Yes

Organizational Assessments provide a thorough analysis of organizational structure, staffing levels, business process efficiency, and resulting levels of service and delivery. As with any successful business collaboration, we help cooperatives establish clear and documented objectives from the outset.

Organizational Assessment projects focus on the following key objectives:

  • Providing third-party functional subject matter expertise to assist in comprehensively analyzing the co-op's current organizational structure, job roles and responsibilities, and staffing levels to realign and better address current organizational challenges

  • Analyzing the core utility functions with specific focus on core processes and the baseline technical infrastructure used to enable those processes

  • Providing recommendations geared toward aligning organizational structure to enable flexibility and responsiveness

  • Providing validation for the effective work practices currently in place

Scope and Approach

Phase One: Pre-Project Analysis

Prior to the team's first on-site meeting, the NRECA team will review selected co-op documents, including organization charts, job descriptions, policies and operating procedures, marketing plans, and customer service data, as well as overall financial data. As part of this important analysis, key performance ratios are compared with those of similar distribution systems to identify areas of potential concern. The co-op's data are entered into a performance model for analysis, determination of key indicators and peer group comparison.

Phase Two: Functional Analysis

To begin the on-site work, we conduct a series of meetings with the CEO/general manager and key staff to introduce the project, answer questions, and refine timetables and schedules. The co-op's overall strategic direction and organizational goals are also clarified at this time. Following this executive kick-off, a series of individual meetings with staff and selected employees are held to gather information about the current operating procedures, work practices and work scheduling.

These interviews help the project team develop a more complete understanding of the underpinnings of the organization. We have found that these interviews also build considerable support and buy-in for the project's overall results and recommendations.

Phase Three: Process and Facilities Review

In this phase, we review and analyze current processes, policies, and procedures and identify and describe how they subsequently hinder, impact, or strengthen desired levels of efficiency and effectiveness. The process analysis involves reviewing the process activities for improvement opportunities, including areas of inconsistency, disconnects in service, duplication of efforts, sources of rework or errors, bottlenecks hindering response time and overall communication barriers. A tour of the co-op's facilities and system backbone is also typically conducted at this time.

Phase Four: Final Report and Recommendations

In addition to ongoing communication and interim project documentation, a final written report is developed, including recommended changes to policies and operating procedures. This report is typically delivered to the CEO/general manager on the last day of the project, as well as to the board of directors at a special or regularly scheduled board meeting.

For more information, contact Henry Cano at henry.cano@nreca.coop or 602-621-3905.