Plant_City_FO_-_CPSE_SAM_with_Site_Study_Proposal_-_3.4.24.pdf

info@cpse.org – 703-691-4620 – www.cpse.org

Self-Assessment Manual Facilitation with Site Study Proposal

To Plant City Fire Rescue

604 East Alexander Street Plant City, Florida 33563

Jeremy Sidlauskas Fire Chief

March 4, 2024 mailto:info@cpse.org http://www.cpse.org/

SELF-ASSESSMENT MANUAL FACILITATION with SITE STUDY PROPOSAL

CONTENTS

THE CPSE DIFFERENCE

BENEFITS OF SELF-ASSESSMENT

SCOPE

PROJECT FRAMEWORK

PROJECT TIMELINE

DELIVERABLES

CPSE RESOURCES

ESTIMATED FEES AND EXPENSES

ASSUMPTIONS

INQUIRIES

SAMPLE STATEMENT OF WORK

THE CPSE DIFFERENCE

The mission of the Center for Public Safety Excellence® is: “To lead the fire and emergency service to excellence through the continuous quality improvement process of accreditation, credentialing, and education.”

By teaching, coaching, guiding, and advising, CPSE®’s Technical Advisor Program® (TAP®) strives to provide agencies the tools to internalize continuous quality improvement and thereby achieve excellence.

TAP places great importance on thorough preparation for each project including:

• A clear understanding of the agency’s background, goals and objectives, and the complex issues they are facing,

• A work plan that is comprehensive, well designed,

• Sufficient resources and a commitment to successfully complete the project within the desired time frame at a reasonable cost, and

• Assignment of expert resources in project management and technical support to guide an agency as they work towards accreditation.

It has been TAP’s experience that the most successful self-assessment efforts have involved members from all ranks and positions within a fire service agency. CPSE’s self-assessment model’s process focuses on identifying systems and resources available to provide emergency service, measuring the effectiveness of each service delivery program, and developing plans for continuous improvement.

BENEFITS OF SELF-ASSESSMENT

Fire and emergency services agencies find themselves living in a world between public service and private demand. With common goals of reducing property and life loss and promoting employee safety, the agency has to make choices. Before making choices, however, the agency must know its current status….that’s where the self-assessment provides value.

Self-assessment is an excellent way of coping with the rise of performance-based budgeting. This type of budgeting requires measuring, benchmarking and analysis, all of which are encompassed within the self-assessment process. Government accountability has also been an emerging trend for the last few decades.

Self-assessment provides a reliable response to increased oversight by managers and elected officials and potential criticism from the community.

Perhaps the greatest benefit to accreditation is the self-assessment process. The willingness of those most familiar with the internal operations of an agency to identify strengths and weakness is often a game changer. By shifting the focus of assessing the department from an inventory-based system (e.g. number of staff, number of vehicles, or number of inspections conducted) to an organizational performance-based

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

system (e.g. staff training levels, vehicle conditions, or resolution of issues identified during inspections), the agency begins to focus on outcomes rather than outputs. The ability for an agency to tell its story using empirical-based data rather than anecdotes is vital during budget requests and in anticipating and coping with change.

Noted below are the benefits of conducting a self-assessment:

• Raises the profile through the promotion of excellence

• Encourages quality improvement

• Ensures the agency has a defined mission and related objectives

• Identifies areas of strengths and weaknesses

• Allows for the establishment of a plan for improvement

• Communicates management and leadership philosophies

• Facilitates input from and builds positive relationships with labor

• Encourages the development of organizational procedural documents

SCOPE

Most fire service agencies desire a process that allows them to identify exactly how well they are able to meet the community’s needs and expectations for emergency services delivery; however, some fire service agencies lack the dedicated resources, understanding, and/or clear direction toward accomplishing this goal.

The Self-Assessment Document Facilitation process typically takes six - eight months and includes:

• Customized writing instruction for all agency writers and complete orientation in the CFAI accreditation process, and

• A critical review of all agency writing through shared website and web-based meetings.

Expected outcomes include a Self-Assessment Document that will provide a description, appraisal, and plan with references as required by the 10th Edition CFAI accreditation model, as contained in the Quality Improvement for Fire and Emergency Services. Eleven categories represent the CFAI model:

1. Governance and Administration

2. Assessment and Planning

3. Goals and Objectives

4. Financial Resources

5. Community Risk Reduction Program

6. Physical Resources

7. Human Resources

8. Training and Competency

9. Essential Resources

10. External Systems Relationships

11. Health and Safety

PROJECT FRAMEWORK

The process of conducting a self-assessment is systematic, but also requires an understanding of the various components that drive a modern fire service agency. While no one person is likely to be an expert in all of the components assessed, each agency has members with specialized knowledge or who possess specific skills to research the information needed. The key to self-assessment is going through the process with the understanding that success is based on the ability to conduct an honest and forthright evaluation of what an agency is doing in comparison to the stated standards in the accreditation model.

Those conducting a self-assessment must commit to truly assessing what is going on within the agency, even if the assessment reveals that the agency is not doing things as well as once thought. This honest and forthright evaluation is what helps agencies improve and ultimately deliver a higher-quality service to their community and making the industry better. An agency must consider and commit to this when approaching the self-assessment process.

The chart below illustrates the general flow of events for a comprehensive self-assessment:

PROJECT TIMELINE

There will be three primary stages to this project. Once this proposal is accepted, a detailed Statement of Work (SOW) will be built that addresses the details for these stages, their timing, and the roles that CPSE and the agency will play in their completion. A sample SOW is provided at the end of this proposal. Once a signed professional services agreement (PSA) and a finalized SOW is received, CPSE can begin work on this project within 30 days and complete the project within 6 - 8 months.

1. Project Executive Orientation

2. CFAI Accreditation Model and Self-Assessment Instruction

3. Self-Assessment Document Preparation, Review, and Finalization

4. Site study (simulated CFAI accreditation on-site assessment) with report

DELIVERABLES

CPSE is responsible for the following deliverables:

1. Statement of work with project objectives and agreed upon timelines and fee schedule;

2. Shared web site construction and training for CPSE and agency use;

3. All necessary CFAI Model document set-up for agency use;

4. Twelve hours of on-site facilitative activity to include:

a. One (1) CPSE technical advisor instructional delivery and writing activity work sessions on the CFAI Model requirements of self-assessment

5. CPSE subject matter expert feedback on all draft category documents; and

6. Facilitation of up to eleven (11) 60-minute CPSE facilitator/agency web meetings for draft document review and/or discussion, as requested by the agency.

7. Three-day self-assessment site study with a minimum of three TAP advisors.

8. One (1) digital copy of the self-assessment site study report to use as a guide as the agency considers its readiness for CFAI Candidate Agency status.

CPSE RESOURCES

CPSE’s Technical Advisor Program Manager oversees every project to ensure that the end result of each project is a satisfied client whose expectations are fully met. Guiding publications and instructional workbooks will be provided for the agency’s accreditation team.

ESTIMATED FEES AND EXPENSES

CPSE has estimated the following fees and expenses for this project:

The proposed cost for CPSE to facilitate the development of the Plant City Fire Rescue’s Self-Assessment Manual with Site Study is $44,700.00.

This proposed cost includes all technical advisor time and travel expenses to facilitate the Self-Assessment Document facilitation process. The facilitation process events will be scheduled according to the agreed upon statement of work (SOW). Any additional travel requested and approved by the Plant City Fire Rescue will be billed by CPSE at actual cost and is above and beyond the proposed cost above.

ASSUMPTIONS

• The Plant City Fire Rescue is a municipal fire service organization that protects the residents, businesses, and visitors of the City of Plant City, Florida.

• Chief Timothy Mossgrove is the key contact for this project.

• CPSE is not aware of any specific procurement requirements for this project. Please provide any specific procurement requirements to CPSE prior to the issue of a professional services agreement for this project work.

• The purpose of CPSE’s Technical Advisor Program (TAP) is to coach, mentor, guide, and assist fire service agencies. Agency representatives will play an active role in developing their self-assessment document.

• This proposal is valid for a period of sixty (60) days.

• CPSE and the Plant City Fire Rescue will execute a professional services agreement prior to the start of this project.

• CPSE and the Plant City Fire Rescue will execute a statement of work governed by the professional services agreement prior to the start of this project that will be the sole document to govern the scope, methods, terms, and deliverables of this project.

INQUIRIES

Please contact CPSE with any inquiries regarding this proposal:

Brian R Dean, CFO Technical Advisor Program Manager Center for Public Safety Excellence 1900 Reston Metro Plaza, Suite 600 Reston, VA 20190 Office: (703) 691-4620 Direct: (703) 219-8166 Email: bdean@cpse.org mailto:bdean@cpse.org

SAMPLE STATEMENT OF WORK

Contract Price: $44,700

Project Steps Step Details Step Timing Step Responsibility

Step Billing

1. Project Acceptance

• Finalized statement of work

• Signed professional services agreement

• Construction of updated shared web site

By TBD CPSE and

Plant City Fire Rescue

(1/10 of Contract

Price)

2. Project Executive Orientation

• Discussion of final SOW and identification of resources need for each step

• Overview of the shared web site By TBD CPSE N/A

3. Self-Assessment Writing Team Instruction

• Instruction of the CFAI Model competencies and writing requirements for agency Self-Assessment Manual

TBD and TBD CPSE (2/10 of Contract

Price)

4. Upload of SAM Categories 1,3, and 4

• Agency upload of Category 1 Draft

• Agency upload of Category 3 Draft

• Agency upload of Category 4 Draft

By TBD Plant City Fire Rescue N/A

5. Technical Review of Categories 1, 3, and 4

• Technical Advisor review and comment on Categories 1, 3, and 4

By TBD CPSE N/A

6. Upload of SAM Categories 2 and 5

• Agency upload of Category 2 Draft

• Agency upload of Category 5 Draft; Criteria

A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, (J, K, L, if applicable) By TBD Plant City Fire

Rescue N/A

7. Technical Review of Categories 2 and 5

• Technical Advisor review and comment on Category 2, and the Criteria of Category 5

By TBD CPSE (2/10 of Contract

Price)

8. Upload of SAM

Categories 6, 7, and 8

• Agency upload of Category 6 Draft

• Agency upload of Category 7 Draft

• Agency upload of Category 8 Draft

By TBD Plant City Fire Rescue N/A

9. Technical Review of Categories 6, 7, and 8

• Technical Advisor review and comment on Categories 6, 7, and 8

By TBD CPSE N/A

10. Upload of SAM Categories 9, 10, and 11

• Agency upload of Category 9 Draft

• Agency upload of Category 10 Draft

• Agency upload of Category 11 Draft

By TBD Plant City Fire Rescue N/A

11. Technical Review of Categories 9, 10, and 11

• Technical Advisor review and comment on Categories 9, 10 and 11

By TBD CPSE (2/10 of Contract

Price)

12. Final SAM Web Meeting (optional)

• Final technical advisor review and wrap up of SAM categories and criteria

• CPSE & agency exhibit preparation and site study discussion

By TBD CPSE and

Plant City Fire Rescue

N/A

13. Self-Assessment Site Study

• Site work activity by 3 technical advisors to evaluate the agency’s CFAI model work

TBD through TBD CPSE N/A

14. Self-Assessment Site Study Report

• Technical advisor report and recommendations for agency to consider before becoming a CFAI candidate agency

By TBD CPSE (3/10 of Contract

Price)