Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 02-04-2003-8eORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: February 4, 2003 Action Agenda Item No. SUBJECT: Memorandum of Agreement with Orange County Dispute Settlement Center for Animal Shelter Focus Groups DEPARTMENT: County Manager PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): Memorandum of Agreement INFORMATION CONTACT: Gwen Harvey, ext 2300 Rosemary Summers, ext 2411 TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane 336-227-2031 PURPOSE: To consider approving a memorandum of agreement with the Orange County Dispute Settlement Center for planning and conducting focus groups for soliciting input on the operation of the Orange County Animal Shelter. BACKGROUND: The BOCC approved a proposal for an external assessment of the Orange County Animal Shelter at a November 2002 meeting. This assessment consisted of two parts, a comprehensive assessment conducted by the Humane Society of the United States, Inc. (HSUS) and a focus group process to enhance the public input provided to the HSUS. The Dispute Settlement Center was contacted and agreed to consider planning and conducting the focus groups for this enhanced public input process. Since that meeting, staff has met with Andy Sachs from the Dispute Settlement Center to further discuss the process and outcomes desired from the enhanced public input process. The attached memorandum of agreement outlines the work that the Board agreed to in principle at the November meeting. Mr. Sachs has developed a process that includes both interviews of key informants to guide the development of the focus group questions as well as to solicit input on focus group participants. He is proposing planning and conducting five focus groups of approximately 8 people in each group. Each session would last approximately 90 minutes and all would be organized around the same discussion questions. Discussion questions will address customer expectations and their experiences in dealing with the shelter on adoptions, volunteering, and overall public interaction. A written report will be prepared and submitted to the HSUS for its inclusion in the comprehensive assessment. Copies of the written report submitted to the HSUS will also be made available to the County upon submission to HSUS. Mr. Sachs will also coordinate up- front with the HSUS assessment team to ensure that this process will support and augment the overall assessment. The time frame for the entire focus group process would begin immediately and be completely finished by mid-March, well before the scheduled site visit by the HSUS assessment team in mid-April. In summary, Dispute Settlement will be responsible for detailed coordination with HSUS, focus group planning (including key informant interviews), finalizing the discussion guide, soliciting involvement from identified groups of participants, focus group implementation (including room set-ups, facilitation, data collection and analysis), and report preparation. The cost for this project is estimated to be $7,000 in personnel costs for the consultation plus supplies and mileage expenses on a receipt reimbursement basis. The personnel costs will be charged on an hourly rate as used in the project. 2 Back in the fall, a very preliminary estimate for this service of approximately $2,500 was provided to the Board. The final negotiated price exceeds that amount because of the need for Dispute Settlement to be the identifiable leader in the community during this critical stage of public data gathering, the need for a greater number of focus groups (from 3 to 5) than previously envisioned, the need to add key informant interviews to build stronger working connections among Animal Protection Society (APS) opponents and proponents, and the need to allow sufficient more time for the background research and careful preparation of the finished report. FINANCIAL IMPACT: The cost of the focus group/enhanced public input project for assessment of the Orange County Animal Shelter operations would be $7,000 in consultation costs. In addition, approximately $1,000 would be needed to cover the cost of supplies and other expenses associated with the focus groups. It is recommended that the Board appropriate $8,000 from the Commissioners Contingency account to cover the total projected cost of the assessment. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board approve the memorandum of agreement with the Dispute Settlement Center and authorize the Chair to sign. In addition, the Manager also recommends that the Board approve an appropriation of $8,000 from the Commissioners Contingency to cover the anticipated costs of the assessment. Memorandum of Agreement Between the County of Orange and the Orange County Dispute Settlement Center (DSC) Orange County Dispute Settlement Center (DSC) will plan and conduct five focus groups for the purpose of eliciting participants' hopes and preferences for animal-shelter services in Orange County and for the quality of those services. DSC will submit a written report, identifying findings from the focus group discussions, to an official of the Human Society of the United States (HSUS), to be designated by the County, for use in HSUS's independent assessment of the operations of the Orange County Animal Shelter. DSC will seek assistance from knowledgeable and interested groups and individuals within Orange County for identifying and soliciting the involvement of appropriate focus group participants and for testing the overall design of the focus groups. The work plan and project schedule to be agreed upon by DSC and the Health Department will define the two organizations' shared expectations regarding DSC's activities, products and pace on this project. In consideration for DSC's services described herein, the County will pay DSC $70/hour for all necessary time spent by the lead facilitator in planning, preparation, meetings, follow-up and report preparation; and $35/hour for one recording and report-drafting assistant. In addition, the County will provide, or reimburse DSC for providing, all facilities, materials and equipment necessary for this project, such as audio or video recording equipment, meeting space, flip charts and markers, name tags, refreshments, photocopying and postage. The County also will reimburse DSC for automobile mileage incurred as a necessity for this project at the rate of $36 per mile. The County will pay DSC invoices within 10 days of receipt. Checks will be made payable to the order of the Dispute Settlement Center, and mailed or delivered to DSC, 302 Weaver Street, Carrboro, NC 27510. DSC federal tax identification number is F56- 1216584. Invoices should be submitted to the County Manager's Office. DSC agrees to designate Public Disputes Program Coordinator Andrew M. Sachs as the lead facilitator for this project. The County agrees to designate John Sauls, Director of Orange County Animal Control, as project manager and liaison with DSC upon signing of this agreement. Both DSC and the County agree that if disputes related to this contract emerge between them during or after the period of this agreement, each will first seek resolution by face- to-face problem-solving, facilitated by a mutually agreeable third party if necessary, before taking the grievance for resolution to any outside authority. DSC seeks to raise the awareness of its presence, mission and activities in this community, and so requests that the fact of its participation in and/or contributions to this project be mentioned where appropriate in information about this project that the County develops and provides to public officials, the general public and the news media. Any modification to this agreement must be written and signed by both parties. Accepted by: Frances W. Henderson Executive Director Date Dispute Settlement Center 302 West Weaver Street Carrboro, NC 27510 (919) 929-8800 fhenderson@disputesettlement.org Date John Link, County Manager P.O. Box 8181 Hillsborough, NC 27278 (919) 245-2411 Margaret Brown, Chair Orange County Board of Commissioners Date ORANGE COUNTY FINANCE DIRECTOR: "This instrument has been pre-audited in the manner required by the Local Government Budget and Fiscal Control Act." Date Ken Chavious Finance Director