January 06, 2005
Guidelines For Mayor's 'Bureau Innovation Project' Released
'City Commission Protocol' Also Announced
This afternoon, after a meeting with the City's bureau heads, the office of Mayor Tom Potter released several documents outlining the so-called Bureau Innovation Project and the ways in which City government will function during the time Potter has assumed responsibility for all bureaus.
Potter will assume control of all City bureaus on January 10, at which point he, "City Commissioners, City Auditor, bureau managers and community stakeholders will begin the process of implementing strategic changes in how city bureaus operate". Potter's oversight of all bureaus is expected to last from three to six months.
According to the guidelines issued today (pdf), that process is expected to consider four goals: Increasing cultural awareness and diversity of the workforce; fostering inter-bureau collaboration and working across silos; enhancing customer service, both internal and external; and incorporating Managing for Results in bureau operations.
While making it clear that the process must involve City employees and community members, the guidelines offer four of the Mayor's own proposals: Re-instituting Citizen Advisory Committees (not to be confused with Budget Advisory Committees); forming Labor/Management Committees in Bureaus; requiring performance evaluations for all City employees; and enhancing employee participation in the city’s visioning process and decision-making in general.
During this three to six month period, the guidelines propose that "[f]reedom from many day-to-day bureau responsibilities will give the Commissioners both the time and citywide perspective to look at citywide goals and priorities".
Council work sessions and other meetings will also be used to initiate the Vision for Portland and City Strategic Plan, which will be developed with the greater Portland community and its many stakeholder groups. Topical work groups will be formed to include the City Council, the City Auditor and other community members. These groups will be expected to operate within the Strategic Planning process and to bring issues and proposals back to the Council as a whole during work sessions. Issue clusters – still to be finalized - may include economic development, the environment, children and schools, arts and culture, neighborhoods, and public safety and security.
As previously stated by Commissioner Leonard, although all bureaus will be under the direction of the Mayor, Commissioners will retain their various liaison responsibilities.
In addition, bureau managers during this transition period will function as a "cabinet" to the Mayor, and will meet "to prioritize and schedule items to come before the City Council, as well as other business". Issues constituents might raise with Commissioners are to be forwarded to the Mayor's office and the staffer responsible for the bureau in question.
Accompanying the release of the Bureau Innovation Project guidelines was a once page document laying out a City Commission Protocol (pdf), an agreement signed by the Mayor, Commissioners, and City Auditor.
This ten-point agreement is not restricted to the timeframe of the Bureau Innovation Project, and instead seeks more generally to strengthen public trust, ensure an inclusive and collaborative process, and encourage transparency and accountability.
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