Streets and Parks Divisions Assessment for Lowell, MA

The City of Lowell requested an assessment of the Public Works Department’s streets and parks divisions to determine if operational efficiencies could be implemented or if the consolidation of resources could be utilized.

Challenge

This historical City near Boston has a significant number of parks to maintain as well as street assets, including lights, sidewalks, and internal vehicle maintenance. These functions are managed by two divisions within the Public Works Department, and due to weather impacts, staffing difficulties, and organizational challenges, require a thorough review for recommended changes to assist in providing superior services. Primary areas of focus included:

• Lack of asset management and work management systems.
• The current organization of maintenance teams throughout the City is inefficient in planning and coordinating work.
• Management of specialized assets such as cemeteries with a significant public impact.
• Maintenance and upkeep of necessary equipment and supplies to meet the City’s maintenance needs due to the age of assets in the City.

Solution 

Our team conducted an assessment of the functions provided by these two divisions and analyzed their impacts beyond the Divisions throughout the Public Works Department. This assessment led to recommendations, including the following:

• A restructuring of the way the divisions maintain and manage fleet and equipment assets to keep them online and provide support to personnel.
• Incorporation of work management systems and functions to assist in coordinating and scheduling activities.
• Development of standard operating procedures to provide consistency in operation and to assist with succession planning.
• A reorganization of services within the Divisions and at the Department level to provide better coordination and strategic guidance.

Outcome

The City of Lowell received a comprehensive, data-driven breakdown of staffing requirements and organizational changes to guide the City’s management team in resourcing the Department for effective operations.