HomeMy WebLinkAboutTo Proveide Professional Consulting Services
Augusta Richmond GA
DOCUMENT NAME: -r 0 ~ Ro,hDIa' f\2.o ~6 9;. '0>1\) At- C. 0 r-l ~ OL T I N~ '3,~" iCeS
DOCUMENT TYPE:A~ (<..~ ~ /Y) E.,oJ-r
YEAR: 1 q q <6'
BOX NUMBER: to
FILE NUMBER: \ ~q O~
NUMBER OF PAGES: \ ~
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AGREEMENT TO PROVIDE
PROFESSIONAL CONSULTING SERVICES TO
Augusta/Richmond County
ORGANIZATION-WIDE MANAGEMENT REVIEW
THIS AGREEMENT, between Association County Commissioners of Georgia (hereafter
referred to as the "Consultant") with its principal office located at 50 Hurt Plaza, Suite 1000, Atlanta, ,
Georgia 30303 and Augusta/Richmond County with its principal office located at 530 Greene Street,
Augusta, Georgia, 30911.
WITNESSETH THAT:
NOW THEREFORE, the parties hereto mutually agree as follows:
1. Period of Agreement. This agreement shall commence upon execution by both parties and
terminate no later than July 1, 1999, unless otherwise extended by the mutual agreement of the
parties.
2. Emolovment of Consultant. Augusta/Richmond County agrees to engage the Consultant and
the Consultant hereby agrees to perform the services outlined in Attachment A which is attached
hereto and incorporated herein by reference.
3. Scooe of Services. The services to be performed hereunder are set forth in Attachment A.
4. Time of Performance. The services to be performed hereunder shall be undertaken and
completed in such sequence as to assure their expeditious completion and best carry out the
purposes of the agreement. The project will be started within fourteen (14) days of the Notice to
Proceed, and a Draft report will be delivered to Augusta/Richmond County within an agreed
upon time frame.
5. Comoensation. Augusta/Richmond County agrees to pay the Consultant a total fixed fee of
$167,400 (One Hundred Sixty Seven Thousand Four Hundred dollars) for all services required,
inclusive of travel related expenses. Payment for services will be rendered as outlined in
Section 10 herein.
6. Changes. Augusta/Richmond County may, from time to time, require changes in the scope of
the services of the Consultant to be performed hereunder. Such changes, which are mutually
agreed upon by and between Augusta/Richmond County and the Consultant, shall be
incorporated in written amendment to this agreement signed by both parties.
7. Services and Materials to be Furnished bv Augusta/RichmondCountv. Augusta/Richmond
County shall locally furnish the Consultant with all necessary information, data and material
pertinent to the execution of this agreement, as outlined in Attachment A. Failure to supply the
needed data could result in additional cost to Augusta/Richmond County. Augusta/Richmond
County shall cooperate with the Consultant in carrying out the work herein and shall provide
adequate staff for liaison with the Consultant.
t.
8. Termination of Aqreement for Cause. Augusta/Richmond County shall have the right to
terminate this agreement for cause by giving written notice to the Consultant to such termination
and specifying the effective date thereof. The Consultant shall be entitled to payment for
services rendered to and accepted by Augusta/Richmond County through the effective date of
the termination.
9. Information and Reoorts. The Consultant shall, at such time and in such form as
Augusta/Richmond County may require, furnish such periodic reports concerning the status of
the project, such statements, certificates, approvals and copies of proposed and executed plans
and claims and other information relative to the project as may be requested by
Augusta/Richmond County.
10. Pavment for Services. The Consultant will invoice Augusta/Richmond County thirty percent
(30%) of the contract amount within thirty (30) days of project initiation, thirty percent (30%)
within sixty (60) days, twenty percent (20%) within ninety (90) days, and twenty percent (20%)
upon completion of project. .
11. Subcontractor. The parties hereby acknowledge and agree that the services to be performed'
hereunder shall be performed by David M. Griffith & Associates, Ltd. in accordance with the
terms of this agreement.
12. Venue. Consultant, by execution of this agreement, hereby consents to jurisdiction and venue in
the Superior Court of Richmond County, Georgia and waives any right to contest jurisdiction and
venue in said Court.
13. Notices. Any notices, bills, invoices, or reports required by this agreement shall be sufficient if
sent by the parties in the United States mail, postage paid, to the addresses noted below:
Jerry Griffin, Executive Director
Association County Commissioners
of Georgia
50 Hurt Plaza, Suite 1000
Atlanta, Georgia 30303
Mr. Donald A. Carter,
Regional Vice President
David M. Griffith & Assoc., Ltd.
1280 W, Peachtree Street, Suite 200
Atlanta, Georgia 30309
Charles R. Oliver, Administrator
Augusta/Richmond County
530 Green Street
Augusta, Georgia 30911
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Augusta/Richmond County and the Consultant hereto have executed
this agreement on the date set belowtheir names.
AUGUSTA/RICHMOND COUNTY
ASSOCIATION COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
OF GEORGIA
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ThIa docl1lllenl approv~ u
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ATTACHMENT A
AUGUSTA-RICHMOND. GEORGIA
METHODOLOGY, WORKPLAN AND PROJECT SCHEDULE
In this section of the proposal is described, in detail, the methodologies and
approaches which the project team would utilize in this Organization-Wide Review
of the Augusta-Richmond consolidated government. The review will include all
departments with the exception of Fire Department which is being conducted
separately.
Over the 20+ years of our Firm's operations, we have developed a basic
approach for analyzing local government efficiency and effectiveness. That approach
reflects the following component parts:
.
Through extensive interviewing of personnel down to and including
line operating personnel, develop detailed portraits of how each
department actually functions from the perspective of:
Staffing
Cost
Workload
Service levels
Staff u tiliza tion and efficiency
Effectiveness of work planning and control systems
,We test the efficiency and effectiveness of each individual department
employin.g specific analytical techniques tailored to the unique
qualities and characteristics of each department. Illustrative
approaches include:
Ez.nploying time studies and work sampling techniques to
evaluate field maintenance crew productivity and work methods.
Patrol staffing analysis based on call for service workloads and
service level expectations. '
Using "flat rate" standards for evaluating garage staff
productivity and utilization levels..
Employing percent of construction cost guidelines to evaluate
engineering staff utilization and productivity.
@ 1998 DMG. Ltd.
Augusta-Richmond County
ACCG
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AUGUSTA-RICHMOND. GEORGIA
METHOnOLOGY, WORKPLAN AND PROJECT SCHEDULE
Through application of these individual analytical techniques, we then
identify the following:
Service deficiency issues and the extent to which these issues
are caused by staffing or work approach problems.
Identifying staff utilization issues and maJor opportunities to
increase efficiency and effectiveness.
In addition to a detailed focus on line service operations, our overall
approach includes a thorough evaluation of management and
administrative organization and staffing down through the line
supervisor level.
A major component of our work approach involves developing a
detailed plan of implementation for each department:
Detailed explanation of specific implementation steps.
Suggested responsibility for implementation.
Detailed display of the cost-savings or service enhancement
impact of implementing each recommended improvement.
The final major component of our approach to an organization-wide
management study involves the evaluation of those key systems which
cross department lines and contribute substantially to the efficiency
and effectiveness of each aspect of local government operations.
The work plan whicp. follows describes how this approach would be employed
to analyze the organization, operations and delivery of public services in Augusta-
Richmond.
Task 1
Conduct Initial Interviews To Identifv Trends and Plans Which
Impact Organizational and Operating Needs.
To realistically evaluate management systems and operating departments, it
is important that the project team develop some sense of where Augusta-Richmond
is going: which key issues impact and shape service requirements; and understand
projected City-County growth and development. To develop this perspective, we
plan to conduct a series of initial interviews with the Mayor and members of the
@ 1998 DMG, Ltd.
Augusta-Richmond County
ACCG
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AUGUST A-RICHiUOND. GEORGIA
METHODOLOGY, WORKPLAN AND PROJECT SCHEDULE
Commission, selected members of appointed boards and commissions; and the City-
County Administrator. We would also review pertinent documents to identify those
key factors impacting overall City-County and individual department operations.
Specific issues receiving emphasis by the project team would include the following:
Basic service delivery goals and objectives of the lVlayor and
Commission in each operating area.
Identification of key problems impacting service needs to which the
Augusta-Richmond government must respond.
Documenting key trends in Augusta-Richmond relating to physical
growth patterns and revenue and expenditure performance.
Understanding the views of public employee organizations with regard
to the County organization and operations which could impact the
implementation of study recommendations.
These initial interviews will provide an opportunity to identify and isolate
factors and constraints which could have impact on current or near-term future
overall county and individual department operations.
Task 2
Conduct Initial Reviews of Each Department.
It is important that the project team understand the organization, staffing,
and managers' views and concerns in each operating department. Additionally, it is
important that the project team understand basic service delivery targets; current
service levels; and where there are gaps. To develop this understanding, we will
accomplish the following:
Conduct individual interviews with each department head and other
key managers and supervisors in each of the departments. In these
initial interviews, we would focus heavily on understanding the
existing plans of organization as well as key service delivery issues
facing each department as perceived by top managers.
Review department organization, staffing levels, and budget
allocations.
Determine the availability of internal workload and service level data.
, @ 1998 DMG, Ltd.
Augusta-Richmond County
'ACCG
AUGUSTA-RICHMOND. GEORGIA
METHODOLOGY, WORKPLAN AND PROJECT SCHEDULE
Develop summary descriptions of major department serVIce delivery
objectives and service programs.
By the end of this task, the project team will have developed an
understanding of key issues which have lead Augusta-Richmond to this point -- both
from a global perspective and from the viewpoints of each operating and service
area.
Task 3
Survev Emplovee Attitudes Toward the Current Organization
and Operations.
To provide an initial major avenue for employee input, we plan to prepare a
series of questionnaires which will be designed to:
Elicit attitudes toward organizational issues which impact job
satisfaction such as work planning and scheduling, performance
evaluation, and the like.
Document attitudes. toward the level and quality of services' provided
by their department. '
Determine attitudes toward the adequacy of resources available to
employeesto accomplish their jobs and deliver services.
Once questionnaires are returned to our offices, we would analyze results and
prepare an analytical summary which document response patterns on an overall
basis as well as department-by-department. Additionally, we would prepare a
Summary of Results to distribute to employees to provide them feedback related to
their participation in the a.ttitude survey.
Task 4
Develop Descriptive Profiles of Each Department's Operations.
To develop an understanding of each department's organization, operations,
service focus and service levels, the following basic work steps will be accomplished:
Interview managers and supervisors to document how the current
departmental plan of management and administrative organization
functions and is staffed.
@ 1998 DMG. Ltd.
, Augusta-Richmond County
ACCG
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AUGUSTA-RICHMOND. GEORGIA
METHODOLOGY, WORKPLAN ~D PROJECT SCHEDULE
Develop descriptions of the staffing and workload of all units and
functions within each department.
Document key service level objectives for all serVIce activities
accomplished by each department.
Document service demands and workload trends faced by the
department.
Develop portraits of current departmental service levels. Specific
approaches employed to document and evaluate service levels will be
dependent on the characteristics of each individual department and
function. These are explored in more detail in a subsequent task of
this work approach section.
Identify facilities and equipment available to support department
operations.
Document major management systems available to support operations
within each department, including: .
Work planning and scheduling.
Administrative support.
Automated systems.
Once these initial data collection activities have been completed, we will
prepare summary "profiles" describing departmental operations. Once these'
profiles have been completed, they will be reviewed with management of each
department to determine its accuracy. Upon completion, they will provide the basis
for subsequent analytical activities described in the tasks, which follow.
Task 5
Evaluate Departmental Organizational Structure and
Management. Administrative. and Supervisory Staffing Levels.
The purpose of this fifth task is to evaluate the effectiveness and
responsiveness of each department's plan of management organization and staffing,
and to initially explore the potential for reorganization, which could positively
impact operations and services.
@ 1998 DMG, Ltd.
Augusta-Richmond County
ACCG
AUGUSTA-RICHMOND. GEORGIA
METHODOLOGY, WORKPLAN AND PROJECT SCHEDULE
A major focus of the task is to determine if each department's management
and administrative staffing structure is "as tight" as possible. Drawing on the
results of earlier tasks, we will evaluate each departmental organization and
management and administrative staffing plan from the following perspectives:
Is the organization structure too "tiered" or too "flat" from the
management staffmg' perspective?
Are functions placed too high or too low in the department in regard to
their importance 'in meeting operating and service objectives?
Are spans of control too broad or too limited?
Does the current plan of management and administrative organization
provide for adequate communication and coordination between and
among operating units?
Is there any overlapping or duplication of functions?
Does the plan of organization provide clear lines of authority and
responsibility?
Are management and supervisory personnel spending the majority of
their time on high priority work and performance responsibilities?
Are management and supervisory personnel properly utilized when
staff and line responsibility and workload requirements are
considered?
Based on the above" the project team would develop a plan of administrative
organization and staffing for each operating department. The' plan would include
identification of specific organizational modifications required and the impact of
those modifications on both management / supervisory staffing levels and costs.
This would include identifying and evaluating all potential organizational
adjustments which could involve partial consolidation or reassignment of functions
and responsibilities or changes to the number of management / supervisory staff
positions.
@ 1998 DMG. Ltd.
Augusta-Richmond County
ACCG
AUGUST A-RICHil-IOND. GEORGIA
METHODOLOGY, WORKPLAN AND PROJECT SCHEDULE
Task 6
Evaluate Staff Utilization~
Departmental Service Levels.
Staff
Productivity,
and
The next major component of the individual department analysis involves
detailed evaluations of staff utilization, productivity, and basic line staffing
requirements. The basic techniques and methods employed to evaluate staff
utilization will vary depending on the department being analyzed. They can be
expected to include such approaches as the following:
Field observation of work crews and work sampling for field
maintenance operations. These analytical activities would focus in
identifying both staff utilization and work methods for field
maintenance crews in such areas as tree trimming, street
maintenance, and park maintenance.
Comparative output of departmental staff in Augusta-Richmond with
available industry sta-ndards. These approaches would be employed in
such areas as garage operations, road maintenance services,
application processing by planning, building inspector output, and
other areas for which accepted industry standards are available.
Work sampling of office personnel to document both work pace and
staff utilization levels.
The project team would also utilize "benchmarking" or ''best
management practices" in this analysis. DMG has been a leading firm
in the use of these techniques. Rather than representing simple
comparisons with other jurisdictions, however, our use of these
techniques would compare Augusta-Richmond's operations with
standards of .efficiency and effectiveness which we have developed in
our prior work.
This task will also involve complete evaluation of existing work planning and
scheduling systems and approaches employed in each department. These systems,
coupled with existing supervisory approaches, have significant impact on both staff
productivity and actual service levels.
The task will also involve a detailed evaluation of existing service levels and
comparison of those service levels with service level objectives enunciated by elected
officials and top management.
@ 1998 DMG. Ltd.
Augusta-Richmond County
ACCG
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AUGUSTA-RICHilWND. GEORGIA
METHODOLOGY, WORKPLAN AND PROJECT SCHEDULE
The [mal component of this task links the results of staff productivity
evaluation with service level evaluation. The purpose of the analysis is to identify
improvement opportunities in staff productivity which can be translated into either
cost savings or service level enhancements.
The major products of this task will include the following:
An evaluation of line staff productivity and utilization for each
department.
Identification of basic line staffing requirements for each department I
by position and function considering current workloads and service
level objectives.
Detailed identification of opportunities to improve productivity through
modification of wor~ planning and control systems.
f
Identification of specific work method approaches which could
positively impact staff utilization.
Specific recommendations for enhancing service levels through either
addition of staff or improved utilization of existing staff.
Task 7
Prepare a Report for Each Department and Provide
Detailed Plans for Implementing- Identified Improvement
Opportunities.
Upon the conclusion of each individual department analysis, we will prepare a
report which will summa~ze the results of each of the work tasks described above.
Each report will include the following:
An evaluation of departmental management, supervisory, and line
staffing including identification of specific cost reduction opportunities
by position and function.
Improvement opportunities in work planning and control approaches
and major operating and adm.inistrative systems which impact staff
utilization.
@ 1998DMG, Ltd.
Augusta-Richmond County
ACCG
AUGUSTA-RICHi\WND. GEORGIA
METHODOLOGY, WORKPLAN AND PROJECT SCHEDULE
Identification and evaluation of key service levels including gaps
between target arid actual service levels. The analysis will include
definition of the relationship between staff utilization and productivity
and department service levels to include detailed explanation of
enhancement opportunities.
A specific set' of implementation plans coverIng all recommended
im provements' consisting of:
Specific implementation worksteps.
Suggested responsibility for implementation.
Timing for accomplishment of each workstep.
Cost and/or savings impact on implementing each recommended
, improvement.
These reports would be reviewed with departmental management / staff as
well as with the project steering committee. To better focus discussion and review,
it would be desirable to stagger these reports and present them in groups of
departments.
The completion of this task represents an important milestone for the project.
At this time it would be appropriate for the project team to conduct a mid-project
briefing with the Commission to review the most significant issues which the project
team has analyzed.
Task 8
Formulate a Revised Plan of Organization and Top
Managemen.t Staffing- for Augusta-Richmond.
Up to this point analysis will have focused on individual department
operations and services. Once individual department organizational and staffing
issues have been thoroughly analyzed and the shape of their future size and
composition is made clear, the next step would be to assess the impacts on the
whole organization. The first step in this cross-cutting analysis is to assess the
most appropriate organizational structure for Augusta-Richmond and management
I administrative staffing needs. This would involve the following:
Types, numbers and functions of departments and/or other
organizational units needed.
@ 1998 DMG. Ltd.
Augusta-Richmond County
ACCG
c,
AUGUSTA-RICHMOND. GEORGIA
METHODOLOGY, WORKPLAN AND PROJECT SCHEDULE
Types, numbers and functions of organizational units needed within
each relevant department.
Types, numbers and functions of organizational units needed to
provide management and staff support functions.
Types and numbers of key managerial positions needed to support the
proposed reorganization plan.
Types and numbers of management and administrative staff reporting
to the City-County Administrator.
In addition, the proposed plan of organization would include a detailed plan
for implementation. This plan of action would set forth:
Steps which would need to be taken to implement the organization
plan, to include necessary position reclassifications, staffing changes,
and the like.
Timing when each step should be started and completed.
Suggested responsibility for implementing each step. This would
include analysis of any potential changes to County legislation and
other legal foundations which might inhibit organizational changes.
The results of the organizational analysis will be documented in a formal
written report which would be reviewed with the top management staff and with
the project steering committee.
Task 9
Finalize the Org-anization-Wide Review for AUg'Usta-Richmond
and Present' it to the Governing- Bodv.
At the conclusion of the previous _eight work tasks, the project team will
finalize the departmental and overall reports and present them to the project
steering committee and to the City-County Commission.
@ 1998 DMG, Ltd.
Augusta-Richmond County
ACCG