Proposal for Town Manager Search, Town of Chapel Hill, NC.

Prepared by Anita Badrock and Tim Dempsey

3-22-06

Key Objectives:

1. To develop and execute a collaborative process that enrolls key stakeholders in visioning a culture of success for a new Town Manager.

2. To develop a recruiting process that reflects the Town Council’s stated priority of encouraging applicant diversity.

3. To develop an ideal candidate profile that includes a set of knowledge, skills, and capabilities that guides the selection process and supports the consideration of creative non-traditional candidates.

4. To carefully assess all applicants according to established criteria and to gather any and all pertinent information to assess candidate capabilities.

5. To provide the Search Committee and Town Council members with highly detailed and personalized information about all candidates that will assist in identifying creative and qualified finalists for the position.

6. To promote a positive image of Chapel Hill to all applicants and stakeholders.

DEPENDENCIES:

A successful outcome of this process depends on the various entities involved assuming and fulfilling their assigned responsibilities in a timely and responsible fashion.  In addition to the work of the primary consultants, the following entities will be involved

• Town Council’s Search Committee.
• Town Human Resources staff, in particular Pam Eastwood, Director of Human Resources.

Their various roles and responsibilities have yet to be finalized.  

Background:

Cal Horton, Chapel Hill Town Manger, announced his retirement in February 2006 after 16 successful years of service to the residents of Chapel Hill.  The Town Council recognizes the value of Mr. Horton’s service and wants to conduct a high quality due diligence search for a new Town Manager that will both continue the positive work of Mr. Horton and also provide a vision for the Town as it moves forward.  

This proposal provides for a comprehensive review of organizational need as seen through the eyes of all stakeholders (Town Council, Town employees and all citizens, including the University), as well as developing a vision for what skills, experience, and capabilities an ideal Town Manager candidate should have to accomplish the goals defined by the stakeholders.  

This proposal differs from and expands upon a traditional executive search proposal in key ways:

1. The level of background work involved to assess needs and develop an ideal candidate profile and search principles. 
2. The amount of work involved to assure that key stakeholders’ needs and concerns are carefully and clearly identified.  
3. The amount of time required to assure communication with all decision makers and to assure a fair and due diligence review of all potential candidates.
4. The need to screen a larger finalist group to a more detailed standard.  

Because the requested work product has been customized at the request of the Town Council Search Committee, the consultants have provided a more detailed breakdown of anticipated work product and time estimates to enable the Search Committee to better evaluate and understand this proposal.  

Action:

Design, develop, and implement a process that assesses the town’s need for a Town Manager, articulates a set of knowledge, skills, and capabilities that best describes that need, collects and analyzes pertinent data that enables the Town Council to accurately evaluate applicants, and provides guidance and support throughout the interview and evaluation process.  

Detail and Phases

ASSESS NEED.  

1) With the assistance of the Town’s HR department, develop a structured interview protocol, or protocols, to interview the following:

· All Department Heads and Direct Reports to Town Manager (20 people)

· All Town Council Members (9 people)

· At least two  (2) members of the University of North Carolina Leadership   (2 people)

2) Conduct one (1)  focus group that involve key stakeholders identified from the larger community, for example, NRG.

3) Manage development of public survey and analyze data

DEVELOP CANDIDATE PROFILE

3) Analyze all data to finalize a position description that best characterizes the, knowledge, skills and capabilities needed and desired in the Town Manager.  The approach will be to establish what the town needs to accomplish now and in the future, rather than focusing directly on a job description.   

MANAGE SEARCH PROCESS AND PROVIDE CONSULTATIVE INPUT

4) Build a candidate pool and evaluate all applicants to the ideal candidate profile. Develop a top-15 candidate pool from available applicants.

5) Preparation and administration of Written Questionnaire based on Search Committee and Consultant Input to top 15 candidates.

6) Evaluation and Summary of 15 Questionnaires presented to Search committee.

7) Telephone Interviews of up to 15 candidates according to developed criteria.  Summary and Assessment of interviews presented to Search Committee in Executive Session

8) Narrow Field to 8

9) Members of Search Committee to interview finalists via phone—each committee member will interview two candidates.

10) Consultants and Search Committee to review and narrow candidate pool to 3-5 candidates based on search criteria, interviews, references, questionnaires, and other criteria as determined by committee. 

11) Invite 3-5 finalists to Chapel Hill for interviews and to meet Town staff and public.

12) Reference Checks of Finalists

13) Consultants to meet with full Town Council to assess finalists, make decision.

Time Estimates

ASSESS NEED:

Administration:  includes all work with HR, setting up protocols, attending search committee meetings and Town Council Meetings:    

(Estimate 15 meetings at 3 hours each and 35 hours other

background work) 65 hours

Interviews:   31 interviews ranging from 45-120 minutes, plus

Prep and review   65 hours

Focus Groups: 1 at 4   hours each for prep, analysis and review

    4 hours

Manage public survey and analyze data

10 hours

DEVELOP CANDIDATE PROFILE AND SEARCH PROCESS

Analysis, Draft Profile and Search Process                                                     8 hours

MANAGE SEARCH PROCESS AND PROVIDE CONSULTATIVE INPUT (Assumption 200 resumes)

Initial Review of 200 Resumes to Search Protocols                                     20  hours

to determine 15 finalists (with help from Town HR)

Questionnaire Preparation, administration to 15 candidates,

Summary and Presentation to search committee                                           15 hours

Telephone Interviews of 15 candidates, evaluation and write up

20 hours

Town Council Search Committee to interview via telephone 8 candidates

Consultants to facilitate discussion that narrows candidate pool                    5 hours

Narrow Pool to 3-5 to invite as public finalists to Chapel Hill

Reference Checks of finalists (with help from Town HR)                             5  hours

(3 per candidate)

Candidates to Chapel Hill for public meetings and interviews with Full Town Council

(Town Human Resources to schedule and Town HR staff to sit in with candidate meetings with Town Departments)

Consultants to attend a portion of interviews with each finalist.                    8 hours

Meeting to select finalist, consultants to attend                                              6 hours

Provide assessment and feedback, communicate with finalists, and manage offer process

4   hours

Total Time Estimate                                                                                    233 hours

FEE:    34, 950.00

Services Explicitly Excluded from this Estimate

• Acknowledgement of receipt of applications
• Rejection notices to candidates not making top 15 cut
• Building website for public survey
• Travel Arrangement for finalists
• Scheduling of Candidate Interviews (both telephone and in-person) with Search Committee and Town Council
• Preparation of Offer and Employment Contract
• Any personal communication with candidates beyond 15 finalists
• Administration or reimbursements of per diem or travel expenses to finalists
• Arrangement for lodging or transportation of finalists
• Planning for any public meetings, attendance at department meet and greets
• Relocation Assistance

The Consultants will keep detailed summaries of time spent on this project and will keep the Search Committee informed.   It is recognized that in a customized process of this type, the Search Committee may choose to request additional work or refine processes in such a manner that the overall time commitment is significantly altered.  The Consultants will advise the Search Committee if the requested process changes or additions fall outside the established contractual parameters prior to modifying the process.  

Proposed Time Line

This time line is very aggressive, but can be accomplished if the Town Search Committee, Town Council Members, Town Human Resources department, and the consulting team work together and affirm their commitment to this timeline. 

It is proposed to have all work accomplished and an offer tendered to a new Town Manager by July 15, 2006.  A detailed final timeline is being developed and will be forwarded to the Search Committee by March 29, 2006.  The timeline below is provided only for the purpose of generally informing the Town Council about the workflow.

One important note: In order to meet the deadline of July 15, 2006 for completion of this project, all members of the Town Council should maintain maximum availability for the last two weeks of June 2006, in order to interview finalists and make a selection.  We respectfully request that all Town Council members keep those two weeks as free as possible, pending a final timeline.  Any non-negotiable scheduling conflicts for those two weeks should be directed to the attention of the Search Committee IMMEDIATELY.

April 1, 2006     Position posting finalized in identified recruiting venues and resumes

                          accepted and acknowledged.

April 20, 2006   Interviews and focus groups completed,

April 30 2006    Community input

May 10, 2006    Position profile completed.  

May 15, 2006    Resume submissions closed

May 20, 2006    Candidate slate of 15 identified from applicants, questionnaires sent,  

                          telephone interviews with consultants

June 1, 2006     Candidate questionnaire responses, 

June 5, 2006     Slate of 8 candidates identified

June 10, 2006    Search Committee telephone interviews completed,

June 12, 2006    Selection of 3-5 finalists for visit to Chapel Hill for interviews

June 30, 2006    Personal interviews of finalists completed

 By June 30, 2006 SELECTION OF TOP CANDIDATE

Respectfully submitted,

Anita Badrock and Tim Dempsey