November 10, 2005
Ms. Debbie Van Saun
Assistant City Manager
City of Lawrence
PO Box 708
Lawrence, KS 66044
Dear Debbie,
Thank you for the opportunity to submit a proposal for Management Partners to conduct the City Commission’s annual Goal Setting Retreat in January 2006.
The Commission has an annual retreat for Goal Setting, and I have reviewed the results of the prior goal setting sessions. We would be pleased to facilitate a retreat in two, four hour increments that would result in Council Goals for the upcoming year. The approach we have prepared is designed to realize that objective while building on the work previously accomplished by your organization.
We have divided the plan of work into three components that together will assure that the City has a good, professional process and result.
Activity 1 – Prepare for Council Goal Setting. Management Partners will begin this project by reviewing the previous goal setting outcomes from each of the last three years. Next, each member of the City Commission would be interviewed via telephone to discuss the issues that they feel will be most important over the next few years. The outcome of this activity will be to prepare a draft agenda and recommended process that will be reviewed with the City Manager, Mayor and others as appropriate in advance of the retreat. We will also collaborate with City staff about what preparatory materials will be provided to the Commission in advance of the session.
Activity 2 – Plan and Facilitate Goal Setting Workshop. Management Partners will plan and facilitate the Council’s goal setting workshop. We will plan appropriate activities so that Council has ample opportunity to discuss issues and identify their priorities.
Activity 3 – Prepare Report. Once the workshop is complete, Management Partners will prepare a report that summarizes and documents the result of the retreat. The document will provide a frame of reference for the City’s Management Team in the coming year to assist in work planning, and will provide summary information that the Commission can formally “adopt” if desired. This document will provide a road map for accomplishing Council’s expectations.
Facilitator
The retreat will be facilitated by Julia Novak. Julia is Regional Vice President for Management Partners and in that capacity directs the work of our eastern office. She has extensive experience conducting retreats and training sessions with governing bodies, and maintains ongoing relationships as facilitator with the cities of Shoreline, Washington; Eugene, Oregon and Billings, Montana. Julia has conducted training sessions for the National League of Cities and the International City/County Management Association. A complete bio is attached for your reference.
References
City of Shoreline, Washington: Steve Burkett, City Manager
Julie Modrzejewski, Assistant City Manager
(206) 546-1790
City of Eugene, Oregon: Dennis Taylor, City Manager
Lynda Rose, Council Coordinator
(541) 682-5510
City of Billings, Montana: Tina Volek, Acting City Administrator
(406) 657-5510
Cost Proposal
Management Partners will complete the proposed plan of work described above for a fixed fee of $3,500 plus expenses. We look forward to the possibility of working with the Lawrence City Commission.
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Sincerely,
Julia D. Novak
Regional Vice President
Accepted by:
Name:
Title: _________________________
Date: _________________________
Julia D. Novak
Julia D Novak joined Management Partners in May 2003 as a Regional Vice-President. Julia brings over sixteen years of local government management experience, and is also an experienced consultant, trainer and facilitator who has worked with numerous organizations and community groups. During her local government career, she worked in Fort Collins, Colorado; Lexington, Massachusetts; Rockville, Maryland; and was City Manager of Rye, New York. Julia has focused her professional life on developing “community” in organizations and cities. Board development, employee feedback, process management, facilitation, training, and leadership development are among Julia’s areas of specialty.
In September 2000, Julia was the recipient of the Assistant’s Excellence in Leadership Award given by the International City/County Management Association for the work she did “building community” and “increasing organizational capacity” during her four and a half years as Deputy City Manager of Rockville, Maryland. Julia was the guiding force behind Rockville’s successful Community Visioning process called: Imagine Rockville, Creating the Future. She developed the community neighborhood resource program and civic education program called “Rockville University.”
In April 2002 Julia was one of twenty “practitioners” who participated in the ICMA sponsored symposium on the Future of Local Government Administration. Her response to Dr. James Svara’s paper on “City Council, Roles, Performance, and the Form of Government” is included in the ICMA published book The Future of Local Government Administration.
Julia has been a speaker at National Conferences for the International City/County Management Association, National League of Cities and American Society of Public Administrators. In addition she has been a featured speaker/trainer for the Metropolitan (DC) Association of Local Government Administrators and the Illinois Assistant Municipal Managers Association.
Julia received her Bachelors Degree in Government and Politics from George Mason University, and her Masters Degree in Public Administration from the University of Kansas. Julia is certified to administer several Level-B Psychological Assessments, including the Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator (MBTI), the Apter Motivational Styles Profile (AMSP) and the Strength Deployment Inventory (SDI). In addition, she has completed training in popular Level-A Assessments, including the Thomas-Killman Conflict Modes Inventory and the Human Element-B (FIRO-B).