AWWA ACE56299

The City of North Miami Beach Public Services Department has implemented a measure where supervisors develop and share ways to improve services, cost-efficiency and keep a competitive edge. Dubbed the "Cool Ideas Awards Program", this initiative generates ideas and concepts with potential benefits to the organization as it forges ahead to meet the aforementioned ongoing challenges. Indirectly, they are provided with the tools that empower them to effectively contribute to this process. The rewards are great: recognition; satisfaction; and, the knowledge that their ideas are aired in the general atmosphere of the spirit of friendly competition. This paper presents an in-depth look into the program, associated costs and improvements in overall efficiency that have resulted thus far. Several of the implemented Cool Ideas and their impact are discussed. The paper also focuses on the spirited rejuvenation of competition and the value of employee empowerment, across all employee tiers, that have also resulted from this measure. Includes figure.