Wildlife Services Honored For Its Outstanding Management And Service

The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food's (UDAF) Wildlife Services Program was honored by Governor Michael Leavitt, with the 1998 Quality Service Award during the Governor's Conference for Planning and Excellence Sept. 25, 1998.

Wildlife Services is a joint cooperative program between the UDAF and the USDA/APHIS. The program has been held up as an example of efficiency and productivity throughout the country.

The Quality Service Award is designed to recognize programs who accept Governor Leavitt's challenge to create customer driven government.

About half the employees for the program are hired by the UDAF and half by the US Department of Agriculture's Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). The program is governed by a board appointed by the Governor and supervised by APHIS employees.

The unique strength of this program is the partner relationships with customers and stakeholders. The program is one of the first in the nation to complete environmental assessments which involve all party's in partnership. The program has produced dramatic financial returns as a result of changes made in 1996 with an increase in revenues of more than $300,000.

It also has an enviable service delivery record of responding to 100% of all requests. It has received a variety of performance awards and recognition. In June of 1998 the USDA/APHIS awarded Wildlife Services the Vision Award for its strategic planning to reduce livestock losses during the previous year. The agency has clearly identified its customer groups and developed mechanisms to gather the expectations and performance results from each group. This plays a large role in identifying agency goals and objectives. Employee committees develop performance standards and expectations for outstanding customer service. A unique contribution of this program is its urban control program to resolve predator problems in large areas.

Posted 7 October, 1998