Special Board Meeting February 25, 2011

Special Board MeetingFebruary 25, 2011

No Widespread Corruption

“I am pleased to report to the Metra Board and to the citizens of Illinois that we found no evidence of widespread or institutionalized fraud, waste or abuse in the Metra organization.”

Hillard Heintze, 2011

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Board of DirectorsTimeline

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Board Takes Swift Action

• Financial Practices & Reporting Review Committee

• Executive Committee• May 2010

•Engaged Hillard Heintze•Interim Office of Inspector General

(OIG)•Blackman Kallick

•Risk Assessment•Internal Controls Evaluation

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• Ordinance NO. MET 10-4• Metra OIG

• Ordinance NO. MET 10-07• Established Executive Committee

• Ordinance NO. MET 10-14• Non-Contract Employee

Handbook Employment Conditions

• Ordinance NO. MET 10-15• Special Contributions to 401(k)

Plan5


• Ordinance NO. MET 10-16• Nepotism

• Ordinance NO. MET 10-17• Whistle-blower

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Action Plan

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Ethics

“I understand that it is my job to expand upon this and to inspire and empower Metra’s employees to come into alignment with this critically important mission. I will push these reforms and others down through the organization. Most importantly, senior management must lead by example.”

February 4, 2011

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Ethics

• Lead by Example• Reinforce duties of Ethics Compliance

Officer compliant with new state statute• Develop ethics training programs• Teach ethics and integrity• Structure office and interactions

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Ethics

• Zero tolerance for fraud and abuse

• When updated, post Organizational Chart throughout the agency, the website and include in annual Metra Program & Budget document

• Metra employees will be reminded of Ethics Ordinance

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It’s a New Day

• Passenger Safety & Satisfaction

• Fiscal Responsibility

• Reform

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Blackman Kallick/Hillard Heintze

• Consolidated Findings• Organizational• Process, Hiring & Promotions• Information Technology• Compensation & Benefit• Discipline• Leadership• Metra Police• Strategic Planning• Ethics

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Organizational Issues

• Human Relations & Administration• Understanding of management

team• Management self-assessment of

senior staff within 30 days

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• Non-Contract Compensation Considerations• Return to Board Compensation Committee in

April with 2011 pay-increase recommendations

• Fiscal 2012 Initiate Pay for Performance• Subject to availability of funds• Notify non-contract employees of process• Mid-year 2011 reviews• Year-end and start-of-year reviews• HR to develop Pay for Performance alternatives

and present to Board Compensation Committee

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• Compensation Considerations• Human Resources Support - RFP• Comprehensive non-contract

classification and compensation study• Job specifications and salary ranges

as compared to peer agencies and other transit properties• Compression and hierarchy

• Present findings to Board Compensation Committee1

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• Employee Non-Contract Handbook Committee• Review peer agencies and other transit

properties’ policies• Update and add to Metra policies,

including:• Acting appointments• Take-home cars• Leniency reinstatements• Compensation

• Report back to Board Compensation Committee1

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• Revamp Five-Phase Succession Plan• Analyze Workforce (Contract & Non-

Contract)• Successor Candidate Identification• Compensation• Recruitment/Retention• Develop internal talent• Add new approaches• Mentoring and functional rotations

• Monitor, Evaluate & Revise17


• Internal Audit• With the assistance of Blackman

Kallick, develop annual enterprise risk assessment, internal audit and controls strategy

• Assist ED/CEO in other various audits and risk assessments

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Process, Hiring & Promotions

• Competitive process in place for all positions

• Any direct appointments require concurrence of ED/CEO and Board of Directors

• Hiring and promotion policies will be strictly followed

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• All applicants will be referred to HR

• Effective immediately:• The practice of “exploratory

interviews” is terminated.

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• Agency Wide• All non-contract salary and equity

increases will only occur if they are part of a Board-approved pay increase, a promotional opportunity or the result of a Board-approved salary equity review.

• ED/CEO in conjunction with the CFO will create a well defined budget process for the 2012 budget year and an expanded monthly variance process with root cause analysis.2

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• All timekeeping manual entries will be reviewed by managers

• Finance and Operations will engage an analysis of the high-overtime groups to determine the appropriate cost-benefit of hiring additional employees versus paying overtime.• Managers and supervisors tasked with

reviewing all overtime reports22

Information Technology Issues

“During our evaluation of the current processes, we identified inefficiencies that were directly related to outdated or absent information technology systems and applications.”

Blackman Kallick, 2011

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• Numerous systems 25 to 30+ years old

• Many key systems still operate on mainframe

• Over-reliant on paper-routing processes

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• Some do not have disaster recovery• High Priority • Update Needed in Financial Suites• Payroll• Accounts Receivable• Purchase Order• Accounts Payable• General Ledger• Disaster recovery

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“…Also, this project will provide funding for Metra to scope and prepare an RFP for replacement of its current financial systems with an adaptable modular system that can later be integrated into an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system that will comply with current financial system ‘Best Practices’.”– 2011 Metra Program & Budget Book

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• Kronos• Biometrics installed in remaining

engineering large facilities by March 31

• Evaluate timekeeping approach for 547 W. Jackson Blvd., police and smaller engineering facilities

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Compensation & Benefits Issues

• Work with HR and Blackman Kallick to provide comprehensive series of recommendations relative to health, pension and cost-avoidance

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• In the FY 2012 budget, enhance health and wellness programs

• Recommendations to be presented to Board Compensation Committee

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• Extend Blackman Kallick for Phase III assistance to accomplish the following:• Develop comprehensive annual

enterprise risk assessment, internal audit and controls strategy

• Develop comprehensive series of recommendations relative to health, pension and cost-avoidance

• Complete risk assessment for remainder of organization

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Discipline

“Our investigation confirmed that, in multiple instances, the absence of common policies and protocols for employee conduct and disciplinary actions led to confusion among employees about what consequences would result from specific behaviors.”

Hillard Heintze, 2011

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Discipline

• Develop program to train all managers and supervisors on proper progressive discipline

• Ensure consistency in practice

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Discipline

• Action Taken February 17

• Effective immediately, all proposed leniency reinstatements must be reviewed and approved by the CEO.• This change will remain in effect

until further notice.

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Current Management Flow Chart

Executive Director/CEO

LegislativeGeneral Counsel

Chief of Staff,Admin.

Customer Affairs

Media Relations/Website

Finance HR

General Admin.

Capital/Planning

Labor Relations

Board of Directors

Corp. Admin/Website Comm.

Exec. Sec’y

Audit

Dept. ED/Ops

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Current Management Flow Chart

Executive Director/CEO

LegislativeGeneral Counsel

Chief of Staff,Admin.

Customer Affairs

Media Relations/Website

Finance HR

General Admin.

Capital/Planning

Labor Relations

Board of Directors

Corp. Admin/Website Comm.

Exec. Sec’y

Audit

Dept. ED/Ops

Vacant Vacant VacantVacant

Vacant

Vacant

Vacant

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Leadership

• Chief of Staff• Interviewing end of February• In place by mid-to-end-of March

• Chief Financial Officer• Board concurrence to hire search firm• In place by late June or early July

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Leadership

• Capital & Strategic Planning• To be posted by end of March• In place by mid-April

• General Counsel• Posted until filled• In place by end of April or early May

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Leadership

• Legislative Affairs• Posted• In place by end of March or mid-April

• Labor Relations• To be posted by end of March• In place by end of May

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Metra Police

• Metra Police Department

• Beginning March 1• ED/CEO to review overtime reports for

police department on monthly basis • Review existing policies on backfilling

short- and long-term vacancies with overtime

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Metra Police

• Return to Board with recommendation for a comprehensive review of Metra Police Department organizational structure, responsibilities and external security contracts

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Strategic Planning

• Metra Non-Police Vehicle Fleet• Evaluate vehicle fleet and usage• Review all existing take-home vehicles

and uses• Review why vehicles are unmarked• Create policy for vehicles• Define uses for justification• Establish guidelines

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Strategic Planning

• Strategic/Capital Plan Review & Update• Strategic Plan Committee will update

existing long-range planning documents• Assess needs across the six-county region• Review current project scoring systems• Assign updated values to projects• Identify high-priority projects (safety,

state of good repair, obsolescence, etc.)• Identify funding strategies• Present to Board

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Strategic Planning

• Update Mission Statement, Goals, Objectives & Core Values• Team-Building Process• Board of Directors with executive

leadership• Facilitated event• Statement in place by end of third

quarter• Educate workforce on mission

statement, goals, objectives and core values

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Effective Immediately

• All proposed leniency reinstatements must be reviewed and approved by the CEO• This change will remain in effect until

further notice• The practice of “exploratory

interviews” is terminated• All timekeeping manual entries will be

regularly reviewed by managers• Managers and supervisors tasked with

reviewing all overtime reports44

Effective Immediately

• Review peer agencies and other transit properties’ policies and update Metra policies

• Initiate management self-assessment of senior staff

• Begin development of an RFP for support services for a comprehensive non-contract classification and compensation study

• Reach out to employees for suggestions on cost savings and efficiencies.

• Any direct appointments require concurrence of ED/CEO and Board of Directors4

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Special Board Meeting February 25, 2011

Documents

Transcript of Special Board Meeting February 25, 2011