“Bounty” Offered to
Sections and Branches for Peer Review Referrals
Sections
and Branches appreciate additional revenue sources to help carry out their
programs and services. There is now another source of income available from ASCE
National. The Committee on Peer Review for Public Agencies is introducing a
$250 incentive for referrals that result in a peer review.
What is
Peer Review?
The purpose
of ASCE's Peer Review for Public Agencies Program is to help public sector
engineering and construction agencies improve the management and quality of
their engineering services through a quick, confidential, and affordable
process.Reviewers study an
organization's policies and objectives and conduct staff interviews to
determine how well those policies and procedures are understood and practiced. Management areas covered include:
organizational management, project management, emergency management, technical
procedures, human resource management, finance, and public relations. The focus
may cover planning, design, construction, operations, and maintenance -- and
can include an entire agency or just a portion. The team concludes the process
with an oral report to the engineer/director requesting the review, and if
requested follows up later with a written report.
The process
was modeled after a similar one used by the American Council of Engineering
Companies in the late 1980's. Since 1987, almost 70 different local entities
have benefitted from the ASCE Peer Review for Public Agencies program. Typical comments include “We were and still
are very happy with the review that was performed.” and “Experience showed and
was very valuable.”More information,
including a brochure, is available on the ASCE Web site at
ASCE Peer
Review is a voluntary and confidential program for public infrastructure
organizations and is conducted by experienced government engineer/managers who
are trained in the process. Timing is typically controlled by the requesting
agency. A review can be done quickly. The turnaround time can be within 90 days
of the request. Cost is low for this kind of study since reviewers volunteer
their time, and therefore no cost is included for their salaries. The fee
covers reviewer travel costs and administration.It typically ranges from $6,000 to $20,000
but depends on the size of the agency being reviewed and whether the agency
requests a more customized review to address specific challenges or
opportunities that they are facing.
Benefits
of a Peer Review
A peer
review provides an objective outside assessment of strengths and weaknesses by
fellow government engineers experienced in leadership and management. They have
no stake in future work; their intent is to provide a useful service to
colleagues. Agency management can gain insights into procedural difficulties,
communication obstacles, organizational problems, and employee morale but also
positive reinforcement from staff feedback.This helps them prioritize and implement suggestions for improvement of
effectiveness in a manner that utilizes both staff and management input.
Incentive
process
Sections
and Branches should email Becky Waldrup, ASCE's staff contact for the Committee
on Peer Review for Public Agencies, at rwaldrup@asce.org
to recommend an agency. Provide the following information:
1. ASCE
Section or Branch name and contact, and
2.
Government agency name and contact information.
Becky will
acknowledge your submission, enter the contact information into ASCE's Peer
Review tracking system, and follow-up with the agency to determine their
interest. Upon completion of a review and payment of the review fee, the 'nominating'
Section or Branch will receive payment of $250.There is no limit on the number of referrals that a Sections and
Branches may make or the number of referral fees that they may earn.
Agencies
who have used this service have found that the process is very valuable. The Committee
on Peer Review for Public Agencies hopes that this incentive offer will
increase the exposure of this service.Please consider participating in the referral program for the benefit of
your local public agencies as well as for the financial assistance that it will
provide to your Section or Branch.
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