RPVCCA_CC_CMR_2013_08_06_City_Manager_ReportCALIFORNIA
] · P · I · A
Julyl7,2013
Carolyn Lehr
City Manager .
City of Rancho Palos Verdes
30940 Hawthorne Boulevard
Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275
Dear M~. Lehr,
City of Rancho Palos Verdes
JUL 2 .~ 2013
City Manager's Office
By way of introduction, the California JPIA is a self-insured risk pooling organization with one
hundred twenty-one members. The Authority provides liability and workers' compensation as well as
other insured programs to your city. To assist members in managing risk, the California JPIA
periodically reviews each member's risk management practices, including safety and loss control as
well as governance. This review is part of the Authority's LossCAP program, which is designed to
create a partnership with members.
LossCAP, which stands for Loss Control Action Plan, was presented to your city in December 2010,
and followed an evaluation that occurred in September 2009. The evaluation and accompanying
action plan defined and established certain risk management actions, which the member is expected
to review and implement as a means to support best practices and principles of local governance. In
December 2010 the Authority's Executive Committee adopted the Healthy Members protocol and
process to ensure members of the Authority were following sound best practices for risk
management.
It has come to our attention through the media and other sources that certain actions by the legislative
body may be negatively affecting employee morale and performance, including potential allegations
of harassment, retaliat.ion, and hostile work environment. The actions or inactions may be creating
adverse public poHcy which could result in legal liability.
In response, the Authority is requesting a meeting with you at your soonest convenience. In addition,
it might be appropriate for a similar meeting with your city council in order to convey the seriousness
of these allegations, and to outline a course of action. Robert May, Senior Risk Consultant, will be
contacting you next week in order to arrange this meeting.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
~di:Hvsivtll((;
01r. .unctlr ~
Norman A. Lefmann
Assistant Executive Officer
California JPIA
Cc: Carol Lynch, Richards Watson & Gershon
CAL I F 0 RN I A J 0 I NT ~ 0 WE RS l N S U RAN C E AU TH 0 RI TY
8081 MOODY STREET, LA PALMA: CA 90623 TEL (562) 467-8700 FAX (562) 860-4992
City Manager Report
PROVIDING INNOVATIVE RISK MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS FOR OUR PUBLIC AGENCY PARTNERS
LossCAP: What it is and What it Does
The Authority's LossCAP program, which is the most visible
interface between the Authority and its members, is the framework for
delivering needed risk management resources to members. In response
to member satisfaction survey findings in 2004, LossCAP was founded
on the principle of a partnership; one that exists between the Authority
and each member. That partnership only succeeds when both partners
understand the role each must play in working to mitigate exposures
that lead to losses.
Such an opportunity to partnership was absent in the relationship
with members before LossCAP was put in place. For nearly two
decades, members were left largely on their own to act on
recommendations made by the Authority. The 2004 survey revealed
that members needed assistance in developing and implementing risk
management programs, policies, and procedures.
In The News
Member Recognized for
Excellence in Risk Management
Stop! Don't Gamble with Your
Agency's Training Budget
Coverage Programs
Stewardship Reports
• Managing Risk
Workers' Compensation Update
Risk Management Q & A
Participant Waiver Execution and
Retention
What Constitutes,"Course and
Scope" of Employment:'
• . Traitids Corner
Human R~outces Afademy
The Rescmrce Center
In response, the Authority
restructured the way it operated,
and outsourced the venerable risk
management evaluation to a
contractor that would act as a
strategic partner. In addition, the
Authority assembled key resources
in order to better assist members,
including subject matter experts,
employment experts, and contract
review.
Equipped with information
collected in the risk management
evaluation, the Authority's risk
consultants are now available to
work directly with members in
developing action_ylans that are
designed to identity a work _plan
that, through completion of the
action items, brings about
improvement in how risks are
managed.
At the time of this printing,
over 75% of members have met for
their LossCAP presentation. During the presentation, staff from the
Authority convenes with key individuals from the member, including
the member's senior management. In the weeks following the
presentation, the Authority works with the member to develop a two-
year work plan that captures target completion dates and assigns staff
responsible for completing each item.
Given that the program is nearly three years running, how are
members doing? On average, action plans for members undertaking
work in 2008 are 70% complete; for members with work beginning in
2009, action plans are now 44% complete; and, for those with
presentations in 2010, action plans are approximately 14% complete.
So what does this mean? First and foremost, the Authority is very
conscious that numerous members are facing difficult times, including
reductions in staffing, furloughs, budget cut backs, and other competing
factors. It also means that members continue to need help from the
Authority, and that they can't go it alone.
Interestingly, for those members that have completed their
LossCAP action plans, and for the host that ~re nearing completion, one
common factor emerges; that is, successful members have the needed
support from senior management. Without exception, senior
. management is pushing down through the organizational culture an
important message: managing risk is a critical management function for
organizational success.
Whether or not your agency is working on a LossCAP action plan,
the Authority is poised to assist. Perhaps your agency is conducting
analysis on a new program, activity, or development project. Or, maybe
you need a contract to be reviewed or advice on types and limits of
insurance coverage for those providing services to your agency. Maybe
you need review of documents that will help determine if insurance
requirements have been satisfied. If your agency is considering taking
adverse employment action, our employment advice program is ready to
help in instances where early intervention just might mitigate a claim.
The California Joint Powers Insurance Authority's mission is
"Providing Innovative Risk Management Solutions for Our Public
Agency Partners'.' The LossCAP Program is the Authority's strategic
effort to carry out that mission. We are your experts in managing risk,
and our staff is ready to help you across the risk management spectrum.
INTEGRITY , EXCELLENCE INNOVATION , TEAMWORK
City Manager Report