[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ custom_padding_last_edited=”on|tablet” _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” positioning=”none” horizontal_offset_tablet=”” horizontal_offset_phone=”” horizontal_offset_last_edited=”on|tablet” custom_margin=”0px||-127px||false|false” custom_margin_tablet=”” custom_margin_phone=”” custom_margin_last_edited=”on|desktop” custom_padding=”0px|||0px|false|false” custom_padding_tablet=”|||25px|false|false” custom_padding_phone=”” da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover_enabled=”on|desktop” custom_padding__hover=”0px|||0px|false|false” theme_builder_area=”post_content” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_2,1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”16px” width=”100%” custom_margin=”|||||true” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
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Level of service goals should define what customers and\u00a0utility staff\u00a0can expect from their water, wastewater,\u00a0or stormwater\u00a0system. These goals are a way to communicate progress in implementing a\u00a0system\u2019s\u00a0plan,\u00a0demonstrate\u00a0ongoing commitment to the community vision, encourage acco<\/span>untability, and suggest course corrections that can help ensure continued progress toward the mission. Some goals will offer win-win solutions and unlock multiple benefits by tackling several problems at once. For example, the co-benefits provided by a green infrastructure installation may not be part of the initial goal but will likely still be something the community cares about. It is important to communicate those co-benefits and the impacts that they will have on community members\u2019 quality of life. <\/span><\/p>\n Level of Service goals can be focused on one part of utility operations or for the utility as a whole or both. Larger utilities may have different sets of Level of Service goals for each department or group. If your utility operates multiple treatment processes, separate Level of Service goals by process, such as drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Level<\/span>\u00a0of service goals should be a combination of\u00a0<\/span><\/span>internal goals<\/span><\/span>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/span><\/span>external goals<\/span><\/span>. Internal goals are those goals that define system operations while external goals are items that directly\u00a0<\/span>impact<\/span>\u00a0customers.\u00a0<\/span>Developing<\/span>\u00a0external<\/span>\u00a0goals provides a great opportunity for system staff to have\u00a0<\/span><\/span>conversations with customers<\/span><\/span>\u00a0to understand their priorities and the level of service they expect.<\/span>\u00a0Including customers in the development of goals helps ensure that implementation addresses the desires and concerns of residents and businesses in the community<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0and that the operations align with customer expectations. Goals should not be focused solely on the\u00a0<\/span>short-term<\/span>.<\/span>\u00a0Long-term goals can help staff and customers understand the broader impact of infrastructure investments and maintenance schedules.\u00a0<\/span>For example, goals for green assets\u00a0<\/span>can\u00a0<\/span>take<\/span>\u00a0months<\/span>,\u00a0<\/span>years<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0or even<\/span>\u00a0decades to achieve. Slow growing assets like forests<\/span>\u00a0and vegetated swales<\/span>\u00a0take years to reach desired service<\/span>. Drinking water treatment facilities can take years to upgrade and rehabilitate<\/span>. Utilities\u00a0<\/span>should include long-term goals to reflect th<\/span>ese extended processes.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span>Developing\u00a0Level of\u00a0Service goals<\/span>\u00a0can be challenging.\u00a0High-quality goals must be meaningful, consistent, useful, unique, and most importantly,\u00a0measurable. Without the ability to measure a goal,\u00a0there is no way to communicate progress to the community or assess whether the system\u2019s actions\u00a0are having\u00a0the desired result. Measurable goals will require systems to collect data to\u00a0<\/span>track goal performance<\/span>\u00a0and create key performance indicators (KPI) to delineate success and failure. Because of the time and effort that will go into tracking goals and\u00a0developing KPIs, systems should be realistic in the number of goals they set. These goals should be simple and expanded only when solid data or metrics are available.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_2″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/swefc.unm.edu\/iamf\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Level-of-Service-Goals.jpg” _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” title_text=”Level of Service Goals” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.6″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n Photo by Markus Winkler<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Level of Service Goals Level of service goals should define what customers and\u00a0utility staff\u00a0can expect from their water, wastewater,\u00a0or stormwater\u00a0system. These goals are a way to communicate progress in implementing a\u00a0system\u2019s\u00a0plan,\u00a0demonstrate\u00a0ongoing commitment to the community vision, encourage accountability, and suggest course corrections that can help ensure continued progress toward the mission. Some goals will offer win-win solutions and unlock multiple benefits by tackling several problems at once. For example, the co-benefits provided by a green infrastructure installation may not be part of the initial goal but will likely still be something the community cares about. It is important to communicate those co-benefits and the impacts that they will have on community members\u2019 quality of life. Level of Service goals can be focused on one part of utility operations or for the utility as a whole or both. Larger utilities may have different sets of Level of Service goals for each department or group. If your utility operates multiple treatment processes, separate Level of Service goals by process, such as drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater. \u00a0 Level\u00a0of service goals should be a combination of\u00a0internal goals\u00a0and\u00a0external goals. Internal goals are those goals that define system operations while external goals are items […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":673,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-920","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\n