4.4 Measuring and Adjusting the LOS Agreement

As discussed previously, the LOS goals should be written such that they are measurable and so that progress towards meeting these goals can be tracked over time. This process of measuring how well the utility has met the goals should be manageable and kept at the level a utility can handle. For example, progress towards goals can be tracked monthly for some goals, quarterly for others, or annually for goals that are time consuming to track. The most important aspect is to track the goals on some routine basis and report the results of this tracking to both the elected officials/upper management and the customers.

The measurement and tracking of goals should also use a process that is easy to implement. Tracking can be done on a simple spreadsheet or even on a piece of paper in the case of very small utilities. Tracking simply entails comparing actual data to the LOS goal to see if the goal was met. Goals can be tracked on different frequencies, depending on what the goal is and whether it is an internal or external goal.

It can become overwhelming, but it doesn't really need to be that way. --Kevin Campanella, Columbus, OH

LS-9

In determining how often to track a particular goal, the following questions should be considered:

• How frequent will the data I need be available?
• How much time will it take to get the data for tracking?
• How often do I need to report this type of information to elected officials or the board?
• How often do I need to communicate with my customers on meeting this goal?
• How often will it be possible to make adjustments if I find I'm not meeting the goal?