Presentation of
Professional Qualifications
for Strategic Planning
!
!
1
40 East Chicago Avenue #340, Chicago, IL 60611
800-550-0692• www.craigrapp.com
August 30, 2021
Jack Linehan
Assistant Village Administrator
Village of Gurnee
Strategic Planning Initiative
324 N. O’Plaine Road
Gurnee, IL 60031
RE: Presentation of Professional Qualifications
Dear Mr. Linehan,
The attached statement of professional qualifications of the Rapp Consulting Group is submitted for
your consideration.
The submittal specifically addresses the elements outlined in the Request for Qualifications issued
August 2, 2021:
1. Pr0fessional qualifications
2. Experience with developing a strategic plan at a municipal level
3. Experience working with governmental organizations and community groups in workshop
settings
4. Ability to analyze, organize and present data
5. Overall cost
In addition to the list above we have included a proposed approach to the project.
We look forward to assisting the Village of Gurnee with this important endeavor.
Yours truly,
Craig R. Rapp
President
!
!
Village of Gurnee Strategic Planning Statement of Professional Qualifications- Rapp Consulting Group
2
Professional Qualifications
The Rapp Consulting Group, and its principal, Craig Rapp, has conducted over 100 local government
strategic planning engagements, with more than forty (40) occurring in the past five years. The
primary clients are cities, counties, and special districts located in the Upper Midwest. Mr. Rapp also
performed significant consulting and strategy work when he was employed as Director of Consulting
for the International City-County Management Association (ICMA), and Vice President of Springsted,
Inc.
PROJECT TEAM
Craig Rapp, President, Rapp Consulting Group
Craig Rapp will serve as the principal in charge for this project. He is a nationally recognized speaker,
facilitator, and strategic advisor. He speaks and conducts workshops on subjects such as: leading in
difficult political environments, alternative service delivery, and authentic leadership. The focus of his
consulting practice is strategic planning, leadership development, and optimizing organizational
performance. Craig has forty years of experience as a senior executive in both the public and private
sectors. He was the Director of Consulting for the International City-County Management
Association, City Manager in three cities, senior director for a regional agency, and a senior executive
in two privately held companies. He has a master’s degree in public administration, a bachelor’s
degree in urban studies, and is a graduate of the Senior Executive Institute at the University of
Virginia.
Cory Poris-Plasch, Consultant -Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, POLCO
Cory Poris Plasch will be assisting Craig Rapp with this project. She is the Vice President, Client
Development for Polco and has previously served in leadership positions including Executive Director
of the Wisconsin City/County Management Association and Membership Director for the Alliance for
Innovation. As a former 911 Dispatcher, she has a heart for public service and her experience
includes working in the City Manager’s Office in Illinois communities. She has spoken around the
country on topics including the use of data, civic engagement, engaging hard-to-reach populations,
and innovation in local government. Cory has helped numerous local governments and other public-
sector organizations find success in better engaging their communities so that all stakeholders
(including communities of color and other hard-to-reach populations) are included, driving positive
change. She has a master’s degree in public administration from Northern Illinois University.
!
Village of Gurnee Strategic Planning Statement of Professional Qualifications- Rapp Consulting Group
3
Experience with Strategic Planning - List of Professional References
The clients served by the Rapp Consulting Group are primarily, but not exclusively, suburban cities,
counties and special districts. The following are examples of strategic planning projects comparable
to the Village of Gurnee:
Recent Strategic Planning Engagements—Comparable Scope
1. Village of Glen Ellyn, IL (pop. 28,000), Mark Franz, Village Manager, mfranz@glenellyn.org,
(630) 547-5200
2. Village of Lombard, IL (pop, 43,165), Scott Niehaus, Village Manager,
[email protected], (630) 620-5700
3. Village of Roselle, IL (pop. 22, 763), Jason Bielawski, Village Administrator,
[email protected], (630) 671-2808
4. Village of Lemont, IL (pop. 22, 492), George Schafer, Village Administrator,
[email protected], (630) 257-1590
5. City of Shakopee, MN (pop. 41,000), Bill Reynolds, City Administrator,
[email protected], (952) 233-9311
6. City of Blaine, MN (pop. 64,500), Michelle Wolfe, City Manager, mwolfe@blainemn.gov,
(763) 785-6121
7. City of Chanhassen, MN (pop. 22,952), Laurie Hokkanen, City Manager,
[email protected]assen.mn.us, (952) 227-1119
8. City of Northfield, MN, (pop. 21,000), Ben Martig, City Administrator,
[email protected], (507) 645-3009
9. Lisle-Woodridge Fire District, IL, Keith Krestan, Fire Chief, kkr[email protected], (630) 353-3051
Others similar in scope:
Village of Oswego, IL (pop. 31,000); Village of Libertyville, IL (pop. 21,000); Village of New Lenox,
IL (pop. 27,000); City of Wheaton, IL (pop. 53,000); Village of Antioch, IL (pop. 14,622); City of
Bloomington, MN (pop. 89,987); City of Roseville, MN (pop. 36,000); City of Maplewood, MN
(pop. 41,000); City of Brooklyn Park, MN, (pop. 86,478); City of Edina, MN (pop. 47,941); Village
of Wauconda, IL (pop. 13,603); Village of Shorewood, IL (pop. 15, 615); Roselle Park District; City
of White Bear Lake, MN (pop. 26,000)
!
Village of Gurnee Strategic Planning Statement of Professional Qualifications- Rapp Consulting Group
4
Experience working with community groups in workshop settings
The Rapp Consulting Group has extensive experience with community engagement and facilitating
workshops with local government. Every strategic planning project includes facilitated sessions with
elected and appointed officials, and many include extensive community engagement, including focus
groups, community forums, surveys and joint meetings between interest groups. Below is a
representative sample of recent projects with significant engagement:
1. ENVISION ROSELLE (Community Visioning Project-2019/20) Village of Roselle, IL (pop. 22, 763),
Jason Bielawski, Village Administrator, [email protected], (630) 671-2808
a. Focus groups, Community Forum, Community Survey
2. ENVISION LAKEVILLE (Community Visioning Project- 2013, update 2018) City of Lakeville, MN
(pop. 69,490), Justin Miller, City Administrator, [email protected], (952) 985-4401
a. Focus groups, Community Forums, Community Surveys
3. STRATEGIC PLAN (2018 & 2021), City of Northfield, MN (pop. 21,000), Ben Martig, City
Administrator, [email protected], (507) 645-3009
a. Focus groups, Community Forum, Community Surveys (English & Spanish), Boards &
Commission joint meetings, survey
4. STRATEGIC PLAN (2018) Roselle Park District, Lynn McAteer, Executive Director,
[email protected], (630) 200-2167
a. Focus groups, Survey
5. STRATEGIC PLAN (2015 & 2019) Lisle-Woodridge Fire Department, Keith Krestan, Fire Chief,
[email protected], (630) 353-3051
a. Focus groups, Survey
6. STRATEGIC PLAN (2018) Oswego Public Library District, Sarah Skilton, Executive Director,
[email protected], (630) 978-1506
a. Focus groups, Survey
!
Village of Gurnee Strategic Planning Statement of Professional Qualifications- Rapp Consulting Group
5
Ability to analyze, organize and present data
The Rapp Consulting Group has broad experience with strategic planning, organizational studies,
and community visioning projects that incorporate detailed analyses of data, presented in concise,
easily understood reports. The implementation of actionable plans clearly written is central to the
Rapp Consulting Group approach. Below are links to a wide range of plans and reports:
Examples of Implementation:
Examples of strategic plans, environmental scans, performance reports, and organizational studies
are at the following link: https://bit.ly/3kId5O1
Rapp Consulting Group’s business partner Envisio© offers technology to manage strategic plans and
report results. An example of how Envisio’s software and dashboard solutions are being used by a
Rapp Consulting group client City at the following link:
City of Maplewood, MN https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48vqbpOpNyo
Envisio©
https://envisio.com
The Rapp Consulting Group also has a business alliance with POLCO© -who offers comprehensive
community engagement services, including the National Citizens Survey. www.POLCO.us
!
Village of Gurnee Strategic Planning Statement of Professional Qualifications- Rapp Consulting Group
6
Proposed Approach to the Process – Overall Cost
The following is the proposed approach for the Village of Gurnee strategic planning process.
*Meetings are depicted as in-person sessions. At present, it is presumed many meetings will be virtual
and subject to pandemic public assembly restrictions. If they are held virtually, the number, and length
of meetings may be modified.
Project Plan
Proposed Timeline*
STEP
ACTIVITIES
Project Initiation
Project planning, document review, interviews,
leadership session
Environmental
Scan/Engagement
Environmental scan / stakeholder engagement;
Internal SWOT/Value Proposition
Data review/ preparation
Synthesis of scan and stakeholder data
Strategic planning
Strategic planning sessions
(data review session + retreat)
Strategy implementation
Staff sessions-initiatives, action plans-system
Summary report
Report preparation
Updates (6, 12, 18 mos.)
Consultant-staff review
*Timeline shown is dependent upon availability of internal and external participants, timely access to
information, and whether community engagement is pursued
Strategic Plan Development
The following process is proposed for development of the Village of Gurnee strategic plan:
Project Initiation with Elected Officials, Senior Management Team, Staff
The consultant will meet with the Project Manager to establish a schedule for document review and
interviews with internal stakeholders. Consultants will review relevant operational and long-range
planning documents to gain insight into themes and current priorities of the Village. Interviews with
elected officials and senior management will be conducted. Interviews will be done via phone/virtual
online but could include online surveys.
A project review meeting will follow with senior leadership. The meeting’s purpose will be to: (1)
verify expected outcomes; (2) review mission, vision and values to determine the need for updating;
(3) discuss & guide staff on environmental scanning and organizational profile; (4) Review issues-
including interview results.
This meeting will also be used to set project schedules and finalize the communication protocols.
Activities include:
a) Set timelines and formats for environmental scan/organizational profile
b) Discuss communication of interview results
c) Prepare for external stakeholder engagement
!
Village of Gurnee Strategic Planning Statement of Professional Qualifications- Rapp Consulting Group
7
Assess the Operating Environment
The next step in the strategic planning process is a review of the operating environment. This will be
accomplished in three ways: (1) through an Environmental Scan- a systematic review of major
environmental factors that affect the Village’s operating environment; (2) development of an
Organizational Profile-a document that provides the details regarding human and capital resources;
and (3) a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis.
The environmental scan and organizational profile will be presented to the Board prior to the first
strategy session, and the SWOT analysis will be processed at the first strategy session.
Activity #1 – Conduct Environmental Scan
Under the guidance of the consultant, staff will develop an environmental scan. An environmental
scan is a systematic review of major environmental factors that affect the organization’s operating
environment such as: financial and economic conditions, demographics, physical assets,
intergovernmental relations, citizen/stakeholder issues, technology changes, environmental
sustainability and the regulatory environment.
a) Develop and distribute environmental scan documents
b) Provide staff support as required
Activity #2 – Develop Organizational Profile
An organizational profile is a baseline description of the organization and is prepared by staff with
the guidance of the consultant. It provides detailed information regarding the human and capital
resources of the organization and the strategic context for its operations. Specifics regarding
governance, organizational structure, work processes, staff capacity and capabilities, and the
strategic environment are included. This serves as a key reference document for the governing body
and leadership team. *This can be combined with the environmental scan as a single document for
reporting and distribution purposes.
a) Prepare and distribute guides/examples
b) Provide staff support, review as required
Activity #3 – Administer SWOT Questionnaire
A SWOT questionnaire will be administered to all strategic planning participants. This will provide
information regarding the current operating environment-both internal and external. The results will
be aggregated to ensure anonymity and maximize candor. The data generated will be used at the
first strategic planning session.
a) Prepare and distribute questionnaire
b) Provide staff support as required
Engage the Community and External Stakeholders
Conducted concurrently with environmental scanning, this effort seeks to uncover community needs
and expectations, and determine whether the Village’s mission, vision, values, and priorities are
aligned with external stakeholders. The final elements and specific format for this effort will be
determined by the Village with the project team and will at minimum include focus groups but may
include facilitated sessions or online interactions with stakeholder groups.
Stakeholders will be defined by the leadership team, but generally include groups such as: the
business community, seniors, athletic associations, faith groups, and schools. The approach for
gathering community input include:
!
Village of Gurnee Strategic Planning Statement of Professional Qualifications- Rapp Consulting Group
8
• Focus groups—facilitated and conducted by the consulting team—up to 6 key stakeholder
groups identified by the Village. Sessions consist of 10-12 individuals from each of the
selected stakeholder groups.
*OPTIONAL ENGAGEMENT APPROACHES
• Community forum(s)—large, facilitated community discussions conducted by the consulting
team using audience participation technology (APT). This is a process whereby participants
vote anonymously via electronic keypads, responding to questions relevant to the strategic
planning process. Participation is open to the entire community and/or by invitation as
determined by the Village.
• Online survey of stakeholders—this could be focused on stakeholder groups or the entire
community. Administered by the consultants using POLCO© technology. This offers the
entire community, or all the members of specific groups the opportunity to contribute their
opinions. This could also be used to target a specific group(s) such as advisory boards or
community leaders.
Activities associated with stakeholder engagement:
a) Discuss options with Village and project team
b) Prepare background materials
c) Conduct process with selected approaches
d) Summarize results
Determine Challenges, Priorities, Outcomes, Targets
Once the assessment of the operating environment is complete, the leadership group begins the
process of developing the plan, starting with a review of the information and feedback collected,
followed by a retreat where strategic challenges are identified and priorities, desired outcomes and
performance targets are determined:
Strategic Planning Session #1- Review Stakeholder Feedback, Scan, Profile
This session is held prior to the strategic planning “working sessions” (session 2, 3) and is dedicated
to reviewing the operating environment via the results of the stakeholder outreach, the
environmental scan, and the organizational profile. The consultant will present the outreach results
and the staff will present the scan and profile. The session will conclude with a brief facilitated
discussion amongst the Board regarding issues raised.
a) Prepare and summarize data
b) Present to Board
c) Facilitate discussion
Strategic Planning Session #2- Examine Operating Environment, Identify Strategic Priorities
This session will include the Board and leadership team and will focus on reviewing or confirming
organizational purpose, examining the operating environment, and establishing priorities. The group
will discuss organizational value proposition, review the Village’s mission, vision, and values, and will
update them as necessary. A facilitated process involving the Board and leadership team will yield a
list of organizational challenges and a set of 4-6 strategic priorities. The group’s effort will be
informed by the results of the community engagement process and the information generated by
the scan, profile and SWOT questionnaire.
a) Review and integrate data collection, environmental scan, profile, SWOT information
b) Facilitate session and group exercises
c) Summarize results
!
Village of Gurnee Strategic Planning Statement of Professional Qualifications- Rapp Consulting Group
9
Strategic Planning Session #3 –Establish Desired Outcomes, Key Indicators, Performance Targets
This session is dedicated to defining a set of Desired Outcomes, Key Outcome Indicators, and
Performance Targets used to establish accountability for achieving results in priority areas. It may
also address issues not completed at the previous session. Using a facilitated process, the Board and
leadership team will take the strategic priorities established in Session #2 and align outcomes and
targets with the priorities.
a) Prepare background materials
b) Review previous session discussion/results
c) Facilitate session
d) Summarize results
Operationalize into a Work Plan
Following the development of a plan that delineates specific outcomes and performance targets, the
next steps move the process into plan implementation. Management from many levels will develop
strategic initiatives-projects and programs—that will enable the Village to achieve the targeted
performance. This will be followed by creation of action plans, which are the detailed steps required
to make the initiatives real. To ensure accountability and transparency, the actions will be tracked
and reported on a regular basis. This may be done via a staff-developed reporting process or via a
software solution—to be determined by the Village:
Strategic Plan Implementation—Develop Strategic Initiatives/Action Plans
This session will be conducted with the management staff across the organization. The session will
focus exclusively on developing strategic initiatives and detailed action plans for each strategic
priority, in line with the Desired Outcomes and Targets. Action plans need to be developed in
sufficient detail to establish accountability and make the effort real. The session will include a review
of the strategic planning process to provide guidance on the development of effective plans. If
appropriate, it will also include initial exposure to the interface with implementation/dashboard
software, which will extend the length of the session and result in follow-up sessions.
a) Meeting/discussion with Project Manager
b) Prepare background materials
c) Facilitate session
d) Summarize results
Strategic Plan Implementation- Work Plan refinement and integration
This session will be conducted with the management staff at multiple levels and will focus on refining
the work of the previous session in order to get integration of efforts across service areas and to
understand the software used to coordinate and report performance—if appropriate. it will include
training on the interface with implementation/dashboard software, if chosen. Performance reporting
will be presented along with forms and/or software solutions.
a) Meeting/discussion with Project Manager
b) Review previous session discussion/results
c) Prepare background materials
d) Facilitate session/train employees
e) Summarize results
!
Village of Gurnee Strategic Planning Statement of Professional Qualifications- Rapp Consulting Group
10
Final Report
Summary Report
A summary report, detailing the process, including the draft action plan developed, will be prepared
and submitted to the City.
a) Prepare summary report
Plan Updates, Continuation
At the 6-, 12-, and 18-month marks following initial plan adoption, the consultant will work with the
Village to review and update the plan. This will involve a review of accomplishments, as well as
refinements to targets and outcomes based upon new realities.
a) Review and feedback on strategic plan results
b) Prepare background materials
c) Summarize results
Overall Cost
PROJECT COST* : $26,450.00* through final report. Updates at 6, 12, and 18 months below
Plan Updates: Requires additional information for accurate cost. Based upon scope provided
estimate $2,500.00
(includes focus groups, but no other community engagement—options identified below)
• Community forum(s)— develop questions, coordinate with Village staff and facilitate community
discussions. Arrange for audience participation technology (APT). Summarize results.
$3,500+/ session (APT -often free—if contracted: $1,500-3,000.00)
• Online survey of stakeholders—develop questions, coordinate with Village staff for promotion
and channels, administer survey, coordinate with POLCO, summarize results. $2,750.00
*Total cost including incidentals