Southeast Connecticut Council of Governments - Shared Services Opportunity Study
In 2014, the Southeastern Connecticut Council of Governments (SCCOG) was awarded a grant from the Regional Performance Incentive Program (RPIP) via the State of Connecticut’s Office of Policy and Management to support a review of shared service opportunities among SCCOG’s member municipalities. CGR was engaged to identify potential shared services, staff and equipment that southeastern Connecticut could readily implement with little or no upfront costs to save tax dollars while providing better service to their constituents; identify other future shared services, staff and equipment that southeastern Connecticut could apply in future RPIP grant funding rounds to save tax dollars while providing better service to their constituents; and provide a model to other regions and municipalities in the state as to how to evaluate the potential for and to implement the sharing of services, staff and equipment in their respective jurisdictions. CGR identified 33 existing shared arrangements involving SCCOG member governments, spanning 15 service areas. Related, CGR documented how SCCOG’s shared services ecosystem is characterized by five “sharing communities” which could serve as a foundation for expanding existing sharing or introducing new shared frameworks. The communities tend to involve common partners; are geographically concentrated; differ in size and the extent of their connections; and often rely on non-municipal / third party service providers as important “connective tissue” on specific services, such as health. New or expanded shared service opportunities identified by CGR spanned 11 service areas, including public health, animal control, tax assessment, public works, planning and general administrative services.
Report Date: Jan 2018
Author(s): Joseph Stefko
, Steve Hanmer
, Paul Bishop
Subject(s): Shared Services/Consolidation
, Financial/Budgetary Analysis
, Government Reorganization/Dissolution
Location: New Haven, Connecticut