FY16 Department
Director Work and
Performance Plan
JOAN KENNEDY, CHILD SUPPORT ENFORCEMENT
MECKLENBURG COUNTY GOVERNMENT
SECTION 1: DEPARTMENT KEY INITIATIVES
Key Initiative #1 - Children have established parentage
Description:
 Children have a legal relationship established with their father.
Rationale:
 Under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act paternity establishment is a mandated child support service
Completion Date:
 June 30, 2016
Updates/Project Milestones:
Paternity Establishment project team coordinates, implements, and monitors targeted strategies
 Priorities are identified and addressed using standardized process improvement methods
 Present performance data and trends during monthly all-staff meetings
 Maintain and encourage open channels of communication so staff at every level have an opportunity to
exchange ideas and share information
 Identify best practices from other jurisdictions, and from high performing case workers
 Implement new and innovative methods identified in best practices for continuous improvement
Specific Activities
 Establish paternity for applicable children utilizing available reports
 Evaluate caseworkers monthly based on the required performance standard
Outcome/Measures:
 Successful accomplishment of established milestones
End of year reporting ONLY
 Brief statement on if the project addressed the issue it was intended to address. If so, how.
 Statement on if project was completed at or below budget (update at end of fiscal year). If not, why?
 Statement on whether or not performance metric goals were met.
Key Initiative #2 Children have support orders
Description:
 Children need support orders established either voluntarily, or by court order before consistent child
support can be enforced
Rationale:
 Under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act establishment of child support orders is a mandated child
support service
Completion Date:

June 30, 2016
Updates/Project Milestones:
Support Order project team coordinates, implements, and monitors targeted strategies
 Priorities are identified and addressed using standardized process improvement methods
 Present performance data and trends during monthly all-staff meetings
 Maintain and encourage open channels of communication so staff at every level have an opportunity to
exchange ideas and share information
 Identify best practices from other jurisdictions, and from high performing case workers
 Implement new and innovative methods identified in best practices for continuous improvement
Specific Activities
 Establish support orders on applicable cases utilizing available reports
 Evaluate caseworkers monthly based on the required performance standard
Outcome/Measures:
 Successful accomplishment of established milestones
End of year reporting ONLY
 Brief statement on if the project addressed the issue it was intended to address. If so, how.
 Statement on if project was completed at or below budget (update at end of fiscal year). If not, why?
 Statement on whether or not performance metric goals were met.
Key Initiative #3 - Children receive financial support from parents as ordered
Description:
 Children rely on consistent financial support from their parents
Rationale:
 Under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act the collection and distribution of current child support
payments are mandated child support services
Completion Date:
 June 30, 2016
Updates/Project Milestones:
Collections on Current Support project team coordinates, implements, and monitors targeted strategies
 Priorities are identified and addressed using standardized process improvement methods
 Present performance data and trends during monthly all-staff meetings
 Maintain and encourage open channels of communication so staff at every level have an opportunity to
exchange ideas and share information
 Identify best practices from other jurisdictions, and from high performing case workers
 Implement new and innovative methods identified in best practices for continuous improvement
Specific Activities
 Collect support payments on applicable cases utilizing available reports
 Evaluate caseworkers monthly based on the required performance standard
Outcome/Measures:
 Successful accomplishment of established milestones
End of year reporting ONLY
 Brief statement on if the project addressed the issue it was intended to address. If so, how.
 Statement on if project was completed at or below budget (update at end of fiscal year). If not, why?
 Statement on whether or not performance metric goals were met.
Key Initiative #4 - Children receive payments on overdue support
Description:
 Noncustodial parents who pay toward their child support arrears positively impact children and
families ability to be financially secure
Rationale:
 Under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act the collection and distribution of child support payments
toward arrears are mandated child support services
Completion Date:
 June 30, 2016
Updates/Project Milestones:
Overdue Support Payments project team coordinates, implements, and monitors targeted strategies
 Priorities are identified and addressed using standardized process improvement methods
 Present performance data and trends during monthly all-staff meetings
 Maintain and encourage open channels of communication so staff at every level have an opportunity to
exchange ideas and share information
 Identify best practices from other jurisdictions, and from high performing case workers
 Implement new and innovative methods identified in best practices for continuous improvement
Specific Activities
 Collect payments toward arrears on applicable cases utilizing available reports
 Evaluate caseworkers monthly based on the required performance standard
Outcome/Measures:
 Successful accomplishment of established milestones
End of year reporting ONLY
 Brief statement on if the project addressed the issue it was intended to address. If so, how.
 Statement on if project was completed at or below budget (update at end of fiscal year). If not, why?
 Statement on whether or not performance metric goals were met.
Key Initiative #5 - CSE’s Operations are cost-effective and responsive
Description:
 Operate a cost-effective program
 The cost-effectiveness is dollars collected for each dollar expended
Rationale:
 The more dollars collected per dollar expended the more cost effective the program is operating
 To maximize outcomes with finite resources
Completion Date:
 June 30, 2016
Updates/Project Milestones:
Business Operations will optimize cost-effectiveness
 Identify, implement and monitor continuous improvement opportunities
 Cost-Effectiveness Score
Specific Activities
 Monitor and tabulate Total Expenditures using monthly Advantage Reports
 Monitor and tabulate Total Collections using the Total IV-D Collections Report
Outcome/Measures:
 Successful accomplishment of established milestones
End of year reporting ONLY
 Brief statement on if the project addressed the issue it was intended to address. If so, how.
 Statement on if project was completed at or below budget (update at end of fiscal year). If not, why?
 Statement on whether or not performance metric goals were met.
Key Initiative #6 - CSE's programs strengthen families
Description:
 Parents are offered opportunities to better understand the responsibilities of parenthood
Rationale:
 To align local goals with Federal, State and local Child Support Enforcement goals that focus on
promoting family self-sufficiency and responsible fatherhood
Completion Date:
 June 30, 2016
Updates/Project Milestones:
Responsible Parenthood Taskforce coordinates, implements, and monitors targeted strategies
 Priorities are identified and addressed using standardized process improvement methods
 Community outreach raises awareness about child support, dispels myths and encourages participation
in responsible parenthood programming
 Noncustodial parent orientation and related programs are offered by CSE
Specific Activities
 Fatherhood programming
 Support shared customers by partnering with the Self-Service Center located at the Courthouse
 Partner with Veterans Services to build baseline data on shared customers
 Seek grant funding for fatherhood programming: economic stability, responsible parenting, healthy
marriage/relationship education
 Collaborate with Strategic Planning and Evaluation to complete an in-depth evaluation of noncustodial
parents’ (NCPs’) and their payment trends to be used to assess how CSE serves NCPs in an effort to
increase regular and reliable payments, identify how CSE can increase collections, and make
decisions/requests about funding and resource allocation
Outcome/Measures:

Successful accomplishment of established milestones
End of year reporting ONLY
 Brief statement on if the project addressed the issue it was intended to address. If so, how.
 Statement on if project was completed at or below budget (update at end of fiscal year). If not, why?
 Statement on whether or not performance metric goals were met.
Key Initiative #7 - CSE’s court processes are efficient and effective
Description:
 The processes of preparing for court, appearing for court, and following up after court need to be
efficient and effective
 Cases are scheduled for court only when voluntary orders are declined after diligent efforts to
encourage out of court agreements
 Cases scheduled for court result in support or paternity orders
Rationale:
 Children need orders to ensure they are supported
 When parents are unable or unwilling to agree to a voluntary order the alternative is a court order
Completion Date:
 June 30, 2016
Updates/Project Milestones:
Court Processes project team coordinates, implements, and monitors targeted strategies

Complete/wrap-up the court time-study and identify implications for programming/processes as defined in the
study

Priorities are identified and addressed using standardized process improvement methods
Specific Activities


Review strategies for expediting the flow of critical court documents from CSE to the Court
Review service of process effectiveness and efficiency to identify opportunities and improve
performance
Outcome/Measures:

Successful accomplishment of established milestones
End of year reporting ONLY
 Brief statement on if the project addressed the issue it was intended to address. If so, how.
 Statement on if project was completed at or below budget (update at end of fiscal year). If not, why?
 Statement on whether or not performance metric goals were met.
Key Initiative #8 Health and Human Services
Integrated Service Delivery Project
Description: Provide executive direction and project leadership.
Rationale: Providing human services is a core function of Mecklenburg County government. Numerous
residents receive services from more than one human service department. There are many collaborations
within the Human Services Agency, however these have occurred at the program or service level. This project
will take a broader look at how the County’s Human Services Agency can be organized and integrated to serve
residents more effectively and efficiently. Focus will be on the following items:



Improving the health and well-being of Mecklenburg residents, especially people most in need of
support and assistance, emphasizing education and prevention and optimal human service delivery.
Seeking more opportunities to involve and integrate Human Services Agency departments in
collaborative service delivery.
Seek to establish an integrated customer interface to improve both the customer experience as well as
the outcome of the services provided.
Completion Date: This is a multi-year plan with the completion date yet to be determined.
Updates/Project Milestones:
 August 2015 – July 2016: Ongoing meetings of the Leadership Team - all Human Service Agency
Department Directors
 Fall 2015: Leadership Team meetings for plan development including new Assistant County Manager
 December 2015 – Spring 2016: Leadership Team and work team (as needed) meetings continue.
 Summer 2016: Implementation plan presented to County Manager and Executive Team.
Outcome/Measures:
Successful achievement of established updates and project milestones.
Key Initiative #9
3-Year Department Strategic Business Plan (FY17-FY19)
Description:
Create a 3-Year department strategic business plan that incorporates department initiatives (including those
aligned to Mecklenburg Livable Communities Plan), identifies upcoming business imperatives and links
initiatives to the budget process.
Rationale:
Department strategic business planning is essential to outlining departmental goals, strategies and measures
that will serve as the guiding document for budgeting from FY17-FY19.
Completion Date:
January 2016
Updates/Project Milestones:
August 2015: “Train-the-Facilitator” training
September 10, 2015: County Manager’s Strategic Planning Retreat
September – January 2016: Departments Draft Strategic Business plans
Outcome/Measures:
Successful completion of a 3-Year Strategic Business Plan for FY17-FY19