Listing Summary

Request for Proposal

Classification and Compensation Study and Analysis

 

Introduction

The City of Washington, Georgia (“City”) is requesting proposals for consulting services to conduct a Citywide Employee Classification and Compensation Study as described herein.

 

Background Information

Washington is the county seat of Wilkes County, Georgia. Under its original name, Heard's Fort, it was the Georgia state capital for a brief time during the American Revolutionary War. The city is best known for its history, antebellum homes, and friendliness. We are just 90 miles from Atlanta, 50 miles from Augusta, and 40 miles from Athens, making Washington an ideal town to start and grow a business, raise a family, and enjoy the finer things in life without the hassle of urban hustle and bustle.

 

The City is a full-service City, with a six-member City Council operating under the Council/Manager form of government. City departments include General Government, Municipal Court, Fire, Animal Control, Public Works, Maintenance Shop, Community Services, Conference/Community Center, City Pool, Historic Properties (City Museum and Callaway Plantation), Cemeteries, Community Development & Housing, Planning & Zoning, Economic Development, Main Street, Stormwater Collection & Disposal, Water & Sewer Distribution and Treatment, Electric (MEAG City), and Sanitation. Overall, the City has approximately 70 full-time employees and 15 part-time employees.

 

The City’s current Classification and Compensation plan was adopted in the 2001 budget. Many of the positions evaluated at that time have been reviewed and updated when necessary. Some new positions have been created and have been incorporated into the plan. Other positions have been eliminated. Since the plan was adopted, inequities and compression have developed, and the criteria and weighting of various factors of the system need to be updated.

 

Goals and Objectives

The purpose of the Classification and Compensation Study is to address changes in City operations and staffing over the past decades, which may have affected the type, scope, and level of work being performed.

 

 

 

The City’s objectives are to:

 

1. Attract and retain qualified employees;
2. Ensure positions performing similar work with essentially the same level of complexity, responsibility, and knowledge, skills, and abilities are classified together;
3. Provide salaries commensurate with assigned duties;
4. Clearly outline promotional opportunities and provide recognizable compensation growth;
5. Provide justifiable pay differential between individual classes and
6. Maintain a competitive position with other comparable government entities and private employers within the same geographic areas.

 

All work will be done with the regular involvement of the City Manager and Clerk. Department Heads and other key personnel will be involved as necessary. Regular presentations and meetings with these individuals or groups, incorporating their input into the process, are expected. A presentation to the City Council upon completion of the project is also expected.

 

The study shall evaluate the present salary structure and compare it to the specific job market for comparable positions in the public sector. The consultant shall perform or provide the following:

 

A.  Scope of Services

 

1. Provide a comprehensive evaluation of every job within the City to determine relative worth within the organization for internal equity and for the establishment of pay ranges and step progressions within the ranges.  
2. Review all current job classifications and confirm and recommend changes to the hierarchical order of jobs using your evaluation system.
3. Establish appropriate benchmarking standards and conduct salary surveys as needed for similar positions with comparable Georgia municipalities as required.
4. Identify potential pay compression issues and provide potential solutions.
5. Analyze and recommend changes to the present compensation structure to meet market analysis. This recommendation may include recommendations for individual positions as well.

B. Information Meetings

1. Consultant to schedule an initial meeting with City Manager, Mayor, & City Clerk to discuss the process and tasks to be performed in the study to include reasonable dedication of key personnel.
2. The consultant will meet with department heads to explain the study and process to be used.
3. Consultant to provide frequent updates to the City Manager.

C. Classification Study

1. The consultant will review the current classification grade methodology and propose recommended strategies for the city.
2. The consultant will conduct interviews and/or job audits as appropriate. Depending on the classification, interviews and/or job audits may be conducted individually or in groups.
3. Consultant to update job descriptions to uniformly reflect the distinguishing characteristics, essential job functions, minimum qualifications (education/experience and knowledge/skills/abilities), working conditions (physical demands, work environment, and travel requirements), and certification/licenses/registrations requirements for classification as needed.
4. Consultant to identify Officials & Administrators, Professionals, Technicians, Paraprofessionals, Administrative Support, Skilled Craft Workers, and Service employees, including Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) status (exempt/non-exempt).
5. The consultant will present proposed recommendations to the city manager for review prior to making any final classification determinations. 
6. Consultant to finalize class specifications and recommend appropriate classification for each employee, including correction of identified discrepancies between existing and proposed classifications.
7. Consultant to identify career ladders/promotional opportunities as deemed appropriate.
8. The consultant will submit recommendations for appropriate implementation measures that the city staff will need to take.
9. The consultant will provide a straightforward, easily understood maintenance system that the city will use to keep the classification system current and equitable. The classification system should be provided electronically. Maintenance should include annual activities and the process we would use to review the classification of individual jobs as needed.
10. Consultant to conduct a comprehensive training program for city staff to ensure that the staff can explain and administer the new system in the future. The training program should be clearly spread out in the proposal.

D. Compensation Study

1. Consultant to review current compensation plan (salary grade levels and steps) and understand current challenges in recruiting and retaining employees.
2. Consultant to recommend and identify a consistent and competitive market position that the City can strive to maintain. 
3. Consultants should recommend comparable labor markets, including both private and public sector employers, for a compensation survey.
4. Consultant to develop and conduct a comprehensive compensation and benefits survey,
5. The consultant will recommend an appropriate salary range for each position based on the classification plan, the compensation survey results, and internal relationships and equality. Prepare a new salary structure based on the results of the survey and best practices.
6. Consultants should develop guidelines to assist city staff with determining the starting pay for new employees based on knowledge and experience above the minimum requirements of the position, how difficult the position is to fill, and market competitiveness.
7. The consultant will recommend implementation strategies, including calculating the cost of implementing the plan.
8. Consultant to identify any extreme current individual or group compensation inequities and to provide a recommended corrective action plan and process to remedy these situations.
9. Consultant to make recommendations and provide implementation strategies related to other key compensation practices based on market demands, including pay for performance, skill pay, special assignment pay, certification pay, bilingual pay, promotional pay, and acting assignment pay. 
10. The consultant will provide system documentation and computer formats/software to administer the compensation plan.
11. Consultant to provide recommendations for the ongoing internal administration and maintenance of the proposed compensation plan. Maintenance should include annual activities such as market survey 
12. The consultant will conduct a compression analysis to include any recommendations for implementation.
13. Consultant to conduct a comprehensive training program for city staff to ensure that the staff can explain and administer the new system in the future. The training program should be clearly spelled out in the proposal.

City Resources

The City will provide copies of all pay ranges, job classifications, and any other available in-house information requested by the selected consultant that may be required to complete the study.

 

Proposal Format and Requirements

The offeror shall submit one original of their written proposal that presents their qualifications and understanding of the work to be performed. Any other information thought to be relevant but not applicable to the enumerated categories may be provided as a separate appendix to the proposal. The following information/documents shall be included in the proposal package to be considered responsive to the Request for Proposals:

 

A. Agents and Address 

Identify who will be the project manager and key staff assigned if awarded. Provide resumes summarizing the qualifications and experience of the individuals who will be conducting the study. Include specific information on the staff’s experience with public sector compensation, including public safety. Describe successful outcomes. List the address, e-mail address, and telephone number of the office from which the services are to be provided. Promotional literature and other public relations documents should NOT be included.

B. Statement of Methods and Procedures

Provide a statement describing the scope of work as you understand it. Describe the approach, means, methods, and procedures to be used to gather the data, analyze findings, and develop recommendations as requested. Provide a sample of reports and/or other correspondence.

C. Management Synopsis

Provide a synopsis prepared for management review, covering the significant features of the proposal, including overall costs and terms of work.

D. Structure and Content of Work Product

Provide a detailed breakdown and description of the specific steps, services, and study products that will be provided. Describe how the final product will be structured and presented upon completion. Include any computer/software compatibility information. Firms may elect to include in the section any innovative methods or concepts that might be beneficial to the City of Washington as long as the minimum requirements set out in this RFP are met. 

E. Work Schedule

Provide a timeline indicating the tasks required and the start and completion dates for each. It is expected that the work will commence as soon as possible after the contract is awarded.

F. References

Include the name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address of contact persons at five (5) other public entities for which comparable services have recently been rendered.

G. Cost of Services

Provide a total cost estimate, including travel expenses, and “not to exceed” amount for the work described in the scope of work; a rate schedule for computing any extra work not specified in the contracted scope of work; and an amount to be deducted from total cost estimate because Offeror is conducting (or has conducted in the past six (6) months) salary surveys of comparable jurisdictions, the data from which can be shared rather than independently gathered.

H. Final Product

Provide a statement that the proposer agrees to:

1. Deliver at least one (1) original, five (5) copies, and a flash drive of the final report to the City Manager & City Clerk.
2. Provide the final report, tables, schedules, job descriptions, charts, spreadsheets, salary surveys, and other materials necessary for the implementation and maintenance of the compensation/classification system in an electronic medium (flash drive); and
3. Appear at a scheduled Council meeting to discuss the recommendations and final report.

 

I. Additional Services (Optional)

Provide any other related and recommended products or services not specified in the RFP which may be considered essential or beneficial by the firm. These services should be priced separately from “G” above, as shown here.

J. Other

The classification and compensation system to be recommended as responses to this RFP must adhere to the following basic elements and characteristics: (a) the system must meet all legal requirements, (b) be totally nondiscriminatory, and provide for compliance with all pertinent federal, state, and local requirements (e.g., ADA, FLSA, EEO, etc). 

1. The system must be easy for management to administer, maintain, and defend.
2. The system must easily accommodate organizational changes and growth.
3. The system should be based on sound compensation principles in which internal and external equity are considered within the pay structure, as well as the concepts of equal pay for equal work, equal pay for similar work, and equal pay for comparable work.
4. The system should provide for the incorporation of new positions into the compensation plan and regular adjustments to maintain the plan’s competitiveness.
5. The system should be compatible with current City of Washington payroll programs/software.
6. The City requests that all information submitted by the successful consulting firm be in Microsoft Word format on a flash drive and hard copy. The City further requests the complete use of the material developed so that it can be updated or changed as needed. All work provided by the consultant under contract with the City of Washington shall belong exclusively to the City.

Cost Proposal

This request for information does not, under any circumstance, commit the City to pay any costs incurred by any proposer in the submission of qualifications. The proposer is responsible for all costs associated with response to this request.

 

General Information

The City’s website is www.wga.gov. The City of Washington’s current budget can be found on the City’s website.

 

Questions

Questions pertaining to this document should be submitted via e-mail with “Questions about

Salary Survey” in the subject line, at least two days prior to the due date, to yjenkins@wga.gov and bbailey@wga.gov.

 

 

Criteria and Selection

After city staff reviews the proposals, the final selection will be made. The successful contractor will be required to enter into an agreement for professional services with the City of Washington.

 

Proposals will be evaluated using the following criteria:

 

• Quality and thoughtfulness of the proposal.                                                              20%
• Related experience of the firm and key staff with similar studies.                            20%
• References, credentials, and/or recommendations from past clients.                        15%
• Costs associated with developing, preparing, and presenting the study.                   25%
• Ability of the firm and the firm’s subcontractors to provide the services                         20%

requested, as well as financial stability and availability.                                                                     

Submittals

All proposals must be delivered to the City no later than 3:00 p.m. local time on Tuesday, October 15, 2024. Proposals may be emailed to yjenkins@wga.gov or delivered to the City of Washington 102 E. Liberty Street or mailed to the City of Washington Attention: Yoshe Jenkins P.O. Box 9 Washington, GA 30673. Proposers will be responsible for delivering their proposals to the City before the deadline. Any proposal received after the deadline will not be considered.

 

The City of Washington reserves the right to reject any or all proposals at any time with no penalty and to waive immaterial defects and minor irregularities in proposals.

City personnel will evaluate proposals and then forward a recommendation to the City Council for consideration. Fee proposals, which are to be submitted with the qualification proposal, will also be considered.

The duration of this consultant agreement has not been determined.

The City of Washington does not discriminate based on race, creed, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, age, or marital status.