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Welcome!
I would like to welcome you to this course on the County of San
Diego’s General Management System, or GMS.
Please read through the text sections, watch the videos,
complete the quizzes, assignments and activities. You will gain a
thorough understanding of the GMS, and a greater appreciation
for the benefits achieved from using the GMS.
As your facilitator, please contact me for any questions. Enjoy.
Duc Bui
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Course Overview
This course provides an introduction to the General
Management System (GMS), developed by the County of
San Diego to provide fiscal stability, effective
governance, and excellence in service. There are five
lessons, covering the five components of the GMS. Each
component and its subcomponents will be explored. To
provide a rich learning experience, the course also
contains lectures, videos and video lectures, exercises,
and quizzes.
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Course Objectives
 Introduce the five components of the General
Management System (GMS).
 Explain the subcomponents of the GMS.
 Explain why the GMS is important for the County.
 Provide the participants with a better understanding
of the GMS, and a greater appreciation for it.
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Course Contents
 About San Diego
 Overview of the GMS
 Lesson I - Strategic Planning
 Lesson II - Operational Planning
 Lesson III - Monitor and Control
 Lesson IV - Functional Threading
 Lesson V - Motivation, Reward and Recognition
 Summary
 Resources
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Course Outcomes
Participants will:
 Know and understand the five components of the
GMS.
 Be able to apply the concepts and principles of the
GMS.
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Course Activities & Deliverables
 Text: please take the time to read and comprehend.
 Videos: please watch the videos for additional
information about the GMS, the County, and related
topics.
 Assignments: please complete and submit to the
facilitator before the end of the course.
 Quizzes: please complete to assess your knowledge.
 Other activities: please complete these enrichment
activities to gain a better sense of the GMS.
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About San Diego
The GMS for the County of San Diego
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About San Diego
Please watch the following video about San Diego.
Think about what public services are needed and must
be provided by the County (or the various city
governments).
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What is GMS?
The GMS is a framework that establishes and guides County operations and
service delivery to residents, businesses and visitors. Using the GMS, the County
sets goals, prioritizes resources, evaluates performance, ensures cooperation and
rewards accomplishments in a structured and coordinated way. By doing so, we
have moved San Diego County away from the negative image of “red tape” and
“government bureaucracy” into an organization that values and implements
efficiency, innovation and fiscal discipline and one that provides focused,
meaningful services to improve lives and benefit the community.
The five-step system completes a full cycle in a fiscal year. The GMS process begins
with creating a long-range, five-year Strategic Plan. This is followed by
developing a short-term, two-year Operational Plan, which encompasses the
budget process. Monitoring and Control takes place throughout the year using
performance measures. Functional Threading maximizes efficient use of
personnel and material resources by coordinating staff. Motivation, Rewards
and Recognition encourages continuing excellence by rewarding employees who
meet and exceed goals. At the beginning of the next fiscal year, the process begins
again with a review of the Strategic Plan and development of a new Operational
Plan.
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Why is the GMS necessary?
In a word, the GMS is about excellence. The idea behind the GMS is
straightforward: the County will be able to provide superior services if we
set sound goals and apply strong management principles to achieve those
goals. With an annual budget of approximately $4 billion and roughly
17,000 employees who serve more than 3 million residents spread across
4,000 square miles, coordination, fiscal and operational discipline, and
shared commitment are vital.
The GMS enables the County to set County-wide goals and then link the
goal-setting to goal-attainment. A coherent management system helps
ensure that all County employees adhere to core principles, promoting a
culture that values employees, partners, and customers. The GMS
institutionalizes disciplines such as continuous improvement, fiscal
integrity, transparency and accountability.
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What is the history of the GMS?
On April 21, 1998, the Board of Supervisors accepted the
GMS as the formal comprehensive guide for planning,
implementing, and monitoring all functions and
processes that affect delivery of services to San Diego
County residents. The County developed the GMS
following the severe fiscal crisis that threatened County
programs and solvency in the mid-1990s.
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When is the GMS used?
The GMS is much more than a crisis management tool
for putting the County’s fiscal house in order. It is an
ongoing system that ensures sound management
becomes a part of our permanent organizational culture.
The principles and procedures outlined by the GMS are
meant to apply to every County function on a year-round
basis.
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Who is responsible for
the GMS implementation?
Every County employee should know the GMS and their
role in it. To achieve our goals, employees must share a
sense of ownership and responsibility. Despite the
important role of management, successful GMS
application depends on strong and effective leadership
at all levels of County service. Every County employee is
expected to help set goals, strive to achieve them,
monitor performance and reward achievement.
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The GMS Basics
The GMS is a closed loop of five overlapping elements
that form an ongoing cycle. Each element ensures that
the County asks and answers crucial questions.
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The General Management System
Please watch the following video produced by the
County of San Diego. (Mr. Walt Ekard stepped down as
CAO on Dec. 1, 2012.)
The current Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) is
Helen Robbins-Meyer.
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Elected Officials and
County Executives
Please watch the following video to become
familiarized with County of San Diego’s Board of
Supervisors, Executives, Department Directors, Sheriff,
and other elected officials.
There is a quiz after this video.
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Summary
 On April 21, 1998, the Board of Supervisors accepted the

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

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GMS.
The idea behind the GMS is: the County will be able to
provide superior services if we set sound goals and apply
strong management principles to achieve those goals.
It is an ongoing system that ensures sound management
becomes a part of our permanent organizational culture.
Every County employee should know the GMS and their
role in it.
The GMS is a closed loop of five overlapping elements that
form an ongoing cycle: Strategic Planning, Operational
Planning, Monitoring & Control, Functional Threading,
Motivation, Reward and Recognition.
The five-step system completes a full cycle in a fiscal year.
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5-year Plan
6 Steps
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Overview
The County’s Strategic Plan (SP) charts the course for
accomplishing our mission of serving the residents of San
Diego County over a five-year period. The County’s strategic
planning process defines major projects and initiatives, and
anticipates significant needs, challenges and risks.
The process begins by asking the following questions:
 Where do we want to go?
 Where do we want to be in five years?
 Where are we today?
 How will we get there?
 What factors will have an impact on our plans?
There are six steps in completing a Strategic Plan:
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Step 1
Review the County’s Mission, Vision, Guiding
Principles, and Strategic Plan
The essential first step in planning is to ask the following:
 What is the County’s purpose?
 What are the ideals we value and hope to achieve?
 What principles guide us?
We ask these questions to remind us who we are and where
we want to be. The County’s Mission, Vision, Guiding
Principles and Strategic Plan provide the context for making
planning decisions. Any strategic planning effort must fulfill
the County’s Mission, move the County toward realizing its
Vision, and uphold our Guiding Principles.
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Step 2
Perform a Gap Analysis
The SPST group conducts an analysis to identify whether
there are any gaps between what the County says we’re going
to do in our Strategic Plan and what we are actually doing in
the Operational Plan. In other words, does our plan match
our budget and vice versa? This gap analysis focuses attention
on areas that may not be moving forward and helps ensure
that resource allocation reflects the County’s strategy.
NOTE:
Strategic Planning Support Team (SPST).
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Step 3
Perform/Update Environmental Scan
 How does the outside environment affect the County’s
ability to function?
 What events beyond County control may affect service
demand? Or funding?
 What are the internal and external risks to the County?
 What changes are occurring in regional socio-economic
trends that may affect the County?
 Strengths? Weaknesses? Opportunities? Threats?
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Step 4
Perform a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and
Threats (SWOT) Analysis
Building on the observations of the Environmental Scan, the SPST conducts a
SWOT analysis that looks comprehensively at the County organization to ask
the following:
 What does the County do well? What are our strengths?
 Which areas can be improved? What are our weaknesses?
 What is the County’s fiscal situation?
 What is the status of County employees’ experience and efficiency?
 How well is the County providing services?
 What is the County’s unrealized potential? What opportunities exist?
 What threats face the County?
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SWOT Analysis
Strengths
Weaknesses
Opportunities
Threats
Question:
What are some S. W. O. & T. for San Diego County?
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SWOT and TOWS Analysis
Please watch the following video on SWOT and TOWS.
 http://youtu.be/H8FANR-2u2Q
(Optional link)
There will be a quiz after this video.
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PEST
PEST is an acronym for
Political
Economic
Social
Technological
factors, which are used to assess the market for a
business or organizational unit.
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PEST Analysis
 http://youtu.be/tg2dlgtgCy8 (optional link)
Please watch the following video about PEST.
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Step 5
Define or Reconsider Strategic Initiatives
Based on the information identified in the Gap Analysis,
the Environmental Scan, and the SWOT analysis, the
SPST reexamines the Strategic Plan and its Strategic
Initiatives and suggests refinements as necessary. The
Strategic Initiatives define our priorities and focus our
efforts. The Strategic Initiatives are broad organizationwide goals that move the County from abstract ideals
and values to more concrete applications.
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Step 6
Develop the Five-Year Financial Forecast
The final step in strategic planning occurs when the General
Managers/DCAOs evaluate the resources needed to achieve County goals,
and develop the Five-Year Financial Forecast. The forecast includes a
projection of resources required to implement new initiatives, and to
continue or adjust existing programs. Key questions in developing the FiveYear Financial Forecast include:
 What are the trends for revenue, expenditures, and staff years?
 What has previously affected those trends and what may affect them in the
 future?
 What impacts will new initiatives have on existing resources?
 What resources will be necessary to make continuous improvements in
service?
 What funding sources are expected over the next five years? What new
sources are available? What existing sources will decrease or end?
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Strategic Planning Summary
The County’s Strategic Plan charts the course for accomplishing
our mission of serving the residents of San Diego County over a
five-year period. It contains Six steps:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Review the County’s Mission, Vision, Guiding Principles,
and Strategic Plan
Perform a Gap Analysis
Perform/Update Environmental Scan
Perform a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and
Threats (SWOT) Analysis
Define or Reconsider Strategic Initiatives
Develop the Five-Year Financial Forecast
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Test Your Knowledge
Please take the following quiz to assess your knowledge.
Gary Larson
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2-year Plan
Operational Planning Process
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Overview
If Strategic Planning tells us where the County is going, Operational Planning
allocates the money and the staff to get there. During the creation of the two-year
Operational Plan (OP), which is the County’s budget process, resources are
allocated to certain projects.
As part of operational planning, we ask:
 What does the County want to accomplish during the next two years?
 How do our two-year objectives contribute to meeting our five-year strategic
goals?
 How will we fund and staff County programs?
The Operational Planning element of the GMS puts the Strategic Plan into action.
The first two years of the Five-Year Financial Forecast (from the Strategic Plan) are
used to develop the County’s Operational Plan or budget. Specifically,
Operational Planning focuses on short-term fiscal planning and ultimately results
in the official document prepared by the CAO and adopted by the Board of
Supervisors as the County’s budget.
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Linking the OP To the SP
It is critical that our Operational Plan supports the goals laid out in the
Strategic Plan. The Operational Plan creates a direct link between our
Strategic Plan goals and specific programs, staffing, and costs. County
groups and departments prepare budget recommendations, review or
develop programs, and determine staffing using the following questions:
 Does the expenditure bring us closer to our goals?
 Is the program mandated by state or federal law? Are we meeting these
legal, regulatory, or funding requirements?
 Can we leverage resources through internal or external partnerships, or
grant funding?
 How will resource changes affect other programs?
 If external funding is eliminated, is a County expenditure still justified?
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The Operational Planning Process
Jan./Feb.: The Chief Financial Officer distributes the initial Two-Year
Operational Plan instructions to County departments. These
instructions provide both general information about the
operational planning process and detailed instructions for preparing the
numerical and narrative sections of the Proposed Operational Plan.
Feb./Mar.: department heads develop the Proposed Operational Plan objectives
and the Operational Plan itself using the County’s Strategic Plan goals to
guide their efforts.
May:
the CAO submits the Proposed Operational Plan to the Board of
Supervisors and the public.
Jun.:
The Board formally accepts the document for review and holds public
hearings
mid-Jun.: the CAO submits proposed changes, if any, to the Board.
late Jun.: at the conclusion of public hearings, the Board deliberates, makes
modifications, and approves the Operational Plan.
Jul./Aug.: Final Operational Plan adoption occurs.
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Contents of the OP Document
The Operational Plan Document includes the following:
 General information about the County and the Operational Plan itself
 Narratives, tables, and charts showing the revenues and expenditures for all
County funds
 A review of planned capital projects
 A summary of the County’s short and long-term financial obligations/debt
 A breakdown by group and department detailing the following:
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The group/department mission
Prior year accomplishments
Operational objectives (derived from the Strategic Plan)
Changes to revenue, expenditures or staff levels from the prior year’s
Operational Plan
Revenue amounts and sources
Expenditures and staffing by program
Performance measures and targets
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County Operations Video
Please watch the following video on county operations.
Think about how various county functions and
mandated services are planned for the short 2-year term,
and how they align with the strategic plan.
Trivia challenge: the county is responsible for
1. How many airports, and what are their names?
2. How many miles of road?
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Fresh Air
This is just a mental break.
Since we are studying about operations, the county’s
Registrar of Voters (ROV) regularly conducts some big
and complex operations. Watch the behind the scene
actions at the ROV after an election: one minute in the
life of the ROV.
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Summary
 The Strategic Planning tells us where the County is
going, while Operational Planning allocates the
money and the staff to get there.
 In January or February of each year, the Chief
Financial Officer distributes the initial Two-Year
Operational Plan instructions to County departments.
 Final Operational Plan adoption occurs in July or
August after approval by the Board of Supervisors.
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Test Your Knowledge
Please take the following quiz to assess your knowledge.
Gary Larson
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Performance Measures
Monitoring
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Overview
The Monitoring and Control element of the GMS ensures County operations stay on
target. Monitoring and Control challenges all County employees to regularly ask:
 Are we on track?
 Are groups and departments meeting their customer service, financial, and
performance goals?
 Are individual managers effectively using resources and exercising needed
leadership?
 Are projects producing desired results on time and within cost constraints?
 What needs to be done to correct identified deficiencies?
Monitoring and Control is the process of scrutinizing our operations in order to
track progress and make necessary adjustments. Evaluations occur on a monthly,
quarterly, and annual basis at different levels to monitor and assess projects,
managers, departments and groups.
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Performance Measurement
As part of ongoing Monitoring and Control efforts, the County makes regular use
of performance measures, key data that help track how the County is doing by
comparing the same information over time. Developing and using performance
measures allows the County to translate our Strategic Initiatives into coherent and
quantifiable results.
Performance measures also create a common set of expectations for group,
department, project and employee performance, helping everyone on the County
team work toward the goals laid out in our Strategic and Operational Plans.
Translating organizational objectives into everyday tasks allows each employee to
identify his contribution to the achievement of the County’s goals.
The County’s performance measures track:
Outcomes – results
Quality – degree of excellence
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Performance Measures
There are generally four perspectives under which measures are categorized:
Perspective
Description
Customer Perspective
Pinpoints our target customers.
Continuous Improvement Process
Perspective
Identifies ways of doing business at which
the County must excel in order to
accomplish our goals and best meet the
needs of citizens.
Employee Perspective
Assesses the employee skill levels and
support systems necessary to achieve our
goals.
Financial Perspective
Tells us whether our financial performance
is meeting our resource objectives.
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Monitoring Goals
Please watch the following video message from the CAO.
Write down and reflect on a few goals:
1. For yourself
2. For your unit
3. For your department or agency
How can they be monitored?
In your opinion, what should be most important
“audacious goal” for the County of San Diego?
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Summary
 The Monitoring and Control element of the GMS
ensures County operations stay on target.
 Monitoring and Control is the process of scrutinizing
our operations in order to track progress and make
necessary adjustments. Many review methods exist for
formal evaluations of various functions. These
evaluations occur on a monthly, quarterly, and annual
basis at different levels to monitor and assess projects,
managers, departments and groups.
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Test Your Knowledge
Please take the following quiz to assess your knowledge.
Gary Larson
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Working Together
Leveraging
Maximizing
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Overview
Functional Threading (FT) is the process of ensuring
coordination throughout our organization to pursue goals,
solve problems, share information, and leverage resources.
FT helps us work together to better serve the public and to
achieve our shared goals. FT looks at day-to-day operations
and asks:
 How can we work together to accomplish our goals?
 What resources and expertise do we have?
 What County functions do we perform that are similar or
related?
 Are these functions coordinated?
 Are resources, staff or expenditures duplicated?
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Functional Threading in Action
It is the ongoing responsibility of department heads and
General Managers/DCAOs to ensure that County employees
work together to leverage resources and solve
problems. Project teams tasked specifically with threading
activities can involve employees at many levels. Additionally,
FT is performed on a regular basis by nearly everyone in the
County organization through routine tasks like making
constituent referrals between agencies or information
sharing between inspectors. FT occurs when individuals with
similar job responsibilities communicate and collaborate to
better perform their jobs and serve the organization and the
public. FT gives us the ability to plan for emergencies in a
comprehensive way by using the combined expertise of many
people throughout our organization.
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Live Well San Diego! Assignment
Please watch the following video about Live Well San
Diego, year 3.
Think about Functional Threading.
Write a 1-page essay to explain why this county initiative
involves Functional Threading.
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Summary
 Functional Threading is the process of ensuring
coordination throughout our organization to pursue
goals, solve problems, share information, and leverage
resources.
 Functional Threading gives us the ability to plan for
emergencies in a comprehensive way by using the
combined expertise of many people throughout our
organization.
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Test Your Knowledge
Please take the following quiz to assess your knowledge.
Gary Larson
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Excellence
Obligations
Programs
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Overview
Motivation, Rewards, and Recognition is the final piece
of the GMS that engages our organization’s most
valuable resource, the men and women of the County
workforce. Motivation, Rewards and Recognition
ensures that we reward excellence in employee
performance by turning abstract concepts and goals into
a clear, relevant, and personal obligation for each
employee.
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How?
How do we turn abstract concepts and goals into a clear,
relevant, and personal obligation for each employee?
By providing all County employees with:
 Clarity about what is expected on the job
 Clear understanding of what it takes to do the job well
 Meaningful incentives for meeting and exceeding
expectations, including monetary rewards
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Programs
 Performance-Based Advancement in Salary
 Quality First
 Operational Incentive Plan (OIP)
 Do-It-Better-By-Suggestion (DIBBS) Program
 CAO Recognition Award
 Department Employee Recognition and Award
Programs
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Review
 The Motivation, Rewards and Recognition component
of the GMS rewards excellence in employee
performance.
 The strongest goals, budget and oversight are
meaningless without the commitment of people
performing the work.
 Specific tools and programs inform employees about
job duties and expectations, evaluate performance and
provide incentives for employees who do their jobs
well.
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Test Your Knowledge
Please take the following quiz to assess your knowledge.
Gary Larson
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GMS
Five Elements
GMS Cycle
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GMS in Review
The County of San Diego works to provide the best
possible service to residents while serving as responsible
stewards of public dollars.
The GMS serves as the County’s instruction manual for
running an effective and accountable government. The
elements of the GMS encompass an annual cycle that
engages all employees on a daily basis.
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GMS in Review
The five elements (or pillars) of the GMS:
 Strategic Planning sets the County’s goals.
 Operational Planning allocates resources to achieve our
goals.
 Monitoring and Control ensures that County operations
remain on track and alerts us to any risks that may arise.
 Functional Threading promotes cooperation and sharing
of expertise and resources.
 Motivation Rewards and Recognition engages the
County workforce in turning abstract goals into daily
success on the job.
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GMS in Review
The GMS is an annual cycle, starting with the
Strategic Planning component:
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The Complete GMS Document
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Intranet
Internet
Strategic Planning
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Additional Resources
County employees (Intranet):
 Training materials and contact information, visit:
cww/gms
 About the Operational Plan and budgeting visit the
Auditor and Controller’s office at: cww/ac
 Specific GMS activities occur throughout the calendar
year, check the CAO Master Calendar at: cww/cao
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Additional Resources
Public
 For a copy of the County’s Strategic Plan visit the
CAO’s office at www.sdcounty.ca.gov/cao
 For the County’s Operational Plan and other financial
documents visit the Auditor and Controller’s office at
www.sdcounty.ca.gov/auditor
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Additional Resources
Strategic Management Lectures
A lecture by Dr Ian Mackechnie at Stamford
University,UK.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_Uu1f0tSak&list=PLA53
EF0DBF317C285&feature=share
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Survey
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Course Evaluation
Please complete the following survey.
Your feedback is greatly appreciated, and will be used to
improve the course.
Thank you!
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