently, agencies must coordinate, combine and consolidate their activities.

As the office which oversees the operating departments, the MDO significantly broadened its mission, to ensure that city services and programs are delivered effectively and efficiently.  MDO has traditionally accomplished this by providing oversight, support, and assistance to the operating departments that it supervises.  This is accomplished by prioritizing and communicating key administrative initiatives, by monitoring and analyzing the departments? performance and progress, and by serving as a catalyst to encourage cooperation and collaboration.  In addition, this office has assumed responsibility for organizing and supervising major interdepartmental initiatives and special events.

By coordinating and directing programs such as the Mayor's Neighborhood Transformation Initiative, the revitalized Town Watch Integrated Services, Safer Streets and Emergency Preparedness Review Committee efforts, and special events like the Live8 Concert and annual Welcome America Festival, the MDO enables the operating departments to enhance service delivery city wide.

In September 2006, we partnered with the American Red Cross, The Star Group, and 11 counties in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware to launch "Ready, or Not?", a regional public education and outreach campaign that has garnered an estimated $2 million in corporate sponsorship and in-kind services.  The campaign has produced billboards, posters, and print advertisements that appeared in local media.  We have introduced a website, http://www.readyregion.org, and a hotline, 1-877-READY-11, so that citizens can learn more about how their local government is preparing for emergencies and what they can do to make sure their own household is prepared

Over the past year, the MDO has focused energy on other planning efforts as well, notably those that affect the environment.  In early 2006, we collaborated with NTI to launch GreenPlan Philadelphia the City's "blueprint" for sustainable open space, and our first comprehensive parks, recreation, and open-space plan.  GreenPlan Philadelphia strives for a balanced provision of open-space resources throughout the City, better coordinated efforts among agencies and organizations responsible for open space, and continued support for projects from key funders like the State's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.  The expectation is that GreenPlan Philadelphia's recommendations will institutionalize the way the City provides, pays for, and manages parks, recreation, and open-space resources.