Board award is set for December 14, 2026. With notice to proceed on January 11, 2027, the cost scenarios reach the County on June 25 and the final report on August 6, ahead of the County's work on its 2028 budget (the fiscal year is the calendar year). Training follows the August 9 Board presentation, and the project closes August 27.
Confirm roles, responsibilities, communication protocols, data requirements and review timelines (scope item 13). We bring a draft schedule, the data request and a draft list of benchmark employers so decisions can be made in the room.
Current classification plan, titles and job descriptions; the grade-ordered pay plan and how employees move through it; pay policies; organization charts. Output: an assessment memo that names outdated or overlapping classes and the places where a classification fix and a salary fix differ.
Short live video sessions timed to each shift (Sheriff's Office, Fire, E-911 and Roads included), a recorded version and a written FAQ; introductory video meetings with department heads and each elected official or their designee, followed by in-person meetings during the March site week.
Online, with paper copies for crews and shift staff; supervisor review of each. Collection window February 1 to 26, with completion tracked by department and reminders through HR.
One on-site week in Dalton (March 8 to 12): department heads, elected officials' offices, supervisors and focus groups by job family, scheduled around shifts. Video follow-up interviews and desk audits March 15 to 26 where the questionnaire and the interview disagree.
Minimum qualifications, licenses and certifications checked against the work (for example law enforcement, firefighter, 911 and inspector certifications) and recorded for each class.
Separate comparison groups where the labor market differs: public safety, administrative and technical, and trades and operations.
Published pay plans first, then a survey of the approved employers for what they do not publish; every figure kept with its source and effective date and moved to one common date.
Job families, career ladders, titles, minimum qualifications, supervisory levels, FLSA status and working conditions; an action for every class: retain, reclassify, consolidate, split, retitle, create or eliminate.
Factor weights confirmed with the County before rating; every class rated and signed; internal order set from the points.
Market average, median, a specific percentile, and differentiated positions for groups such as public safety, each with its cost and its effect on recruiting.
Grades with minimum, midpoint and maximum; range spreads and grade steps documented; every class listed with current and recommended grade and range and its recommended action.
Compression, overlaps, supervisor and subordinate pairs; every employee tested against the new range, with corrective recommendations.
At least three: full implementation, phased implementation and priority correction; cost to minimum, by department and class, annualized, with payroll-related costs.
Draft findings go to Human Resources first; department and elected-office results are reviewed with each before the final.
At the Board of Commissioners meeting the County chooses, planned for Monday, August 9, 2027, with a work session before it if the Board wants one.
Electronic, editable, with the job evaluation workbook, reclassification process, range-update method, market review guide and equity checks.
On site August 10 and 11, the two days after the Board presentation: a hands-on half day for Human Resources and a briefing for department heads, elected officials' designees and management, recorded. The manual is final by August 20, after training feedback.
| When | Item |
|---|---|
| At the video kickoff (January 19) | Organization charts, staffing list or position control, current job descriptions (Word), current pay plan with grades and ranges, pay policies (hiring, promotion, on-call, stipends, incentives). |
| By February 2 | Payroll extract for every employee: class, grade, department, pay rate, FLSA status, hire date, date in class, full or part time; prior study and reclassification history if available. |
| February 1 to 26 | Human Resources notice to employees and supervisors to complete questionnaires on work time; supervisor review by March 5. |
| By February 19 | County approval of the benchmark employer list and the market position options to be costed. |
| March 8 to 12 | Interview rooms and schedules on site, including shift-based slots for the Sheriff's Office, Fire, E-911 and Roads; video links for follow-ups March 15 to 26. |
| By May 3 | Budget figures for cost modeling: fund for each position, retirement and benefit rates, and the budget calendar. |
| July 12 to 23 | County review of the draft report, with one consolidated set of comments. |
The schedule depends on three dates. The payroll extract arrives by February 2, the County approves the benchmark employers by February 19, and questionnaires are complete by February 26. If any slips, the market survey and job analysis still run in parallel, and we protect the August presentation by compressing the County review window before we touch the analysis. Biweekly written progress reports go to the County's Project Manager throughout, with any risk to a date raised in writing the day we see it.