American Public Works Association Accreditation

On April 14, 2010, San Francisco Public Works became the 4th in the State of California and the 57th agency in the country accredited by the American Public Works Association (APWA), an international educational and professional association of public and private agencies.

This accreditation reflects our drive to professionalize the department and employ best practices so that we can most effectively serve the people of San Francisco. The accreditation helps us improve as an organization and raises our standards across the board by determining how the provision of public works services in San Francisco compare to recommended best practices identified by nationally recognized experts in the field of public works.

The journey toward accreditation began in 2008 and involved the development, adoption and implementation of the department’s strategic plan, a three-year road map to guide the agency in achieving its vision and mission.  It also entailed the review and assessment of APWA recommended management practices. As a result we met national standards for 306 practices; four of these were recognized as model practices—  the department’s Strategic Plan the Strategic Plan review process, capital and infrastructure asset reporting, and the distribution of hazardous materials information. Today, our 18-Volume Procedure Manual will guide the agency toward continuous improvement and contribute to making San Francisco a beautiful, livable, vibrant, and sustainable city.