Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Department

TO:	Mike Wildgen City Manager
FROM:	Debbie Van Saun Asst. City Manager
CC:	Dave Corliss, Asst. City Manager Sheila Stogsdill, Acting Planning Director Craig Weinaug, Douglas County Administrator
Date:	December 20, 2005
RE:	Summary of responses to RFQ for Development Process Review

This memo serves as a summary of the qualification submittals received by the City of Lawrence in response to a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) intended to be uses in selecting a principal consultant to complete a review of the City’s development process.

Background

During the 2006 budget process, the Planning Department submitted as a program improvement a recommendation to fund a review of the City’s development process. The recommendation was approved by the City Commission, and in November, 2005, staff received approval to proceed with the RFQ process. RFQ’s were sent to eleven (11) consultants in order to begin the initial screening process. We received three (3) responses from the following firms:

· Management Partners, Incorporated

· Zucker Systems

· Matrix Consulting Group

Summary of Responses

Per the terms of the RFQ, selection criteria include capability to complete the project, demonstrated recent experience with municipalities, familiarity with best practices in municipal development processes, firm qualifications and reputation, and ability to meet schedules. Below we’ve summarized how respondents addressed these criteria n their qualifications submittals.

· Management Partners, Incorporated specializes in helping local government leaders “improve the way in which their organizations serve the public.” Included in this specialization is experience in assisting local jurisdictions in improving their development review processes. Using a facilitated process called the GE Work-Out, Management Partners has created a methodology for addressing land use project applications and permit processing issues that goes beyond the problem diagnosis stage to include support for decision-making and implementation of the changes that will deliver the desired improvements. Specific jurisdictions that Management Partners has worked with to improve their development review processes include:

Louisville, KY Wichita, KS

New Castle, NY Hamilton County, OK

Rockville, MD Minneapolis, MN

Tucson, AZ several California cities/counties

The Management Partners’ team for this project would include individuals with several years of experience in local government management and administration, including the Corporate Vice President who developed and presented the course “Improving the Development Review Process” for the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). Client contacts were provided as references.

· Zucker Systems is an organizational and management consulting practice that solely focuses on the governmental land use development process. The firm uses an integrated methodology built on inter-relating records, observations and interviews to form recommendations and an action plan. Clients who have recently used Zucker Systems include:

McAllen, TX Inglewood, CA

New Canaan, CT College Station, TX

Downey, CA Fairfield, CA

Jackson Hole, WY Merced County, CA

The key personnel identified for this project include Paul Zucker, President, and two other individuals with experience as a city chief building official and a community development director. Client references were provided. Note: due to Zucker Systems’ current involvement major studies for Maui County, Hawaii and Fort Worth, Texas, the firm indicated they may or may not be in a position to take on this project with Lawrence.

· Matrix Consulting Group utilizes a comprehensive, detailed, and interactive set of approaches in all their studies of the development process. Elements include a detailed analysis based on intensive data collection and extensive interviewing; analysis of the cost-effectiveness of the current organization; evaluation of operations and services in the context of ‘best practices” developed by the project team; and an interactive study process. Matrix has conducted reviews of the development process for more than 100 cities and counties including:

Albany, NY Riverside, CA

Lee’s Summit, MO Peoria, AZ

Napa, CA Walnut Creek, CA

The consulting team proposed for this study has performed “an extensive number of similar studies for public agencies throughout the United States” and includes individuals with previous experience as an Internal Audit Manager and an Assistant City Manager. Client references were provided.

Next Steps

Typically, once a group of responding consultants has been narrowed down based on qualification criteria, the short list of consultants is asked to provide a detailed proposal for the project, to include project approach, timetable, etc. and then interviews are conducted in order to complete the selection process. In this case, two of the responding consulting firms (Management Partners & Matrix) have provided proposed project approaches. Zucker Systems’ response included a detailed response to the RFQ, but not a detailed proposed approach for the project. Assuming that the project needs to proceed forward, it doesn’t appear that Zucker Systems will be able to take on this project, due to other work commitments.

Recommendation

Based on my review of these responses to the City’s RFQ, it appears that all three firms are capable of completing a project of this scope for Lawrence. I recommend that we invite Management Partners and Matrix Consulting Group to interview with a panel of interested parties in order to complete the selection process. We may want to invite a member of the Planning Commission and the development community to join City and County staff to participate in the interview panel. Copies of the RFQ responses have been routed to directors of the Utilities, Public Works, Neighborhood Resources, Planning, and Fire/Medical departments for their review. Please let me know how you would like to proceed.