Purpose

 

The purpose of this circular is to advise Rural Fire Authorities (RFAs) about the introduction of a number of national Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for use by the National Rural Fire Authority (NRFA) to assess and monitor the performance of RFAs. RFA's will also be in a position to self assess there own performance and add additional KPI's should they have a need.

 

Background

 

In 2006 the National Rural Fire Authority (NRFA) introduced the NRFA Performance Assessment Criteria (PAC), as a system for assessing and evaluating the performance of Rural Fire Authorities (RFAs).  This is a statutory function the NRFA has under Section 14A(2)(m) of the Fire Service Act 1975.

 

The NRFA PAC system was introduced by trial with 2 RFA's in 2006/07. The first formal application of the PAC system for assessing RFA's began with 5 RFA's in 2007/08.  Following this the NRFA held a workshop with representatives of those 7 RFAs in August of 2007 to review the application of the PAC process. 

 

An outcome from that workshop was that work was required in developing a set of nationally consistent Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for use by RFAs and to incorporate these as Category 7 of the PAC.  Category 7 of the PAC relates to Results and Outcomes.  

 

 Development of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

 

The NRFA has completed work on development of a set of KPIs for use by Rural Fire Authorities. 

 

This work has been a combination of the initial work from the PAC workshop, NRFA representation in the Australian Fire Authorities Council (AFAC) project Performance Measures for Fires in the Landscape, and ongoing work including refining of the NRFA PAC system.

 

RFA's have been kept informed on the AFAC Performance Measures project by way of two project update newsletters provided to Regional Rural Fire Committees.  

 

At the February and June 2009 National Rural Fire Advisory Committee meetings members reviewed and endorsed the work done by the NRFA on developing a set of KPIs for use by Rural Fire Authorities.  

 

A further workshop on development of KPIs for RFAs was carried out during a session at the June 2009 Regional Rural Fire Committee Chairpersons Conference at Nelson, and this was taken into consideration in the finalisation of the attached KPIs.      

 

KPIs Included into the NRFA Performance Assessment Criteria (PAC) System.  

 

1)    The attached table of Key Performance Indicators for RFAs (Version 6) will be incorporated into the NRFA Performance Assessment Criteria (PAC) system for Category 7 from 1 July 2011. 

 

2)    From 1 July 2011 the NRFA system of monitoring an RFA's overall performance through the NRFA PAC system will be by a combination of:

 

a.    Requiring all RFA's to report annually on their Results and Outcomes against these KPI's in Category 7 of the PAC.   The first report for 2010/11 will be required from RFA’s to be with the NRFA by 30 September 2011; and

 

b.    From an assessment of these annual reports each year five selected RFA's will be required to submit a full written NRFA PAC Application (all Categories) to the NRFA in the following financial year e.g. from a RFA 2010/11 annual report findings the RFA selected for a PAC will be undertaken in the 2011/12 year.  If no RFA annual report on KPI's is provided to the NRFA this would be a key element for a RFA selection for a full PAC.

 

3)    In addition to the above the NRFA policy relating to the selection of the five RFA’s to undergo a full PAC each year is that selection is on the basis of one or all of the following criteria:

 

a.    Having undergone or being scheduled to undergo an NRFA Minimum Standards Audit.

 

b.    Through the NRFA National Rural Fire Fighting Fund claims process having been identified as an RFA that would benefit from undergoing a PAC.

 

c.    RFA’s, whom following a fire event by way of formal fire debriefs or operational reviews, have been identified by the NRFA or the RFA itself, as benefiting from undergoing a PAC.

 

d.    An RFA who has made a request to the National Rural Fire Officer asking to undergo a PAC.

 

e.    Any RFA who in the opinion of the National Rural Fire Officer should undergo a PAC for the purpose of evaluating that RFA’s performance is satisfactory in meeting the eligibility for grant assistance. [Section 46C(ca) of the Fire Service Act 1975].

 

4)    In November 2008 the NRFA published a 4 year programme of the five RFA’s selected to undergo the full NRFA PAC from 2008 to 2012.    All RFAs were sent a letter and a copy of the programme at that time. 

 

5)    As advised in the 3 November 2008 letter to all RFA's, the NRFA reserves the right to alter the 4 year schedule should circumstances require i.e. any RFA on the schedule may be taken off and any other RFA may be added.

 

6)    For further information a copy of the NRFA 4 year programme (2008 to 2012) of RFA PACs is attached.

 

7)    Prior to the introduction of the KPIs into the PAC from 1 July 2011, the NRFA will be developing a suite of templates in the form of excel spreadsheet graphs, for each KPI.  These templates will be given to RFA's to use in their PAC Category 7 annual reporting to the NRFA for the tracking of results and outcomes as in point 2) a. above.         

 

By adopting Key Performance Indicators RFAs have the opportunity to capture data for performance measurement and trend analysis over time. 

 

This will assist RFAs in long term strategic planning by providing results and outcomes as a basis for establishing critical actions with outcomes for the improvement of their forest and rural fire management responsibilities.  

 

 

 

Murray Dudfield

National Rural Fire Officer

 

 

Attached:      - Appendix A, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) For Rural Fire Authorities [Version 6. 030709]

                      - Annex B, NRFA Performance Assessment Criteria (PAC) 4 yr Programme 2008 -2012 by RFA.