CC MEETING: December 1, 2015
DATE: November 11, 2015
TO: Leonard Martin, City Manager
FROM: Thomas Guilfoy, Director of Competition
Title
Consider A Resolution Authorizing The City Manager To Approve A Contract With Matrix Consulting Group For A Review Of The Carrollton Police And Fire/Rescue Departments In An Amount Not to Exceed $48,000.00.
Body
BACKGROUND:
The City of Carrollton has adopted a management and policy direction where each department operates with a philosophy of continuous improvement and will apply accountability, cost consciousness, financial planning, and efficient operating policies and practices to manage their operations like a high-performing service business.
At the request of the City Council, the city is proposing an independent evaluation study of the efficiency and effectiveness of the Carrollton Police Department (CPD) and the Carrollton Fire/Rescue Department (CFD). The City is proposing to engage the services of Matrix Consulting Group (MCG), a management consulting firm that specializes in police and fire administration, management and operations analysis to help the city objectively identify strengths and weaknesses and opportunities for innovations and improvements based on industry best practices and benchmarking comparisons with similar agencies in Texas.
Matrix Consulting Group is ideally suited to undertake an efficiency and effectiveness study of the Carrollton Police and Fire/Rescue Departments. MCG’s staff has extensive experience in management studies particularly focused on the evaluation of police and fire staffing, utilization, resource deployment, alternative service delivery models and operational policies and practices. MCG was formed in 2002 and has conducted similar assessments for over 250 police and 250 fire/EMS departments in Texas and across the country. This proposal presents a multi-faceted approach to ensure that the core functions, management, and supporting elements of the Carrollton Police and Fire/Rescue Departments operate effectively and efficiently to meet the community’s needs and are properly positioned for a changing world.
To address the multifaceted nature of the study, MCG will use an evaluation research model that is consistent with three phases. The first phase (Fact-Finding) of the project would enable the consulting team to gain a thorough understanding of the current law enforcement and fire/EMS operating environment in the City of Carrollton. In phase two (Identification of Issues and Improvement Opportunities), the information gained through Phase 1 will be compared to “best practices” for medium- sized police departments used today throughout the nation and 3-5 benchmark cities in Texas. The result will be a set of recommendations (or deliverables) developed through a process of knowledge acquisition, analysis, feedback from the organization, and expert review to provide additional consistency with current industry best practices. In Phase 3 (Organizational Structure and Management), the study team will evaluate opportunities to innovate and restructure service delivery, management practices or make improvements in the way that public safety services are provided and citizen’s needs are met.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
The cost of the analysis and written evaluation of CPD and CFD by MCG will not exceed $48,000. The study is expected to be completed by July 1, 2016 and ready for presentation to the City Council in July. The cost of the study is to be paid from the contingencies account in the General Fund.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION/ACTION DESIRED:
Staff recommends contracting with MCG in an amount not to exceed $48,000 in an effort to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the Carrollton Police and Fire/EMS Departments.