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Jefferson School Board Documents concerning 2003-2004 Consultant who was hired to
Audit All Jobs,
Audit Payable/Receivable System, and
Report to the Board, Staff, & Community
Apology: the various grammatical errors, primarily in the Request for Proposals and Mr. Plourde's letter of application, are in the original documents.

JEFFERSON COUNTY SCHOOLS

Consultant, Personnel Audit

Request for Proposals

The Board of Education of Jefferson County is in search of an individual/firm that has the appropriate combination of skills and experience to complete, in a timely fashion, a full review and audit of all personnel employed throughout the Jefferson County school system, and the current payable/receivable system used therein. The purpose and intent of this audit is to analyze the roles and functions that various individuals perform throughout the school system's operation, as well as identifying and highlighting needs within the system itself.

Specifics of Requirements

The successful respondent will address the following specific scope of this project:

• Experience and demonstrated ability in conducting personnel audits of multi-site and/or mid sized organizations

• Familiarity with the use of existing personnel/Human Resources laws as they pertain to the review of and identification of staff development, training, and improvement of employees as they relate to the West Virginia laws

• Experience in operational planning of a multi-site organization and the demonstrated ability to review and prepare for proposal issues that effect the growth of the organization that include staffing and work/job share structure
o Review of specific responsibilities of individuals and job requirements within an existing structure
o Reporting on the effectiveness of an existing structure and proposals for change with noted benebmarking
o Identification of overlap of operational functions and/or variances of procedures
o Review performance appraisal effectiveness and use thereof for evaluation of, training requirements, employee growth initiatives, and accountability for follow up correction of unacceptable issues
o Analysis of the systems for recruitment, retention, and development of employees

• Demonstrated ability to perform specified review and work schedule timely with effective interim presentations of findings and proposals in written and oral delivery

• Experience with discovery through oral interviews of employee role and functions concurrent with the daily operations of the structure under review

• Experience in review of receivables, requests for purchases, and chain of responsibility as relative to the expenditure of funding within an organization

• Experience in the development of budget controls and forecasting within an existing organization

• Demonstrated knowledge of compliance issues related to the scope of review

• Experience in the integration of software and technology to the work/job functions

• Possess excellent communication and negotiation skills, self-motivated, and direct

Expectations

Upon completion the following expectations are to be satisfied:

1. A complete audit of all current personnel, proposed changes to current structure of personnel, and identification of areas of concern within and the delivery of a structure plan of action

2. A complete review of the payables/receivables within the system, identification of concerns and/or abnormal transactions within the chain of authorizations and payments

3. Delivered job descriptions for all personnel that include minimum requirements and are function specific to include a work flow identification manual

4. A written report that synopsizes the data collected in a format that is to be easily understood and reviewed by the Board of Education, school system staff, and the community-at-large

5. Preparation of and delivery of oral presentations in a public forum regarding the scope of the audits and the results identified to an audience peers and constituents

6. Continued interaction with the school system staff under the supervision and direction of the Superintendent to develop any and all potential modifications, reassignments, or structured changes through budgetary considerations and growth

7. Assistance in a lead role in the identification of critical areas of need and an associated funding plan to address those areas

8. Make recommendations as to how technology and other supportive means outside the realm of personnel that can support the mission of service at a reduced cost

Scope and Payment

The selected individual/firm will commence work on or about October 31, 2003 and will complete the personnel audit as timely as practical, but final delivery of findings is to occur no later than the February 20, 2004.

The accompanied written report of findings and synopsis must be complete and ready for oral presentations on or before March 1^st 2004.

The review of payables/receivables and budgetary controls is to be commenced no later than 1 February 2004 and to be completed as timely as practical, but final delivery of findings is to occur no later than the 30^th of April 2004.

The accompanied written report of findings and synopsis must be complete and ready for oral presentations on or before May 21^st 2004.

Payment will be made, as a contracted vendor, at a fixed cost of $27.50 per hour and the documented number of hours is not to exceed two thousand hours for the contract. Interested parties should submit vitae and letter of interest to:

Dr. Steven Nichols
Superintendent
Jefferson County Schools
110 Mordington Avenue
Charles Town, WV 25414

Application deadline October 31, 2003

Minutes of the Jefferson County Board of Education, 11/4/03 Pages 8-9

Personnel Audit Consultant

Dr. Nichols noted that this position is recommended in order to provide an evaluation of central office staff, school, and site locations to make sure we are working as efficiently as possible. Three responses to the RFP were received. Of the three, Dr. Nichols recommended Gregory Plourde. Mr. Plourde will identify position functions and then develop a procedure to accommodate that function. He will work directly with the Superintendent and will provide regular written reports of his progress. Mr. Plourde will be starting at the central office, then all schools, maintenance and transportation. He will also be able to recommend technology usage/software, etc., as we know we are behind in this area.

Mr. Plourde was present at this meeting and presented a brief background of his past experience in this area, as well as responded to any questions posed by the Board.

Upon the recommendation of the Superintendent, a motion was made by Delores Milstead, seconded by Cheryl Huff, to approve Gregory Plourde as Personnel Audit Consultant. Lori Stilley recused herself and abstained from this vote since Mr. Plourde is a neighbor. Motion carried 4-0-1.

Mr. Plourde will begin work immediately, and his contract is not to exceed 2,000 hours at $27.50/hour. His work is expected to be completed by early spring and should assist the school system in finalizing its needs, both immediate and long term, to increase efficiency in support of any recommendation for additional personnel.

Letter of Application from Mr. Plourde

19 October 2003

Dr. Steven Nichols, Superintendent
Jefferson County Schools
110 Mordington Ave
Charles Town, WV 25414

RE: RFP -- Consultant, Personnel Audit

Dear Dr. Nichols.

It is by this notification that I am expressing interest in meeting the needs set forth in the most recent Request for Proposals as noted in the October 7^th Board of Education meeting.

I bring to the Board more than 12 years of Management of Personnel and Audits experience as associated with my background with the U. S. Department of Education, Post-Secondary Educational Programs, and performance audits conducted in conjunction with the fulfillment of duties of my pervious employers. The facilities/campuses that have been the focus of my work were both stand-alone and corporate controlled. They ranged from local to long-distance management, each with internal and external monitoring of procedures, budgeting & forecasting, and monthly summarizations of outcomes.

I have reviewed, conducted, summarized and presented annual audits in the following areas of responsibility:

Jobs skills and performance enhancement
Policy and Procedures implementation and compliance
Financial expenditures of government funded programs
Technical performance review of job protocols

I have presented forum based training session on the following:

Employee Performance
Due Diligence in Audit procedures
Audit Analysis to Improve Management Procedures

I have provided directed leadership for the use and implementation of software as it related to the companies I have been employed by. These packages included programs that, by their functions, managed the following types of data:

Student Data/Registration/Staff workload balancing
Funding Procurement
Cash Management Forecasting and monthly summaries

My expectations of meeting your proposal timeline and constraints are satisfactory with the delineated outline provided in the proposal by the Board.

I look forward to serving and meeting the needs of Jefferson County Schools.

Sincerely,
Gregory Plourde

Gregory J. Plourde
32 Turnberry Drive
Charles Town, WV 25414
[he provided email & phone, which I prefer not to post on web]

Summary of Qualifications
Visionary Leader and mentor who readily contributes to the bottom line--results, strategic planning, and operational improvements. Teaching experience as a member of the adjunct faculty (marketing and management) at Franklin Pierce College School of Continuing Studies.

Experience
Director, Financial Aid Operations
Gibbs College Vienna, VA
April 2002-April 2003

As Interim Director:
• Focused on strategic operational planning. Re-established office procedures, enrollment initiatives, and student/parent counseling
• Directed institutional improvement plan for personnel, established training guidelines for software programs
• Launched staff development, training, and continuous improvement of enrollment procedures, resulting in a 40% improvement in office productivity
• Administered Title IV, consumer programs, and external tuition plans--reduced current outstanding Title IV funds by 30% in a six month period, with the goal to eliminate past due funds within the year

Corporate Director. Regulatory Compliance and Operations
The Marco Group, Inc. Baltimore, MD
July 1998--December 2001

Results
• Achieved three consecutive fiscal year increases of 125% in revenue through improved enrollment management and retention of staff through directed employee improvement plans

Operational
• Developed institutional operational review format, maintaining focus on growth and retention including budget development and reduction of current year expenses
• Reported on Campus Cash/Title IV receivables and monthly projections
• Performed all audit functions required to maintain eligibility and compliance with external agencies; established internal audit and compliance review procedures as pertaining to Title IV regulations
• Negotiated contracts with vendors to increase collections of bad debt accounts
• Developed internal operational procedures for the Enrollment & Awarding Functions of campus operations
• Developed policy and procedures manual for Financial Aid Department/Business Office
• Converted default prevention operations to a combination of internal and external operations
• Assisted in the curriculum and course integration to maximize faculty-student ratios

Management
• Oversaw and directed 30 employees within the companies 10 satellite campus operational units, responsible for compliance with accreditation, state, and federal regulations
• Initiated and executed team development programs for campus directors and related staff
• Corporate liaison for software integration and development of common data elements

Area Director, Financial Aid Operations
Computer Learning Center, Inc. Alexandria, VA
May 1994-July 1998

Overall accountability for fiscal, budgetary, planning, and training of three satellite campus' departments servicing a total enrollment of 2500 students: Led a staff of 22 to support the logistics of awarding $25 million in aid.
Results
• Reduced default rates by 25%; increased collections by 15%
• Established the national Lender portfolio resulting in procurement of $100 million

Operations/Marketing
• Implemented relevant regulations (enrollment and retention criteria, evaluation points, and statistical data representations) into internal operations at each campus
• led the initiative for creating and developing the company's operational database
• Created and implemented counseling requirements for the school's loan programs
• Collaborated with the marketing group to develop "team concept" processing and awarding of financial aid
• Increased consumer awareness through program participation handouts and informative orientation seminars Performance Management
• Benchmarked and established job-related performance reference points
• Linked recognition program with performance objectives through the creation of a performance initiative program (Achiever's Club)

Corporate Director, Financial Aid
New England Tractor Trailer Training School Quincy. MA
March 1992--January 1994

• Managed activities related to the awarding, counseling, and disbursement of the Title IV programs from five campuses
• Responsible for staff recruitment, retention, and performance management; upgraded policies and procedures manual
• Implemented default management program; maintained program eligibility during Cohort Default rate challenges
• Performed internal process audits and analysis

Director, Financial Aid
Northeast Career Schools, Inc. Manchester, NH
March 1990--January 1992
• Created and developed Financial Aid Department; implemented the school's financial growth plan and created policies and procedures manual for the organization
• Responsible for staff recruitment, retention, and performance management (six staff in total)

Other Relevant Experience
New Hampshire Savings Bank and NH Higher Education Assistance Foundation
• Account reconciliation, compliance audits, and fund disbursement
• loan application processing, account reconciliation, and systems applications design/programming

Franklin Pierce College School of Continuing Education Studies (Marketing and Business Division)
• Lecturer--undergraduate level marketing and management courses. Developed course syllabi, preparation/presentation of lectures/discussion, and text evaluation

Education
MBA, New Hampshire College (now Southern New Hampshire University), Manchester NH, 1992
BA, Biology, Saint Joseph's College, Windham ME, 1988

Special Interests/Awards/Presentations
• Coach Administrator, Regional AYSO soccer program (1000+/- youths/90 coaches)
• U.S. Dept of Education Region LV Career Colleges Conference Round Table Discussion Member, 2001
• Presenter--Florida Association of Financial Aid Administrators, 2000--01
• U.S. Dept. of Education Pre-Certification and Training Workshop, 1999
• U.S. Dept. of Education Region V Proprietary Institution Regulatory Training Conference, 1999
• Professional Development and Training Committee DC-DE-MD Financial Aid Association 1997--98
• ECMC Default Prevention Focus Group member 1997--98
• Conducted Annual Institutional Training for Financial Aid Personnel 1996--99
• Recipient of the Director's Achiever's Club Award for Top Performance Fiscal Year 1996 and 1997
• Selected to the Proprietary Financial Aid Directors Focus Group held by the Department of Education Dec. 1995, and May 1997 for evaluation and review of Title IV publications
• Completed Team Management and Total Quality Management Seminar August 1995, February 1997