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Guiding Your Organization Through A Comprehensive Assessment Process Guiding Your Organization Through A Comprehensive Assessment Process
Clark Regional Wastewater DistrictJohn M. Peterson, P.E.
General Manager
Kim ThurExecutive Assistant
Clark Regional Wastewater DistrictJohn M. Peterson, P.E.
General Manager
Kim ThurExecutive Assistant
APWA Accreditation ProgramAPWA Accreditation Program
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• Comprehensive Assessment Benefits• Clark Regional Wastewater District
(CRWWD) Overview• APWA Program Overview• Self-Assessment Process• Accreditation Process• CRWWD Story• In Summary
AgendaAgenda
Comprehensive Assessment Benefits Comprehensive Assessment Benefits
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• Ensure effective & efficient operations– Consistent with customer expectations
• Ensure reliable, predictable service• Manage financial resources in
responsible, efficient & effective manner• Protect public & environmental health &
safety• Optimize use of existing facilities• Maintain financial transparency
• Measure against national standards• Identify “opportunities”
Comprehensive Assessment Benefits
Comprehensive Assessment Benefits
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• Improve professionalism & delivery of services
• Validation of staff & organization• Continuous improvement/cross-
function coordination• Training• Succession planning
Comprehensive Assessment Benefits
Comprehensive Assessment Benefits
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Comprehensive Assessment Benefits
Comprehensive Assessment Benefits
• APWA provides framework to achieve benefits – Assessment process
• Best national management standards– Good fit
• Applicable to all operations– Flexible
• Self-assessment or accreditation– Cost-effective– Recognized organization
CRWWD OverviewCRWWD Overview
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CRWWD OverviewCRWWD Overview
• Sewer district (RCW 57)– Full-service collection utility, est. 1958
• 3 member Board• 44 employees (administration, engineering, finance, maintenance)
– Rate / connection charge supported• $34 / month / ERU• $1,898 (local collection); $4,444 (regional treatment)
– $19.5M annual budget
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CRWWD OverviewCRWWD Overview
• Service area– 37 square miles– 34,000 ERUs– 80,000 people
• Infrastructure– 550 miles pipe – 50 pump stations
• Treatment (8 mgd)
– Clark County– City of Vancouver
CRWWDCRWWDCRWWD
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• Mission– Providing customer-focused, professional wastewater services in an
environmentally and financially responsible manner
• Vision– An active partner in Clark County, to support economic development
and to manage and protect water resources• Values
– Stewardship– Employees– Responsibility– Valued Partner– Innovation & learning– Communication– Efficient & Effective Solutions
CRWWD OverviewCRWWD Overview
APWA Program OverviewAPWA Program Overview
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APWA Program OverviewAPWA Program Overview
• Two Options– Self-assessment
• Process for internal checks & balances
• Refine policies & procedures
• Compare agency with national standards
– Accreditation (site evaluation)• Validates self-assessment
• APWA evaluators review compliance
• Become nationally accredited agency
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APWA Program OverviewAPWA Program Overview
• Pacific Northwest accredited agencies– City of Anacortes, WA– City of Bellevue, WA
• Transportation Department• Utilities Department
– City of Bend, OR– Clark Regional Wastewater
District– City of Eugene, OR
• Public Works Department– Pierce County, WA
• Public Works• Utilities
60 accredited agencies in North America
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APWA Program OverviewAPWA Program Overview
• Pacific Northwest agencies in progress– City of Albany, OR– City of Bothell, WA
• Public Works Department
– City of Lewiston, ID• Public Works Department
Self-Assessment ProcessSelf-Assessment Process
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Self-Assessment ProcessSelf-Assessment Process
– Software available• Select self-assessment
manager– APWA recommended skill-set
• Experience in organization• Knowledge of agency processes• People person• Organized• Decision-maker• Committed to success
• Public Works Management Practices Manual
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Self-Assessment ProcessSelf-Assessment Process
• Select chapters– 35 chapters contain 529 practices– Examples of chapters:
• Human Resource Management• Finance• Safety• Project Management• Potable Water• Wastewater Collection & Conveyance
– For CRWWD, 18 chapters & 289 practices applied (v. 5)
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Self-Assessment ProcessSelf-Assessment Process
– 29.1: Collection & Conveyance Management Plan
– 29.2: Operations Manual– 29.3: Records– 29.4: Infrastructure
Inventory– 29.5: Infrastructure
Condition– 29.6: Infrastructure
Management– 29.7: Facility Maintenance
& Inspection– 29.8: Inflow & Infiltration
– 29.9: Illicit Discharges– 29.10: Industrial
Pretreatment– 29.11: Energy
Consumption Reports
– 29.12: Sanitary Sewer Overflows
– 29.13: Testing Alarms– 29.14: Safety– 29.15: Long-Range System
Planning– 29.16: Capacity
• Chapter 29: Wastewater Collection & Conveyance Practices
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Self-Assessment ProcessSelf-Assessment Process
• Practice 29.5 Sample29.5 Infrastructure Condition
A record of the wastewater collection and conveyance system infrastructure condition is maintained and updated on a regular schedule.
Records of infrastructure condition are maintained and used in tracking maintenance and operating costs and identifying service needs to maximize life expectancy of the infrastructure.
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Self-Assessment ProcessSelf-Assessment Process
• Chapter 4: Finance - Practice 4.6 Sample4.6 Rate Setting
Rates are set for both internal and external customers for designated goods or services according to financial objectives, equity, efficiency and administrative feasibility.
Determination of the rate or price for a given good or service should take the cost of service analysis into account along with applicable laws and regulations. The characteristics of how and why the customer consumes the good or the service, the timing of payment for the good or service and the community’s sense of equity and efficiency are important factors in determining how and what the customer actually pays.
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Self-Assessment ProcessSelf-Assessment Process
• Self-assessment manager:– Assigns chapters– Maintains files– Tracks status– Provides progress reports– Finalizes practices– Submits approved practices to Director for
signature
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Self-Assessment ProcessSelf-Assessment Process
• Staff:– Review practices & compliance level
• Full • Substantial • Partial • Non-Compliance
– Provide explanation of compliance– Substantiate compliance level
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Self-Assessment ProcessSelf-Assessment Process
• Self-assessment completion:– Utilize results for continuous improvementOR– Submit results to APWA for certificate of
completion
Accreditation ProcessAccreditation Process
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Accreditation Process Accreditation Process
• Set budget– APWA costs– Staff time
• Create schedule• Submit application• APWA provides
– Agreement – Checklist
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Accreditation ProcessAccreditation Process
• Improve less than “Substantial” procedures
• Update – Documentation– Tracking Software
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Accreditation ProcessAccreditation Process
• Submit documentation• Submit site evaluation
request• APWA sends evaluation
team– 3 evaluators / 3 days
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Accreditation ProcessAccreditation Process
• Typical Site Visit– Sunday
• Welcome & orientation• Chapter 1: Organization & Strategic Planning• Tour
– Monday & Tuesday• Interviews – verification with examples
– Wednesday• Finish interviews• Evaluators review final results with agency• Done by 12 PM
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Accreditation ProcessAccreditation Process
• Accreditation recommended
• Awarded accreditation for 4-year term– APWA representative
• Continuous improvement– Biennial update– Substantial ratings
improved to Full – Re-Accreditation?
CRWWD StoryCRWWD Story
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CRWWD Story CRWWD Story
• Initially accredited 2005– Substantial & Full compliance
ratings• Sought re-accreditation 2009
– What we changed• Develop scope & schedule• Provide more engaging process
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CRWWD Story CRWWD Story
• Re-Accreditation kickoff breakfast (January)– Management served employees– APW-Yay!
• Update practices / documentation– 20% per month (Feb-Jun)– Regular status reports
• Internal review by:– Departments– Re-Accreditation Manager– Director
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CRWWD Story CRWWD Story
• Celebration BBQ – Materials submitted! (July)
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CRWWD Story CRWWD Story
• Site evaluation (August)– Interviewees with “observers”
• Awarded Re-Accreditation (September)– 100% practices Full compliance– Five model practices
• Organizational chart & description of duties• Policies & procedures review process• Strategic Plan• Claims reporting & investigation manual• Safety Manual
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CRWWD StoryCRWWD Story
• CRWWD Suggestions …– Make the commitment!
• Scope process• Allow staff time for process
– Express appreciation• Good food & friendly
services– Kickoff breakfast– Celebration BBQ
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CRWWD StoryCRWWD Story
• Key: Involvement!– Elected officials support– Practices in staff’s hands– Make it an event– Communicate, communicate,
communicate
In SummaryIn Summary
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In SummaryIn Summary
• It’s worth the effort– Ensures effective & efficient operations– Identifies opportunities– Measures against national standards– Improves professionalism & delivery of
services– Validation of staff/organization– Provides continuous improvement/
cross-function coordination– Platform for succession planning/training
“We are an improved organization due to the APWA accreditation process.” ~ Clark Regional Wastewater District
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Questions?Questions?
John Peterson Kim Thur General Manager Executive Assistant (360) 993-8819 (360) [email protected] [email protected] www.crwwd.com
Ann Daniels Director of Credentialing (800) 848-2792 [email protected]/About/Accreditation/
