(Marin) County embraces grand jury computer advice

By Nels Johnson, Marin Independent Journal -

Civic Center officials are taking recommendations of the civil grand jury to heart as they seek to select a new computer software system, saying some jury proposals will be embraced while others will be studied.

The jury raised questions about the overall project plan and urged that management be tightened in a report that saluted officials for "lessons learned" after the $30 million system installed in 2006 worked so poorly and proved so costly it now has to be scrapped.

A county administration response to the jury report endorsed by county supervisors Tuesday indicates two jury recommendations already have been implemented, four will be put to work in the future and two will be studied. A jury proposal that an outside expert or entity be routinely used to help oversee all major projects was rejected.

"I really appreciate the thoughtful program, the thinking that has gone into how we move forward" in selecting a new system, Supervisor Katie Rice told County Administrator Matthew Hymel.

Civic Center officials say they are on track to select a new program by next summer after detailed study by a staff task force and expert analysis including $880,000 for consultants.

Although lauding the county's cautious, studied approach to planning for a new system, jurors found some of the same "deficiencies" in the program that torpedoed the last one. Management of the new project is inadequate, reliance on consultants too great, and county supervisors are not as involved as they should be, the panel observed, adding governance must be tightened and accountability assigned.

"Possibly the most glaring deficiency ... is the lack of a comprehensive project plan to guide all the key players and to measure progress," the jury concluded.

The administration's response said such a plan will be developed, adding, "project planning and change management activities have been occurring with each phase of this project to date."

Jury proposals to make the project manager a full-time post and issue regular briefings to supervisors also will be "implemented in the future." And jury recommendations providing for independent oversight advice and appointing the county administrator and information technology chief as project directors already have been implemented.

Jury proposals to ease up on consultants, and that when consultants are hired, county staffers acquire "missing expertise" from them, will require "further analysis," according to the response.

"We do not believe there is a lack of best business practices expertise in-house," the jury asserted, urging a consultant crackdown including strict hiring guidelines. "The process of hiring outside consultants has become too convenient for the Board of Supervisors."

The jury said the county, and not consultants, should be in charge of the new computer plan. Just like last time, "the outside consultants seem to be the driving and controlling force," the jury reported. Yet the jury also urged an "objective advisory resource" or consulting adviser review the project and its risks.

Positive developments listed by the jury included involving high-tech staffers in decision making, better staff training, more staff "user input" and a goal of obtaining simpler software designed for government.