In 2002, while campaigning to become Mayor of Providence, I attended a presentation given by the mayor of Baltimore about his initiative in that city called ‘CitiStat’. Mayor O’Malley boasted about how CitStat was helping him run Baltimore more efficiently; how, by collecting and analyzing data about city operations, he was better able to employ strategies that made sense for that city; and how, by holding managers and department heads accountable for city services (by measuring results on a weekly basis) he was able to improve the quality of services to residents of the city.

What I saw and what I heard was so inspiring and so in-tune with my vision and goals for Providence that I immediately envisioned a ‘CitiStat’ initiative for Providence. I even named it... ProvStat.

The director of ProvStat, Pamela Cardillo, is doing an outstanding job. In just over a year since I took office, ProvStat is up and running in twelve city departments, creating and maintaining databases about all facets of city government and operations. ProvStat collects and tracks important, detailed data --- everything from the number of times we go out to clean each city park, to how long it takes city officials to review a construction plan.

The data is analyzed and presented it in a way that gives my senior staff and I a view of city operations that we’ve had never before.

ProvStat also tracks citizens’ requests for city services and provides geographic maps pinpointing where calls for service originate. It furnishes us with timely information about trends and issues happening in our City’s neighborhoods. All of this information helps us manage resources and provide services where needed and when needed.

ProvStat has become a valuable management tool for city government officials and I to make the best use of taxpayer dollars in providing high quality municipal services to meet the needs of residents. Ultimately, it helps us determine where we are, where we spend our resources, how to improve public services and how to improve the overall quality of life in the city of Providence.