Richland County eyes restructuring to improve efficiency

Richland County Council will consider Tuesday whether to move forward with a reorganization plan designed to provide residents with more effective and efficient government services.

The restructuring effort, crafted by an executive team made up of several County department heads and managers, must get final approval of County Council. If approved, the team will work over the course of 12 to 18 months to ensure the implementation is seamless and avoids any interruptions in services.

“This reorganization plan was an extremely thoughtful process, with the team keeping at the forefront of its efforts the needs of our residents and employees,” said County Administrator Gerald Seals. “Also, the team gave consideration to County Council’s goals for improving government services. The resulting plan lays a solid foundation for better governance.”

The new plan is part of an overall effort Richland County is undertaking to improve services and efficiency. The County also is embarking on a two-year budget cycle. The biennium budget will help the County better prepare for financial long-term needs by engaging in more strategic planning.

The departmental restructuring effort, which does not include elected County offices, reduces the number of departments and divisions from more than 40 to 13 under four key areas: Internal Support Services, Infrastructure, Community Services and Public Safety.

The plan contemplates no layoffs. However, the plan’s call for departmental consolidation means some current directors will be reassigned as managers of divisions.

In addition to the reorganization effort, the County is working to streamline the various department logos to create a more unified image. The number of logos currently used for departments, divisions and programs exceeds 20, with no unifying look to tie them together.

“The number of logos creates a disjointed image of the County and sends a subtle message of all these functions being disconnected,” Seals said. “We are all part of County government and must work together for its improvement and excellence.”

The team that developed the plan presented the restructuring effort to department heads. County Council also was briefed about the recommended plan through a series of workshops, where members met for up to two hours with the team in groups of one to a maximum of three, according to their availability.

The team members agreed the County should be organized in a manner that, among other things:

• Provides efficient and effective deployment of government services;
• Reflects the values of integrity, honesty, respect, fairness and collaboration;
• Supports transparency;
• Enables proper communication to all County stakeholders;
• Effectively coordinates all County resources to effectively manage situations; and
• Reduces bureaucracy

To evaluate its success, the reorganization plan will be assessed, among other things, on the improved efficiencies, effectiveness and responsiveness to the public and the reduced cost and time in providing services.

Council is expected to consider the reorganization plan at its meeting scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday in Council Chambers, 2020 Hampton St. in Columbia.