New Department of Organizational Effectiveness outlines mission, early projects and staffing

Kyle Patterson, director of the newly created Department of Organizational Effectiveness, told the Boise City Council that the office will help the city set goals, prioritize projects and measure results.

Patterson said the department — which he described as an internal project management, strategic planning and performance analytics office — will both execute high-priority projects and build longer-term capability across city departments. "An effective organization is one that achieves its goals," Patterson said, summarizing the department’s mission to align projects and measure outcomes.

Patterson gave several concrete examples of work his team has done or is managing. He said a process-improvement effort with the clerk’s office, Central District Health and Planning and Development Services shortened the average time to issue an in-home childcare license from about 90 days to about 30 days and reduced the fee by about $200. He credited cross-departmental collaboration for that result. Patterson also said a project manager from his office led management of the recently opened Watershed Water and Climate Center and reported about 5,500 visits since opening.

The department will have about 15 staff when fully staffed and is organized into three divisions: an enterprise portfolio and project management office (project managers for city priority work), performance analytics (data, evaluation and measures) and city strategy and continuous improvement (strategic planning, change management and process improvement). Patterson said early work will focus on delivering short-term wins while building capacity for citywide change management through toolkits and training.

Among priorities Patterson identified for the coming months are facilitating a citywide project prioritization process to guide fiscal-year 2026 project choices, developing a unified citywide strategic planning framework so departments align on common goals and building internal measures that the department itself will use as a model for others. He said the office plans outreach and communications, including an open house and a June 3 event to introduce staff and build trust across departments.

Council members asked operational questions about staffing and intake. Patterson said the department is hiring for several open positions and that requests for assistance currently arrive both by staff asking for help and by informal referrals; he said a formal intake system is a future goal. On public input, Patterson said a resident survey is a possible future tool but "definitely not over the next 5 or 6 months." He emphasized the office’s role in preparing information for decision makers rather than making final funding choices.

Patterson closed by listing leadership values — partnership, progress, service and joy — and said he will return with a more detailed briefing on performance work connected to the modern zoning code next week.