Business Excellence

Performance excellence at the ARC

What is ‘Performance Excellence'?

The citizens and ratepayers of the Auckland region have an expectation that the Auckland Regional Council aims for excellence in everything we do...and we agree!
The Criteria for Performance Excellence is the program we use to become a great organisation

For over 15 years, this criteria has been used by thousands of organisations world-wide, to improve their performance. It has been consistently identified as a key factor in helping organisations reach for, and attain success and excellence.

Seven categories for performance excellence

• Leadership
• Strategic planning
• Customer and market focus
• Measurement analysis and knowledge management
• Workforce focus
• Process management
• Business results
  

Why is the ARC using performance excellence?

• The ARC is committed to delivering the public value for money.
• The criteria for ‘Performance Excellence' is considered the toughest and most widely accepted set of standards for defining a well run organisation, regardless of its size or type.
• International Research data clearly indicates that adopting the criteria greatly increases the changes of on organisation's success.

External assessment

An organisation can choose to be external assessed by a group of specifically trained evaluators, or undertake its own review using the criteria.
In either option, the report details the organisation's strengths, and also areas where it could improve. The report informs the organisation's next cycle of strategic planning and improvement.

The benefits of excellence

As a public sector agency, much of the ARC's income is from property rates. Once these rates have been set, property owners must pay them. Therefore the ARC must always be looking to deliver enhanced value and performance for money to ratepayers.

Results of performance excellence:

• More efficient and effective processes
• More satisfied staff, customers and stakeholders
• The successful achievement of outcomes for the Auckland region

Excellence is a journey

There is no such thing as a "perfectly excellent" organisation as there is always room for improvement. The ARC has been involved in Performance Excellence since 1998, and in 2003 attained a Silver level award.

A Gold level award is considered world class. The ARC is continuously committed to the pursuit of improvement and better performance.