ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: November 20, 1997

Author/Local: MKinsella/7266

CC File No. 1361

TO: Vancouver City Council

FROM: City Clerk

SUBJECT:Neighbourhood Integrated Service Teams: Staffing Requirements

RECOMMENDATION

THAT Council approve conversion of the temporary full time Neighbourhood Integrated Services Team Project Assistant position to regular full time at a cost of approximately $41,000 annually, funding to be provided in the existing City Clerk’s Department’s operating budget.

CITY MANAGER’S COMMENTS

The City Manager RECOMMENDS approval of the foregoing.

COUNCIL POLICY

On September 17, 1994, Council approved the Neighbourhood Integrated Service Delivery model for City operations.

BACKGROUND

Council adopted a framework for the development of an Integrated Service Delivery System on September 17, 1994. The new model was developed to ensure open City government, and to provide an effective community-based City service delivery system.

On December 5, 1995, Council approved the creation of a temporary position for one year, to assist the teams and the individual members to respond to local issues in Vancouver communities.

On February 20, 1997, Council approved the continuation of the full-time Project Assistant position for an additional year in 1997. Funding for the position was provided on a 50/50 split from the existing departmental operating budget of the City Clerk’s Department and the Police Department. The Project Assistant was located in the City Clerk’s Department, but continued to work closely with the Deputy City Manager on NIST policy.

DISCUSSION

The Project Assistant’s duties include:

*implementation of guidelines and procedures related to NIST;

*training team members to use the problem property tracking procedures;

this included working the Information Technology to design and implement the system;

*provision of on-going administrative support to the NIST liaison committee;

*orientate and train new NIST liaisons as needed;

*maintenance of NIST records and information on City activities;

*assistance with cross-departmental coordination of responses to community issues:

*assessment of issues and linking them with the appropriate team(s).

This year 50% of the Project Assistant’s time was spent at the Police Department. The incumbent briefed all police members on the NIST program and its impact on their work. This included working with Information Technology to ensure police team representatives could have easy access to fellow team members in other departments, while addressing security concerns. All police team members were trained on NIST computer programs. The Project Assistant has concluded the briefing and training of Police Department staff and no longer needs to spend 50% of her time at the Police Department. On-going liaison with Police members on the NIST teams and with the Community Policing Offices will continue.

The position of NIST Project Assistant needs to continue on a permanent full-time basis to provide on-going administrative support to the teams.

The Neighbourhood Integrated Service Teams have provided local neighbourhoods with direct assistance in resolving local issues. The teams have dealt with challenging problems in consultation with community members and through coordinated efforts have effectively resolved issues.

This year NIST competed against 92 other projects to win the IPAC award for innovative management.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

This year, the Project Assistant position was jointly funded from budgets in the City Clerk’s Department and the Police Department. Funding for the City Clerk’s portion of the cost was transferred from a vacant, half-time clerical position in the City Manager’s Office, while Police funding was provided from the department’s project funds. The training and briefing at the Police Department has been completed and it is appropriate for the position to concentrate more broadly on ensuring the Neighbourhood Integrated Service Teams are functioning smoothly and that team members from all other departments are properly briefed and trained. As a result, it is proposed the joint funding arrangement not continue in 1998 and the position be funded more generally by the Operating Budget.

CONCLUSION

There is a need for this position to become a permanent, full-time position to provide consistent administrative coordination of information and support for teams on problems/issues.

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(c) 1997 City of Vancouver