Contributed

The International City/County Management Association (ICMA) has announced that Stanly County has been recognized for its data-driven management and reporting efforts with a Certificate of Achievement in Performance Management.

Stanly County was the only county in North Carolina to be recognized in 2018 and 2019, said County Manager Andy Lucas. He added Stanly was one of only a handful of N.C. jurisdictions to be recognized in 2018 and 2019 for this achievement.

Certificates are based on established criteria and are awarded at three levels: Achievement, Distinction and Excellence.  Recipients at all levels collect and verify data to ensure reliability, train staff in performance measurement and report data to the public through budgets, newsletters and/or information provided to elected officials.

The only other N.C. municipalities recognized were Durham, Fayetteville, Pinehurst, Chapel Hill and Salisbury.

“Performance management is a bedrock principle of professional local government management,” ICMA Executive Director Marc A. Ott said. “By recognizing these leaders, ICMA hopes to encourage others to make a commitment to collect and analyze data, report it transparently, and use it to continuously engage their communities and improve their organizations.”

Stanly County is among 17 jurisdictions receiving the Certificate of Achievement and one of 63 recognized overall.

“Stanly County is honored to be recognized for its data driven approach to strategic planning and day-to-day operational decision-making,” said Lucas. “This certificate of achievement demonstrates our commitment to helping the Board of Commissioners make informed decisions using a data driven process.  Further, it demonstrates our desire to keep the citizens of Stanly County informed and engaged as it relates to the performance of their local government.”