13-government-services-2013-chapter9

Equity and effectiveness — recovery
The equity dimension of recovery indicators relates to whether specific parts of the
community with special needs or difficulties in accessing government services
benefit from recovery strategies, services and activities — this chapter provides data
on services provided in remote locations, but not other special needs groups. The
effectiveness dimension of recovery indicators relates to community restoration,
and to communities’ and fire service organisations’ ability to return to a state of
preparedness (box 9.6).
Box 9.6 Performance indicators — recovery
There are two elements to recovery: supporting communities in reconstruction of the
physical infrastructure and restoration of emotional, social, economic, ecological and
physical wellbeing following a fire event, and return of communities and fire service
organisations to a state of preparedness after experiencing a fire event.
Recovery indicators are identified as a key development area for future reports.
Efficiency
Fire service organisations’ expenditure per person
‘Fire service organisations’ expenditure per person’ is a proxy indicator of the
efficiency of governments in delivering emergency management services (box 9.7).
Box 9.7 Fire service organisations’ expenditure per person
‘Fire service organisations’ expenditure per person’ is defined as total fire service
organisation expenditure per person in the population.
All else being equal, lower expenditure per person represents greater efficiency.
However, efficiency data are difficult to interpret. While high or increasing expenditure
per person may reflect deteriorating efficiency, it may also reflect changes in aspects of
the service (such as improved response) or the characteristics of fire events (such as
more challenging fires). Similarly, low or declining expenditure per person may reflect
improving efficiency or lower quality responses or less challenging fires.
Expenditure per person is employed as a proxy for efficiency. Expenditure per fire is
not used as a proxy for fire service organisation efficiency because an organisation
that applies more resources to the prevention and preparedness components to
reduce the number of fire incidents could erroneously appear to be less efficient.
Data reported for this indicator are not directly comparable.
Data quality information for this indicator is under development.
9.24 REPORT ON
GOVERNMENT
SERVICES 2013