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IV. THE SERVICES ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY Green Play trained a cross section of Team Members to learn how to use the Public Sector Services Assessment tool to understand each service's market segment and strength or weakness of its position within that market and to identify alternative providers, core services, and optional provision strategies. The use of the Services Assessment tool required extensive time and effort by Team Members and resulted in a Service Portfolio Matrix (see Appendix E), a compilation of both the Pyramid Methodology and the Public Sector Services Assessment tools. THE PUBLIC SECTOR SERVICES ASSESSMENT MATRIX Public agencies have not traditionally been thought of as organizations needing to be competitively oriented. Unlike private and commercial enterprises which compete for customers (and whose very survival depends on satisfying paying customers), many public and non-profit organizations operate in a non -market, or grants economy (one in which services may not be commercially viable). In other words, the marketplace may not supply sufficient and adequate resources. In the public sector, customers (taxpayers) do not directly decide how funding is allocated and which service gets adequate, ongoing funding. In fact, many public agencies and non -profits can be considered "sole -source;' the only place to get a service, so there is little to no market analysis. Therefore, the potential exists for apathetic service enhancement and improvement. Consequently, public and non- profit organizations have not necessarily had an incentive to question the status quo, to assess whether customer needs are being met, or to examine the cost-effectiveness or quality of available services. The public sector and market environments have changed; funders and customers alike are beginning to demand more accountability, and both traditional (taxes and mandatory fees) and alternative funding (grants and contributions) are getting harder to come by, even as need and demand increases. This increasing demand for a smaller pool of resources requires today's public and non-profit agencies to rethink how they do business, to provide services where appropriate, to avoid duplicating existing comparable services, and to increase collaboration, when possible. In addition, organizations are leveraging all available resources where possible. Based on the MacMillan Matrix for Competitive Analysis of Programs', the Public Sector Services Assessment is an intensive review of organizational services providing recommended provision strategies including, but not limited to, enhancement of service, reduction of service, collaboration, and advancing or affirming market position. This assessment includes an analysis of: each service's relevance to values, vision, and mission; market position; other service providers in the area, including quantity and quality of provider; and the economic viability of the service. The Matrix is based on the assumption that duplication of existing comparable services (unnecessary competition) among public and non-profit organizations can fragment limited resources available, leaving all providers too weak to increase the quality and cost-effectiveness of customer services. It also assumes that trying to be all things to all people can result in mediocre or low -quality service. Instead, agencies should focus on delivering higher -quality service in a more focused (and perhaps limited) way. The Matrix helps organizations think about some very pragmatic questions. 2 Alliance for Nonprofit Management Opt 1 65B-35 r-'=