Olszewski Announces BCSTAT, Baltimore County’s First Data-Driven Performance Management Program

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In the latest step in his administration’s ongoing efforts to modernize government, Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski today unveiled BCSTAT, Baltimore County’s first data-driven performance management program, which aims to improve performance, ensure data quality, enhance transparency, and increase accountability across government.

BCSTAT will be focused on the operational performance of individual Baltimore County departments as well as cross-departmental, collaborative analyses focused on Olszewski’s top priorities.

In officially announcing BCSTAT, Olszewski is delivering on a signature pledge to introduce a system to increase accountability and create a more data-driven culture in Baltimore County.

“An open, transparent government is an accountable one and will empower us to better serve the residents of Baltimore County,” Olszewski said. “Baltimore County is moving forward in big ways, and BCSTAT will play a key role in providing an unprecedented level of accountability and transforming our vision for data-driven governance and innovation into reality.”

As part of Baltimore County’s Office of Government Reform & Strategic Initiatives, BCSTAT’s mission is to track performance and outcomes, help shed light on issues or inefficiencies, and provide solutions from an analytical and data-oriented perspective.

BCSTAT Process

Led by Baltimore County’s Chief Data and Performance Officer, BCSTAT is spearheading Baltimore County departments’ efforts to improve performance through better data collection, review and analysis.

The BCSTAT team works in partnership with department staff to analyze data around existing functions and services and identify notable trends.

Following the data review, the BCSTAT team convenes sessions with executive leaders, department heads, and department staff to discuss overall performance, highlight successes, and identify areas for improvement in order to enhance future performance.

In between the quarterly BCSTAT sessions, the team will prioritize aggressive follow-up, placing a significant focus on documentation and accountability to ensure substantial progress has occurred in time for the next session.

BCSTAT Implementation

Beginning in November 2019, Baltimore County began piloting initial BCSTAT sessions for the following agencies: Baltimore County Department of Corrections, Baltimore County Fire Department and Baltimore County of Aging.

A summary of these initial department tracking sessions is available online here.

Going forward, Baltimore County will post snapshots highlighting each individual department.

Beginning in February 2020, Baltimore County piloted the first priority tracking focused on the collaborative efforts to address the opioid epidemic.

This cross-agency effort is convening stakeholders from County Executive’s Office, the Baltimore County Department of Health and Human Services, the Baltimore County Police Department, the Baltimore County Fire Department, the Baltimore County Department of Permits, Approvals, and Inspections, the Baltimore County Department of Corrections and the Baltimore County Department of Law.

An initial priority tracking snapshot on the opioid epidemic is available online here.

Baltimore County will continue to implement BCSTAT with additional departments and create additional priority tracking sessions to apply a data lens to other focus areas, such as public safety, transportation, and housing and homelessness.

Learn more about BCSTAT at: https://baltimorecountymd.gov/bcstat