california department of human resources …...writing for analysts california department of human...

Writing for Analysts

California Department of Human Resources Statewide Training

www.calhr.ca.gov

WORKSHOP PRESENTED BY

The Los Rios Community College District’s Government Training Center

Bruce Winner916.563.3232

[email protected]

TABLE OF CONTENTS Overview 1

CalHR Competency: Written Communication 2

Completed Staff Work 2

Test for Completeness 2

The WRITE Process 5

Business Writing Style 32

Action Plan 41


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Overview

Outcome Analysts will increase their ability to present Completed Staff Work in a compelling, readable, and credible manner.

Objectives Upon completion, participants will be able to: Jumpstart the writing process Organize thoughts and write with purpose and conviction Effectively plan for audience, purpose, message, and tone Incorporate critical thinking, analysis, and evaluation in written documents Organize and edit content for clarity and conciseness

Agenda 1. Overview

2. The WRITE Process

Writing Exercise: Employee Recognition Taskforce

Case study: Hybrid Vehicles and HOV Lanes

3. Business Writing Style

4. Application

Case Study: 2013 Member Satisfaction Survey

5. Action Plan


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CalHR Competency: Written Communication Written Communication Ability to Communicate ideas, thoughts, and facts in writing. Ability/skill in using correct grammar, correct spelling, sentence and document structure, accepted document formatting, and special literary techniques to communicate a message in writing. Behavioral Indicators 1. Expresses ideas clearly and concisely in writing 2. Organizes written ideas clearly. 3. Tailors written communications to effectively reach an audience 4. Uses graphics and other aids to clarify complex or technical information 5. Spells correctly 6. Writes using concrete, specific language 7. Uses punctuation correctly 8. Uses proper grammar 9. Uses an appropriate business writing style

Completed Staff Work Completed Staff Work enables decision makers to find solutions to problems or address issues after consideration of reasonable, workable, carefully considered alternatives.

Test for Completeness When the project is finished and ready to submit, it can be recognized as completed staff work by asking this question: “If I were the responsible official, would I be willing to take the proposed action and commit the necessary resources to achieve the desired outcome?” If the answer is no, take it back and work it over. It is not yet completed staff work.


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ISSUE MEMO: USING STAFF PICTURES IN AN EMPLOYEE DIRECTORY

10/28/2008

1. ISSUE

Should employee pictures be included in a Department-wide online employee directory?

2. RECOMMENDATION

Alternative 3. Employee pictures should not be included in the online employee directory. Many CDSS staff have expressed concerns about privacy and the potential misuse of the pictures if they are included. Based on these objections, the potential communication benefits of including the pictures do not outweigh this negative staff reaction.

3. DISCUSSION

The suggestion of adding staff pictures to the employee directory was originally submitted as part of the Department Dialogue process. The primary benefit of including staff pictures is an increase the ability of staff to recognize and communicate with each other.

We have determined that a significant number of CDSS staff do not want their pictures published in the employee directory. As part of the Intranet Design project, a user survey was conducted to determine how staff would feel about having their ID badge picture posted in the employee directory. A total of 51% of respondents were either opposed or strongly opposed to having their picture published. In addition, 10% of web site business owners objected to having their staffs’ pictures online. Employees typically expressed concerns about privacy, possible identity theft or other inappropriate uses of the pictures, or concerns that they could be targeted for harassment due to their job duties.

4. ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVES

Alternative 1: Allow staff to opt out of placing their picture in the employee directory.

Pros

• Mitigates the concerns and objections of staff.


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Cons

• Because a large number of staff would likely opt out, this would significantly reduce the improvement in communication achieved by including staff pictures.

• Processing opt-out requests and maintaining the documentation could be a workload issue. This con could be eliminated if the employee directory uses SharePoint functionality, in which staff upload their own pictures.

Alternative 2: Mandate that the pictures of all staff be included in the employee directory. Pros

• Would maximize the improvement in communication achieved by including staff pictures.

• Would reduce the maintenance and operations work load, compare to that specified in Alternative 1 above.

Cons

• Because some staff feel very strongly about this, the amount of negative staff

reaction could adversely affect staff relations, and would be contrary to the Becoming the Employer of Choice initiative.

Alternative 3: Do not use pictures in the employee directory

Pros

• Eliminates the concerns and objections of staff.

Cons

• Reduces the effectiveness of the directory in facilitating communications between

staff.


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The WRITE Process

Why a process? The advantages of using a writing process: Overcome procrastination – There are many causes of procrastination, but

just getting started is a major challenge for many people. By having a step-by-step process you always know where to start.

Overcome wandering – If you don’t stay on task and keep your communication as concise as possible, you will likely lose your reader. The WRITE process helps you to stay focused on your purpose.

WRITE

1. What is my purpose?

2. Randomly generate ideas.

3. Impose order.

4. Try a first pass.

5. Evaluate and finalize.


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Step 1 What is my purpose? You cannot get to your destination without knowing what your purpose is and what your audience wants. Effective communicators must address this step before moving to the next one. How: Ask yourself:

• Why do I want to write this? What result do I want from this communication?

• Who are my listeners and what do they want from me? • What one thing will get a favorable reaction from my listener? How do I

want my listener to feel? For example: I want to persuade my boss that I can lead the upcoming ABC project. The Administrative Director wants to know that I can make effective

presentations. I want her to feel compelled to use me. My audience: What my audience wants: What I want my audience to think/feel: My purpose: I want to


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Step 2 Research the Topic and/or Randomly generate ideas. Once you know where you are going, get going! By generating many ideas on the topic, you accomplish at least two things: Defeat procrastination – The fear of not getting just the right thought or idea

often leads to procrastination. Since any idea is initially a good idea, you’re free to try anything.

Encourage expression – You write to express your thoughts to others. What better way to start than to “brainwrite” (the silent form of brainstorming)?

How: Write down all your ideas and thoughts about a topic.

• Write quickly and randomly. • Write down everything, even if you think you won’t use it.

Take a break from your random thinking and writing. • How long? As much as you can spare, even if it’s only one minute.

Go through everything you’ve written with this idea in mind: Everything you write must align with the purpose or lead to the result from Step 1. If something doesn’t, don’t write it. Therefore: • Highlight thoughts that are essential to your message. • Cross out irrelevant items. • Add new items. • Underline main points.


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Step 3 Impose order. Take the results of steps 1 and 2 and organize them in a way that promotes focus, understanding, logic, and continuity. There are many ways to organize your thoughts. Clustering, Diagramming, and Freewriting (1:123-124) are just a few. Traditional Outline:


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Step 4 Try a first pass. This step is equivalent to writing a rough draft. Most people start with this step and skip steps 1 through 3. No wonder our thoughts are not focused and purposeful. How: Take the results from step 3 and convert the bullet statements into connected

sentences and paragraphs. In other words, write like you normally do. (You will notice, however, that the results are better than normal because you’re following the WRITE process.)

Write quickly—don’t take the time to edit or revise. There is plenty of time for that in step 5.

The outline in step 3 gives way to sentences and paragraphs, but ensures you are following its organization. • The first paragraph is based on the outline’s introduction. Generally, it

should contain two to three lines with no more than one to two sentences. • The second paragraph is based on the first main point in your body.

Generally, the body will consist of one to three paragraphs, which parallel your outline of one to three main points.

• The last paragraph is based on the closing. Generally, you should follow the same guidelines as the first paragraph.


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Step 5 Evaluate and finalize. Always proofread your copy. Check for content accuracy and completeness and make sure you have included all visuals, tables or charts. Look at flow of the text and read the entire copy before you begin to mark it. How: Look at the document from two perspectives: Step back and look at the big picture to see if you have achieved your

purpose through logically connected thoughts and paragraphs. Step in and look at details such as grammar, spelling, and punctuation. 1. Step back Take a break from your rough draft (step 4) before you evaluate and analyze

your document. • How long? As much as you can spare, even if it’s only 20 minutes.

Review your purpose. • Have you considered your audience per Step 1? • Does your message address your reader’s possible questions? (e.g.,

What’s the point? Why is this important?) 2. Step in Reading hard (paper) copy is easier on the eyes than reading text on a computer screen, so proofread paper copy if possible. Start with this checklist: • Run spell and grammar checks. • Verify all URLs, phone numbers, addresses and statistics. • Make sure copy follows your department’s style guide. • Check to see table of contents match chapter titles. • Review headers for understanding and consistency. • Get permission and give proper credit for photos and reprinted material. • Have at least two other people proofread the copy for content, style and accuracy. • Ask someone to do a “fresh eyes” review, preferably someone who has never seen the copy before.


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Group Exercise: (Do not do this until assigned by your instructor) Work with your groups to assign the Elvis paper outline sentences (1-12) under the WRITE heading! Exact order within the three main points is not important.

Intro sentence: Being in an Elvis band can be fun, but it’s expensive, and also a hassle!

1. My guitars are my favorite possessions. I even build my own to save money.

2. With nine people, it is really hard to schedule rehearsals.

3. I love buying new effects. They each have different interesting sounds, but they can cost almost $300 ea.

4. My back-up singers are sisters who sing great harmony and do funny choreography.

5. I have three vacuum tube amplifiers. Each one was almost $2,000.

6. I have a fantastic nine-piece backup band with horns, keyboards, back-up singers, drums, bass and lead guitar.

7. I have entertained large audiences, politicians, and corporate executives.

8. I had to order two pair of leather pants before getting a pair that fit. What a hassle.

9. I have performed at casinos, outdoor concerts, Harlow’s and Harvey’s Lake Tahoe.

10. The boots I have are uncomfortable.

11. I have to wear a costume, a wig, and wear sideburns, all of which takes over a half hour to put on.

12. I am always having to buy fake diamond rings and giant crosses for my act because they break.

Conclusion sentence: An Elvis Band is fun, but it is expensive and there are a lot of inconveniences along with the enjoyment. Now we will use the WRITE Process to create our own personal outlines/stories. See instructors slide for instructions.

IT’S FUN #_______ #_______ #_______ #_______

IT’S EXPENSIVE #_______ #_______ #_______ #_______

IT’S A HASSLE #_______ #_______ #_______ #_______


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Writing Exercise: Employee Recognition Taskforce Directions

1. Read the scenario below. Analyze it using the IGOADSI Completed Staff Work framework.

2. Apply the first three steps of the WRITE Process in order to produce an outline for an issue memo.

a. W—What is my purpose?

b. R—Randomly generate ideas

c. I—Impose order by outlining your issue memo

3. Your group will discuss the scenario and create an outline together. You will then use your group outline to write an individual memo.

4. I will visit each group to answer any questions. Have fun! Scenario You have been working with a taskforce to consider the effectiveness of employee recognition. The taskforce has asked you to write the first pass of an issue memo on this topic. So far, the taskforce has produced the following findings.

There are several reasons why recognizing employees for outstanding work is more important than ever before:

1. One of your department’s values is “Excellence.” Not only do we have external customers, but we are customers to each other. It is important to provide the same quality customer service to our co-workers as we do the public. Recognizing employees for outstanding work brings focus to excellence.

2. Fostering a productive and enjoyable work environment is one of the ways we embody the value of Excellence. Recognizing employees for outstanding work enhances our work environment.

3. Getting things done in organizations is hard enough but getting more done with less during these times of budget constraints creates a situation in which people become frustrated and disenchanted. They are often


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tempted to give up; some end up leaving. Recognizing employee contributions by showing appreciation could reduce frustration and disenchantment.

Currently, our department holds an annual support staff recognition day (in April near Administrative Professionals Week/Day) to recognize all support/clerical staff. This day takes a lot of planning, costs a lot (for which donations must be solicited), and recognizes only one group of employees. Analysts and supervisors are not acknowledged. Does this seem fair? Does it need to be changed? How should our organization recognize employees and their work?

Some other options to consider:

• Include other employees besides support/clerical staff in the annual recognition day.

• Stop the annual recognition day altogether.

• Replace formal recognition programs with informal/spontaneous recognition in the form of:

o Verbal praise (in private, in a team meeting, etc.)

o Saying "Thank you!” (verbally, cards, emails)

o Verbal commendation at staff meetings

o Complimenting employees on their work progress or an idea

o Recognizing people in a newsletter


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Completed Staff Work: IGOADSI Identify the problem, need, or opportunity What is the problem? What needs to be changed? What is the objective or desired outcome?

Gather Information What do you know about the situation so far? What other kinds of information would you want to gather to better understand the situation?

Box 1

Box 2


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Organize Information, Analyze Information, & Draw Conclusions What are the priorities and constraints in this situation? Who is making the final decision? What conclusions can you draw about the situation with the data you have so far?

Box 3


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Develop Alternatives What are the alternatives? What factors are important in making this decision? What are the advantages & disadvantages of each alternative? Which alternative will best meet the objective based on your analysis?

1. Maintain Status Quo(Keep the same program)

Pros:

Cons:

2. Alternative #2(Suggested alternative #2 – Add all employees to the one-day event)

Pros:

Cons:

3. Alternative #3(Suggested alternative #3 – Informal spontaneous recognition of all employees)

Pros:

Cons:

Box 4


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Select the Best Possible Solution What is the best alternative based on the priorities, constraints, pros/cons, relative costs, etc., that you have identified? Does this alternative align with your mission, goals, and values?

Implement & Monitor Results Write down a few bullets with action items of what it might take to implement your solution. Who will need to do what by when?

Box 5

Box 6


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Issue Memo Outline:

ISSUE: (Your approved project statement [a one-sentence question stating the specific issue].)

BACKGROUND: (The background statement should be a brief recap of any critical information needed to give the reader an overview of why the issue exists. What brought the issue up for review at this time? This section would not usually be more than one paragraph or one half page in length.)

SCOPE AND METHODOLOGY:

(This section may not typically be included in a paper of this type; however, stating one's methodology is a critical component of analytical staff work. Include a summary of what was included or specifically excluded from review as well as a brief summary of data gathering technique that were used. This section should be no more than three paragraphs.)

DISCUSSION/

ANALYSIS:

(This is the core of the paper and should include all relevant facts, findings, constraints and/or limits such as fiscal implications, legal consideration, what others may be doing in this area, AA/EEO impact, who supports or opposes the recommendation, and impact on other people and entities.)

ALTERNATIVES: (Identify at least three viable alternatives and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each alternative.)

RECOMMENDATION: (Briefly state your recommended alternatives and why you are recommending it.)

IMPLEMENTATION: (Briefly describe how your recommendation would be implemented. This may be in narrative form, work plan format, or by using work scheduling charts.)

Box 6

Box 1

Box 2

Save for day 2

Box 3

Box 4

Box 5


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TEACHERS’ RETIREMENT BOARD

SPECIAL MEETING ______________________________________________________________________________

SUBJECT: Addressing the Unexpected Costs of Continuing Payroll for Staff

CONSENT: __ ATTACHMENT(S): 1 ACTION: X MEETING DATE: July 20, 2010

INFORMATION:__ PRESENTER: Chairperson ______________________________________________________________________________ PURPOSE

To authorize the encumbrance and expenditure of $5,065,000 to prevent a lapse in critical services to members and their beneficiaries in the event minimum wage or non-payment of wages is imminent. The $5,065,000 represents the total amount available for reappropriation in FY 2010-11 and is from the Budget Act of 2008, as reappropriated in the Budget Act of 2009 (Item 1920-490). This item allows any amount of the reappropriation that is not expended in FY 2009-10 to be carried over to FY 2010-11.

BACKGROUND

The annual Budget Act allows CalSTRS to carry forward unused spending authority from the prior two fiscal years in an amount not to exceed either three percent of the Budget Act for that year, or the surplus, whichever is less. This allows CalSTRS to meet unanticipated system costs and promote better service to CalSTRS membership. Any use of this reappropriation must first be approved by the board and related expenditures must be reported to the board and the Legislature quarterly.

During the FY 2010-11 budget impasse, the amount still available for reappropriation is a total of $5,065,000 (three percent of $169 million) as the following table displays:

Fiscal Year 2009-10 Reappropriation

Fiscal Year

Budget Act Appropriation

Available Reappropriation1 (3% of Budget Act Appropriation)

Dates Available

2008-09 $168,840,000 $5,065,000 07/01/09 – 6/30/11

1Available reappropriation is based on 3% of the Budget Act Appropriation of FY 2008-09 or the surplus ($31.1 million), whichever is less.


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Special Meeting – Item 2 July 20, 2010 Page 2

DISCUSSION

On July 1, the Department of Personnel Administration ordered the State Controller to reduce the salaries paid to about 200,000 state employees to the federal minimum wage, or in the case of state lawyers and doctors, to eliminate any salary payments, until a 2010-11 budget is enacted. The only exceptions to this order were employees whose salaries are paid from a continuous appropriation, or other available appropriations, or employees in six specific bargaining units who have tentatively agreed to a bargaining agreement that would provide for payment of salaries in the event of a budget impasse. (The tentative agreements have not yet been ratified by the employees, nor has the Legislature approved the memorandum of understanding or enacted legislation continuously appropriating salaries in the even of a budget impasse.)

The DPA order stems from a 2003 California Supreme Court decision, White v. Davis, which held that in the absence of an appropriation through the Budget Act, or any other statute, the Controller has no authority to pay salaries, other than those required by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, which currently compels a minimum wage of $7.25 per hour for most employees, $455 per week for managers and supervisors, and no pay for exempt employees, such as doctors and lawyers. The employees would ultimately be paid the full salary upon enactment of the Budget Act, or other authorizing legislation. There is legal action pending addressing the validity of the order, in light of the Controller’s contention that the state’s payroll system is incapable of complying with the pay letter without potentially violating federal law.

Applying the pay letter to CalSTRS staff would have mixed impacts. There are 17 employees, primarily responsible for CalSTRS’ corporate governance program, whose salaries are paid from continuous appropriations, and therefore are not subject to the pay letter. CalSTRS’ legal staff would not receive any pay during the budget impasse. The balance of CalSTRS’ staff would be paid minimum wage. The major reduction, if not elimination of pay to CalSTRS employees would affect the ability of CalSTRS to exercise its fiduciary responsibility to “administer the system in a manner that will assure prompt delivery of benefits and related services to the participants and their beneficiaries”, as provided for in the California Constitution. If staff compensation is reduced or eliminated to the degree proposed, the reduction in the ability to pay ongoing expenses, such as child care, may result in increased absenteeism as staff has to adjust their schedules to accommodate the lowered pay, or even to seek outside employment. The devastating effect on employee morale is likely to negatively impact service levels provided to members and beneficiaries. This latest blow comes on the heels of prolonged financial distress and service level compromise caused by three days a month of mandatory furlough and office closure. In contrast, funding salaries, rather than requiring staff to deal with the additional pressures of minimum wage will allow staff to continue to provide the highest levels of member service and to deal with the backlogs caused by the long furlough.

The annual Budget Acts reappropriate surplus funds to the Board “for the purposes of meeting unanticipated system costs and promoting better service to the system's membership.” There currently is $5,065,000 available to the board for such purposes. Staff’s analysis of the reappropriation indicates that use of the reappropriated funds for the purposes of maintaining


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staff salaries at the currently authorized level is consistent with the provisions of the Budget Act. The amount available for such purposes is sufficient to pay full salaries for one month.

Special Meeting – Item 2 July 20, 2010 Page 3

Given the current litigation, it is not possible to determine whether CalSTRS staff will be subject to the pay letter in July, August or at any time. Nonetheless, given the potential impact of such an action on CalSTRS, staff concluded that the board should take appropriate action to insure that member services are not disrupted if the pay letter should ever be put into effect. The reappropriation would be used only as a last resort and contingent upon the State Controller’s Office inability to pay full wages during the budget impasse. In order to prevent the need for future special board meetings, staff is requesting that the contingency to use the reappropriation be delegated to the Chief Executive Officer. If the State Controller’s Office implements the minimum wage or non-payment of wages, the Chief Executive Officer will authorize the Controller to use of the reappropriation to pay employee wages. Otherwise, the reappropriation would be available during this fiscal year to use for other unanticipated system costs.

If the reappropriated funds are used to pay salaries during the budget impasse, this will result in an offsetting reduction in the amount needed from the Operating Budget of FY 2010-11 for salaries. Any use of these funds for other CalSTRS support purposes would only occur with the direction of the board, and any remaining savings will be reported as a surplus in the quarterly reports to the board and reverted back to Teachers’ Retirement Fund at the end of the fiscal year.

RECOMMENDATION

Staff recommends that the board approve the attached resolution contingent upon the authorization by the Chief Executive Officer in the amount of $5,065,000 from the Budget Act of 2008, as reappropriated by the Budget Act of 2009. This will prevent a lapse in critical services to members in the event the State Controller’s Office implements the minimum wage or non-payment of wages to CalSTRS employees during the FY 2010-11 budget impasse.


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Case Study: Hybrid Vehicles and HOV Lanes Directions Apply the IGOADSI Process to a real-life scenario. 1. Individually Read the scenario below. 2. Consider the background facts of the situation. 3. As a group, decide whether to allow the DMV to issue Clean Air Vehicle

indicia or “identifiers” to qualified hybrid vehicles belonging to government exempt agencies and entities.

Scenario

As an analyst working for the Department of Motor Vehicles, one of your duties is to monitor the usage and issuance of Clean Air Vehicle indicia to qualified vehicles. Recently changes in the law have resulted in significant numbers of hybrid vehicles owners applying for the indicia. Here is what is known about the situation:

According to state law, the goal of high-occupancy vehicle lanes is twofold: reduce congestion and improve air quality. State law further declares that the purpose of these lanes is "to stimulate and encourage the development of ways and means of relieving traffic congestion on California highways and, at the same time, to encourage individual citizens to pool their vehicular resources and thereby conserve fuel and lessen the emission of air pollutants.”

The California Department of Transportation has defined the goals of high-occupancy vehicle lanes in the following manner:

• Increase the people-moving capacity of the freeway system. • Reduce overall vehicular congestion and motorist delay by encouraging

carpooling. • Provide time and commute cost savings to users of high-occupancy

vehicle lanes. • Increase the overall efficiency of the freeway system. • Improve air quality by decreasing vehicular emissions.

An HOV lane, commonly referred to as a "carpool" or "diamond" lane, is part of a traffic management strategy designed to reduce the number of single occupancy vehicles during peak periods of traffic congestion. These lanes are intended to provide an incentive for commuters to form carpools by offering reduced travel times. The declared legislative intent in establishing these lanes is to relieve traffic congestion, conserve fuel, and reduce vehicular emissions. Over the years, advocates for many groups have suggested using HOV lane access to


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reward certain behaviors or to ease the commute for one class of motorists or another. Historically, HOV lane access has been proposed for doctors, seniors, the disabled, and others. These proposals were rejected as being inconsistent with the original intent of establishing the lanes to reduce congestion. As of 2004, Federal law (Title 23 U.S.C. 102 (a) (2)) specified that vehicles with fewer than two occupants may operate in HOV lanes only if "the vehicle is properly labeled and certified as an Inherently Low Emission Vehicle (ILEV).” According to a 2002 memorandum issued by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), "none of the hybrid vehicles have qualified as ILEVs because their engines have fuel vapor emissions. Hybrid vehicles have not been certified by the EPA as meeting the emissions requirements that have been established for vehicles to be classified as an ILEV. As a result, hybrid vehicles are not allowed to use HOV lanes."

In 2004, AB 2628 (Pavley) amended California Vehicle Code Section 5205.5 to allow the department to issue Clean Air Vehicle indicia or “identifiers” to qualified hybrid vehicles in addition to ultra-low and super ultra-low emission vehicles. The “identifiers” (stickers) provide access to California’s High Occupancy Vehicle or carpool lanes for vehicles with less than the posted minimum number of occupants. AB 2628 acknowledged the federal prohibition on these vehicles traveling in HOV lanes by conditioning its implementation on the state receiving a federal waiver.

Since allowing large numbers of hybrids into HOV lanes would reduce the effectiveness of the lanes by compromising their ability to offer a quicker commute than adjacent mixed-flow lanes, AB 2628 allows Caltrans to suspend HOV lane privileges for hybrids on any particular lane that reaches a specified level of congestion. In addition, there is a limit on the number of stickers that may be issued to hybrid powered vehicles, and widespread public awareness of that limit.

AB 2628 includes provisions intended to limit any deleterious effect of solo occupant vehicles on high occupancy vehicle lane efficiency. It limits the total number of sets of stickers the department may issue to hybrid-powered vehicles to no more than 75,000, and requires the department to notify the Department of Transportation when 50,000 sets have been issued. When so notified, the Department of Transportation is required to assess, according to specified criteria, whether high occupancy vehicle lane breakdown has occurred and, if it determines that significant breakdown has occurred, it must notify the department of that determination. The department, in turn, must immediately cease the issuance of the identifying stickers to hybrid-powered vehicles, even if the 75,000-sticker threshold has not been reached.


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On August 1, 2005, the President signed H.R. 3 (the Transportation Act), providing federal approval of solo-operator hybrid powered vehicles in the carpool lanes, and increasing demand for HOV lane stickers.

As a result, the department has been made aware of a perception among private owners that government exempt agencies and entities may “use up” the allotted number of hybrid vehicle stickers. Adverse public reactions to government vehicles bearing the hybrid Clean Air Vehicle stickers, especially from private applicants who were “cut off” from receiving stickers, has been a department concern.

Originally, the department’s policy was to withhold issuance of Clean Air Vehicle stickers to hybrid-powered vehicles registered to government exempt agencies and entities in order to ensure an adequate inventory is available to qualifying private vehicle owner applicants, and to avoid a potential backlash. However, although the intent of AB 2628 was to encourage private citizens to purchase cleaner, more efficient hybrid powered vehicles, the department has no authority to withhold Clean Air Vehicle stickers from qualifying government vehicles. As such, various exempt agencies and entities are also voicing displeasure at the department’s unofficial policy of withholding their applications from processing. These agencies have been waiting patiently for the department to honor their applications.

By the end of December 2005, the department had received 40,000 applications for Clean Air Vehicle stickers for hybrid-powered vehicles.

Total Applications Received by Month, August through Dec 2005

Month # of Applications Received

August 10,000

September 15,000

October 9,500

November 4,300

December 1,200

Total 40,000

Applications Received from Government Entities as of Dec 2005

Type # of Applications Received

State 200

City 700

County 115

State Legislature 20

Special Districts 90

Total 1125


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DMV has identified approximately 2,300 total possible vehicles registered to government entities that could qualify for stickers. When AB 2628 passed the Legislature, according to the Senate Appropriations Committee analysis, it was believed that Caltrans would incur one-time costs of less than $100,000 in Fiscal Year (FY) 2004-05; DMV would have ongoing costs of $180,000 per year beginning in FY 2004-05 offset by ongoing revenues of $170,000 per year beginning in FY 2005-06; and ARB would have costs of less than $50,000 per year beginning in FY 2005-06.

It is now January 2006 and the director of DMV awaits your recommendation. What should the DMV do? Consider the IGOADSI framework, and answer the questions below. Use your answers to complete the matrix. Stakeholders

• Who stands to be impacted by whatever decision is made? • Who are the key stakeholders?

Stickers Approved • What evidence supports the idea of issuing the stickers? • What impact would there be if the stickers were approved?

Stickers NOT Approved • What evidence supports the idea of not issuing the stickers? • What impact would there be if the stickers were not approved?

Stakeholder Impact if Stickers Approved Impact if Stickers Not Approved

Issue stickers?

Yes No


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Date: 12/2/2010 To: Management Staff Subject: Special Compensation Verification Process

ISSUE What is the best process to verify and validate Special Compensation (CC6) lines to enable the tracking of statistics and trends?

BACKGROUND Public Pension Plans have recently been the subject of criticism by the media. There is a public perception that tax dollars are being spent to fund huge pensions for thousands of state, county and city employees. As the second largest pension system in the country, CalSTRS is being scrutinized closely. Executive staff has been concerned that the inflation of creditable earnings reported to CalSTRS might be occurring on some member accounts through the misuse of special compensation reporting (CC6 lines). Since the inception of Assembly Bill 2700 (AB2700), employers have been able to report special compensation for reasons such as, auto and housing allowances, and special skills, as long as they meet the criteria for creditable compensation, per 22119.2 of California’s Education Code. Employment contracts often reflect payments of special compensation which do not fall within the guidelines for creditable compensation. If these payments are incorrectly reported to CalSTRS, they can potentially inflate the retirement benefit of the member. A team of analysts from Employer Services, (Adrienne Lennon, Marty Sevilla, Myra Jackson, and Jonnie Tharp) was tasked with reviewing the current process surrounding CC6 reporting, to develop an efficient process to verify and track the CC6 lines. The system currently edits only those (CC6) lines that will bring an individual’s total special compensation reported to over $15,000 for the current school year. Staff is unable to identify special compensation lines under the $15,000 threshold, unless there is another exception on the member’s account. To be proactive and prevent a possible inflation of the member’s retirement benefit, staff needs a simple and efficient procedure established to verify and track the special compensation lines.

DISCUSSION The team of analysts from Employer Services brainstormed for the best way to gather and research all information needed to create a process for reviewing the CC6 lines. The team also wanted to develop the best method to capture all of the required information needed for tracking and monitoring any trends on the reporting of Special Compensation (CC6) lines. This was accomplished by surveying staff and reviewing data through Secure Employer Website (SEW). Staff members were surveyed on how CC6 lines were currently being verified and documented by Employer Services. Staff used various methods of contacting employers and accepted/documented certification in various ways, including comments on START, Event Tracking, Imaged documents and keeping copies of contracts in file folders. The team saw a need to develop a process that would allow consistency for verifying CC6 lines and storing documents in a centralized location for easy access. The team discussed establishing a spreadsheet for tracking CC6 lines reported. This spreadsheet would be managed by county representatives and available on the “G” drive.


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It would contain all pertinent information for each stipend, client ID, name , report unit, CC6 amount, Beg/End service period, monthly/one time, employer verified, imaged documentation, and type of CC6 comments. Information needed to populate the spreadsheet would come from the CC6 new data filtered from monthly F496 report in SEW. In addition to the spreadsheet, a CC6 event type would be added to START. The team selected six sample employers; LAUSD, LA County, San Bernardino County, San Diego County, Orange County and Fresno County. Using the Secure Employer Website (SEW), the team filtered reports to view all the CC6 lines for the targeted employers. There were approximately 100,000 lines reported for the selected counties. After this information was presented to management it was suggested that we run an Information Report (IR) to identify specific data. By running an IR report we were able to narrow the search by requesting the following criteria: the accounts of members who were at retirement age 55 and older with 30 years of service credit. We requested a minimum $1,001 as a dollar amount threshold. After running the IR with the specific criteria, approximately 7,000 CC6 lines for the six selected counties were identified.

ALTERNATIVES 1. Establish a spreadsheet for tracking CC6 lines reported. This spreadsheet would be managed by county representatives and available on the “G” drive. It would contain all pertinent information for each stipend, client ID, name , report unit, CC6 amount, Beg/End service period, monthly/one time, employer verified, imaged documentation, and type of CC6 comments. Information needed to populate the spreadsheet would come from the CC6 new data filtered from monthly F496 reports in SEW. In addition to the spreadsheet, a CC6 event type would be added to START.

Pros: • Spreadsheet managed by Employer Services staff • Spreadsheet would contain all pertinent information for each CC6, such as: contracts, e-mails &

etc. • Central location for staff use easily accessible to all staff • Spreadsheet provides a format to allow visible tracking of trends, documentation & easy access

for Leads • Centralized documentation • Generate reports for management to review

Cons:

• Increased workload for MAS staff & employers • Lack of response time from employers • CC6 data available from SEW is not user friendly • Resolves only one aspect of documentation process • Would still need to put actual documentation, such as; emails, contracts, in imaging

2. Create a Special Compensation Team to review CC6 lines with a minimum limitation of $1,001. The Special team will focus on working with all counties requesting contracts at the beginning of each school year. This team would also review and verify all contracts, and identify and track any trends that may lead to enhancing a member’s account.

Pros:

• Special team would focus on CC6 lines, follow ups & documentations • Request all contracts for Administrators & Superintendents at the start of each school year • Ability to analyze & review all contracts for CC6’s & review content of contracts for validity per the

STRS Law • Monitor & track trends to avoid possible reporting issues • Would be consistent with California Public Employees’ Retirement System which has a dedicated

team for processing CC6’s


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• New Job opportunities PPA, APPA, & PPM1 • Staff would not be overwhelmed with additional workloads • Is a proactive approach • Catch possible inflation of earnings before the lines are reported to CalSTRS • Avoids need for employer adjustments • Team would review News/Bank Log & other related web links

Cons:

• Budget may not allow the possible additional staffing

3. Keep current process in place, but request contracts for all Superintendents and Administrators at the beginning of school year.

Pros: • Catch possible inflation of earnings • No additional training needed • Avoids need for employer adjustments

Cons:

• Lack of response from employers • May require a special team for reviewing contracts • Staff overwhelmed with additional workload

4. Information Request (IR) to target specific accounts at retirement age with a focus on inflated earnings. Pros:

• Identify accounts that have CC6 lines that have the potential to receive a retirement based on inflated earnings

Cons:

• Without setting thresholds this could inundate both staff and the employers • IR could inundate Valorie’s staff who request IR’s • Time restraints (IR requests can take up to two weeks) • Cost associated with IR requests

RECOMMENDATION Recommendation 1:

After careful review of all of the alternatives, with special consideration of the additional workload for Employer Services staff, the team offers a second recommendation. This recommendation is to implement alternative 2. After our findings from the Information Request (IR) there were approximately 7,000, CC6 lines for all dollar amounts for the six sample counties. The actual number of CC6 lines to review will be much higher, since we have approximately 60 counties to manage. When the search was narrowed down by the dollar amount of $1,001, there were approximately 560, CC6 lines. Due to the high volume of CC6 lines with a $1,001 minimum this workload would overload staff. Our recommendation is to develop a team of Pension Program Analysts, Associate Pension Program Analysts (approx 5-6), with a focus primarily on CC6 lines with a dollar amount of $1,001 or higher. We recommend that the Special team request contracts for all Administrators and Superintendents at the beginning of each school year. This process might need management to draft a circular or directive to notify the employers of this new procedure. Having a special team will allow time to analyze and review contracts per California’s Education Code. The


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special team would be able to request additional information from employers when needed, follow- up and document, and monitor and track trends to avoid possible reporting issues.

Alternative 2 will create new opportunities for advancement for staff. Implementation:

• Funding • Circular/Directive • Contracts would be requested for all Admin and Super at the beginning of School year • Space • New Hire Process • Job Announcement • Interviews/hiring • New Procedure/Job aid • Training • Re-assignment of current staff

Recommendation 2:

The team discussed several alternative solutions and found that we had strong reasons to support two of the alternatives. The following information presents the case for implementation of Alternative # 1.

Staff has a high volume of work, much of which is time consuming. Current workload coupled with the high volume of CC6’s reported every month, demonstrates the need for a dollar limitation on which CC6’s should be addressed. A $1,001 amount limit narrows the quantity of CC6’s to verify. (See attachment A). A procedure to request the contracts for all administrators and superintendents at the beginning of each school year would be a proactive approach to identify potential inflated earnings.

The procedure to request all contracts may require a written directive or circular to employers.

To document the verification of CC6’s staff should scan copies of the contracts into the imaging database. We recommend the addition of a CC6 event type to the Event Tracking screen in the START database. Staff may enter comments to the members account and management can access the comments made by staff. Folders can be created for every county on the G drive. The new folders will be stored in the same location as the approved edits statistics. Within these folders each county will have a spreadsheet that tracks all accounts with CC6’s that have been verified. For a sample of spreadsheet (See attachment B)

Implementation:

• Creating an Excel spreadsheet • CC6 Event type added to START • Training on new process • New Job Aid


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Group Exercise: (Do not do this until assigned by your instructor) Work with your groups to Assign the VW BUG paper outline sentences (1-20) under the WRITE heading! Exact order within the four main points is not important.

Intro sentence: Modifying my 1967 VW Bug while I was in college was technically challenging and fun, but it was expensive, and also a hassle! 1. I installed new, more accurate gauges, new brakes and a better exhaust system. Not

cheap!

2. It was fun to shock people with the speed of my Bug at stoplights and drive fast up in the mountains.

3. I studied manuals and VW Bug magazines to learn how to best modify my Bug.

4. I befriended two funny brothers who owned a machine shop. They helped me decide what to modify.

5. I made expensive modifications - a hot camshaft, bigger cylinders, dual port heads and dual carburetors.

6. I canceled dates sometimes after working on my car because I couldn’t get rid of the smell of gas and grease!

7. I read about how camshafts worked and how they controlled the valves and engine timing.

8. I Learned a lot while rebuilding my bug. It was technically very challenging, but I was up to the challenge.

9. Doing all the work on the car myself made the project possible and helped me to save money

10. Sometimes I couldn’t go out with friends because I had my car in pieces doing upgrades.

11. I learned the difference between single and dual port heads and why they should be polished.

CHALLENGE #_______ #_______ #_______ #_______ #_______

FUN #_______ #_______ #_______ #_______ #_______

EXPENSIVE #_______ #_______ #_______ #_______ #_______

HASSLE #_______ #_______ #_______ #_______ #_______


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12. Modifying my bug was expensive and it seemed there was ALWAYS one more thing to spend money on!

13. I did fun historical research on the history of VW as part of the project.

14. I was always having to put things together temporarily (sometimes with bailing wire) just to get to work

15. I learned how to relocate the oil cooler so it didn’t block air flow to cylinder #3. What a poor design!

16. I had a lot of fun modifying my VW Bug.

17. I upgraded to Porsche wheels, anti-sway bars front and rear and Michelin radial tires, all top dollar items.

18. Sometimes I would have a breakdown and have to fix my car on the side of the road

19. Taking apart and cleaning the carburetors, ignition system and rebuilding the engine were all fun for me.

20. Rebuilding my only car (and daily driver) was a hassle and had serious drawbacks on my professional and social life.

Conclusion sentence: Modifying my 1967 VW Bug was challenging and fun, but it was also expensive, and a hassle. I have great memories from the experience though, and that made it totally worth it!.


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Incorporate Critical Thinking Remember the Thinking Map from the Critical Thinking Tools course? We recommended it as a tool for evaluating arguments in the various documents you read. We also suggested it as a tool for writing documents in the course of your analyst responsibilities.

Business Writing Style Clarity and Conciseness First, it’s the law: Government agencies are to “write each document…in plain, straightforward language, avoiding technical terms as much as possible, and using a coherent and easily readable style.” (California Government Code Section 6219)

• The most effective writing is clear, concise, and accurate. • The more clearly something is explained, the easier it is to understand.

The easier something is to understand, the less likely it is to be misunderstood.

• Do not clutter your writing with unnecessary words. The better the explanation, the briefer the sentence. Fewer words are better.

• Use definite, specific, concrete language. Avoid general, vague, or abstract language.

• Use the active voice unless the passive voice is better.

SKILLFUL ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION OF ARGUMENTS

(WHAT PEOPLE SAY OR WRITE) Analysis (Understanding) 1. What are the main recommendations or conclusions (may be stated or

unstated)? 2. What are the reasons (data, evidence)? 3. What is assumed? 4. What needs to be clarified (terms, claims, or arguments)? Evaluation (Deciding) 5. Are the reasons acceptable? 6. Does the reasoning support the conclusions? 7. What is your overall evaluation (in the light of steps 1 through 6)?

Thinking Map


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Readability In Microsoft Word, you have a free and easy-to-use resource for testing the readability any document.

1. Open a Word document. 2. Click File. 3. Click Options (last choice). 4. Click Proofing. 5. Under the section entitled “When correcting spelling and grammar in

Word”, check the box by Show readability statistics. 6. Click OK. 7. Run spell check on your document. When completed, a box will pop up

with your readability results.


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The Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level number correlates directly with traditional grade levels, through grade 12. The general recommendation for most state agency writing is that papers should be written at a 7th or 8th grade level. Caveat: Your audience will dictate more specifically the level of your writing. For instance, a document informing inmates of their healthcare rights would be written at a different level than a policy memo submitted to your agency’s Director. The Flesch Reading Ease number is somewhat less intuitive. The calculation is based on number of syllables per word and the number of words and sentences in the entire document. (Remember: This calculation is done for you by Word.)


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Active and Passive Voice The active voice is the default for business writing. The active voice is more direct and vigorous than the passive, and that suits the assertive and no-nonsense style of business writing. Examples: ACTIVE VOICE: The supervisor hired the analyst. PASSIVE VOICE: The analyst was hired by the supervisor. Here’s the way to determine if any sentence is written in active or passive voice:

1. Find the verb. 2. Determine who or what is performing that verb. 3. Determine if that who or what appears first in the sentence. If not, it’s

passive voice and should be transformed to active voice. Exercise Rewrite the following sentences using the active voice.

1. The recording was played at full volume by the DJ.

2. A mistake has been made.

3. The office doors were left unlocked over the weekend.

4. The phone call should have been made at 9:00 a.m. yesterday.

5. The forest was stripped of timber before the consequences of their actions were realized by the pioneers.


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Avoid Nominalizations Don’t use a noun when a powerful verb is better; sentences will be shorter and punchier. Look for verbs that have been turned into nouns (nominalizations), then rewrite the sentence using just a powerful verb. Examples: Write “recommend” instead of “make a recommendation.” Write “agree” instead of “reach an agreement.” Exercise In each of following examples, the verb has been disguised as a noun. Circle the weak noun in each sentence and then rewrite the sentence using a single, powerful verb.

1. The Director reached a conclusion about how many people to hire.

2. He gave a demonstration about how a polygraph machine works.

3. The agency conducted a study on employee satisfaction rates.

4. The accountant had a discussion with the CFO about July’s sales figures.

5. I made an assumption about which format he had a preference for.


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Parallelism Write all the similar parts of a sentence in the same way. Look especially at your lists within sentences and bulleted lists to ensure each thing listed is the same part of speech. Example: Stacy likes drafting complaints, issuing subpoenas, and to argue in a courtroom. Exercise Fix the lack of parallelism in these sentences.

1. My date was obnoxious, loud, and made me pay for my meal; no doubt he thought I was hilarious and a supermodel.

2. To avoid being hit by lightning, never seek protection under a tree or lying down on wet ground.

3. In addition to being a puppeteer, Jim Henson was also a painter, an artist skilled in animation, and someone who liked to sculpt using clay.

4. Before your trip to the grocery store, you should: • Make a list of necessary items • Placing reusable bags in your car • Eat a healthy snack so you’re not hungry • Impulse purchases by the check-out stand should be avoided

5. If you buy this lottery ticket, you could win $10, the million-dollar jackpot, or five dollars.


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Transitions and Signposts: Connector Words In long documents, use transitions to help readers understand how one topic moves to the next. You can also include signposts, which help readers navigate your document by indicating new turns or ideas, or showing readers the relationships between your ideas. Transitions can appear at the beginning of paragraphs (to connect a new paragraph to the previous one) or within a paragraph (to connect ideas within the paragraph). Transition and signpost words often include the following: • However, • In addition, • In contrast,

• By doing this, • For instance, • Thirdly, [etc.]

• Currently, • Subsequently, • To begin with,

The paragraph below uses transitions and signposts to help the reader navigate the paragraph and understand where they are at all times.

Readers can more easily understand long documents when they are well-

organized and provide guidance to help readers stay on track. For example,

many longer documents start each paragraph out with a topic sentence. Topic

sentences announce the subject matter of a given paragraph. In addition to topic

sentences, signposts also provide guidance for a reader, letting them know when

a new topic or example is being provided. By providing this assistance, you

can help ensure readers finish reading your entire document, and can increase

the likelihood they will respond positively.

Transitions and Signposts Activity Add transitions and signposts in the following paragraph about the DMV’s services:

The DMV offers a variety of services to California families. Teenagers or other

new drivers can apply to get their learner’s permit, their provisional license, or

their Real ID by making an appointment with a specialist at the DMV. Licensed

drivers can visit the DMV to transition to the Real ID. A Real ID will soon be

required to board an airline. The DMV provides car registrations and VIN checks.

You can get help from the DMV by making an appointment, or as a walk-in.


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Case Study: Member Satisfaction Survey Directions

1. Individually, review the data in the 2013 Member Satisfaction Survey results

2. Individually, apply the first two steps of the WRITE Process

a. W—What is my purpose?

b. R—Randomly generate ideas

3. As a group, discuss your randomly generated ideas

a. I—Impose order by outlining an issue memo and putting the outline on a paper.

4. Individually, write a rough draft of an issue memo using your group’s outline

a. T—Try a first pass

5. Be ready to give and get feedback

a. E—Edit and finalize

i. Step back for a moment and evaluate your document per Step 5

ii. Have a partner review your document (using the Thinking Map, etc), making notes on a separate page

iii. Exchange feedback with your partner

6. Don’t forget to have fun! Becoming a better writer will give you confidence and help further your career

Refer to the 2013 Member Satisfaction Handout


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Issue Memo Rough Draft: Scoring Rubric

Objective Result Content Writer provides a specific recommendation

_____yes / _____ no

Writer provides evidence to support recommendation _____yes / _____ no

Writer provides any needed context/background _____yes / _____ no

Organization Writer presents paragraphs in a logical order _____yes / _____ no

Sentences within paragraphs follow a logical order _____yes / _____ no

Paragraphs open with topic sentences _____yes / _____ no

Writing Style Sentences use strong verbs and avoid nominalization _____yes / _____ no

Writing is clear and presents points concisely _____yes / _____ no

Writer uses plain language throughout the memo _____yes / _____ no

Accuracy Writer avoids grammar and punctuation errors _____yes / _____ no

Writer uses active voice unless passive is required _____yes / _____ no

Writer presents lists using parallel structure _____yes / _____ no


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Action Plan

References 1. Meyer, Sebranek, and Van RysStraus (2004). Write for Business. Burlington,

Wisconsin: Upwrite Books. 2. Andrus, Carol (2000). Fat-Free Writing. Menlo Park, CA: Crisp Publications. 3. Shaw, Harry (1993). Errors in English and Ways to Correct Them. New York,

NY: Harper Collins. 4. http://www.myenglishteacher.net/previous.html 5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flesch%E2%80%93Kincaid_readability_tests 6. CalSTRS Style Guide 7. DGS Style Guide 8. DMV Administrative Documents Manual 9. CalHR Competency Dictionary


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Writing for Analysts Course Participants

Please stop here and wait for

instructions before proceeding


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GOVERNOR'S OFFICE ACTION REQUEST TO: TERRY TAMMINEN Cabinet Secretary FROM: Sunne Wright McPeak, Secretary Business, Transportation & Housing Agency PREPARED BY: Ken Miyao, Chief Deputy Director Department of Motor Vehicles DATE: December 9, 2005 SUBJECT: High Occupancy Vehicles, Hybrids, Government Exempt

Agencies X Request for Approval Request for Action Request for Cabinet Discussion TIME FACTOR: Subject to your approval, the department wishes to begin issuing Clean Air Vehicle stickers to qualified hybrid powered vehicles registered to government exempt agencies and entities no later than December 19, 2005. SUMMARY: The Department of Motor Vehicles has been withholding issuance of Clean Air Vehicle stickers to qualifying hybrid powered vehicles registered to government exempt agencies and entities, in order to ensure an adequate inventory is available to members of the general public. The department is requesting immediate approval to begin issuing the stickers to qualifying hybrid powered vehicles registered to government exempt agencies and entities. Assembly Bill 2628 (Pavley) provided amendments to California Vehicle Code Section 5205.5 to allow the department to issue Clean Air Vehicle indicia or “identifiers” to qualified hybrid vehicles in addition to ultra-low and super ultra-low emission vehicles. The “identifiers” (stickers) provide access to California’s High Occupancy Vehicle or carpool lanes for vehicles with less than the posted minimum number of occupants. On August 10, 2005, President Bush signed H.R. 3 (the Transportation Act), providing federal approval of solo-operator hybrid powered vehicles in the carpool lanes. There is a limit on the number of stickers that may be issued to hybrid powered vehicles, and widespread public awareness of that limit.

Page 1 of DMV Diamond Lane actual GOAR


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CalSTRS Survey Conclusion and Action Summary Derived importance analysis was conducted among the descriptive attributes to determine the key drivers of satisfaction. This analysis identified the most important factors affecting satisfaction and CalSTRS level of performance on these key measures. The metric used for this analysis reflects the percent of members who report being Completely Satisfied (7) as this is the highest standard.

Key Targets for Maintaining Excellent Service

Items highly related to satisfaction in which CalSTRS is performing well include: • CalSTRS staff follows through with issues related to my account • CalSTRS staff understands my concerns • Thoroughness of answers to questions • Clarity of communication

Key Targets for Service Improvement

In order to enhance customer satisfaction, a focus on timeliness of replies, appropriateness of follow-through with issues related to member accounts and consistency of answers from multiple CalSTRS sources are key targets for service improvement relative to other attributes. These attributes are identified as areas for improvement, not solely based on lower performance scores, but also because of how critical these service dimensions are to member satisfaction. Consideration of the cost to increase these service dimensions and the resulting impact on satisfaction within the business context is important when setting direction.

Conclusion

For the tenth year in a row, CalSTRS collected robust and meaningful data from members on overall satisfaction, staff performance, service performance, website performance, engagement attributes, and communication vehicles. In addition, member engagement continues to be assessed to increase our understanding of member relationships with CalSTRS. These efforts on an annual basis and the ensuing response to feedback with adjustments to products and services demonstrate CalSTRS commitment to excellence. Our continual improvement is driven by thoughtful, data-informed decisions. CalSTRS will continue to evaluate responses to this survey and implement processes to affect positive change.


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Sample Issue Memo From CalSTRS Data

ISSUE: How can CalSTRS increase satisfaction among its active members aged 30-59? BACKGROUND: Since 2003, CalSTRS has conducted an annual satisfaction survey among its Active and Retired members. The goals are to track and assess member experience, guide strategy, identify areas of improvement and assess engagement attributes. Thomas Ferrous Inc. was hired by CalSTRS to do the work. SCOPE AND METHODOLOGY: This recommendation is based on the 2013 customer survey to track and assess member experience. DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS: Active Members under the age of 50 provided the lowest ratings of CalSTRS service. Overall satisfaction varies with life stage. Newly retired members are most satisfied, while Members aged 20-29 are least satisfied. (small sample size). Key targets for service improvement are:

• Clarity of communication • A focus on timeliness of replies • Appropriate follow through with issues related to members accounts • Consistency of answers from multiple CalSTRS sources • Overall satisfaction with CalSTRS.com

These were chosen not solely based on lower performance scores, but also because of how critical these are to Member satisfaction. Active members age 30-39 are the least satisfied overall with the websites. CalSTRS Members get information mainly from printed material vs. contacting staff:

• 63% through biannual newsletter • 12% through a workshop

ALTERNATIVES: Alternative # 1: Status Quo. Continue to do a yearly assessment and make small adjustments based on the results. Pros: No increased cost year over year. Small changes may increase customer satisfaction slightly. Cons: No big increases in engagement. Little change in saving rates for 30 to 39-year-old members. Minimal outreach to new or younger teachers.


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Alternative #2 Increase staffing, training and outreach.

• Add evening (5 to 9 P.M.) staff to help members after the school day • Increase training of representatives so members get more consistent answers from all

CalSTRS sources • Provide marketing outreach to individual schools to boost interaction and knowledge of

CalSTRS services Pros: Members can engage with CalSTRS after they are done with the normal workday. (no time off needed to check on their benefits/account) Members will get more consistent answers to questions. More teachers will learn the benefits of being members of CalSTRS. Cons: Budget will need to be increase significantly. There will be short term disruption during staff hiring and training. Alternative #3 Substantially increase our investment in complementary technologies.

• Update websites and add a live chat feature o Utilize “after 5 P.M.” staff for live chats

• Create an “APP” to engage more members o APP can be a “game” that rewards increasing skill o Game can show how investments can increase over time to allow a nice

retirement • Utilize social media more effectively

o Engage members through Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn PROS: Better prepared employees will give better and quicker customer service. Excitement and engagement likely increased with game APP and other positive changes. New members will be educated sooner on why it is important to save money with CalSTRS. CONS: Costly to train staff. Costly to hold member seminars at various school locations throughout the state. RECOMMENDATION: The task force recommends both Alternatives 2 and 3. The combination of added staff and training combined with technological improvements should improve engagement and customer appreciation in ways that address all CalSTRS current weaknesses. IMPLEMENTATION:

• Assign a committee to determine staffing needed • Work with IT to make website upgrades • Develop an RFP to hire a company to create the APP • Announce the changes organization wide once they are underway