Title
Approve and authorize advanced step placement for Paresh Patel and Alex Zheng at Step 6 of the Deputy Chief Information Officer salary range, effective January 15, 2022, in accordance with Personnel Policies and Practices Resolution No. 98-394, Sections A.1.11.1 and A.1.11.5.
Report
RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
Approve and authorize advanced step placement for Paresh Patel and Alex Zheng at Step 6 of the Deputy Chief Information Officer salary range, effective January 15, 2022, in accordance with Personnel Policies and Practices Resolution No. 98-394, Sections A.1.11.1 and A.1.11.5.
SUMMARY/DISCUSSION:
Pursuant to the provision of the Personnel Policies and Practices Resolution (PPPR) No. 98-394, Board of Supervisors’ approval is required to authorize placement above Step 3 in Unit Y.
Alex Zheng has been serving in the position of Division Manager in the Information Technology Department (ITD) since 2013 and Paresh Patel has been serving in the same classification since 2016. Since their appointments to these positions, several significant changes occurred in ITD to include services offered to County departments and structural changes within the organization that increased the span of control of these Division Manager incumbents. Therefore, to determine if the Division Manager classification was appropriately classified, The Human Resources Department retained Cooperative Personnel Services HR Consulting (CPS HR) in 2018 to conduct a classification and compensation study. The study found that Mr. Zheng’s and Mr. Patel’s agency-wide responsibility, authority and span of control increased, exceeding the classification of Division Manager. CPS recommended to create a new classification of Deputy Chief Information Officer to more accurately reflect the level and scope of the duties being performed by the incumbents. The actions to create this new classification and reclassify Mr. Zheng and Mr. Patel were presented and approved by the Board of Supervisors on January 11, 2022.
Placement at advanced step is requested to compensate the employees commensurate with their specialized knowledge, skills, and experience, and recognition of their compensation in consideration of the Special Assignment Pay received while performing the duties of a greater scope and authority. Mr. Zheng’s and Mr. Patel’s extensive knowledge, abilities, and work experience performing executive-level leadership duties during the multi-year study led to significant organizational results, further justifying their appointment at an advanced step.
Mr. Zheng has been directing the Infrastructure & Operations Division of ITD, comprised of four (4) specialized teams and approximately 35 IT Professionals responsible for providing services in the following areas: radio communications, unified communications and collaboration to include video conferencing, network services, and systems and operations to include the County’s Data Center. He has demonstrated leadership by providing foundational technology and capabilities essential to the County’s business needs by effectively operating the County’s critical technology framework and designing resilient and competitive solutions. Some recent accomplishments for the Division include the completion of large infrastructure projects such as Next-generation radio project, County-wide enterprise network upgrade, microwave replacement, and radio shelter site readiness project. The completion of these projects significantly enhanced the County’s overall technology profile, compliance, and security posture. Other accomplishments include the deployment of Zoom video conferencing and Global Protect VPN solution to empower the County’s mobile workforce during the pandemic and enable County constituents and Supervisors to attend Board meetings remotely. Additionally, Mr. Zheng is leading the Broadband initiative in response to Board directives for supporting collaborative efforts to address the digital divide by building, deploying, operating, and maintaining broadband services to unserved and underserved areas in Monterey County.
Mr. Patel has been directing the Applications & Customer Support Division of ITD, comprised of five (5) specialized teams and approximately 50 IT professionals responsible for providing services in the following areas: service desk, device management, custom application development, implementation and support of enterprise applications, and systems integration for the County. He has provided leadership in employing state-of-the-art technologies enabling ITD to develop rapid applications for County businesses, manage and secure devices remotely and improve customer service by expanding self-service portal via multiple channels. Some recent accomplishments for the Division include digitization of documents for e-signature using DocuSign and implementation of the Learning Management System and the Employee Onboarding/Offboarding portal. In addition, his team was critical in supporting County businesses during the pandemic by developing custom applications such as the Employee Self-Assessment, Potential Worksite Exposure, Alternate Care & Shelter Referral System, Election Voting Queue and business analytics. Additionally, his team implemented chatbot technology, i.e., “Monty”, with artificial intelligence for expanded customer service for County employees, resulting in increased customer satisfaction, and is currently leading an effort to replace the existing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system to modernize the platform.
In determining the appropriate step for appointment, prior compensation levels and the effect of
differences in compensation and benefits for this position were considered. Salary recommendations have been made in accordance with the County’s Personnel Policies and Practices Resolution (PPPR) sections A.1.11.1, and A.1.11.5. These sections provide for appointment at a higher salary step for reasons including credit for experience, avoiding injustice, and employee negotiation.
Therefore, approval is requested to place Mr. Zheng and Mr. Patel at Step 6 of the County’s current salary schedule for the classification of Deputy Chief Information Officer.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The Human Resources Department has reviewed and concurs with the recommendation.
FINANCING:
FY 21-22 funds will be covered by unanticipated salary savings for current year. Future year costs will be included in submission of each requested budget for Information Technology Department 1930, Appropriation Unit INF002.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS STRATEGIC INITIATIVES:
The proposed recommended actions address the Board of Supervisors Administration Strategic
Initiative. The actions demonstrate the County’s commitment to meeting the Board’s initiatives in recruiting, retaining, and attracting a diverse, talented workforce that supports the mission of Monterey County.
__Economic Development
X Administration
__Health & Human Services
__Infrastructure
__Public Safety
Prepared by: Suzanne Paluck, Senior Personnel Analyst, 759-6984
Approved by:
_______________________________________ Date: ________
Eric A. Chatham, Chief Information Officer, 759-6920