Citizen Consultancy Program

About the Program

Category: County Administration and Management (Best in Category)

Year: 2016

On the heels of the Great Recession, the public sector, and in particular regulatory agencies, faced increased customer demands to be more effective and efficient in service delivery. Maricopa County government includes five regulatory departments: Air Quality, Department of Transportation, Environmental Services, Flood Control District and the Planning and Development Department. Survey results and customer feedback regarding these departments indicated concerns with permit review times, burdensome review requirements and regulations, and inconsistent customer service. In response, the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors (BOS) directed the County Manager to convene members of the public and the business community to serve as volunteer “process improvement consultants” for these five departments. These citizen consultants were tasked with identifying sustainable strategies to ensure delivery of good customer service while both reducing unnecessary regulation and protecting public safety. Since the first process improvement citizen committee was initiated in 2013, 110 recommendations spanning four of the five departments have been approved by the BOS of which 90 have been implemented. The Citizen Consultancy Program has resulted in a greater understanding of customer needs, better service for citizens, less bureaucratic red tape, increased staff engagement and improved public trust in Maricopa County’s regulatory departments.