Summary of Engagement
PSG began working with the Lt. Governor and the DCRT Secretary in late 2003 to develop an exciting “roadmap for change” for DCRT – a new strategic vision for the department that built upon the department’s past successes, while incorporating new strategies and best practices for further developing and leveraging those assets that make Louisiana “a great place to live, work and play.” For the first time, this vision put economic development squarely in the center of the department’s mission. To achieve the new vision, the department would have to be transformed. PSG facilitated a “strategic opportunities retreat” for La DCRT leadership in 2004 that produced an action plan for implementing a set of strategic priorities for transformation. In 2005, PSG became LaDCRT’s “transformation partner” as the agency sought to implement the strategies designed to help it become a more accountable, efficient, and entrepreneurial organization. After Hurricane Katrina, PSG worked with LaDCRT to develop its “Louisiana Rebirth” plan and to re-prioritize the agency’s strategic goals to rebuild Louisiana’s “cultural economy” as a key driver of the state’s recovery plan. PSG helped create and recruit members for the new Louisiana Rebirth Accountability Panel to review performance and provide feedback. PSG also helped the agency make more strategic use of their resources through the implementation of a “budgeting for outcomes” process that allocated resources based on the extent to which divisions could demonstrate that their plans would help to achieve departmental strategic goals.
As LA DCRT’s transformation partner, PSG worked along side departmental leadership, providing training, facilitating meetings, and coaching senior leaders.
With PSG as its Transformation Partner, Louisiana DCRT:
- Streamlined the processes by which the Office of Tourism got brochures and other materials to Welcome Centers across the state and to trade shows and other marketing events across the U.S. and Canada.
- Reduced the number of days from 60 to 10 days for reimbursing local governments for building parks, tennis courts and other recreation facilities with federal grants.
- Established a centralized DCRT Marketing office to serve as the single marketing arm for DCRT from creative and concept development to consumer inquiry fulfillment, resulting in an improved ability to execute an aggressive and comprehensive marketing program for the State post-Katrina.
- Used the Budgeting for Outcomes process to quickly develop a post-Katrina economic recovery plan, and to get the funding necessary to jumpstart the plan.
- Raised over $50 million in outside money to help rebuild Louisiana’s tourism industry and cultural economy and then distributed the recovery money quickly, honestly, and efficiently and with great economic benefit to the state, using Budgeting for Outcomes to solicit creative proposals and set priorities.
- Secured major new funding and authority from the State Legislature, based upon legislators’ confidence in the department’s transformation.
- Received high marks from the Louisiana Rebirth Accountability Panel on the department’s transformation progress and goals accomplishments.
- Created and posted on-line its Rebirth Scorecard that shows stakeholders and anyone who’s interested how well the department is doing in four strategic areas.
- Began using “flexible performance agreements” with assistant secretaries that define both the results expected from their agency and the support they will need to produce those results.
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