HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-56FEBRUARY 12, 2008 08 -56 RESOLUTION
(CARRIED 7 -0 LOST LAID OVER WITHDRAWN )
PURPOSE: ACCEPT PROPOSAL FOR EXECUTIVE SEARCH SERVICES —
CITY MANAGER POSITION / THE PAR GROUP
INITIATED BY: DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
BE IT RESOLVED by the Common Council of the City of Oshkosh that the attached
proposal from The PAR Group for Executive Search Services to assist with the recruitment
of a City Manager is hereby accepted and the proper City officials are hereby authorized
and directed to enter into an agreement in accordance with the City's Request for
Proposals and to carry out all actions necessary to implement the City's obligations under
the agreement.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that money for this purpose is hereby appropriated
from:
Acct. No. 100- 0020 - 6401 -00000 City Manager — Contractual Service
THE PAR GROUP
Public Management
Consultants, LLC
Celebrating Over 30 Years Service
to a National Clientele
CHICAGO
100 North Waukegan Road, Suite 211
Lake Bluff, Illinois 60044 -1694
TEL 847/234 -0005
FAX 847/234 -8309
www.pargroupltd.com
CITY OF OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN
PROPOSAL
EXECUTIVE SEARCH SERVICES
Submitted by:
The PAR Group
100 N. Waukegan Road, Suite 211
Lake Bluff, IL 60044
TEL 847/234 -0005
FAX 847/234 -8309
Contact: Heidi Voorhees, President
hvoorhees @pargroupltd.com
Assisting in the Achievement of Excellence in the Public Service Since 1972
TECHNICAL PROPOSAL
Executive Summary
It is our understanding that the City of Oshkosh is requesting the services of a qualified executive search firm to
assist in the comprehensive recruitment activities associated with identifying and screening outstanding Candidates
from which the City Council may appoint a City Manager. These activities are to include position analysis,
advertising campaign, resume review, candidate screening, background investigations, interview process, and
negotiation and follow -up.
In our 35 years of experience in providing recruitment services to local governments, we have found that it is
in the best interest of both the Client and the Candidates for our consultants to be involved in the process through
the appointment of the selected Candidate. A "full service" recruitment will fully utilize the knowledge and skills
of the Consultant, while ensuring continuity in the process. Accordingly, we propose to conduct Oshkosh's City
Manager recruitment utilizing the proven process outlined below.
Firm Qualifications
The PAR Group consults exclusively in the public sector, serving the needs of local government nationwide
with corporate offices located in suburban Chicago. The PAR Group was founded by Paul A. Reaume, a former
City Manager who provided consulting search services to local governments nationwide continuously for thirty
years. Heidi J. Voorhees, also a former City Manager and associate of Paul Reaume, is President of the firm. Ms.
Voorhees is leading the firm forward in the same traditions of excellence and integrity established by Paul Reaume
in 1972.
Our Principals have over 240 years' cumulative operations and consulting experience in the field of local
government, and have conducted a large number and variety of local government and not - for - profit recruitments for
a national clientele. Clients have included local governments of under 5,000 to over one million population, with
budget responsibilities exceeding several billion dollars. The firm's quality of work and sensitivity to Clients' needs
and concerns are recognized hallmarks —our firm was a pioneer in local government recruitment and is considered
a leader in the public management consulting field. We have never failed to recommend a group of qualified
Candidates for Client consideration.
We have conducted executive recruitments throughout the United States and have successfully completed more
local government recruitments in the Midwest than any other firm (please see enclosed Client List). We have
worked successfully with a wide variety of elected and appointed Officials in local government. For example, we
have recently conducted City Manager /Administrator recruitments for the Wisconsin municipalities of Burlington,
Racine, and Waukesha.
In addition to our extensive experience in recruitment of public management professionals for local
governments, our firm has been sought out to assist related public interest associations in recruitment of top staff,
including the Executive Directors for the National League of Cities (NLC), National Association of Counties
(NACo), National Community Development Association (NCDA), International Institute of Municipal Clerks
(IIMC), International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO), National Association of Housing and
Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO), American Public Works Association (APWA), National Association of
Regional Councils (NARC), National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA), and the President of Public
Technology, Inc. (PTI).
We invite you to visit our web site at www.pargroupltd.com for additional information on The PAR Group and
its consulting staff.
The PAR Group has been involved in no controversies or lawsuits during the past five years.
City of Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Project Manager and Key Staff Qualifications and Experience
page 2
All services in connection with this assignment will be performed by individuals who possess recognized
municipal experience and broad executive selection judgment. Karl Nollenberger, Vice President, will be
responsible for and directly involved in your assignment. Mr. Nollenberger's biographical profile is enclosed. He
will be assisted by a Senior Consultant of the firm in the area of background and reference checks on Candidates.
The individual assigned to this project will be determined based upon commitments to other clients.
The PAR Group has conducted 43 recruitments for City Manager /Administrator in the past three years. We
currently have 13 such positions under recruitment. Representatives of the following organizations can comment on
the quality and professional level of services offered by Principals of our firm. These recruitments were all
conducted by Mr. Nollenberger.
Client:
City of Columbia, Missouri
Placement:
City Manager
Client Contact:
Margrace Buckler, Director of Human Resources
Telephone:
573/874 -7235
Client:
City of Liberty, Missouri
Placement:
City Administrator
Client Contact:
Mary Towse, Director of Human Resources
Telephone:
816/792 -6000 x 3035
Client:
City of Brooklyn Center, Minnesota
Placement:
City Manager
Client Contact:
Mayor Tim Wilson
Telephone:
763 -569 -3300
Client:
City of Mesa, Arizona
Placement:
Deputy City Manager
Client Contact:
Chris Brady, City Manager
Telephone:
480/644 -2066
Client:
City of Moline, Illinois
Placement:
City Administrator
Client Contact:
Mayor Don Welvaert
Telephone:
309/797 -0461
Client Contact:
Terese Kimbell, Management Services Officer
Telephone:
309/797 -0747
It is anticipated that the Lead Consultant will spend 120 hours and the Senior Consultant will spend
40 hours on this recruitment.
Services
Our executive search process is highly professional and personalized. We will assist Oshkosh Officials from
commencement to conclusion of the assignment, until a completely acceptable Candidate is appointed to the
position. We handle all of the administrative details of the entire recruitment process, so City Officials can limit
their involvement to the significant, decision - making aspects of the selection process, thus minimizing interruption
of attention to other on -going concerns and responsibilities.
Our initial effort in assisting the City of Oshkosh would be to develop a Recruitment Profile that sets forth
detailed qualifications for the City Manager position, reflecting both current and longer range organizational
expectations relating to the position. The Profile serves as a key instrument for recruiting and screening Candidates .
in accordance with the unique needs identified as particularly desirable for Oshkosh's City Manager position.
City of Oshkosh, Wisconsin page 3
Our executive search process would be as follows, subject to mutually agreed upon modification:
1. Interview the Mayor and Members of the City Council, Department Heads, and key Staff all toward
achieving clarity and consensus concerning the specific nature of duties, responsibilities and expectations
of the City Manager position. Interview data will be used to prepare a Recruitment Profile for approval by
the City Council (Sample Recruitment Profile enclosed).
During our on -site interview activities we devote significant effort to become knowledgeable and familiar
with the municipal organization, community institutions and leadership, gain a sense of the city as a place
to live and work, understand intergovernmental activities /relationships, take note of cultural and
socioeconomic diversity, and other efforts, all to clearly understand and be able to straightforwardly
present prospective Candidates (and their families) with information having an important bearing on their
decision to consider the Oshkosh position.
If desired, we shall be pleased to conduct focus group sessions, comprised of community leadership and
citizenry, in an expanded effort to determine input and feedback from such persons for inclusion in the
draft Profile prepared for City Council review, amendment, and ultimate approval; this service /assistance
would be provided for an additional fee.
2. Conduct an intensive independent professional search and recruitment effort, utilizing an extensive local,
regional and national contact network, seeking out qualified Candidates who may not otherwise have an
interest in your recruitment.
3. Place announcements in appropriate professional publications and on the internet to provide maximum
exposure of the position's career opportunity and to ensure an open recruitment process.
4. Process all applications received from recruitment and announcement efforts, including timely
acknowledgments of receipt of application and status of recruitment information to all Applicants, on
behalf of the City.
5. Screen all applications received, matching all Applicants' credentials with the specific criteria
qualifications stated in the Recruitment Profile.
6. Interview prospective Final Candidates and make background inquiries and reference checks with current
employer and, where appropriate, most recent prior employer, and verify claimed educational achievement.
7. Present a written report to the City Council on applications received for the position, including r6sum6s
and background information on those individuals considered to be most qualified and best suited for the
position, recommending approximately 8 - 10 such persons for personal interview consideration.
Facilitate the selection of Candidates to be invited for personal interview and appointment consideration;
we recommend that no fewer than five Candidates be interviewed.
9. Arrange for additional background inquiries of Candidates selected for interview, to include criminal
court, credit, and motor vehicle records checks and print media searches, as desired.
10. Provide, if desired, personality "type" profiles of the Finalist Candidates utilizing the recognized Myers -
Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) Test and analysis. The MBTI results provide a means to assist Council'
Members in making distinctions and understanding differences of management and personal style among
Candidates. The M13TI has been employed by a wide variety of users in business, government, and training
services for 40 years as a recognized tool to assist organizations to appreciate the differences of individuals
and their approaches to work and interaction. MBTI results are also used in organizations to help
understand and adapt to different management styles and approaches to work methods, assist in making the
most of human resources, and facilitate more effective communications with peers, employees, and
supervisors.
City of Oshkosh, Wisconsin
page 4
11. Prepare interview questions and procedure for use by the City Council, developing a process which will
ensure that the same questions are asked of each Candidate and that each interview is thoroughly and
consistently evaluated.
12. Coordinate arrangements for Candidates' travel to Oshkosh for interviews, be present during interview
sessions to facilitate effective discussion and deliberation toward the City's selection of a Final Candidate,
and also assist in employment negotiation between the Final Candidate and City Officials, as desired.
13. Notify all Applicants of the final. appointment action by the City Council, including professional
background information on the successful Candidate.
Timing
We are prepared to undertake your assignment in a timely manner. The Recruitment Profile will be submitted
for review and approval promptly following our on -site interviews of Oshkosh Officials and Staff. We would be in
a position to recommend Candidates to the City Council for personal interview consideration within 60 days
following approval of the Recruitment Profile. Personal interview of Candidates could be conducted approximately
ten days following the City Council's selection of Candidates for interview. Overall, the recruitment process —from
the beginning to the date of appointment of a Candidate — should take no more than 90 days.
Satisfaction Policy
Our Client satisfaction policy provides that, should the appointed City Manager, at the request of City Officials
or the Manager's own determination, leave the employ of the City within the first 12 months of appointment, we
will, if desired, conduct another search for the cost of expenses and announcements only. In addition, in accordance
with the policy of our firm, as well as established ethics in the executive search industry, we will not actively recruit
the placed employee for a period of five years.
This letter of proposal, when approved and signed, shall constitute an Agreement between us and it may not be
modified except in writing by both parties. Our liability, if any, shall not be greater than the amount paid to us for
professional services rendered.
Oshkosh City Officials can be assured of responsive and personalized professional attention throughout the City
Manager recruitment assignment. We enthusiastically look forward to having the opportunity to assist you in this
very important staffing responsibility.
Respectfully submitted,
Heidi J. Voorhees, President
The PAR Group, LLC
ACCEPTED BY THE CITY OF OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN
BY:
TITLE:
DATE:
THE PAR GROUP
Paul A. Reaume, Ltd.
THE PAR GROUP
Public Management
Consultants, LLC
Celebrating Over 30 Years Service
to a National Clientele
PRICE PROPOSAL
CHICAGO
100 North Waukegan Road, Suite 211
Lake Bluff, Illinois 60044 -1694
TEL 847/234 -0005
FAX 847/234 -8309
www.pargroupltd.com
Our professional fee for conducting a comprehensive, successful, and professionally oriented executive
recruitment has been established at levels to be justifiable for public management recruitment paid for by public
taxing bodies, our exclusive Clientele. Our fee proposal for conducting Oshkosh's City Manager recruitment would
be:
• Professional fee
• Reimbursable expenses (consultant travel,
postage /shipping, telephone /fax, office
support services, printing/photocopy)
• Education verification and
court/credit/motor vehicle records searches
• Print media searches (Lexis- Nexis)
$15,500
$4,500
$125 per Finalist Candidate
$40 per Finalist Candidate
Optional services:
• Conduct of focus groups (see step 1 above)
• Myers -Briggs testing (see step 10 above)
$800 per day, per Consultant involved
$200 per Candidate
Professional announcements are generally billed to the City directly by publishers and are not included in
reimbursable expenses. Our Consultants will be pleased to discuss your budget. for professional announcements
along with our recommendations. Candidate travel expenses for interviews are not included in the above fee
proposal. The professional fee is payable in three equal payments, billed during the course of the recruitment, with
the first payment for professional services due upon acceptance of our proposal, the second statement billed
following recommendation of Candidates, and the final one -third billing upon completion of the recruitment
assignment. Reimbursable expenses may be billed on a monthly basis.
Respectfully submitted,
cd� Pm "
Heidi J. Voorhees, President
The PAR Group, LLC
Assisting in the Achievement of Excellence in the Public Service Since 1972