You would expect that some town workers would be upset with a report that calls for reorganization of town departments and the outsourcing of some town-employee functions. But the widespread criticism of a recent report on the Public Works and Plant & Facilities departments seems to indicate Andover rather poorly spent $25,000 on an outside consultant to compile the report.
With such criticism aired, any valuable suggestions in the report may also fall by the wayside.
What makes the report seem destined to be another Andover dust collector?
For starters, some rather obvious bases weren't covered before recommendations were made. Matrix Consulting Group didn't talk to any of the school principals, even though 80 percent of the work done by the Plant & Facilities Department is done for the schools. It made no mention of multi-million-dollar operations such as snow plowing and solid waste disposal. The acting P&F director believes it did not adequately take into account how reorganizing the departments would affect use of a new town yard, which will be a $17 million or more investment if supported.
Former Plant & Facilities Director Joe Piantedosi, who has retired and will not be affected by any decision made as a result of the report, was so incredulous over the recommendations that he pounded out a six-page typed critique and attended the meeting where the report was presented. Even Town Manager Buzz Stapczynski, who came up with the scope of work for the consultant, was unimpressed. He told Townsman reporter Dustin Luca last week that none of the recommendations "in my estimation are earth-shattering. A lot of it we knew about."
This isn't the first time the town has seemed to throw money away on a consultant rather than relying on those paid or elected to perform analysis and take action. In 2010, the town paid $8,500 to the Massachusetts Association of School Committees to help with its superintendent search. Thirty-two people applied for the job and a search committee made up of parents and school staffers met with 10 of these applicants.
The Massachusetts Association of School Committees presented the town with four candidates. One was then-sitting Andover assistant superintendent Susan Nicholson. Another was a former Andover assistant superintendent, Marinel McGrath, who ended up being hired. The two others were Kelly Clenchy, a Maine superintendent who was looking to move closer to his wife's Massachusetts job, and Christopher Farmer, then superintendent of Gloucester schools, both of whom had applied for other superintendent jobs in the immediate area.
In other words, the $8,500 consultant provided the town with no candidates Andover wouldn't have quite easily found and attracted on it own.
Hiring an outside consultant can be a worthwhile endeavor, under specific guidelines. Here are two: Leaders - in this most recent case, the town manager - must very clearly and narrowly provide the scope of work for the consultant. Before the study begins, those with knowledge of the area should put together important information and be sure this information is understood by the consultant. Such simple preparatory work will allow the consultant to make the best, targeted use of its expensive time.
