The Role of SLAs in Customer-Driven Agencies
As stewards of taxpayer funds, local agencies must be transparent with their use of resources. Service level agreements (SLAs) are foundational to effective, transparent local government, helping agencies to provide consistent service that delivers value to residents.
SLAs guide interactions between agencies, their internal departments, and residents. By outlining specific metrics such as response times or issue resolution deadlines, they also provide a framework in which to measure performance, helping customer-driven agencies to uphold their commitment to excellent service.
Why SLAs Matter for Local Government
More than just a contractual agreement, SLAs are essential for service delivery and accountability. With well-defined SLAs, local agencies can enhance operational efficiency, build public trust, and continuously improve performance.
Build Trust with Residents
Providing measurable standards of service can build public trust. When agencies outline clear expectations and follow through on those commitments, residents can see that their government is working actively to meet their needs.
Drive Operational Efficiency
With SLAs, government departments have clear performance goals, which helps focus resources and reduce waste. By defining specific service levels, agencies reduce ambiguity, making it easier for staff to focus on priorities and eliminate inefficiencies that arise from unclear directives.
Support Continuous Improvement
SLAs enable agencies to track performance metrics over time, offering insights into areas that may require improvement. For example, if a high volume of requests consistently falls short of the SLA due to insufficient staff or resources, the agency can consider reallocating resources to better meet demand. (see if we can find a specific example of this to illustrate better) Conducting performance management reviews of SLA metrics can help agencies identify areas that may require improvement.
Improving SLAs in Local Government
The needs of a community and the capabilities of an agency can change over time, so it’s important to routinely review the effectiveness of existing SLAs to ensure they remain relevant, achievable, and aligned with evolving priorities.
Set clear, measurable metrics.
In order to achieve success, you must first be able to define it. Vague SLAs can lead to confusion and unfulfilled promises. Metrics such as response time, resolution time, and completion rate should be specific, measurable, and easy to understand.
Set realistic targets.
If a review of SLA performance shows regular, consistent failure, you may need to reassess whether your current SLAs are achievable with your current breakdown of resources. Setting unrealistic performance targets can lead to dissatisfaction from residents, who feel your services are not living up to your standards, as well as your staff, who may feel discouraged by the ongoing perception of failure despite their best efforts.
Engage stakeholders in the review process.
Gaining feedback from internal teams helps ensure that service goals are achievable given current resources and tools, as well as helps to understand where roadblocks to productivity might be occurring. Understanding resident expectations and satisfaction can also be insightful. Surveying residents following the completion of a work order submission can provide valuable feedback into resident satisfaction with your current customer service.
Measuring SLA Performance with CRM/311
The data-driven nature of SLAs should make measuring adherence to standards easy if municipalities have the right tools in place to capture the relevant data. CRM/311 systems not only capture a wealth of data on service requests, but have built-in reporting tools to help agencies to organize and break down that data into specific “buckets” of information that provide a better overview of overall SLA performance. Here’s a look at how CRM/311 systems achieve that.
Tracking Real-Time Response and Resolution Times
CRM/311 systems can capture real-time data on when service requests are submitted, acknowledged, and resolved. By comparing these timestamps to SLA targets, municipalities can automatically track whether requests are being handled within the agreed timeframes.
Identifying Bottlenecks and Delays
CRM/311 data can reveal patterns in service delivery, helping municipalities pinpoint where bottlenecks occur. By analyzing the data, an agency may find that specific service types, like building permit requests or street maintenance, often exceed SLA targets. This insight enables managers to investigate the root causes, such as understaffing, equipment shortages, or procedural inefficiencies to begin identifying ways to improve service delivery.
Forecasting and Trend Analysis
With historical CRM/311 data, municipalities can identify trends in service requests and anticipate future demand. Trend analysis can reveal seasonal fluctuations, peak times, or areas with consistently high service requests. Armed with these insights, agencies can proactively plan and prepare, minimizing the likelihood of SLA breaches during high-demand periods and making more informed resource allocation decisions.
Monitoring Customer Satisfaction and Feedback
CRM/311 systems with survey technology such as Comcate can collect resident feedback following the close of a service interaction to assess satisfaction with the process and determine if changes need to be made.
Creating Automated Alerts and Escalations
CRM systems can automate notifications and escalation processes to increase the likelihood that requests are handled within SLA timeframes, minimizing the risk of missed targets and improving overall compliance.
Generating SLA Performance Reports and Dashboards
With built-in business intelligence tools, CRM/311 solutions can generate dashboards and reports that visualize SLA performance, providing a clear snapshot of how well the agency meets its service commitments. Managers can use these dashboards to track progress, compare departments, and quickly identify any areas where SLA performance falls short. Regular reporting allows teams to monitor improvement efforts and align resources more effectively.
Additional Resources
Service Level Agreements (SLAs) from ICMA
Service Level Agreements Whitepaper from the Institute of Public Administration
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