Providing the best in people services
Confidential to the City of Lawrence
November 30, 2005
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Becky Crowder, President
P.O. Box 27196
Overland Park, Kansas 66225
913-851-7530 (telephone)
913-851-7529 (fax)
rcrowder@austinpeters.com (email)
WBE Certified
A. Expertise and Experience 
The Austin Peters Group, Inc. (APG)
The Austin Peters Group, a small company based in Overland Park, brings together experience and energy under the name of Austin Peters. Rebecca Crowder, President of Austin Peters, founded the organization with the commitment that this small company will provide high quality, tailored products to meet the demands of customers. According to Rebecca, “As a former human resource manager, I was frustrated with the lack of personal attention I received from large consulting companies and the products were generic. I wanted to change the quality of services available and make a difference in providing people services, The Austin Peters Group was born.”
The Austin Peters Group is a designated as a Women Business Enterprise (WBE) under the Small Business Administration’s certification program.
The Austin Peters Group, Inc.
P.O. Box 27196
Overland Park, KS 66225
913-851-7530
913-851-7529 (fax)
Rebecca G. Crowder, President
Products and Services
Affirmative Action Planning
· Affirmative Action Planning
· Compensation Analysis
· Equal Opportunity Surveys
· Quarterly Management Reports
· Recruitment and Placement Support
· Diversity and Sensitivity Training
Compensation and Benefits
· Compensation and Benefit Studies and Solutions
· Job Evaluation
· Market Analysis
General Employment
· Management and Compliance with Federal Employment Law
· Employee Handbooks
· Job Descriptions
· Mediation
· Third Party Investigation
· Sexual Harassment Training
· Executive Searches
· Recruitment and Placement Support
Management Development
· Strategic Planning
· Team Building
· Customer Service Training
· Performance Evaluation
· Focus Groups
· Organizational Climate Surveys
· Program Evaluation
· Facilitation
Leadership Development
· Achieve Global Products
· Myers Briggs Type Indicator
· Communication Styles
· Conflict Resolution
· Supervisory Training
· Employee Development Planning
· Succession Planning
What our Customers Say …
They are exceptionally responsive, products are useful and easy to understand, and our relationships are very good
They made excellent utilization of my time. I give them a 10.
The top three benefits include the speed of service, the price, and the flexibility of the organization.
They were responsive, and we were extremely satisfied with the quality of the service.
Experience
The Austin Peters Group, Inc. has experience an annual growth rate of 25 percent in sales per year and has the following customers (partial list):
· American Italian Pasta Company, Kansas City, Missouri
· AVM, Inc., Marion, South Carolina
· Butler County, Kansas
· Bd systems, Torrence, California
· Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Kansas
· Bushnell Sports Optics Worldwide, Overland Park, Kansas
· Butler County, Kansas
· Cameron Hospital, Cameron Missouri
· City of Abilene, Kansas
· City of Derby, Kansas
· City of Grandview, Missouri
· City of Lenexa, Kansas
· City of Paola, Kansas
· Continental Disc, Kansas City, Missouri
· Cowley County, Kansas
· David M. Griffith Consultants, Inc., Wichita, Kansas
· Ellerbe Becket, Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota
· Emerson Ventilation, Overland Park, Kansas
· First National Bank of Olathe, Olathe, Kansas
· Gabriel Ride Control Products, Inc., Brentwood, Tennessee
· Geo-Centers, Boston, Massachusetts
· Harmony Printing and Development Co., Liberty, Missouri
· Health Net, Kansas City, Missouri
· HOK Group, Inc., St. Louis, Missouri
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· Emerson Ventilation, Overland Park, Kansas · First National Bank of Olathe, Olathe, Kansas · Gabriel Ride Control Products, Inc., Brentwood, Tennessee · Geo-Centers, Boston, Massachusetts · Harmony Printing and Development Co., Liberty, Missouri · Health Net, Kansas City, Missouri · HOK Group, Inc., St. Louis, Missouri · HNTB, Kansas City, Missouri · Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, Kansas · Johnson County, Kansas · Linn County, Kansas · Kansas Association of Counties, Topeka, Kansas · Kansas Health Foundation, Wichita, Kansas · Kansas Legal Services, Topeka, Kansas · Kansas Public Transit Association · Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas · The Menninger Clinic, Topeka, Kansas · Mercy Health Center, Manhattan, Kansas · Mid America Regional Council, Kansas City, Missouri · National League of Cities · North Central Regional Planning Commission, Beloit, Kansas · Riley County, Kansas · Sedgwick County, Kansas · Sedgwick County Chamber of Service · Seward County, Kansas · Southern Missouri State University, Harrisonville, Missouri · Sunflower Bank, Saline, Kansas · Sprint Corporation, Mission, Kansas · TranSystems Corporation, Kansas City, Missouri · UniGroup Worldwide, St. Louis, Missouri · United States Department of Agriculture, Manhattan, Kansas · United Way, Kansas City, Missouri · USD 443, Dodge City, Kansas · USD 501, Topeka, Kansas · Wichita YMCA · Zephyr Products, Inc. Leavenworth, Kansas
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B. Description of Project
Understanding of the Project
Our understanding of the project is that the Lawrence City Commission seeks consultation to facilitate the development a strategic plan to identify city government priorities and guide city government decision making.
Components of the Projects
We propose the following components for the project (subject to revision based on client feedback):
1) Review of background information about city government by the consultant, including but not limited to: the city’s current strategic plan; the current comprehensive plan; the city’s operating and capital improvement budgets and any other data the city recommends. The mayor and city manager would also be interviewed for additional background information, and for clarifying expectations about the planning process. Time required: 3 hours
2) Preparation for a City Commission retreat which includes formulation of retreat process, development of a retreat agenda and related agenda materials, and coordination of retreat preparations with the city manager. Time required: 3 hours
3) Facilitation of a seven-hour retreat planning retreat with city commissioners and the city manager (along with any other staff the commission wishes) on January 13-14, 2006. Time required: 7 hours
The retreat would have the following objectives (subject to revision based on client feedback):
· review the city’s current strategic plan to determine which strategies have been accomplished and which strategies should be carried forward into the next plan
· identify conditions in the City of Lawrence’s external environment (demographic, social, economic, political), and internal assets and limitations that should influence decisions about strategic directions for city government
· brainstorm and analyze possible ideas for the city’s priority strategic goals
· seek preliminary consensus on priority strategic goals for the City of Lawrence
· enhance relationships and sense of camaraderie among city commissioners.
4) Draft a strategic plan and strategic objectives based on retreat decisions and clarification as needed from the city manager. Time required: 3 hours
It is understood that the City of Lawrence will perform the following:
· provide for all communication with City Commissioners about the retreat
· forward copies of background information to the consultant
· provide for any additional city data that City Commissioners may wish in
to have in development of the city’s strategic plan
· make copies of the agenda and other related materials for the retreat
· make all arrangements for the retreat facility, including meals and refreshments
· provide necessary supplies and equipment for the retreat
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C. Pricing
Total charge for 16 hours of consultation, travel time and mileage is $2,000. Should the City Commission wish the consultant to administer a pre-retreat questionnaire to city commissioners to assist in refining issues at the retreat, the additional charge would be $250.
D. Consultant
Rebecca Crowder, SPHR, The Austin Peters Group President has more than 15 years of university and local government management experience plus most recently eight years of senior level consulting in human resources. Former positions include Human Resource/Administrative Services Director (City of Merriam); Management Consultant; Management Assistant and Budget Analyst (Johnson County), and Municipal Consultant (Municipal Technical Services unit at the University of Tennessee). She has provided management assistance to more than 100 clients on a variety of management issues and has researched and authored more than 75 studies. Ms. Crowder has organized and led training programs for over 5,000 participants on issues such as diversity awareness, sexual harassment, legal issues and human resources, team building, budget and finance, role of boards, goal setting and strategic planning. At the University of Tennessee, she worked extensively with municipal governments in facilitating numerous types of planning processes.
Ms. Crowder is Adjunct Professor at Washburn University teaching the senior and junior designation in human resource management for the Society for Human Resources. She holds many certifications including the Society for
Human Resources, Diversity Trainer and Achieve Global, Conflict Resolution and Working Together. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Kansas State University and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Missouri at Columbia.
E. References
Michael Press
Johnson County Administrator
913-715-0725
Quinn Bennion
Merriam City Administrator
913-322-5500
Carolyn Hobbs
Human Resources Director
Bonner Springs, Kansas 913-422-1020
Signature
The Austin Peters Group, Inc. agrees to:
1. Deliver strategic planning consultation as outlined in this proposal for the City of Lawrence dated November 30, 2005.
Marla Flentje
Marla Flentje, Senior Consultant
The Austin Peters Group, Inc.
The City of Lawrence agrees to:
1. Engage services for strategic planning consultation as outlined in this proposal for the City of Lawrence dated November 30, 2005.
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The City of Lawrence
Authorized Representative