Civil Grand Jury report - Superior Court of California

City and County of San Francisco2012-2013 Civil Grand JuryFrancisco Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR), and the BPR report allhave noted that DBI lacks a strategic plan which would set priorities, focus energy andresources, ensure that employees are working toward common goals, and adjustoperations in response to a changing environment. 25The DBI has had a revolving door of directors, with five in the past seven years and, as ofour report, an acting director for a year. Such turnover in the director’s position and theshuffling of managers, sometimes out of their area of expertise, has hampered theDepartment as it deals with a flood of work during this building boom.b. Problems in HiringPermit and inspection fees declined swiftly in the most recent recession, reducedoperating revenue and required DBI to dramatically reduce staffing levels to maintain abalanced operating budget. Construction activity in San Francisco rebounded after therecession, and DBI was unable to quickly replace staff who were laid off, due to theCity’s cumbersome hiring procedures and internal Department inefficiency in moving theprocess forward. The DBI had to analyze job content, update job descriptions, anddevelop a test for each job classification before recruiting could begin. These and othercivil service procedures extended the hiring timeline to about one year. When we beganour investigation, there were roughly 75 vacant positions. Although many of them havebeen filled, the Department remains understaffed for the current workload.DBI estimates that it will have a $37 million, four-year department operating surplus atthe end of the current fiscal year. A study prepared by the Controller recommends thatDBI maintain a $17 million operating reserve to support an orderly staff level transitionwhen the current building boom ends.c. Lack of Current Policies and ProceduresThe Jury requested and reviewed the Department’s policies and procedures manuals,which are a basic tool of any agency and especially important in a regulated, technicalfield. The policies and procedures documents provided to us were frequently outdated,with some from the late 1980s, most from the 1990s, and a few updates through 2007.We understand that these aging manuals were not widely distributed and used. Some areavailable as online resources within DBI, and a few can be found online by the public.d. TrainingAfter a significant number of employees were laid off during the economic downturn, theDepartment was short of funds and there was some justification to consider training as asecondary need. Current management is trying to emphasize training more than in thepast.Training needs identified but not yet fully implemented include:Building a Better Future at the Department of Building Inspection13