HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report 2409-3462CITY OF PALO ALTO
CITY COUNCIL
Special Meeting
Monday, October 07, 2024
Council Chambers & Hybrid
5:30 PM
Agenda Item
16.Approve Task Order 4.28 Dispatch Center Assessment as Recommended by the Policy &
Services Committee; Direct Additional Dispatch Center Work Discussed by Policy &
Services Committee Members be Considered When Reviewing the Proposed FY25 Audit
Plan; and Grant Authority to the City Manager to Execute any Necessary Privacy-Related
Agreements to Implement this Audit; CEQA status – not a project.
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City Council
Staff Report
From: City Manager
Report Type: CONSENT CALENDAR
Lead Department: City Auditor
Meeting Date: October 7, 2024
Report #:2409-3462
TITLE
Approve Task Order 4.28 Dispatch Center Assessment as Recommended by the Policy & Services
Committee; Direct Additional Dispatch Center Work Discussed by Policy & Services Committee
Members be Considered When Reviewing the Proposed FY25 Audit Plan; and Grant Authority to
the City Manager to Execute any Necessary Privacy-Related Agreements to Implement this Audit;
CEQA status – not a project.
RECOMMENDATION
1) The Policy & Services Committee and Office of the City Auditor recommends City Council
approve Task Order 4.28 Dispatch Center Assessment (Appendix A). The Dispatch Center
Assessment will take the place of Task Order 4.21 Purchasing Card Audit which will be deferred
to the FY25 Audit Plan.
2) Staff recommend allowing the City Manager to execute any privacy-related agreements with
the Auditor/Baker Tilly necessary for the Auditor to carry out Task Order 4.28. These agreements
are necessary under law to ensure that protected data, such as medical data, remains private
under federal and state laws and is only used for the specific purposes of this audit. These
agreements do not change the scope or cost of the audit.
Note: Policy & Services Committee members requested a proposal be submitted for additional
work related to the Dispatch Center Assessment (Appendix B). After researching this request, the
City Auditor recommends that an assessment of customer satisfaction be conducted in relation
to all police services and not just dispatch center services and be included as part of the FY25
Audit Plan discussion scheduled for later this calendar year.
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ANALYSIS
The Policy and Services Committee unanimously approved the task order for an assessment of
the Dispatch Center Assessment that can be found here: Staff Report #2407-33041
In addition, during the discussion, Policy & Services Committee members requested the Auditor’s
Office develop a proposal for augmenting the Dispatch Center Assessment scope of work to
include a customer satisfaction survey. As the primary objective of the Dispatch Center
Assessment is to evaluate dispatch center operations including staffing levels, call processing,
dispatching, and training, the City Auditor recommends City Council consider Council Member
Tanaka’s request for a customer satisfaction survey of dispatch services, forwarded by the Policy
& Services Committee, to be discussed as part of the FY25 Audit Plan rather than adding a
customer satisfaction survey to the Dispatch Center Assessment.
In developing a scope of work for a customer satisfaction survey of dispatch services, the City
Auditor considered several factors. Customer satisfaction surveys provide valuable feedback to
organizations about the services or products they provide. Key elements of a successful survey
are 1) defining the objectives of the survey; 2) choosing they type of survey to administer; 3)
appropriately designing the survey which includes defining an adequate sample size, response
rate, and questions; 4) deciding on a method of disseminating the survey to solicit the greatest
feedback; and 5) analyzing the results.
Of particular challenge in surveying customers of dispatch services is the nature of the services
being provided, the inability to survey recipients at the time of receiving services as it would be
inappropriate to do so, and the difficulty of soliciting responses from the target population. In
addition, since dispatch services are provided in response to emergency situations, defining what
constitutes good customer service is key and may include such factors as providing service that
is expedient, efficiently dispatching the call to the appropriate emergency response agency (fire,
police, EMS), providing accurate information to emergency response personnel and others.
However, many of these metrics are not necessarily known or easily identified by the caller who
is often in the midst of the crisis.
The City Auditor consulted with the Palo Alto Police Department on whether the Department
currently assesses customer satisfaction with dispatch services and whether such assessments
are a common industry practice. The Palo Alto Police Department does not currently conduct a
customer satisfaction survey but does audit dispatch calls to ensure they meet industry
requirements and for training purposes. This review process will be evaluated as part of the
Dispatch Center Assessment.
The City Auditor also asked the Police Department for information regarding industry practice
with regard to surveying dispatch customer service. The Police Department polled the Santa Clara
County Police Chief’s Association regarding the use of customer satisfaction surveys and received
1 Policy & Services Committee Meeting, August 23, 2024, Staff Report #2407-3304, Staff Report 2407-3304
(laserfiche.com)
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responses from over half of the group. Of the seven responding agencies, no agency explicitly
solicits feedback on dispatch center services.
FISCAL/RESOURCE IMPACT
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
ATTACHMENTS
APPROVED BY:
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES TASK ORDER
TASK ORDER FY24-4.28 Dispatch Center Program
Consultant shall perform the Services detailed below in accordance with all the terms and conditions of
the Agreement referenced in Item 1A below. All exhibits referenced in Item 8 below are incorporated into
this Task Order by this reference. The Consultant shall furnish the necessary facilities, professional,
technical and supporting personnel required by this Task Order as described below.
CONTRACT NO. C21179340
OR PURCHASE ORDER REQUISITION NO. (AS APPLICABLE)
1A. MASTER AGREEMENT NO. (MAY BE SAME AS CONTRACT / P.O. NO. ABOVE):
C21179340
1B. TASK ORDER NO.: FY24-4.28
2. CONSULTANT NAME: Baker Tilly Advisory Group, LP
3. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: START: August 15, 2024 COMPLETION: February 28,
2025
4. TOTAL TASK ORDER PRICE: $76,540
BALANCE REMAINING IN MASTER AGREEMENT/CONTRACT TBD
5. BUDGET CODE_______________
COST CENTER________________
COST ELEMENT______________
WBS/CIP__________
PHASE__________
6. CITY PROJECT MANAGER’S NAME & DEPARTMENT:
Lydia Kou, Chair of the City Council’s Policy and Services Committee
7. DESCRIPTION OF SCOPE OF SERVICES (Attachment A)
MUST INCLUDE:
SERVICES AND DELIVERABLES TO BE PROVIDED
SCHEDULE OF PERFORMANCE
MAXIMUM COMPENSATION AMOUNT AND RATE SCHEDULE (as applicable)
REIMBURSABLE EXPENSES, if any (with “not to exceed” amount)
8. ATTACHMENTS: A: Task Order Scope of Services B (if any): N/A
I hereby authorize the performance of the
work described in this Task Order.
APPROVED:
CITY OF PALO ALTO
I hereby acknowledge receipt and acceptance
of this Task Order and warrant that I have
authority to sign on behalf of Consultant.
APPROVED:
COMPANY NAME: Baker Tilly Advisory
Group, LP
BY:____________________________________
Name __________________________________
Title___________________________________
Date ___________________________________
BY:____________________________________
Name __________________________________
Title___________________________________
Date ___________________________________
Attachment A
DESCRIPTION OF SCOPE OF SERVICES
Introduction
Attachment A, the Description of Scope of Services, contains the following four (4) elements:
Services and Deliverables To Be Provided
Schedule of Performance
Maximum Compensation Amount and Rate Schedule (As Applicable)
Reimbursable Expenses, if any (With “Not To Exceed” Amount)
Services & Deliverables
Baker Tilly’s approach to conducting an assessment of the Dispatch Center Program involves three (3)
primary steps:
Step 1: Assessment Planning
Step 2: Control Review and Testing
Step 3: Reporting
Step 1 – Assessment Planning
This step consists of the tasks performed to adequately plan the work necessary to address the overall
assessment objective and to solidify mutual understanding of the project scope, objectives, process,
and timing between stakeholders and auditors. Tasks include:
Gather information to understand the environment under assessment
o Understand the organizational structure and objectives
o Review the City code, regulations, and other standards and expectations
o Review prior audit and/or assessment results, as applicable
o Review additional documentation and conduct interviews as necessary
Write an assessment program
o Refine objectives and scope
o Identify the assessment procedures to be performed and the evidence to be obtained
and examined
Announce initiation of the assessment and conduct kick-off meeting with key stakeholders
o Discuss objectives, scope, assessment process, timing, resources, and expectations
o Discuss documentation and interview requests for the assessment
Step 2 – Control Review and Testing
This step involves executing the procedures in the assessment program to gather information,
interview individuals, and analyze the data and information to obtain sufficient evidence to
address the audit objectives. The preliminary assessment objective is to: (1) Determine whether
the City’s Dispatch Center Program is operating efficiently and effectively to meet community
needs. Procedures include, but are not limited to:
Interview the appropriate individuals to gain an understanding of the organizational
structure, processes, and controls related to the Dispatch Center Program.
Review policies and procedures as well as the legislative and regulatory requirements to
identify the criteria to be used for evaluation of control program effectiveness.
Review overall Dispatch Center Program performance, including selecting a sample of
Dispatch Center Calls to test for efficiency and effectiveness of response and triage for
services.
Compare the performance, process, and controls against the best practices.
Step 3 – Reporting
In Step 3, the project team will perform tasks necessary to finalize assessment working papers,
prepare and review a draft report with the stakeholders, and submit a final report. Tasks include:
Develop findings, conclusions, and recommendations based on the supporting evidence
gathered
Validate findings with the appropriate individuals and discuss the root cause of the
identified findings
Complete supervisory review of working papers and a draft report
Distribute a draft report and conduct a closing meeting with key stakeholders o
o Discuss the results, finings, conclusions, and recommendations
o Discuss management responses
Obtain written management responses and finalize a report
Review report with members of City Council and/or the appropriate Council Committee
Deliverables:
The following deliverable will be prepared as part of this engagement:
Report
Schedule of Performance
Anticipated Start Date: August 15, 2024
Anticipated End Date: February 28, 2025
Maximum Compensation Amount
The not-to exceed maximum, inclusive of reimbursable expenses (as summarized below) for this Task is
$76,540. The not-to exceed budget is based on an estimate of 415 total project hours, of which 100 are
estimated to be completed by the City Auditor.
Reimbursable Expenses
If circumstances allow, Baker Tilly anticipates planning one on-site fieldwork week. Given this
possibility, Baker Tilly could incur reimbursable expenses for this Task.
The not-to-exceed maximum for reimbursable expenses for this Task is $8,500
The following summarizes anticipated reimbursable expenses (for three team members):
Round-trip Airfare - $2,000 (3 round trip flights)
Ground Transportation (car rental or Uber/taxi) - $1,500
Hotel Accommodation - $3,500 (12 nights)
Food and incidentals - $1,500
Confidential Information
1. In the performance of this Task Order, Baker Tilly (“AUDITOR”) may have access
to CITY’s Confidential Information (defined below). AUDITOR will hold Confidential Information in
strict confidence, not disclose it to any third party, and will use it only for the performance of its obligations
to CITY under this Task Order and for no other purpose. AUDITOR will maintain reasonable and
appropriate administrative, technical and physical safeguards to ensure the security, confidentiality and
integrity of the Confidential Information. This includes the use of encrypted, access-controlled storage for
any Confidential Information stored in electronic form. Notwithstanding the foregoing, AUDITOR may
disclose Confidential Information to its employees, agents and subcontractors, if any, only to the extent
they have a need to know in order to perform AUDITOR’s obligations to CITY under this Task Order and
for no other purpose, and provided that the AUDITOR informs them of, and requires them to follow, the
confidentiality and security obligations of this Task Order.
2. “Confidential Information” means all data, information, and materials of a non-
public, proprietary or confidential nature, in any form or medium, tangible or intangible, provided or
otherwise made available to AUDITOR by CITY, directly or indirectly, pursuant to this Task Order. For
this Task Order, such Confidential Information may include dispatch calls, dispatch radio/phone traffic
(including recordings, summaries, and transcripts of such traffic), dispatch logs and computer-aided
dispatch (CAD) data, observations of the dispatch service (including recordings, summaries, notes, and
transcripts of such observation), any information protected by law obtained by AUDITOR in conducting
this Task Order (including but not limited to criminal background data, customer utility data, medical
information, mental health conservatorship data, witness and victim identities protected by law, law
enforcement intelligence, law enforcement investigations, law enforcement personnel file information
protected by law, and “Personal Information” about a California resident as defined in Civil Code Section
1798 et seq., as amended from time to time)). In addition to the Confidential Information itself, AUDITOR
agrees that deliberations, conversations and discussions pertaining to the Confidential Information shall be
kept confidential and shall not be disclosed without approval of CITY, and any required reporting
incorporating Confidential Information will present findings in de-identified or summary formats as agreed
by the Parties.
2.1. Exceptions: Confidential Information excludes information that AUDITOR can show
by appropriate documentation: (i) was publicly known at the time it was provided or has subsequently
become publicly known other than by a breach of this Agreement and is not otherwise protected from
further sharing by law; (ii) was rightfully in AUDITOR’s possession free of any obligation of confidence
prior to receipt of Confidential Information; (iii) is rightfully obtained by AUDITOR from a third party
without breach of any confidentiality obligation; (iv) is independently developed by employees of
AUDITOR without any use of or access to the Confidential Information; or (v) AUDITOR has written
consent to disclose signed by an authorized representative of CITY.
2.2 Confidential Markings: As practicable, the Confidential Information shall be marked
with the words “Confidential” or “Confidential Material” or with words of similar import. To the extent
possible, the disclosing party (whether CITY or AUDITOR) shall endeavor to mark any electronic
document intended to be covered by the terms of these confidentiality provisions with the words
“Confidential” or similar words, shall notify the receiving parties (for example, by cover e-mail transmitting
the electronic document) that the electronic document is Confidential Information, and, for documents
shared via encrypted cloud storage, shall file such Confidential Information in folders so labeled. The
City’s failure, for whatever reason, to mark any material at the time it is produced to the AUDITOR, or to
notify AUDITOR that oral or electronic material is Confidential Information at the time it is provided, shall
not remove the material from the coverage of these confidentiality obligations, and the AUDITOR shall
treat the material as Confidential Information once the CITY has notified it that the material is to be covered
by these provisions.
3. Notwithstanding the foregoing, AUDITOR may disclose Confidential Information
to the extent required by order of a court of competent jurisdiction or governmental body, provided that
AUDITOR will notify CITY in writing of such order immediately upon receipt and prior to any such
disclosure (unless AUDITOR is prohibited by law from doing so), to give CITY an opportunity to oppose
or otherwise respond to such order.
4. AUDITOR will notify City promptly upon learning of any breach in the security
of its systems which impacts the Confidential Information as well as any unauthorized disclosure of, or
access to, Confidential Information in its possession or control, and if such Confidential Information
consists of Personal Information, AUDITOR will provide information to CITY sufficient to meet the notice
requirements of Civil Code Section 1798 et seq., as applicable, as amended from time to time.
5. Prior to or upon termination or expiration of this Task Order, AUDITOR will
honor any written request from the CITY to return or securely destroy all copies of Confidential
Information. All Confidential Information is and will remain the property of the CITY and nothing
contained in this Agreement grants or confers any rights to such Confidential Information on AUDITOR.
Notwithstanding the return or destruction of tangible Confidential Information as contemplated by this
subsection, AUDITOR and its representatives will continue to be bound by all obligations of confidentiality
with respect to the CITY’s Confidential Information.
Dispatch Center Customer Satisfaction Survey
We propose working closely with you or others you designate to develop a survey tool that will help you
understand how past customers feel about the service they received when they had an emergency and
dialed 9-1-1. When residents call 911, it is often the worst day of their lives, and how dispatchers handle
each customer is important. We understand the City is interested in hearing from their customers about
how they were treated when they called. We will work with those you designate to develop a survey
that accurately reflects how people feel about this critical service.
We have a great deal of expertise in developing community surveys. Every year we conduct dozens of
electronic surveys. This experience makes us adept at
▪Working with the client to attain the goals of the survey,
▪Developing clear questions that have only one meaning,
▪Providing a communication plan and accessibility that encourages participation,
▪Preparing understandable summaries of the survey results, and
▪Developing recommendations for the next steps.
We receive strong participation by developing an understanding of our client and providing anonymous
web-based, email-based, and hard copy surveys. Based on this expertise, we have prepared the
following work plan for the City of Palo Alto.
Activity 1 – Start Project
Baker Tilly will begin with a careful learning phase, starting with a planning meeting with you and others
you designate. The purpose of the meeting is to ensure the plan of work and schedule are precisely
tailored to your needs. Carol Jacobs, Managing Director, will meet with the City Manager, Police Chief
and Fire Chief to develop the topics and themes for the community survey.
Activity 2 – Design 9-11 Community Customer Satisfaction Survey
The design of the survey will be a collaborative effort between Baker Tilly and City staff. During this
activity we will design a draft survey instrument based on our expert knowledge of municipal
government, best practice survey questions, national standards for community engagement, and
collaboration with City staff. We will provide a copy for the draft survey for review. Based on feedback
from your project team we will add, remove, or edit questions.
While the draft survey will feature questions to capture customer satisfaction with the 9-1-1 service
they receive, we often include demographic information to help Palo Alto leadership develop future
training and identify issues the public may have with the service.
The survey will be designed to be completed online or on paper for those residents without access to
computers, or those who do not have computer skills. The survey will be anonymous with the only
potential identifying information being demographics of the respondents.
Activity 3 – Develop Communication Plan and Deploy Survey
Prior to deploying the survey, we will create a communication plan that will promote participation in the
survey. The plan will include steps to introduce the community engagement survey to residents and
businesses. It will include working with the City’s project team to identify all available external
communication tools that can be exploited to increase awareness and participation. Once we have
created a draft communication plan, we will review it with the City’s project team and make any
adjustments necessary based on feedback. This proposal includes translating the survey in up to 10
languages.
We will provide the city with a web-based survey to test prior to deploying it to residents and
businesses. Based on the communication plan, we will deploy the customer satisfaction survey, and it
will remain open until the close date of the agreed-upon survey.
During the survey period, we will monitor participation and provide updates to the City’s project team.
We will offer additional recommended language to encourage participation if needed,
After the survey closes, we will deliver the survey results to the City in multiple electronic formats
including the database of responses, a PDF summary, charts, graphs or other formats, as needed. We
will also provide the survey data in a format that allows review in crosstabs based on demographic
information.
We will also provide a brief memorandum that includes the survey results and recommendations for
improvements.
Project Team includes:
Kate Murdock
Carol Jacobs
John Burks – former Chief of Police, Brea CA
Mary Locey
Project cost: $25,000