Below are the first 10 and last 10 pages of uncorrected machine-read text (when available) of this chapter, followed by the top 30 algorithmically extracted key phrases from the chapter as a whole.
Intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text on the opening pages of each chapter.
Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.
Do not use for reproduction, copying, pasting, or reading; exclusively for search engines.
OCR for page 4
4 Sharing the Costs of Human Services Transportation
The uses of performance measures include the following:
· Assess performance.
· Measure progress toward the achievement of goals and objectives.
· Consider actions which may change the course of future events.
· Modify policies, procedures, and processes.
· Make operational changes, including those leading to
Service expansion, reduction, or cessation;
Increases or decreases in services, revenues, and staff; and
Changes or modifications to transportation modes, service delivery procedures, or other
activities (such as marketing or public relations).
Community-Wide Cost Effectiveness Improves
We live in a time of increasing service needs and increasingly restricted funding. In many cases,
human service programs have been developed individually and have operated separately from each
other for many years. Although some communities have highly successful, highly cost-effective
coordinated transportation systems, many communities still have instances of duplication and
overlapping services, service gaps, and a lack of cost effectiveness in the ways that many of these
programs are being delivered. This is a costly situation at a time when resources are scarce for
individuals and at all levels of government. Coordination among a variety of agencies offers an
opportunity to achieve more and better outcomes for the same levels of investment.
A community-wide perspective would address questions such as the following:
· Are all resources being fully employed at all times?
· Is it necessary to have transportation directors for a large number of agencies?
· Do multiple agencies need dispatchers, computers, maintenance facilities, training programs,
accounting programs and staff, or even vehicles?
· Is it possible to achieve the same or even greater levels of efficiency and effectiveness if some
agencies that have been providing their own transportation services purchase those services
from others instead?
Through coordination, it is typically possible to realize cost savings on operating, administra-
tive, and capital costs, particularly when all these costs are analyzed at a community-wide level.
A key challenge for coordination programs is creating explicit agreements that detail tasks and
responsibilities, including that of paying for services. Accurate cost reporting provides the foun-
dation necessary to ensure an equitable and accurate distribution of costs among all partici-
pating agencies. Having and using the right kinds of data can assure all stakeholders that the
question "Will everyone be paying their fair share?" is being closely examined.
Funding Requests Are Viewed More Favorably
A key technique for obtaining additional funding is to demonstrate that the funds previously
received were well spent. Accurate cost and service reporting is a fundamental component of
such demonstrated competence. Good reporting can conclusively show how much service was
delivered to whom and at what cost. Data can be analyzed to demonstrate that the services were
provided in a cost-effective manner; if real improvements have been made, the figures should
indicate that as well. Performance measures also can enable comparisons of safety and quality of
service when indicators such as on-time performance, accidents, and incidents are considered.
Eligibility for funding often is the main benefit of documenting coordination efforts. For exam-
