What is the status of Town and School Department Efforts to Consolidate Shared Functions?

Currently, there are two consolidation initiatives actively underway in Andover: the integration of all Town and School IT (information technology) departments, and the consolidation of the Town and School Finance/Business departments.

IT Integration: After an in-depth study by a Town-appointed technology committee, the consulting firm Blum Shapiro was retained in November to develop a Town-wide Strategic Information Technology Plan, a process which will take approximately four months. The first step will be to develop a comprehensive inventory and assessment of the existing technology infrastructure and related organizational structure of all Town departments, including Andover Public Schools. Further objectives will include the following:

• Assess each department’s current and future technology related needs, identifying various challenges, emerging issues, and potential approaches
• Review the current IT organizational structure(s) and recommend structure(s) and staffing requirements for effective and efficient operations
• Recommend process improvements for departments listed within the request for proposal
• Develop a five-year strategic implementation plan based on the above assessments and reviews, including projected costs and recommendations on various options for capital and operational funding.

Town and School Finance/Business Functions: On November 4th, the Town Manager and Superintendent of Schools submitted a letter on behalf of the Board of Selectmen and the School Committee to the Department of Revenue requesting that they conduct a Consolidation Study of Town and School Finance/Business Functions. This consulting assistance is provided free of charge by the Department of Revenue, and is part of the Commonwealth’s effort to encourage municipalities to seek efficiencies wherever possible. On December 4th, Department of Revenue responded by letter that they anticipate starting a three-month project beginning in mid-January 2010 that will result in a report focusing on potential options and opportunities for achieving operational efficiencies, process improvements, and cost-savings. The analysis will include accounting, payroll, accounts payable, and purchasing, and will evaluate organization, management, staffing, policies, procedures, and physical location of the finance functions.