The Client Profile
The Office of the Clerk of the Board provides administrative, managerial, and support services to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Office staff implements Board policies, and also interfaces with residents of the city and county of San Francisco.

The Business Problem
The Office of the Clerk of the Board experienced tremendous changes in leadership and technology during the late 1990s. In addition, the office faced challenges to provide greater availability, increased content, and faster dissemination of Board records. In light of these challenges, and in order to maximize the responsiveness of the business group, the Board commissioned TechProse to perform an unbiased, third-party review, and provide recommendations for improvement.

The TechProse Solution
The Clerk of the Board engaged TechProse to conduct a management audit, a self-improvement approach the office had not previously employed. This review was to be as comprehensive as time and budget constraints allowed, with clear recommendations for improvement. The TechProse audit identified:

• best practices
• areas for process improvement
• areas in which technology can streamline operations
• ways to facilitate neighborhood meetings and support District Elections without serious impact to the current budget or staff requirement

TechProse also addressed these goals in three broad categories:

• People—The roles and abilities of staff and any auxiliary resources and how effectively these are documented.
• Processes—The existing organizational culture, specific changes that affect personnel, past experiences, perceived goals, and other issues.
• Tools—Tools include the current (and future) systems and applications, and the specific impacts of technology on the way people do their job.
• TechProse recommendations included a comprehensive strategic plan, a new structure for the organization, and key automation improvements.  This was a useful tool for the Board and generated positive publicity.