IPS Diversity Strategy Team

The IPS Diversity Strategy Team is making outstanding progress revising its plan. Below is our new purpose statement and the three goals in the plan. We'll be finalizing initiatives by our next meeting.

PURPOSE
To create an environment that better allows IPS to fulfill its mission. Our plan will be meaningful and will present options and different ways for employees to contribute or meet expectations.

In order to achieve its purpose, our plan will be:
• Realistic
• Respectful
• Focused on excellence
• Embraced by leadership and staff


GOALS
• Promote diversity in the workplace to strengthen the organization
• Educate the IPS workforce on diversity issues
• Monitor diversity efforts

Visit the IPS Intranet site for more details and to give feedback!
Click here

SMART Goals

To be truly successful, you need to set and pursue SMART goals. Write them down, and then check them to make sure they are:

• Specific (detailed not general)
• Measurable (can be tracked and inspected)
• Achievable (realistic even if challenging)
• Relevant (lead to important, suitable results and contributions)
• Time-Sensitive (deadline driven)

Thanks to our Veterans

The Veterans Day ceremony is held each year on November 11th at Arlington National Cemetery and begins precisely at 11:00 a.m. with a wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknowns.
The ceremony continues inside the Memorial Amphitheater with a parade of colors by veterans’ organizations and remarks from dignitaries. The ceremony is intended to honor and thank all who served in the United States Armed Forces.

We have a number of veterans working in IPS. Today we honor them and all the veterans who have made sacrifices to keep our country free. This year the inaugural class of the IPS Leadership Academy is conducting a service project, Horses for Heroes, to honor veterans. Check with a class member for more information.

Click here to visit the Veterans Day web site and watch a great video on how you can help our veterans.

Click here to see a list of veterans in IPS and family members who are veterans. Contact Susan Robertson is you know someone who needs to be added to the list.

Guest Blog from Scott Gordy - Performance Measures

Performance Measures at the Institute for Public Service

For as long as I have been at the Institute for Public Service, almost 10 years now, “performance measures” has been a part of the vocabulary used within the Institute.

Having been personally involved with the collection and aggregation of performance measures for most of those years, it has been interesting to observe the transformation of this information in terms of how it is collected and reported.

Historically, it has been the responsibility of each agency to collect, aggregate, and distribute the performance information. Additionally, because of the need to report to stakeholders, such as state and federal legislators who fund our agencies, the information was typically broken down by Tennessee county into an Excel spreadsheet and returned to Central Office. This information was then, once again aggregated and consolidated for presentation to stakeholders with an interest in the Institute and all of its agencies.

Having said all this, the question remains “How is this information used?” I know this is a question posed by staff within the Institute because I have heard it posed by a number of my colleagues.

Furthermore, I would answer the question by saying it is used to describe the cause and work of the Institute to internal and external stakeholders. If you don’t believe me visit the IPS website at http://www.ips.tennessee.edu/ and click on the About Us link. In the right hand column you will find some quick links. Take some time look at the “Annual Reports” and look at the “Solutions for Your Community”.

The information contained therein is all comprised from the information that is gathered as a result of Performance Measures and the various Management Information Systems across the agencies.

What has been lacking until recently is a way to, in a timely manner, consolidate the information into a single repository in such a way that it is useful. Historically, consolidating the information happened once a year at the close of each fiscal year and there is a mad rush to get everything updated.

Sample Report for FY10, Loudon County

Now, the information contained within each of the respective MIS systems is uploaded once a month to a centralized repository. This fact has two primary advantages: 1) the information is available throughout the year for review and 2) less rush and stress to collect the information at the end of the fiscal year.
Also, with the MIS numeric data, project and activity descriptions are uploaded providing the additional information necessary for the Institute to send the message of our activities across the state and across the nation.

You have access to view the information throughout the year, and can see just how the work you do has an impact across the state and nation. Visit http://performance.ips.tennessee.edu/

VOTE!

Today is election day. If you did not early vote, please take time today to exercise one of the most basic rights we have as American citizens.


This fall we are electing a new governor, congressional representatives, state senators and representatives, and voting on a state constitutional amendment related to hunting and fishing. There are also a number of municipal elections.

These elected officials end up being our customers and partners in many ways. It is imperative that we have well qualified individuals holding public office.

Please vote!

Mentoring

All of us mentor in one way or another, but few of us ever get the opportunity to participate in a formal mentoring program. IPS is establishing such a program as part of the IPS Leadership Academy.

In October all the potential mentors attended a training session on how to be an effective mentor. I came away with more questions than answers, recognizing that there is much more to learn and realizing that mentoring is hard work!

We will continue to develop the program and explore ways to expand it. I look forward to reporting to you our success!

IPS Guest Speakers

During the September session of the IPS Leadership Academy we had several guest speakers. Tom Ballard talked about the history of IPS. Victor Ashe discussed his career at the local, state and federal levels of government. Joe Johnson told us how IPS was originally formed in the early 1970s. President Simek discussed the important role of public service in the university mission (and he talked about his archeology research!)

Finally, one of the most memorable speakers ever was "Ranger Mike" from the National Park Service. If you get a chance, as your colleagues about the BEAR JAM!

We have amazing resources available to us.