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<br />Mr. Paul Walters <br /> <br />Page 3 <br /> <br />city manager desires senior level management assistance during the recruitment process. <br />There are a number of important strategic matters needing attention, including the following. <br /> <br />· Provide analysis and management assistance to the interim city manager and other <br />executives on policy matters and complex issues <br />· Manage the implementation of a budget stabilization plan <br />· Advise on labor negotiations <br />· Provide strategic direction for major initiatives <br />· Conduct strategic planning <br />· Facilitate teambuilding <br />· Provide change management advice and assistance <br /> <br />Like all local governments, Santa Ana needs experienced, high performance management <br />direction to cope with the current severe recession. Innovation drives performance, and <br />innovation takes highly skilled personnel. As has been pointed out by many experts, during <br />recessions organizations often cut highly skilled management positions responsible for strategic <br />planning and management, which impedes the organization's ability to innovate, improve <br />performance, and manage through a recession. The City of Santa Ana is no exception and has <br />lost many positions through attrition and layoff. Among the positions eliminated are those that <br />had previously provided analytical capacity to the City, the very resources most critical to <br />innovation and change at a time when change is so critical. <br /> <br />Analysis is critical in order fo"r the City to understand its financial position, including the business <br />practices that drive costs. The City is now at such a reduced capacity that staff is challenged to <br />keep up with the demands for cost analysis and projections related to revenues, expenditures, <br />and other important financial indicators. The City requires supplemental management and <br />analytical support to help develop innovative strategies to modify existing programs and <br />practices in order to reduce costs and to help assess the financial impacts of proposed <br />programs and policies. <br /> <br />In recognition of these twin demands Management Partners has developed a plan to provide <br />Santa Ana with management services to allow the City to take some innovative steps and <br />reposition itself during this interim period. <br /> <br />Consultants <br /> <br />Jan Perkins, Partner with our firm, is proposed for the interim strategic management assistance <br />role. Jan's statement of qualifications is attached to this proposal. Jan would be available to <br />serve on a part-time basis, approximately 20 hours a week which would involve being on-site <br />two to three times a week and being available through electronic communications. Jan has <br />responsibilities to other clients that will need to be carried out during this engagement. <br /> <br />Additionally, Management Partner has a team of experts in local government in virtually all <br />disciplines and will provide other analytical assistance to assist City staff as needed. At a time <br />when critical evaluation and analysis are most essential to ensure efficient and effective use of <br />resources, a lack of analytical capacity can lead to program and policy decisions being made <br />without the full knowledge of long-term fiscal and organizational impacts. Such decisions <br />ultimately can be much more costly than the cost of the analytical capacity itself. Management <br /> <br />'> <br />