The California Water Boards' Annual Performance Report - Fiscal Year 2011-12

Performance Targets

Performance measurement and reporting is an important component of a complete system of performance management needed to demonstrate how well programs or strategies are working and why. Information obtained through better performance measurement and program evaluation provides insight that enables us to understand and replicate successes, and continuously improve programs. To this end, the Water Boards establish annual performance targets for key output measures. In effect, these targets are goals that establish measurable levels of performance to be achieved within a specified time period. Thus, for FY 2011-12 and in future fiscal years, actual work achieved will be compared to targets to better assess progress and describe Water Board performance. Targets are jointly established by the Regional Water Boards and the State Water Board. They reflect differing needs within specific regions and work priorities given available resources. The targets for FY 2011-12 were derived with a consideration of each Regional Water Board's accomplishments during past years, current priorities, available resources, and the impacts of fiscal and personnel constraints.

The Water Boards recently began implementing a systematic target setting approach for three of its programs.  Using this new method, performance targets are based on available resources and uniform cost factors for key workload outputs. This target setting approach is described in the Water Board’s 2012 Resource Alignment Report and was used to develop the FY 2012-13 performance targets for  the NPDES Wastewater, Stormwater, and Waste Discharge to Land programs. Targets for the new fiscal year (2012-13) are presented below.