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<br />(5 ) <br /> <br />And, as a corollary to this question, "Are we spending <br /> <br />too much for what we are getting?" <br /> <br />For example, assuming that we want an agency to deal <br /> <br />with drug abuse and alcohol problems, do we need $170,000 of <br /> <br />services or can we solve our problems by spending less and <br /> <br />providing fewer services? <br /> <br />Furthermore, are we getting our moneys worth? <br /> <br />Did Impact <br /> <br />need to grow $22,000 - - 28% - - this year? <br /> <br />Did the Alcoholism <br /> <br />Treatment Center need to grow $22,000 <br /> <br />33% <br /> <br />- - this year? <br /> <br />I can't answer these questions. <br /> <br />And I haven't been able <br /> <br />to find anyone who can answer these questions by citing the <br /> <br />kinds of figures businessmen use to evaluate efficiency and <br /> <br />effectiveness. <br /> <br />What is missing is the proper yardstick to measure with. <br /> <br />In my department store business, we receive, each year, <br /> <br />a booklet from the National Retail Merchants Association, <br /> <br />entitled Merchandising and Operating Results. <br /> <br />The booklet <br /> <br />contains comparative operating data from stores allover the <br /> <br />country - - broken down into departments - - sales per <br /> <br />square foot, markdowns, sales costs, advertising costs, <br /> <br />turnover, profit, expenses, etc. <br /> <br />We can then evaluate our <br /> <br />performance in terms of how we compare with everybody else. <br /> <br />Lambert Wood, the Director of Chapter 10, tells me that <br /> <br />the state provides no such comparative data for public service <br /> <br />agencies, <br /> <br />How then are we elected officials and board members <br /> <br />of the agencies to make objective decisions as to how efficiently <br /> <br />our agencies are operating? <br /> <br />obvious - - we can't. <br /> <br />As I see it, the answer is <br />