2007 Award Criteria

by Jim Butler (June 2007)

Outstanding County Award Criteria

We have developed what we believe to be fair and equitable criteria in selecting the recipients of the 2007 Outstanding County award. There will be five different areas that will be reviewed and given a rating based on each county’s performance:

  • 12 non-financial performance measures (25% of the score),
  • 1 financial performance measure, i.e., percent of current support due that is paid (25%),
  • most improvement in the 12 non-financial performance measures and collections (25%),
  • success in meeting state goals (10%), and
  • information received from the top 4 counties’ administrators/directors in each size as to how their units achieved such great success (15%).

The 12 non-financial measures will include year end per FTE figures for each of the following:

  • paternity establishment,
  • orders established,
  • orders established by APA,
  • interstate actions,
  • financial income assignments,
  • NMSN’s,
  • direct income withholding,
  • modifications,
  • liens,
  • FIDM liens,
  • DOC liens, and
  • contempt citations.

The non-financial measures from the 2006 year-end MMRS report will be converted into per FTE (Full Time Equivalent) figures. The best county in each size for each of the non-financial FTE performance measures will be judged as meeting 100% of that measure and given 100 points. All other counties in the same size category will be given points equivalent to their percentage of the best county's performance. For example, county A may have established 60 orders per FTE and county B may have done 40. County A will receive 100 points and County B will receive 40/60 or 67 points. The 12 point totals are summed and multiplied by 25% to get the score for the non-financial category.

The best current collections county in each size category will receive 100 points. All other counties in the same size category will be given points equivalent to their percentage of the best county's performance. The points are then multiplied by 25% to obtain the financial score.

The non-financial measures and collections per 2006 FTE will be compared to 2005 figures with 2005 FTEs. The most improved county in each size for each of the measures will be judged as meeting 100% of that measure and given 100 points. All other counties in the same size category will be given points equivalent to their percentage of the most improved county's performance. For example, county A may have improved established by 10% and county B may have improved 8%. County A will receive 100 points and County B will receive 8/10 or 80 points. The point totals are summed and multiplied by 25% to get the score for the improvement category. Declines in performance keep the negative sign and could result in negative scores.

The State reported a percentage of goals met for each county. This percentage will be converted to points and multiplied by 10% to be included in the total score.

The top four counties in each size category for the above three criteria will be asked to provide the Awards Committee an explanation of how they achieved their excellence and for any comments the county believes should make them deserving of the award. The responses will be judged on a 100 point scale by each committee member. The awards chairperson will average the subjective scores and will add them to the total comprising 15% of the final score.

Criteria for Statistical Awards

The following awards require no nomination. They are chosen based on state statistics, meeting the criteria listed.

Lump Sum Collections Awards: (Small, medium and large counties) This award is given to the largest single lump sum collection in each of the small, medium and large county categories, regardless of whether the funds are allocated as TANF, non-TANF or a combination of both. Collections must have been allocated by December 31. Automated source collections will not be considered. Recipients of the award are encouraged to explain the circumstances of the collection as they receive the award.

Nominated Awards

The following awards require nomination entries from any person in the general membership or on the board of directors. Nomination entries consist of five essay questions that are each evaluated for a score of zero to twenty points. Thus, each voting member of the awards committee grants a total of zero to a hundred points per nomination. These are intended to recognize individuals. Nominations of teams or units will be disqualified.

Board members may be nominated and are eligible to receive the award. Award committee members traditionally do not submit nominations but are not prohibited from doing so. Members may nominate themselves.

Multiple members may nominate the same individual. Award committee members appreciate the submittal of one combined nomination per person. Individually submitted nominations are judged independently and are not combined. However, for the award presentation, comments from multiple nomination entries may be edited together.

The supervisor of the individual with the highest average point score will be contacted to ensure the winner is not under disciplinary action and to encourage the winner to attend the conference.

Meritorious Achievement: This award recognizes a file clerk, office assistant, customer service representative, accounting and bookkeeping staff, typist, secretary, or any other CSE support staff employee. Nominations should include their qualities as a CSE employee, their exceptional skills, actions as a worker, intra/inter-agency relations and assistance to the overall program.

Outstanding Attorney: This award recognizes attorneys for their relationships with CSE employees, court staff, non-custodial and custodial staff, and assistance to the overall program.

Excellence in Service: This award recognizes the front-line child support worker, specialist, or legal technician who goes above and beyond the usual job duties. The nomination should reflect the qualities this person possesses as a CSE employee, the skills and actions that put them a head above the rest, their assistance to the program statewide, and inter/intra agency relations.

Excalibur: This award recognizes a manager, administrator, legislator, judicial member, citizen or organization exhibiting exceptional enhancement of the CSE program in support of the front line worker. Nominations should reflect how this person/organization has contributed to local enhancement of the program, how they handle responsibilities above and beyond the norm, co-agency and inter/intra county relations, and contribution to the overall program statewide.