MINNESOTA

CPAT WEB REPORT DELIVERY SYSTEM

Goal: To improve child support enforcement performance at the state and county level through the use of tools that allow users to analyze real-time performance data. This tool will allow counties to adjust their resources, attention, energy and planning to address their specific needs, as identified by the data.

Strategic Plan: Supports Strategies 1, 2, regarding performance improvement on Federal measures of the National Child Support Strategic Plan.

Description: The County Performance Analysis Tool (CPAT) is an interactive management information reporting system that allows state and county personnel to analyze performance data in a real-time environment. The program uses a Graphical User Interface (GUI) that provides for easier retrieval of reports and viewing of trend data not previously available to county and state managers. The performance data included in these reports directly relate to the five Federal performance measures used to measure the state's effectiveness in delivering the program's services to families. This is a graphic/visual means of reviewing data that allows users to pull specific information about their county and other counties for comparison purposes via maps or text lists. Minnesota continues to expand the features of this tool.

CPAT also provides county and state managers easy download and sorting capability and "drill down" features to see detail behind county-wide or team level performance data. The use of this program relates back to one of the goals of Minnesota's Strategic Plan - - to manage by results. Making better performance data available to county and state managers enables them to readjust their service delivery to improve outcomes to families.

The first of several CPAT report series were issued to counties in late 2002. These reports contained different levels of summaries of performance data on four of the five Federal incentive measures. The summary levels include a statewide summary, summaries for each individual county, and summaries for child support workers and their respective teams.

In 2003, the web-based report system was launched. The web-based report system allows state and county supervisors to view the data through customized views that best suit their particular needs. Counties may compare their performance to other counties or to the statewide average. They can also compare individual worker performance or create trend charts from historical data.

Results: By offering worker level views of performance, CPAT empowers county supervisors to manage allocation of staff more effectively to improve overall outcomes on the five Federal incentive measures. Self-assessment results are the perfect complement to the CPAT reports and report delivery system due to the emphasis on work process efficiencies and successful attainment of performance goals.

Location: This project was initiated at the state level and utilized by state and county level staff.

Funding: Regular Federal matching funds are used in combination with state and county funds.

Replication Advice: Invite input from users during development of the program and after it has been released for use. Allow flexibility in the design and utilization of data analysis tools to achieve optimal results.

Contact:

Brenda St. Sauver

Management Analyst

Phone: (651) 282-3964

Email: Brenda.St.Sauver@state.mn.us