JIMEE Committee Report – July 24, 2012

At the JIMEE meeting, we presented nine cost savings initiatives under consideration for further action. There was no consensus on which ones were the JIMEE Committee’s top priority. However, it appeared that modifying CAP rates, backfilling critical positions and using a peer review team during design are near the top of the list.
Cash rewards for employee suggestions may gain additional support from the Quality Productivity Commission’s (QPC) endorsement of the idea. The QPC also would like language in the monetary incentive recommendation instructing the City to create an atmosphere and culture for employees to use process improvement techniques, and to bring forth additional cost savings or revenue enhancement measures.
All parties agreed that having a best management practices manual for delivering project recommendations could assist the City in implementing infrastructure projects. Mandatory employee participation levels on technical agreements also received favorable discussion, but people wondered who would monitor them and whether the project manager would have enough on their plate with the small business inclusion goals.
Due to discussions with management, we may not act on the usage of overtime and the expansion and updating of Navigate LA with soil boring data.
Below are the recommendations to which the JIMEE tentatively agreed. Please review them and vote on your three favorites. Email your top three to Michael Simpson: michael.simpson@lacity.org.
Summary of recommendations by the Committee:

1. Create modified CAP rates for interdepartmental work.
2. Advertise expertise within MOU 8/17 Citywide. Using this expertise, promote the use of peer reviews through workshops on initial/concept plans for programs and projects. In addition, these peer reviews can be implemented during design phases (50 percent and 90 percent).
3. Revive an Employee Incentive Program on cost saving ideas. A committee will evaluate Quality, Productivity and Innovation ideas with possible monetary benefits.
4. Allow funded departments and/or funded positions to work a certain level of overtime to be capped at five percent.
5. Backfill vacant, funded and critical positions in MOU 8/17 and supportive positions of MOU 8/17 throughout the City.
6. Have a standardized citywide project delivery manual.
7. As an option and when feasible, allow and/or promote that each technical contract have a City employee participation level for the purpose of critical training and knowledge transfer. This would allow a blended team, and can implemented on a project by project basis.
8. Expand and/or update Navigate LA to include recent soil boring data and survey information.
9. Access consultant contracts between departments.
   

–Reported by Michael Simpson
Senior Environmental Engineer
Department of Public Works, Bureau of Sanitation