Local Planning Agency Management Flashcards
Elements of the best organizations
Strong visionary leadership, excellent communication, coordination and collaboration
Most important department asset
Great staff
Most important function of planning office
Permitting. Also area for most improvement
First step of plan evaluation
Check for completeness
Most likely process to cause disputes
Permitting process
Accreditation
No formalized accreditation program for planners
Missions
Planning departments are mission-driven
Open Office Pros & Cons
Pros: sharing ideas, lower cost, higher density workplace
Cons: Noisy, lack of privacy
Horizontal Organizations
Grouping departments by time-frame and theme, like Management Dept. (human resources, staffing, IT), Current Planning Dept. (permitting, environmental assessments, project management), and Advance or Long-Range Planning (strategic plans and comprehensive plans)
Organizing by Specialty
Planning specialty and vertical integration by skillset (transportation dept., land use dept., housing dept.)
Functional Organization
By department function (Planning dept., Regulations dept., IT dept., Investment dept., Policy dept.)
Legal Status of Agency Organization
By Legislative (planning, code writing, implementation), quasi-judicial (regulatory and entitlement process) and enforcement (permit administration)
Most recommended organization choice
Planning and implementation are located in the same department
Sustainability department location
Newer branch of planning. Can be integrated into elected office or existing office. Can also be its own office.
Model Permit Process
1) All info is available via web & trained front counter staff
2) Single point of contact
3) Ongoing collaborative review
4) Completeness review
5) Permit application & tracking software
6) One-step approach
7) Fast-Track options
8) Continuous communications
9) Assignment of approvals to easiest level
10) Mediation option
11) Development or proffer agreements
12) Staff reports
13) Consolidated public hearings
14) Internal feedback & continuous improvement
15) Disclosure of mitigation formulas
Permit Fast-Tracking
Allowing procedurally and substantially complete permits to jump to the top of the review pile
Role of Staff Reports
Inform the reader and provide legal basis for permitting decisions
Proffer Agreements
Applicant offers mitigation and conditions to get approval of permit
Four Ways to Settle Permit Disputes
Mediation, arbitration, negotiation, or winner-take-all litigation (traditional route)
Key skill of a good planner
Ability to manage risk
Most likely type of risk for planners
Political risk through litigation
Number of tribes in USA
566
First step of Tribal Planning
Clarifying tribe’s authority to control its jurisdiction
Sole Source Procurement
Not always feasible with government laws and usually restricted to smaller consulting jobs. The reason for using sole source should always be well-documented as it is subject to political attacks. Shorter timelines, less open, usually for simple requests.
Selection from a list of Prequalified Candidates
Useful for small tasks or a repeated task at irregular intervals. Ex.: Firm must meet with local leaders frequently with little advance notice -> procure from list of local firms only
RFQ Procurement
1) Start with general announcement
2) Ranking agencies based on submittals
3) Select the top-ranked firm
4) Request additional information and negotiate, moving to 2nd highest ranked after negotiations fail, repeat
RFP Procurement
Slower than RFQ and more burdensome because consultant must prepare a full scope for the project in addition to RFQ info. Review of proposals is more complex than review of a Statement of Qualifications. Most RFPs involve a preliminary rank, interviews, and a final re-rank
RFQ and RFP Combined Procurement
Use the RFQ to get a shortlist of qualified consultants and then invite them to submit RFPs
