Pros, cons of city’s self-evaluation

I am not a resident of Charlottesville and generally do not comment on how the residents of the city choose to run their government. However, the July 8 article “City to test its own efficiency” (The Daily Progress) prompts me to make some observations concerning the study.

— The article said, “Councilors decided to possibly allow the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service … to manage the study, using many former city and government officials to evaluate the city’s current efficiency and productivity.”

The use of savvy former government officials makes sense because they understand the challenges of the public sector and have a broad perspective of effective and efficient practices. A study like this needs people who can ask tough questions and demand straight answers.

The use of former city officials to critique a system they likely had a hand in creating is questionable (for the same reason a judge does not hear a case in which he has an interest).

— Assistant City Manager Maurice Jones said, “… Weldon Cooper would be optimal to manage the study, … because it would be able to stay within the $50,000 budgeted by the city.”

The first requirement of “optimal” is: Will the study provide effective, cost-saving recommendations that can be implemented? A high-quality study, properly implemented, can easily return many times its cost in savings. Additionally, consultants’ cost must be balanced against the cost of lost employee time resulting from providing information to the consultants. Top-notch consultants know what to ask for and do not waste employee time.

— It is important to determine up front who will be held accountable for the implementation and its timeline. If clear thought is not given to these, the city will have wasted a sizable amount of money for a study that looks great in a three-ring binder. A poorly executed study will feed cynicism among staff and the public. As Councilor David Brown rightly pointed out, “… [T]he big cost in government is people.” When services and jobs are on the line, it must be done right the first time.

Peter J. Wurzer
Albemarle County