POLICY REPORT
HUMAN RESOURCES
Date: July 8th, 1997
Dept. File No.
CC File: 1002/1377
TO: Vancouver City Council
FROM: General Manager, Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services
SUBJECT: Better City Government Initiative - Implementation of the
"Transition" Phase of an Organizational Change Initiative at
VF&RS.
RECOMMENDATIONS
A. THAT Council endorse the Fire and Rescue Services
organizational review of the senior management structure as
outlined in the Sommers Consulting Inc. Report (Executive
Summary attached as Appendix A) as a guide to the evolution of
the Department.
B. THAT Council authorize the initiation of a process to fill the
General Manager/Fire Chief position, subject to final Council
approval; source of funds to be the Fire and Rescue Services
Operating Budget.
C. THAT Council approve an expenditure of $45,000 to conduct a
search for a new Fire Chief; source of funding to be the
Contingency Reserve Fund.
D. THAT Council authorize filling the six new Assistant General
Manager/Deputy Chief positions; source of funding to be the
Fire and Rescue Services Operating Budget.
E. THAT Council authorize the creation and filling of a new
exempt position of Administrative Secretary to the General
Manager/Fire Chief with funding from existing positions.
F. THAT Council approve an expenditure of $20,000 to support the
1997 staff development program; source of funding to be the
Contingency Reserve Fund.
G. THAT the General Manager/Fire Chief report back to Council
with an implementation plan for a Change Management initiative
based upon the recommendations of the Sommers Report.
GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The Sommers Report advocates changes that will lead to increased
effectiveness of Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services. It recommends
a new management structure, together with an implementation time
line for filling the new General Manager/Fire Chief and Assistant
General Manager/Deputy Chief positions. This time line is ambitious
but achievable. Additionally, the report outlines twelve issues
which must be addressed in order to maximise organizational
effectiveness. It is recognised by both Management and the
Vancouver Firefighter's Union Local 18 that a joint process is
required to address these complex issues. This in turn will
enhance the organization s ability to accomplish the changes
required to meet stakeholder and customer needs.
CITIZENS' ADVISORY COMMITTEE COMMENTS
The Citizens' Advisory Committee supports the recommendations of the
Sommers Consulting Group and the initiatives being proposed for the
"Transition" phase. Staff development, specifically leadership
training, is viewed as being of paramount importance. The proposed
administrative structure offers new opportunities for the department to
meet its mandate to the citizens of Vancouver. It is noted that real
success can only come with stakeholder buy-in to a process which focuses
on involvement and high quality communications. The Citizens' Advisory
Committee recommends that this report to Council be accepted.
COUNCIL POLICY
A Council resolution on September 1,1992, directed the General
Manager/Fire Chief to achieve a number of specific organizational
objectives including the implementation of a vigorous program of staff
development and succession planning.
Council directed that during the term of the 1994-96 Budget Management
program, any proposed increases in program and/or service levels be
offset by corresponding spending reductions elsewhere in the City's
operating budget or by increases in non-taxation revenues, subject to
Council direction.
Council has approved a number of resolutions authorizing the Better City
Government Program. Fire and Rescue Services was approved by Council as
one of the fifteen priority areas for review and redesign.
In an Administrative Report to Council dated April 25,1996, Council
endorsed a recommendation by the City Manager that the General
Manager/Fire Chief report back with terms of reference for an overall
review of the administrative structure of the Department. Also included
was the allocation of staff resources to meet the needs previously
identified by the Department and reiterated in the TriData study.
PURPOSE
This report summarizes the findings and recommendations of the Sommers
Consulting team related to the organization of Fire and Rescue Services.
It also recommends the approval of the first or "Transition" phase of a
major Change Initiative requiring the staffing of eight positions.
Approval of the recommendations in this report does not commit Council
to any further action.
BACKGROUND
In 1993, Fire and Rescue Services completed its first Strategic Plan.
One of the primary goals of that Plan was to provide a basis for the
reallocation of resources to areas of greatest strategic need and to
provide a direction for the redesign of the overall department
structure, including the assignment of senior staff. At that time, the
existing senior management positions of the department were realigned on
an ad hoc basis to meet the immediate implementation needs identified in
the Strategic Plan.
Recently, the Department completed an operational review of staffing,
equipment, deployment and firehall locations. This review was carried
out by a consultant, TriData. Recommendations were presented to and
adopted by Council on March 27,1997.
The Deputy Fire Chief gave notice of his intention to retire by November
1996 and the General Manager/Fire Chief will retire in May of 1998.
There are also a number of current or pending vacancies at the senior
staff level. This created an opportunity to review, and if necessary,
reorganize the Department's senior management structure. A review of
this nature at this time is a key supporting strategy to other Better
City Government initiatives currently ongoing in Fire and Rescue
Services.
In an Administrative Report to Council dated August 26,1996, Council
approved a recommendation by the General Manager/Fire Chief to engage
the services of a suitably qualified consultant to conduct a review of
the senior management and administrative structure of Vancouver Fire and
Rescue Services.
DISCUSSION
This report summarizes the findings and Change Management strategy of
the Sommers Consulting team.
The consultant recommends a two phase approach to implementing the
significant organizational change required at Vancouver Fire and Rescue
Services. The first preparatory or "Transition" phase will commence
upon approval of this report and will be complete at approximately the
same time as the current General Manager/Fire Chief retires. This phase
will include a staff development program, filling the General
Manager/Fire Chief and six Assistant General Manager/Deputy Chief
positions, developing communications and participation strategies, and
the development of a detailed plan for the next phase. The filling of
these positions will be timed so that the new General Manager/Fire Chief
will have the opportunity to influence the process and participate in
the selection of the new executive team. The second phase will be the
"Implementation" phase itself and is expected to last for up to five
years.
Also identified in the consultant's report are a series of issues which
must be addressed if organizational effectiveness is to be maximised.
These issues include:
- A "Glass Partition" which currently exists between senior
staff and firehall staff
Ÿ A lack of support for executive personnel by the rank and file
- Constraints resulting from seniority
Ÿ Development of management skills
Ÿ Career development
- Organizational culture
Ÿ Labour management relations
- Accountability and responsibility
Ÿ Training
Ÿ Communication
- Organizational vision
Ÿ Emergency Medical Services
In order to facilitate the process of addressing these issues and their
associated recommendations, it has been agreed with Local 18 that a
joint labour management committee will be established. It is also
jointly agreed that mutually acceptable processes will be quickly
defined to enable the committee to develop comprehensive solutions to
the complex issues identified by the report.
IMPLEMENTATION AND COMMUNICATIONS PLAN
Major steps in the first phase of the Change initiative include:
1. Laying the Foundation for Change, to be complete by August 1997.
This includes the creation of a staff development program and
filling the first Assistant General Manager/Deputy Fire Chief
position. Additionally, input will be sought from stakeholder
groups on a comprehensive communications and participation
strategy.
2. Selecting the new General Manager/Fire Chief, to be complete by
December 1997. This will include well defined position/candidate
requirements and an internal/external search for qualified
applicants.
3. Readiness for Change, to be complete by June, 1998. This includes
well defined position/candidate requirements for all exempt
positions along with a search for the remaining Assistant General
Manager/Deputy Chief positions.
Input during this phase will be solicited from all stakeholder groups
through a consultative process. Regularly scheduled meetings with each
group and a series of news bulletins will be used to communicate the
Change process. A report will be submitted to Council before the start
of the implementation phase in May 1998.
PERSONNEL IMPLICATIONS
It is expected that a number of senior staff will be reassigned during
this first phase. However, at this time it is not expected that overall
staff levels will change.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
It is proposed that, in the longer term, new positions to be staffed
will be funded from the within the existing Fire and Rescue Services
Operating Budget. However, in the short term, "bridging" costs may be
incurred in order to accommodate the movement of staff within the
organization during this phase. A report to Council will be submitted
if additional funding becomes necessary.
The estimated cost for filling the General Manager/Fire Chief position
through an internal/external search will be $45,000 and it is requested
that the funds be provided from the 1997 Contingency Reserve Fund.
Costs for performing a full executive search have increased in recent
years and the City's experience with quotations for similar searches for
other senior positions suggests that $45,000 is a reasonable estimate.
There are a number of immediate staff development needs. The Director,
Human Resources will be involved in all 1997 staff development
initiatives and expenditures.
It is expected that VF&RS' 1998 Training and Education budget will need
to increase by approximately 20% or $25,000 during this "Transition"
phase. This will be required to fund external education as part of the
proposed staff development program. Justification and a detailed plan
will be submitted through the 1998 budget process. Funding required to
accommodate educational/staff development leaves with backfills will
also be submitted through the 1998 budget process.
SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS
The objective of this first phase is to implement a management structure
which will be organizationally more effective. This is required to
support the Department's goals of providing real value to our customers
at a reasonable cost and which is consistent with their needs. It is
also required to ensure that all members of the department share a
common vision of the future, and have an opportunity to develop and
participate in that vision.
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