The Empire Page

Background:  To convince local government managers that sharing services is both worthwhile doable takes a person with knowledge, experience and tact.  Those are just a few of the reasons Paul D. Moore was chosen to manage the Government Law Center at Albany Law School's Technical Assistance Project.   In this week's interview, we learn more specifics about the program and how local government is responding.

 

Q: How does technical assistance help achieve the goals of encouraging and implementing shared services?

A: It is a bold step for government leaders to change the way government services are provided.  Everyone involved – from the officials proposing the change, to the employees implementing the change, to the citizens affected by the change – will have questions and concerns.  Technical assistance provides resources and information to help answer those questions, and using today’s web-based technologies can make that information quickly available to everyone.

Q: What type of products has the Technical Assistance Project produced to help local governments understand shared services?

A: So far, the project has produced a detailed legal analysis of local government responsibilities for providing services is posted on the NYS Assembly website, and a substantial portfolio of research conducted through a network of 14 academic institutions across the state. 

The research included 24 case studies and four research reports, most of which as available online. 

Last fall, these institutions hosted 14 training events sponsored by DOS and coordinated by the GLC that were attended by over 1,000 people interested in applying for shared service funding. 

In addition, the GLC used its institutional resources to conduct public awareness activities promoting shared services.  Chief among these was the January, 2008 edition of Government, Law and Policy Journal containing 12 articles devoted entirely to local government shared services and consolidation; and the April 15, 2008 Anderson Legislative Breakfast event at the State Capitol which also focused on local government consolidation and shared services.

Q: Did local officials and others involved in helping local governments explore changes in service delivery have a chance to comment?

A: You bet.  We actually created both an Advisory Committee and a Focus Group to help design the products produced. 

The Advisory Committee consisted of academic institutions with existing local government research and/or technical assistance capabilities; associations representing all of the types of municipalities eligible for funding under the shared services grant program (counties, cities, towns, villages, school districts, and fire districts); State executive branch agencies with local government responsibilities or interests (Department of State, Division of the Budget, and the Office of the State Comptroller) or responsibilities specific to the SMSI program (Department of Civil Service and Department of Transportation); and interested legislative branch agencies (Commission on Rural Resources, Commission on State Local Relations, local government and finance committees).  The group met every other month and was kept abreast of progress through periodic emails.

 Additionally, the “Focus Group” consisted of the 22 lead municipalities that were awarded an SMSI grant in 2005-06, the first year of program funding.  The focus group reviewed specific work products for usefulness and understandability.

Q: Can you give an example of the impact these groups had?

A: Sure.  The two dozen case studies that were conducted to show actual experiences of local governments trying to implement shared services followed a uniform template that was designed with input from both groups.  The resulting library of examples posted on the web has been extensively searched.
 
Q: What types of questions are most frequently asked by local officials?

A: Typically, the questions revolve around three major areas: (1) the legal authority and process for implementing the change; (2) methods for implementing the change and the types of results that can be expected; and (3) what are the fiscal implications of implementing shared service approaches?

Q:  Are all the technical assistance efforts focused on local governments?

A:  No.  While it is true the vast majority of our efforts focus on local governments, but the first line of inquiry is usually a phone call to the Department of State’s local government specialists.  Part of our work has been to work with these professionals and design ways to strengthen the information infrastructure they use to provide direct assistance.

Q: How are you helping the Department of State staff?

A: The case studies and research reports produced for local officials also inform and guide the Departments efforts.  In addition, we have designed costing models for both highway and police services, and produced internal training modules for specific services.  Finally, all of the work was incorporated into a User Manual transmitted to the Department of State.

Q: It sounds like a lot of new resources have been developed.  Are they being utilized?

A: As best we can tell, the answer is yes.  We have substantial anecdotal evidence that local officials are using the case studies, and attendance at the training opportunities indicates that they are aware of what is available and are getting their questions answered.  I don’t have information on the number of “hits” on the various web sites where the information resides, however, and that kind of market analysis needs to be done.

Q: You mentioned the need for market analysis to evaluate shared service assistance.  Are there other things that need to be done?

A: I think so.  The very modest investment being made to strengthen technical assistance is necessary for the State’s commitment to shared services to take root.  In addition to completing the library of case studies to include an example for all the types of local services, there are now over 160 shared service projects going on across new York that need to be brought to successful conclusion.  The questions and issues that arise from this implementation phase will have to be answered in the same careful and deliberate way as the previous materials developed to help stimulate the interest and getting these projects started.

Q: What is the one piece of advice you would give to people looking to make local government more efficient by sharing services?

A: That’s easy.  At the very beginning of the process, pick up the phone and call the Division of Local Government Services at the Department of State [518-473-3355].  Their representatives have access to the full range of resources and technical assistance products, and will work with local clients from the start to the completion of the shared service initiative.