Fiscal Note
The Community Development Division's 2014 Adopted Operating Budget includes funding of $120,000 for Consulting Services. This Resolution approves the selection of a consultant that will provide the Funding Process Study services described herein, and with whom the City will contract for the $120,000.
No additional funds are being sought by this Resolution, and there is no impact on the City levy.
Title
SUBSTITUTE Authorizing [a vendor to be identified by April 14, 2014] Forward Community Investments to undertake an evaluation of the Community Development Division's funding allocation processes, formulate recommendations for their improvement, and help the Division plan for and implement appropriate changes.
Body
Background
The City of Madison's Community Development Division allocates more than $8.5 million anually through purchase of service contracts in order to address City goals and support efforts designed to strengthen neighborhoods, address issues related to poverty and racial and social inequities, and improve the quality of life for city residents.
In November 2013, largely in response to concerns that had arisen around the effectiveness of the Division's allocation processes, Joiner Sandbrook, LLC produced a report for the City titled "Strategic Improvement of Madison's Social Sector: How Funding in Madison Supports Innovation in the Social Sector." The report, based largely on interviews with local non-profit organization leaders and public and private funders, raised issues concerning the importance of offering organizational support to non-profits, the value of establishing program goals and measuring program impacts; and the potential benefits of fostering innovation in the social sector. The report recommended further research and review of the City's funding processes.
The Mayor and Common Council responded by directing a more thorough analysis of the CDD's funding processes. They appropriated $120,000 in the Division's 2014 Operating Budget to hire a consultant to evaluate existing practices and formulate recommendations for improvement. This effort is intended to design and implement quality improvement strategies and offer related technical support to City staff, relevant City policy committees, and other stakeholders to achieve the following:
1. A more clear and focused set of policy goals and objectives to guide City investments in the social sector.
2. A funding allocation process that:
· directs funds to organizations best able to help achieve measurable objectives,
· holds funded agencies accountable to agreed upon quality and performance standards,
· promotes and supports collaboration among service agencies,
· offers support to new and innovative organizations and proposals,
· makes the best use of staff resources in evaluating proposals and administering contracts,
· involves citizen committees in an appropriate and relevant way,
· minimizes unnecessary procedural requirements that make it difficult for new organizations to access funds, and
· reduces administrative requirements that cause undue burdens for agencies or City staff.
3. Improved alignment of Community Development Division leadership and staff functions with the newly defined goals and objectives and related principles of quality improvement.
4. Better communication and coordination between the City and other major funders of social sector organizations within Dane County.
5. Recommendations regarding potential roles the City might play with the non-profit community in nurturing organizational development and enhancing alignment with quality improvement principles.
On March 3, 2014, the CDD issued a Request For Proposals (RFP) seeking organizations interested in providing the services identified above. Seven proposals were received and they were reviewed by a panel comprised of City staff and two Council members. The panel is scheduled to select two or three candidates to be interviewed during the week of April 7th and make a recommendation to the Board of Estimates for consideration at its April 14th meeting. The panel recommendation is to select Forward Community Investments as the organization to provide the services described in the RFP.
Action
WHEREAS, the Community Development Division allocates more than $8.5 million annually through purchase of service contracts to various community partners in order to address City goals to strengthen neighborhoods, alleviate poverty and other social inequities, and improve the quality of life for all City residents; and,
WHEREAS, the Mayor and the Common Council have directed that an evaluation be conducted of the allocation processes and systems used by the Division in making these decisions with the goal of identifying ways to improve both their effectiveness and their responsiveness; and,
WHEREAS, the Mayor and the Council appropriated $120,000 in the Division's 2014 Operating Budget to fund such an evaluation and charged the CDD with identifying a qualified organization to do so; and,
WHEREAS, the CDD issued a Request For Proposals seeking a qualified organization to undertake the study, and will work with that entity to examine and implement needed improvements to the Division's funding allocation processes and systems; and,
WHEREAS, the responses to that RFP were reviewed and evaluated, and Forward Community Investments was selected to provide the desired services;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Mayor and the Common Council hereby approve the selection of (name of organization to be inserted) Forward Community Investments as the designated vendor to complete the CDD Funding Process Study; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Common Council authorizes the Mayor and City Clerk to enter into a contract with (name of organization to be inserted) Forward Community Investments, as required, to implement the desired services; and,
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the Common Council authorizes the Mayor and City Clerk to execute and deliver any additional documents necessary to accomplish the purposes of this Resolution.