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Managing Contracted Staff and
Privatized Activities
Some school districts hire outside agencies to handle certain maintenance
and custodial tasks - that is, they use "privatized" or "contracted" services.
Why would an organization want to pay a third party enough money to perform
a service and make a profit? There are many reasons for outsourcing jobs.
Perhaps in-house staff are constantly being bombarded with "special" projects
and emergencies that take priority over their daily duties. Maybe a small
school district may not be able to afford to keep specialized personnel
on the staff. Or a large district may need to cut back on the number of
permanent staff.
 Whatever
the reason, privatizing is not just a question of the school district
writing a check to pay for services. School staff must still put considerable
energy into managing privatized endeavors. For example, when contracted
staff are hired, precise specifications must be drawn up for the procurement,
including an objective standard for measuring performance. Moreover, depending
on the complexity of the task, a member of the in-house staff may still
need to serve as project manager. To be effective, the project manager
should have expertise in maintenance and operations, a thorough understanding
of the contractor's scope of work, the skills to evaluate the contractor's
performance, and the authority to assign supplemental support tasks to
in-house staff.
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Opportunities for in-house staff to work alongside outside contractors
should never be ignored if schedules allow for such interaction.
This type of cooperation can provide valuable (albeit informal)
training for the district's maintenance and operations staff. At
the same time, outside contractors can pick up valuable information
about the practical applications of their work. Including in-house
staff in all aspects of the maintenance program may have the added
bonus of building support for the privatization program from within
the organization.
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Commonly Asked Questions
How does "training" apply to maintenance and custodial
staff?
 Caring
for a school facility requires considerable expertise. While the organization
may prefer to hire maintenance and custodial staff who possess this expertise,
this is not always possible. Sometimes "hiring" experts is just too expensive.
In other cases, existing staff need training to meet changing facility
needs. No matter the circumstances, developing staff expertise is a necessary
and cost-effective component of getting the job done-and "developing"
expertise is simply another way of saying "training." Staff training provides
employees with the knowledge, skills, and experience (through practice)
to accomplish their jobs effectively.
How does one justify professional development
versus time-on-task?
Staff do not get hired to be students-they are hired to accomplish
a job. Nonetheless, effective managers understand that helping employees
improve their knowledge and skills also helps them to become better employees.
Professional development can also be an effective tool for boosting or
maintaining staff morale. After all, nothing conveys that an organization
values and respects its workers like its willingness to invest in them.
What types of reward and incentive programs are
effective?
Reward and incentive programs should be tailored to the needs and
wants of the staff and the best interests of the organization. Staff might
appreciate creativity when conceiving incentive programs, but planners
should ensure that the incentives are things that the staff (and not the
planners) would want. Examples include: on-the-spot awards, annual cash
bonuses, gift certificates (e.g., to restaurants, movies, and stores),
tickets to sporting events or musical concerts, hats or shirts with the
department logo, plaques, employee-of-the-month announcements in the newspaper,
picnics and banquets, tuition reimbursement, and special privileges (e.g.,
bonus time for coffee breaks or free doughnuts during breaks).
Additional Resources
 Every
effort has been made to verify the accuracy of all URLs listed in this
Guide at the time of publication. If a URL is no longer working, try using
the root directory to search for a page that may have moved. For example,
if the link to http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/performance.html
is not working, try http://www.epa.gov/
and search for "IAQ."
Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers
(APPA)
http://www.appa.org/
An international association that maintains, protects, and promotes the
quality of educational facilities. APPA serves and assists facilities
officers and physical plant administrators, conducts research and educational
programs, produces publications, and develops guidelines.
Cleaning & Maintenance Management Online
http://www.cmmonline.com/Home.asp
The online home of Cleaning & Maintenance Management Magazine, which
features articles, buyers guides, key topics, and a calendar.
Custodial Staffing Guidelines for Educational
Facilities
http://www.appa.org/resources/publications/pubs.cfm?Category_ID=2
A guide about custodial staffing in educational facilities that addresses
custodial evaluation, special considerations, staff development tools,
and case studies. Appendices include information about custodial requirements,
space classification, standard space category matrices, standard activity
lists, and audit forms. APPA (1998) The Association of Higher Education
Facilities Officers, Alexandria, VA, 266pp.
Custodial Standards
http://ehs.brevard.k12.fl.us/PDF%20files/custodial_standards_03.pdf
Guidelines that detail cleaning requirements for each area of a school,
including classrooms, restrooms, cafeterias, gymnasiums, locker rooms,
and corridors. Samples of assessment forms include emergency lighting,
fire extinguisher inspection, air conditioner maintenance/service log
sheets, and monthly custodial preventive maintenance forms. Office of
Plant Operations and Maintenance (1998) Brevard Public Schools, Rockledge,
FL, 44pp.
FacilitiesNet
http://www.facilitiesnet.com/
A commercial web site for facilities professionals sponsored by Trade
Press Publishing Corporation and developed by the editors of Building
Operating Management and Maintenance Solutions magazines. It includes
a chat room on educational facilities.
Facility Management
http://www.facilitymanagement.com/
The online home of American School and Hospital Maintenance Magazine.
This site is intended to help facility managers stay informed about current
issues and the latest products.
International Facility Management Association
(IFMA)
http://www.ifma.org/
The web site of a group that is dedicated to promoting excellence in the
management of facilities. IFMA identifies trends, conducts research, provides
educational programs, and assists corporate and organizational facility
managers in developing strategies to manage human, facility, and real
estate resources.
National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities
(NCEF)
http://www.edfacilities.org
A web site that includes reviews of and links to cutting-edge education
facilities news; a calendar of conferences, workshops, and other facilities
management-related events; a gallery of photos showing off innovative
and provocative building design and construction from real schools across
the nation; categorized and abstracted resource lists with links to full
length, online, publications; and pointers to other organizations that
provide online and off-line resources about education facilities management.
NCEF can also be reached toll free at 888-552-0624.
National School Plant Management Association (NSPMA)
http://www.nspma.com/
A membership organization that facilitates the exchange of information
about school plant management, maintenance and care.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA)
http://www.osha.gov/
The web site of OSHA, which has as its core mission to save lives, prevent
injuries, and protect the health of America's workers. To accomplish this,
federal and state governments work in partnership with the more than 100
million working men and women and their 6.5 million employers who are
covered by the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.
Plant Operations Support Program
http://www.ga.wa.gov/plant
A self-sustaining consortium comprised of facility managers from Washington
state agencies, educational facilities, municipalities, and port districts.
This web site includes a library of practices, policies, research studies,
and other references on subjects including emergency preparedness, energy
savings, maintenance management, IAQ, and accessibility.
SchoolDude
http://www.schooldude.com/
A site that connects school facility professionals with each other to
solve problems, share best practices, and improve learning environments.
This includes tools for work management, information, and resources, as
well as online procurement for equipment and school supplies. Some sections
are accessible only to fee-paying members.
SchoolFacilities.com
http://www.schoolfacilities.com
A professional support network for school facility administrators and
support personnel that provides school-related news, products, resources,
and facility management tools.
SchoolHouse Plant Operation & Maintenance Resource
Center: School House Library
http://faststart.com/cps/Library.html
An online library containing reports dealing with various aspects of plant
operation and maintenance that relate to the operation of school buildings.
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
http://www.eeoc.gov
The web site of the EEOC, which is charged with enforcing numerous employment-related
federal statutes.
U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS)
http://www.immigration.gov/
The web site of the INS, which is responsible for enforcing the laws regulating
the admission of foreign-born persons (i.e., aliens) to the United States
and for administering various immigration benefits, including the naturalization
of qualified applicants for U.S. citizenship.
Managing Staff and Contractors
Checklist
More information about accomplishing these checkpoints can be found
on the pages listed in the right-hand column.
| Accomplished |
Checkpoints |
| Yes |
No |
| |
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Have job descriptions been developed for all maintenance
and operations positions? |
| |
|
Do job descriptions describe "duties and responsibilities"
accurately and in detail? |
| |
|
Do job descriptions accurately describe working
conditions? |
| |
|
Do job descriptions accurately describe the physical
requirements of the position? |
| |
|
Have manufacturer supplied user manuals been examined
for guidance on preventive maintenance strategies for each targeted
piece of equipment? |
| |
|
Do job descriptions comply with equal opportunity
laws? |
| |
|
Do job descriptions accurately describe the educational
requirements of the position? |
| |
|
Do job descriptions accurately describe the credential
and licensure requirements of the position? |
| |
|
Do job descriptions accurately describe equipment
used in the position? |
| |
|
Do job descriptions accurately describe at-will
versus unionized requirements of the position? |
| |
|
Do job descriptions accurately describe channels
of authority for the position? |
| |
|
Do job descriptions accurately describe evaluation
mechanisms for the position? |
| |
|
Do job descriptions include the phrase "and other
duties as assigned"? |
| |
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Before interviewing candidates, have the characteristics
of the "ideal" candidate been identified? |
| |
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After selecting the preferred candidate, but before
extending an offer of employment, have the applicant's references
been contacted? |
| |
|
After selecting the preferred candidate, but before
extending an offer of employment, has a criminal background check
been performed on the applicant? |
| |
|
After selecting the preferred candidate, but before
extending an offer of employment, has the applicant provided evidence
of employment eligibility? |
| |
|
After extending an offer of employment, has the
applicant provided all information needed to complete a personnel
record? |
| |
|
After extending an offer of employment, has the
applicant provided all information needed to satisfy payroll needs?
|
| |
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After selecting the preferred candidate, but before
extending an offer of employment, has the applicant provided required
medical and health records? |
| |
|
Do all newly hired employees undergo staff training
upon initially joining the organization? |
| |
|
Does training for new staff include an orientation
to key district sites (e.g., emergency locations) and all sites at
which the individual will work? |
| |
|
Does training for new staff include an introduction
to all equipment the individual will be expected to use? |
| |
|
Does training for new staff include instructions
about how to best perform the individual's work tasks? |
| |
|
Does training for new staff include a clear description
of precisely what the individual must accomplish in order to meet
the expectations of the job? |
| |
|
Does training for new staff include an explanation
of all criteria on which the individual will be evaluated? |
| |
|
Is ongoing training provided to existing staff?
|
| |
|
Is professional development offered to all staff
on an ongoing basis? |
| |
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Are all training and professional development activities
documented on videotape so that they can be showed to other staff
and at later times? |
| |
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Have cost-sharing and cost-minimizing methods for
training programs and facilities been considered by management? |
| |
|
Have staff been trained to create and use a "Moment
of Truth" chart? |
| |
|
Have performance standards and evaluation criteria
been established for all staff positions? |
| |
|
Have performance standards and evaluation criteria
been adequately explained to all staff? |
| |
|
Have managers been trained on how to perform fair,
objective, accurate, and well-documented evaluations? |
| |
|
Have staff turnover rates been determined and analyzed?
|
| |
|
Have the organization's personnel policies been
adjusted to increase staff retention rates? |
| |
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Have rewards and incentives been introduced to
improve staff morale and retention? |
| |
|
Do privatization procurements include precise specifications
for measuring performance? |
| |
|
Has an in-house staff member been assigned the
duties of "project manager" for each privatization contract? |
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