Hire a Consulting Firm: A Solution for Overburdened Communities
We see it all too often: overburdened and significantly overburdened state, county, and local municipalities – whether it be governmental authorities or other entities- struggle to find and keep the key talent they need to ensure the well-being of their communities. Amidst financial constraints, political pressures, rapidly escalating salaries, outdated technology or software, and capacity issues, these municipalities find themselves in a relentless cycle of turnover with in-house staff.
Government entities seek individuals to fill key positions, which often require quality experience, higher education, licenses or certifications, and the capacity to fulfill crucial responsibilities serving the public community as a whole. However, the financial strain on overburdened municipalities makes it difficult to attract and retain such talent. This results in a disconnect between candidates with the expertise needed to impact the community and those the municipality can afford to employ.
As a result, municipalities often find themselves empty-handed and searching for a professional. Because of this imbalance, Metro Consulting Associates (MCA) proposes a solution: hire a consulting firm to fill the position.
“Outsourcing some professional services to a firm is the most cost-effective and efficient solution for overburdened municipalities, whether it be on the state, local, or county level. It solves the governmental authority or entity’s short-term problems and provides long-term solutions.”
Moreover, the municipality receives access to diverse skill sets and tailored problem-solving. Whether it be grant and loan writing, infrastructure maintenance activities, or revitalizing roads, hiring a consulting firm allows the ability to connect with the exact subject matter expert required in each situation.
Metro Consulting Associates was appointed Director of the City’s Water Department in 2016 and currently manages billing rates, operations and maintenance, and the overall day-to-day operations of the water and sewer systems including the customer service center. With City administration assistance, our team created a rate structure, revised annual budget structure, and fee schedule for the Water Department that ensured the $10 million annual budget fulfilled City needs and goals.
For instance, if problems arise and the government entity needs assistance with asset management, it does not have to hire a GIS Analyst; rather, the municipality can utilize its engineering consultant, who has multiple GIS Analyst of various skill sets, along with the software and infrastructure to store information for the entity. By not having to pay the full salary and benefits of a professional and utilizing that selected professional for the needed task(s) under the selected consulting firm’s contract, the municipality is able to save its limited budget, without compromising on quality.
Should the consulting firm lack the exact specialist the municipality needs for the particular task(s), the firm may have the capacity to quickly onboard the necessary personnel and fulfill that need.
For example, since working as the Water Department Director & City Engineer for the City of Highland Park, MCA’s Municipal Team has expanded its services and personnel, such as onboarding GIS Analysts and Certified Water Operators. We have also increased our flexibility in meeting all the needs of a particular client.
Learning how to do more with fewer resources is critical while working in an overburdened community. This requires a dynamic, daring, diverse skillset and the ability to apply different problem-solving solutions. Generally, firms have an arsenal of experienced staff who are prepared to resolve any issues arising.
One of the most difficult things to adapt to while working for a municipality is learning the nuances and politics of each community while meeting the needs for the greater good of the public. Professional consulting firms who work with municipalities have that experience, in addition to possessing the ability to remain neutral and above the fray. The firm understands the politics behind the work and the importance of staying neutral among ever-changing leadership to continue serving that community.
Throughout the past decade of building a lengthy portfolio with overburdened municipalities as clients, MCA has adapted to new challenges presented by these entities and industry changes. We have learned how to confront the status quo and ignite our team’s passion for being solution-driven professionals.
From bringing diverse experts to MCA, our firm is able to supply a variety of professional services, including civil engineering, GIS analyses, construction assistance, field operations, land survey, grant and loan writing assistance, and departmental and project financial oversight, ensuring we can provide the right solution to each state, county, and local government entity.
With nearly 20 years of experience in civil engineering, municipal services, and development consulting, Jarion expertly juggles between the roles of project oversight, technical design, and agency and client coordination to deliver successful results.
