Development Services Review. Final Report. Zucker July 2016

functional before aggressively implementing the additional “modules”. We concur that this is a reasonable approach to help ensure that the features currently available to customers are not lost during the transition process to the new system. However, we have seen many cities that use this approach falter in their efforts to implement the additional enhancement. For many staff members they feel as though this project has introduced a significant burden to the workload they are already being asked to carry. With the implementation of the first “basic” phase of the new system, there will be a tremendous temptation for some staff to refocus their attention on other projects that have been previously sidelined rather than continue to diligently pursue implementation of the additional enhancements. The team that has been created from individuals of each participating Department and Division should not be disbanded once the initial implementation phase has been completed. Staff that has been retained for the explicit purpose of providing relief so that these experts from each section could participate in the team efforts should not be immediately reassigned or relieved. Our experience has shown that there will still be a significant amount of fine-tuning, including creating reporting systems for performance standards, that will need to be completed. Prematurely disbanding this team will likely result in significant loss of the momentum necessary to achieve the ultimate goal of implementing all of the desired modules. 16. Recommendation: The internal TRAKiT Implementation Team should be retained to facilitate fine-tuning of the basic program and implementation of the numerous enhancement modules. 17. Recommendation: Full-time and part-time staff assigned to perform the day-to-day work of TRAKiT Team members should not be reassigned or dismissed until the additional software modules have been successfully implemented. One of the most apparent issues we observed during our interviews was the difficulty the designated in-house project manager for the TRAKiT system, an Associate Planner, was experiencing in allocating sufficient time to focus attention exclusively on moving forward with the system’s implementation. This individual is apparently expected to handle a planning caseload, manage the Geographical Information System (GIS) and act as the project manager for implementing the TRAKiT system. We have participated in many cities installing new permit systems. One of the biggest issues we experience is the lack of appropriate high-level staff to lead and manage the effort. We believe Morgan Hill needs to reinforce the needs to provide either additional staff or consulting service to assist with TRAKiT implementation.

Morgan Hill, California

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Zucker Systems