Scope of work: operational review for the Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG) Finance/Administration Department. This review included assessment of current operational structure, staff duties, and responsibilities and analysis of operational and fiscal policies, procedures, and practices—with attention to operational functions, workflow processes, and use of technology and automation in performance of operational responsibilities. Citygate offered comparison to best practices and made recommendations in accordance with the findings of this review.

Citygate will assist Salt Lake City in evaluating the implementation of the building service process review completed by Citygate. This will also entail an analysis of the Building Services division’s performance measurement and management system. Citygate is also providing “on-call” auditing services for the City to assess performance, identify opportunities for improvement, and develop specific recommendations for action in the programs or functions selected by the City.

As part of a Master Services Agreement with the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA), wherein Citygate was recently retained to provide seven as-needed organizational service level assessments of operations for OCFA’s major cost centers, Citygate performed a service level assessment of the OCFA Business Services functions. This assessment ascertained the efficiency and effectiveness of leadership and personnel operations and ensured compliance with policies/procedures, best practices, and regulatory agency requirements. The other six assessments part of the Master Services Agreement were for the Emergency Command Center, the Executive Leadership Team and Human Resources functions, the Emergency Medical Services Department, Field Deployment services, Fleet Services Division, and the Community Risk Reduction Department.

Citygate assisted NuStar Energy’s Western Region with a project to determine any needs the terminals have in terms of leadership, operational support, customer service, communication, and culture shaping. Citygate then facilitated a workshop with the regional support team to prioritize the services to be delivered to the terminals and clarify the roles and responsibilities needed to provide the desired services.

Citygate administered MERIT profiles to Executive and Administrative Teams, trained and presented personal survey results, and provided personal coaching sessions for NuStar staff.

Citygate completed a Citywide management audit for the City of Pinole, California. The project was conducted at the initiative of the City Council and emphasized the establishment of performance measures for each Department and division of the City, including Public Works, Community Development, Planning, Building, Redevelopment, Administration, Finance, Personnel, Police, Fire, and Sewer Treatment. Citygate also formulated recommendations to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the City. Included in the project was the evaluation of the City’s financial stability and measures to improve the health and vigor of the City’s finances. As part of this analysis, Citygate also reviewed the adequacy of the City’s cost-recovery methodology.

Citygate completed a study of staffing levels and classifications and the budgeting methodology the Department of Developmental Services used to fund the State’s 21 Regional Centers (RCs). For this large, multi-faceted, and in-depth study of Regional Center operations, budgets, workload, and mandates, Citygate combined qualitative and quantitative data elements emanating from multiple sources, such as the RCs, state agencies, vendors, consumers and families, associations, and other stakeholders. Citygate evaluated system mandates in California and researched best practices nationwide. Locally, RCs serve as case studies of best practices and minimum standards that will define the functions and tasks each Regional Center must carry out to meet State and federal mandates. The analysis of how RCs meet their mandates, combined with other analyses, will result in the development of a new staffing model to provide funding for the core activities and necessary administrative support of the 21 RCs.

Citygate conducted a Citywide management audit for the City of Glendora, California, including the Police Department. The study culminated with recommended ways in which the City organizational structure can better serve the community and be more user friendly. The study further determined the extent to which the members of the City employee structure take advantage of appropriate training, equipment, and technology and whether there might be more efficient implementation of technological advances. The study also recommended cost savings and restructuring to permit funding of capital requirements. The following Departments were also included in the study: Community Services, Public Works, Administration, City Clerk, Finance, Planning, and the Public Library.

Citygate served for a decade as the association management firm for the California Redevelopment Association (CRA), a nonprofit, statewide organization comprised of over 300 city and county agencies in addition to over 200 private sector firms from a variety of disciplines. Citygate was responsible for evaluating all policies related to redevelopment and the CRA. Citygate also performed services such as media relations, administering and analyzing surveys that were used to provide input into legislative affairs, policy recommendations and implementation strategies, administrative and support services for the strategic planning and community needs assessments on behalf of members, budget evaluations, interviews, seminars and workshops, and publications. An integral component of Citygate's management services was providing pertinent, comprehensive, and useful guidelines to the public sector practitioners in the field on behalf of the CRA.

Citygate completed a Statewide Parole Agent III workload and staffing study. The scope of the study involved the identification of tasks related to social services and corrections, the frequency and time required for completion, the determination of required staffing levels, and the development of formulae for determining sufficient supervisory staffing levels. The methodology utilized, consistent with approaches successfully applied in formulating State government staffing standards, included the reasonable estimates of an expert panel and field observations of actual time spent per task. The work involved approximately 25 days of on-site observations throughout California. This study of Parole Agent staffing was mandated by the State Legislature in anticipation of future budget formulae revisions.