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DATE: |
February 28, 2023 |
12 |
SUBJECT
Title
ADMINISTRATIVE ITEM:
SECOND CONSIDERATION AND ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE: AN ORDINANCE REPEALING ARTICLE XVII-F OF THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY CODE OF ADMINISTRATIVE ORDINANCES RELATED TO THE EVALUATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE (DISTRICTS: ALL)
Body
OVERVIEW
On February 7, 2023 (13), the Board of Supervisors took action to further consider and adopt the Ordinance on February 28, 2023.
On June 8, 2021(20), the San Diego County Board of Supervisors (Board) approved the introduction of an ordinance amending the San Diego County Code of Administrative Ordinances relating to establishing an Evaluation Advisory Committee (EAC) with the intent to support the newly created Office of Evaluation, Performance, and Analytics (OEPA). The Board direction indicated the EAC was being established to support OEPA with recommendations to the office’s Strategic Research Plan, and providing on-going advice on evaluation activities, program designs, data sources, and data collection methodologies.
Since the establishment of OEPA, the onboarding of the Chief Evaluation Officer (CEvO) and other departmental staff, an evaluation of the structure and functions of the office has been completed. OEPA conducted a careful analysis of needed functions, which emphasized the urgency of engaging with, and receiving feedback from external academics, researchers, and technical experts. Engaging with these stakeholders and advisors has become time critical.
In order to effectively and efficiently receive ongoing input from identified stakeholders as mentioned above, OEPA requires more flexibility on how to engage external academics, researchers, and technical advisors. The requested change has the intent of (1) expanding participation and including the flexibility to convene advisors who are, as needed, local, national, or worldwide leaders on the areas OEPA seeks to tackle through research, evaluation, or analytics, and (2) adjusting the skills and expertise represented among its advisors to match the annual adjustments to the County’s Strategic Research Plan in a way that minimizes operational impacts when the EAC is convened.
Today’s request is for the Board to approve the introduction of the proposed amendment to the San Diego County Code and, if approved, consider, and adopt an ordinance repealing Article XVII-F of the San Diego County Code of Administrative Ordinances (The Evaluation Advisory Committee). The ordinance will be introduced on February 7, 2023, and, if approved, it will be scheduled for adoption on February 28, 2023. If the proposed ordinance is altered on February 28, 2023, then on that date a subsequent meeting date will be selected for the ordinance’s adoption. Because the EAC has not been formed yet, there will be only minimal operational impacts from approving these recommendations.
RECOMMENDATION(S)
CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER
Submit the ordinance (Attachment A, on file with the Clerk of the Board) for further Board consideration and adoption (second reading, unless ordinance is modified on second reading):
AN ORDINANCE REPEALING ARTICLE XVII-F OF THE SAN DIEGO COUNTY CODE OF ADMINISTRATIVE ORDINANCES RELATING TO THE EVALUATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
EQUITY IMPACT STATEMENT
Multiple research and evaluation areas to be studied by OEPA involve disproportionate negative circumstances and impacts on vulnerable populations. A repeal of Article XVII-F of the San Diego County Code of Administrative Ordinances (The Evaluation Advisory Committee), and development of a more flexible approach to engage technical experts, will allow OEPA to more effectively conduct its research and evaluation activities to study these issues and contribute to increasing equity in the County.
SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT STATEMENT
OEPA will study some of the most critical sustainability issues of relevance to the County, including environmental, economic, health, and social issues. A repeal of Article XVII-F of the San Diego County Code of Administrative Ordinances (The Evaluation Advisory Committee), and development of a more flexible approach to engage technical experts, will allow OEPA to more effectively conduct its research and evaluation activities to study these issues and contribute to improving sustainability measures.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with these recommendations. There will be no change in net General Fund Costs and no change in staff years.
BUSINESS IMPACT STATEMENT
N/A
Details
ADVISORY BOARD STATEMENT
N/A
BACKGROUND
On June 8, 2021(20), the San Diego County Board of Supervisors (Board) approved introduction of an ordinance amending the San Diego County Code of Administrative Ordinances relating to establishing an Evaluation Advisory Committee (EAC) with the intent to support the newly created Office of Evaluation, Performance, and Analytics (OEPA). The Board direction indicated EAC was being established to support OEPA with recommendations to the office’s Strategic Research Plan, and providing on-going advice on evaluation activities, program designs, data sources, and data collection methodologies.
Per the ordinance, the EAC is a legislative body, and thus subject to the Brown Act. The EAC consists of thirteen members-all of them recognized experts in a field of academic research related to the County’s programs, activities, and responsibilities-who will provide strategic guidance and recommendations on research priorities, impact assessment, program design, monitoring and evaluation, research methodologies, data science and technology, performance analytics, and any related guidance regarding County processes and procedures.
Since the ordinance’s adoption, the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) has continued to build the Office of Evaluation, Performance, and Analytics (OEPA) and hired the Chief Evaluation Officer (CEvO). As OEPA’s structure and functions have become more defined, the importance of receiving advice from external academics, researchers, and technical experts in a time sensitive manner has become evident, consistent with the Board’s original vision and intent. Current provisions of the Brown Act make it challenging for the EAC to include members who reside outside the County, even though the ordinance itself only requires seven of its members to be current County residents. Because some of the policy issues likely to be studied by OEPA (e.g., climate change, social determinants of health) do not necessarily require local expertise, it could be beneficial to include in the EAC national or worldwide leaders in those policy areas.
Another issue arises from a provision in the ordinance that requires the ten members nominated by the Board to serve a term concurrent with the nominating Supervisor’s term and the other three members (nominated by the CAO and CEvO) to serve a term of four years. Given that much of OEPA’s work will be guided by the County’s Strategic Research Plan, which will be updated annually in alignment with the County’s strategic planning process, this provision creates rigidity that may limit OEPA’s ability to adjust the composition of the EAC to align with the annual revisions to the Strategic Research Plan. Having more flexibility would allow OEPA to align the expertise of its academic and technical advisors to its needs for technical assistance, based on its portfolio of research, evaluation, and analytic projects.
Today’s request is for the Board to approve the introduction of the proposed amendment to the San Diego County Code and, if approved, consider and adopt an ordinance repealing Article XVII-F of the San Diego County Code of Administrative Ordinances (The Evaluation Advisory Committee). The ordinance will be introduced on February 7, 2023, and, if approved, it will be scheduled for adoption on February 28, 2023. If the proposed ordinance is altered on February 28, 2023, then on that date a subsequent meeting date will be selected for the ordinance’s adoption. Because the EAC has not been formed yet, there will be only minimal operational impacts from approve these recommendations.
LINKAGE TO THE COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO STRATEGIC PLAN
Today’s proposed action supports the Empower Initiative of the County of San Diego’s 2023-2028 Strategic Plan, developing new ideas and implementing more effective approaches to achieve organizational excellence.
Respectfully submitted,
HELEN N. ROBBINS-MEYER
Chief Administrative Officer
ATTACHMENT(S)
Attachment A - Ordinance Repealing Article XVII-F of the San Diego County Code of Administrative Ordinances Related to The Evaluation Advisory Committee (Clean Copy)
Attachment B - Ordinance Repealing Article XVII-F of the San Diego County Code of Administrative Ordinances Related to The Evaluation Advisory Committee (Informational Copy)
Attachment C - Summary of Proposed Ordinance