Potential Custodial ServicesOutsourcing Process
What is Outsourcing?
“Outsourcing is any task, operation, job or process that couldbe performed by employees within an organization, but isinstead contracted to a third party for a contracted period oftime.”
“Organizations contract out non-core activities in order to freeup resources for what they do best and thus reduce theircosts of service.”
(www.businessdictionary.com)
Some school districts have chosen outsourcing as a means tomaintain more resources for their core mission of teachingand learning. Resources can include time, administrationand personnel in addition to money.
Potential Process
•Define the issue
Are we using our resources most efficiently andeffectively to meet the vision and mission of ourschool division?
•Conduct a cost analysis
- Salary and benefits
- Custodial supplies including delivery to schools
- Custodial equipment/maintenance
- Uniforms
•Issue an RFP and solicit proposals
Procurement Process
•A Request for Proposal is a procurement processwhich allows us to specify our needs
•Proposals are submitted by potential vendorsbased on specifications
•A committee is formed which evaluates theproposals and determines which vendors appearto best meet our needs
•Interviews are scheduled with selected vendors;this could also include site visits to existingcustomers
Procurement Process (continued)
•Negotiations are held with one or more vendorsdeemed to be the best
•If determined that this process is in the bestinterest of SPS, award is then made to the selectedvendor
Scope of Services
The Scope of Services specifies our needs to potential vendors.Some things we could include:
•Requirement of the cleanliness of the buildings to anindustry standard and documentation of expectations;daily, weekly, monthly and yearly checklist of duties to becompleted for each school/building
•Direct supervision and training of all custodians by industryspecialists
•A local supervisor for SPS; provided by the successfulvendor upon our approval
•An SPS employee to serve as a liaison between the vendorand the schools to include regularly scheduled reviews
Scope of Services (continued)
•Management and provision of all custodial supplies,uniforms and equipment with direct delivery to eachschool
•Requirement that all current employees be hired by thesuccessful vendor for a predetermined period of time suchas six months
•Requirement that health insurance, retirement and otherbenefits be available to all employees hired
•Criminal Background Checks and employee screenings ascurrently required by SPS
PROS and CONS
PROS:
•Enforceable contract to maintain the buildings to a specifiedstandard
•Principals have more time to focus on instruction
•Potential cost savings
•Savings in administrative time
CONS:
•Concerns about job and benefit loss by current employees
•Principals will have less control of services in their building
•Outsourcing may have a negative impact on our localeconomy