Mary Ann Drewry, director of Quality Centered Services at Montgomery County Children Services (MCCS), attended the Leading with Vision, Value and Strategy program in October 2004. She was already familiar with the strategic triangle and performance measurement model because her agency director, Helen Jones-Kelley, introduced agency staff to the concepts after she attended the first class in November 1998. As a result, Mary Ann had already begun to use it to think through a significant issue facing the agency: its relationship with the Juvenile Court and how that impacted the agency’s work for child permanency, the placement of a child in a permanent home.
It was to the MCCS’s advantage to work with the Juvenile Court, namely to get positive outcomes for the agency’s clients. But there were issues that had strained the relationship and, in fact, were leading to a crisis in the court: The presiding senior judge was not re-elected and had left his docket; it had operational capacity issues that delayed the flow of cases through the system; and the court’s reputation was under fire from the local media.
In using the model to think through a strategy, Mary Ann looked at each area of the triangle. The public value was clear – permanency for children. But there were sensitive political management issues. For example, taking a leadership position on the issue could strain Mary Ann’s relationship with the Juvenile Court. Regarding operational capacity, there were opportunities to leverage the MCCS operational expertise and availability to the court’s benefit, but this required careful management.
As a first step, the MCCS organized a legal symposium on child permanency, the first of its kind in the county, and cosponsored it with the Dayton Bar Association. With a background in staff development, Mary Ann designed the curriculum. She focused on a variety of topics and presentations that would bring together all those with an interest in improving child permanency. Her goal was that all players see the issue from each other’s perspectives. The MCCS provided funding and logistical support for the symposium and, through the Bar Association, offered continuing education units. A nationally recognized judge agreed to be the keynote speaker.
The event was a great success. Since the symposium, Mary Ann said they have seen an improved understanding of child permanency issues from lawyers. Building on the success of the first symposium, the MCCS is planning another one for fall 2005.
The new presiding judge realized he must put the court in order and is motivated to do so before the next election. MCCS well understood that delays in the court system resulted in emotional costs for children and financial costs to the MCCS. In order to improve its system, the court need performance measures to identify problem areas. Although the MCCS felt it understood why cases moved through the system as they did, it had relied on anecdotal evidence to support its position. Mary Ann realized that the court needed hard data on the time it took for a case to move through the court but didn’t have the system in place nor the capacity to collect it. Instead, the MCCS began to gather data. Mary Ann has shared findings with the presiding judge, and he has asked for her ongoing feedback and analysis. The hard data measures have gotten the court’s attention and have proven to be more persuasive than previous anecdotes.
Over time, the court has looked to the MCCS to help improve its operational capacity. For example, the court has sought the MCCS’s organizational development expertise to help the probation office do a strategic plan. The court is doing a survey of its staff modeled on a previous survey by the MCCS.
Mary Ann said her agency’s focus has been on keeping their public-value message clear, concise and consistent – “permanency for children.” Although Mary Ann says she’s seen definite improvements in the relationship with the Juvenile Court, it is an ongoing issue that requires a consistent but patient strategy, and the Strategic Triangle concepts will continue to help in the effort.
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