MIAMI-DADE WATER AND SEWER DEPARTMENT

1. MIAMI-DADE WATER AND SEWER DEPARTMENT BENCHMARKING PROCESS May 2013

2. Benchmarking Process • The Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department (MDWASD) utilizes the Active Strategy Enterprise (ASE) Performance Measurement System to facilitate the data collection process for both the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and Florida Benchmarking Consortium (FBC) Surveys. This system has been utilized since 2005. • The responsible owner updates the benchmarking performance data in the performance measurement system every fiscal year or in some cases, every month or quarter, if the owner wants to track the data more often. • Our fiscal year ends on September 30th. In many cases, the data has already been entered in the system by the owner of the data before we receive the benchmarking survey from the FBC or AWWA. If the data has already been entered in the system, the data is taken from the system to complete the survey and it is not necessary to contact the owner.

3. If the data is not entered in the system by the time we receive the survey, an email is sent to the owner informing them of the deadline to enter the data. • When the Results Reports are received from AWWA and/or FBC, graphs are created showing MDWASD’s result compared to other utilities and formally presented and discussed with applicable MDWASD staff at upper management and mid-management levels.

4. ASE BENCHMARKING PERFORMANCE MEASURE EXAMPLES • Water Distribution Integrity Rate: Number of Leaks and Breaks per 100 Miles of Piping • Operating and Maintenance Cost Per MG Processed – Wastewater

5. Water Distribution Integrity Rate

11. DETERMINING THE APPROPRIATE METHODOLOGY FOR OBTAINING DATA • As needed, the Department holds discussions with applicable staff to discuss the measure definition when we receive the survey. For instance, sometimes discussion is needed in the case of a new performance. • In some cases, the Department has meeting(s) to discuss the • appropriate methodology to use to obtain the data if the actual data is not • available at the time of the survey (a 3-year average may be utilized) or if the • department does not track the data and an estimate is needed (e.g., the • Department does not track the number of wholesale customer accounts). • As necessary, clarification is requested from either AWWA or the FBC on the • performance definition and either follow-up discussions are held or the email • received from AWWA or FBC is forwarded via email to the person • responsible for obtaining the data.

12. The Performance Measurement System facilitates the benchmarking data collection process. Since the Fiscal Year ends on September 30thand the benchmarking survey is usually not requested until March of the following year, this process does not require that the owner be contacted since the data has already been entered in the system, unless clarification from the owner is needed on the entered data, the data has not yet been entered in the system or there is a new benchmarking performance measure. • The owner is able to see from the system the data that was entered from prior years, the performance results for the benchmarking indicator for all fiscal years that the data was entered and if the Department’s performance decreased or improved. • When the performance reports are received from FBC or AWWA, graphs are created showing how the Department compared to other utilities and are discussed in a formal presentation with applicable upper and mid-level staff. SUMMARY