Among the duties of the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) is the responsibility for the delivery of major regional transportation improvements throughout our inland county. The organization prides itself on being a lean one as we look to optimize the value of the public’s resource. The workload to deliver on the promises to the voters varies annually based on the project delivery cycles and availability of additional resources from the state and federal governments.
One of the primary aspects under regular evaluation is the optimization of staffing levels. The agency currently relies on a blend of full-time staff supplemented by consultant resources to meet the demands of the program(s). Full-time staffing levels are intentionally kept minimized to be considerate of the costs, both short-term and long-term, of maintaining the compensation needs of the members of the team.
On January 6th, the SBCTA Board of Directors heard an item from staff that took a detailed analysis of the current staffing ratios between in-house employees and outsourced consultants. As a result of that analysis, a recommendation to moderately restructure the organization was brought forward to consider a broader distribution of leadership within the programs and appropriately focus the disciplines within each of the departments.
For example, the current project delivery organizational structure on the roadway side of the agency has a director level staff member managing both capital project delivery and the future toll operations program. To better manage the respective workloads and develop the respective expertise needs for these two distinctly different programs, staff recommended that the Board consider the creation of two directors and strategically positioning staff within those disciplines to support the long-term effort. The supporting team would consist of both in-house employees and consultants (based on demand).
The Board of Directors approved the item and will require additional analysis to determine the appropriate staffing ratios and identification of actual cost savings to the agency. Ultimately, the goal of the exercise is to provide better service and remain as good stewards of the public’s dollar.