STAT Review Synthesis of Best Practices & Compendium of Background Research

It is based on four tenets: 1) accurate and timely data; 2) effective strategies and tactics; 3) rapid deployment of resources; and 4) relentless follow-up and assessment. The data is used to devise strategies for deploying resources to achieve a goal, and these actions are then followed up regularly through subsequent meetings. Stat reviews are used to manage everything, from small, local policing programs to large, federal agencies like Veterans Affairs, HUD, or the FDA. These programs are at varying stages of implementation, with some organizations confining Stat reviews to critical priority departments, while others, like the FDA, use regular quarterly meetings to manage every aspect of organizational performance. Implementing Stat Reviews is a logical next step for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as it will enable managers to make real-time management decisions based on performance data. Utilizing the variety of indicator information already being regularly collected, a Stat system can be implemented at the Office/Bureau level or agency-wide with only minor adjustment. Leadership commitment to data-driven performance management already exists, and standardized reporting systems are being developed. The Stat platform with its regular meetings, high-level executive commitment, development of monitoring of key indicators, and emphasis on continuous improvement is responsive to several key requirements set forth in the GPRA Modernization Act of 2010. Stat addresses these by: 1) Encouraging attention to the need for continuous improvement; 2) Helping identify policies and practices that are working well and ones in need of improvement; 3) Improving the organization's effectiveness and efficiency; and 4) Providing a more convincing case to OMB and Congress that the organization is using its funds wisely and that its budget requests are justified. Stat has its roots in a method of mapping transit crimes in New York City in the early 1990s developed by then Lieutenant Jack Maple. By tracking the time and location of transit crime incidents, Lt. Maple was able to notice patterns and deploy police accordingly. The results of this approach to following data patterns and deploying resources resulted in a reduction in the number of incidents from 1200 to 12 in a single year. This approach was soon adopted by the NYPD on a larger scale and later by the City of New York. However, it was under Mayor Martin O'Malley of Baltimore, Maryland that the Stat approach was adapted to encompass the entire gamut of municipal services. Baltimore's CitiStat has now become the model for municipal Stat models. The four common tenets underlying successful Stat programs include: 1) accurate and timely data; 2) effective strategies and tactics; 3) rapid deployment of resources; and 4) relentless follow-up and assessment. These tenets are essential for implementing a Stat system that is responsive to the needs of complex organizations. By focusing on data-driven performance reviews, Stat enables managers to make informed decisions and drive continuous improvement.