the transit division. the third there are limited tools and resources. you have a project manager saying that i need more tools and resources to properly conduct the outreach that is expected of me. the final that we are all familiar with "slow project delivery." why is there always a delay and how come we didn't know about it? so that is our little graphic about how frustrated everybody is and in acknowledgment, i think we have to say that. i knew you would love that slide. the next one i think tells a really good story. this is really more of -- you know, an assignment that i undertook, because i thought it was really important internally for our directors to understand. we sat down with every division across the agency and we have said to them, the project managers, okay, tell us every project that you have coming up in the next 18 months? tell us how much outreach and engagement you think will be needed for that project? and this is a reflection of that.

so over the next 18 months, and it's broken out by divisions. we have approximately 56,000 hours to properly conduct outreach and engagement for these projects and the key word is "properly." to do it right way. i don't think can you quite see it here, but that is an equivalent of 20 full-time employees. so the process: or the approach, rather. so over the last eight months we conducted a public outreach and engagement assessment. we identified current practices and gathered internal and

external perspectives and looked at best practices. what is working for you and if so, why is that working? i will give you a brief overview because i will talk more about the methodology in more detail. we assessed the outreach and points and we looked at project management processes and timelines. we forecasted the volume and scope of those projects over the next 18 months. and we looked at the number of hours that would be required to properly conduct that outreach and engagement. then what we did was compile feedback from various channels and i will let you know what the channels were. the second part we had numerous interviews. one and one interviews and what i can tell you we just didn't look at the bay area. we went outside of that. in the bay area we talked to bart and talked to dpw, the planning department, puc, we talked to the office of

workforce economic development, bicycle coalitions and then we went outside and talked to l.a., new york and boston. we reached out as far and wide as we could to figure out the best practices that these agencies had working and why they were working? the third step that we are in is making recommendations. i just presented this similar presentation to all of our directors last monday. to let them know we are now in the third section of the approach and that is making recommendations. today what i will do is explain the same recommendations that i just explained to them and really some of the actions that need to happen for those recommendations to move forward. then the fourth of course is well, let's implement the strategy. and the fifth is to continuously evaluate that. you can launch something, but you have to go back and make sure if it's working or not working and if it isn't, why is that? and the methodology i thought was really important for you to see today.

like i said, from research comes the recommendations and i thought you should see how much work went behind the strategy in the last 8 months. so i broke it down into four categories. the first -- when i said we reviewed our channels of stakeholder feedback, over 12,000 311 complaints and we combed through all of these. what we also did we interviewed our project managers and we also made sure that we interviewed external -- i want to say "stakeholder -- i'm sorry, we interviewed our external project managers from other cities while conducting outreach andennial engagement. we looked at peer best practices and the resources and tools that they used and took

the recommendations that they gave to us as well. we surveyed our sfmta staff and i think 62 actual staff responded to the survey that we sent out. we also made a point to go to the all the community meetings that we could and not just the ones that we typically go through, but across the mode, to the bike, pedestrian, any meeting that we could go to and we also went to meeting outside of our agency, puc and dpw to get a sense of those meetings and get a sense if they worked well or if they didn't? we conducted several focus groups with staff as well. there was a lot of research that went behind the methodology that we applied and i think that is important. how do we scope a project out? you should know this is quite a few of our employees came to the table and really helped us develop this on how we scope our projects out. what we thought we should do for you to give you an example of how we broke it into categories. what is small medium, large or extra

large project? the criteria is really important, because that kind of tells us the level of outreach and the number of hours that we can anticipate that we have to work on this project. so first of all, we look at the scope and the complexity of the project. we also look at the level of outreach and engagement that is required. are we here to inform you or to collaborate and get your opinion and actually make changes based upon that opinion? also it's the level of impact for the project. for example, there are some projects that take several years to implement. there are major impacts across the city or one in the neighborhood that you are in and out in a day. so those are the criteria that we used. if you look below, you will see that we actually gave you examples of thats who projects would be. for example, a small project or moving a bus stop.

i know one size doesn't fit all and in a perfect world we all know it doesn't work that way. but i think we need a reference to legitimately move forward on the strategy. so the objectives. now i should let you know about the objectives that we vetted these objectives internal with our staff, as well as externally. certainly we're open and welcome additional feedback from this group. so it's to create a model of public outreach and engagement enabling projects to be delivered successfully and on-time to communities across all of the sfmta's area of responsibility. so that doesn't mean it's just for one division. it's across the entire agency. now in order to do that we

recognize that we have to identify and deliver useful tools and resources for the engagement and outreach. and this last one we have to better manage public and stakeholder expectations to build a more positive community relationship. here at the end of the day it's okay if we don't all agree on everything, but we have to leave thinking that we all had a say and we were listened to and that we engaged properly with the people involved with that project or dealing with that impact. this has changed, i can't tell you how many times, these objectives. so now i just would like you to know this is a work in progress. i have quite a few people helping me with this particular progress because whenever you say "public outreach notification standards," that means words you live by. from this point forward we guarantee we'll do this. so i broke it down into the three most important things and i should tell you for the last

seven years i have overseen a lot of outreach taking place at the agency, but there are other divisions that have outreach involved. bike and ped, as craig just identified earlier, you see how many different projects that we have going on across the agency. i broke it down into three very specific areas. first you assess, second you plan and then you evaluate. so in the notification standards we would require every project manager -- remember this is a work in progress draft. this is where we identify our stakeholders very early on, who do we need to talk to? who is going to be involved? who do we need to engage with? it also sets the project's goals and objectives and lays out key milestones for the project and determines the level of outreach and engagement that is needed for that project? all of that dovetails into the communication plan.

that communication plan is very important as well, because it also identifies the outreach tactics. what are we going do? does this warrant a community meeting? is this going to have to have a public hearing? from there it goes do you remember -- i won't go through everything -- you have this presentation. there it goes do you remember all of that information is stored historically in an archive, so five years from now, if that project picks back up -- there are projects that are delayed -- and that project manager will have that information on-hand and we're not starting from square 1. that is where we are with the notification standards. there is going to be a final document developed and we'll make sure that we vet that well, with all of you.

it's a huge undertaking and huge cultural change within the agency. so i will go through these very quickly, not too tie up too much more of your time first we have to complete the strategy. we have to wrap it up and say here is our public outreach and engagement strategy. one of the things that i am doing is that i'm actually putting together a public outreach and engagement strategy peer group. this is key representatives and leadership across the agency, helping me with peer-to-peer support and how to train people and have a voice and seat at the table for any strategies or documents or decisions that we make moving forward. this will be a true representation of the entire agency. tools and resources we talked about that. there will be a best practices guide put in place for outreach.

and if you need these tools, how do you facilitate a meeting? how do you notify or engage with stakeholders? how do you develop the collateral? all of those tools and resources will be located in one place with access to the public -- sorry, for the project manager. capabilities development. if you want to improve staff capabilities development, you have to give them tools and resources and you have to give them training. what we'll be doing is establishing an outreach training program and the peer group will be very instrumental in helping us decide in how that program will be structured. evaluation. we have to evaluate. we have to put together ways to evaluate the engagement and the outreach that we conduct and we're working right now on what those methods would be to actually truly evaluate its progress? testing the waters. we have to get out there and try this. and we have to get out there and our commitment is right now that by the end of this fiscal year, at some point we're going

to by the end of the fiscal year launch a version of our strategy. it's yet to be determined how we're going to do that, but we're really committed to making sure that come july 1 we have the strategy in place and we start testing the strategy. the final is to make sure that we are always monitoring this and getting feedback from our stakeholders and what needs to be done if it's not working. i can tell you that i took a 30-page slide and make it smaller for you. i hope i didn't go to fast because i'm mindful of your time. and i suspect this will not be my last visit. i can tell you these were the top things discussed at our last board of directors meeting and our executive director ed ruskin identified this as a priority. any questions that can i

answer? >> commissioner dooley? >> not a question, but just thanking you that this is extremely important and thank you to director ruskin and yourself for moving this forward. it's really something that needed to be done and i'm happy to see it happening. >> i am, too >> thank you. >> commissioner white. >> i wanted to echo what commissioner dooley said. this is exactly what we have been wanting and i'm so happy to see this and i'm so glad that ed ruskin and your board gets this for small business. this is great. >> thank you. >> any other comments? i want to thank you as well. i notice the bode and church streets projects were in there and your outreach was good and the switchover at night -- i know that wasn't an easy one, because you were dealing with

two neighborhood organizations and a merchant organization and a cbd. so you had four different groups with four different ideas and you managed through that ahead of time and it got done at the end of the day and it looks great. >> thank you very much. >> that was a good one. i'm going to take public comment here. do we have any members of the public who would like to comment on item no. 6? seeing none, public comment is closed. any other commissioner comments? well, great. thank you very much. >> thank you. >> thank you for everything that you do. >> thank you very much. i look forward to seeing you after july 1st. >> okay. next item, please. >> it takes us to item 8 discussion and possible action on the small business commission's motion at the special meeting annual retreat march 5,2014 to dissolve all standing committees including consideration of the necessity to establish any new committees. this is a discussion and

possible action item. >> so i'm going to jump in here. after we dissolved all of our committees, i thought about this and in speaking with the director, we should bring back at least the leg policy to vet items before they come to the commission. one of the reasons why i believe we should is because it gives us some one-on-one time with the sponsoring supervisor. we have been able to make changes with certain legislation before it even hits our commission. and it gives this commission a little bit more structure, i believe. and when we have our meetings so we're not sitting here to 11:00 at night trying to figure out things. so i ask regina to put this in, if we could bring this back as a standing

committee? and i would like to get your input on that. commissioner riley? >> i think it's a good idea, because a lot of times i have been on the legislation committee and many times when the representative comes and presents legislation, there is a lot of questions that we could ask and have them come back with the answers already, before it's presented to the whole commission. i think it's a lot more productive this way. have three people work with the representative and then screen it and ask the questions and get the answers before it is presented to the whole commission. like you say, we won't have to -- we don't have to all stay here to 11:00 at night. >> right. commissioner dwight? >> i guess i'm just curious as to whether this is something that requires a standing meeting or just the body exists and is used when necessary?

>> probably when there is legislation coming up. so i know you can do it either way. it could be a standing committee. you don't need to necessarily meet every time. i know before at leg and policy, we never met and when there was nothing to meet, we didn't meet. so i personally would like it as a standing. it doesn't necessarily mean that you have to have that every month. i just -- one or the other -- because what commissioner yee riley said we're able to ask a lot of questions, so when they come here they are already answered. it makes it a lot easier. commissioner dooley? >> i agree that it's useful to have this committee, but i was kind of wondering whether we could come up with a slightly

different structure rather than having the same three people on that committee? have it rotating? >> yes. >> i think that would be a good idea so that burden wouldn't just fall on three people. >> yes, director dick-endrizzi. >> yes, with some initial deliberation was how the standing committee gets structured in terms of commissioners assign, is one thing. but for staffing time, it helps us to know if the committee is going to be enacted, that it's going to take place on a certain day and certain time, so we can book out those rooms ahead of time. because it takes a lot of time to try to figure out when you can get commissioners together? if there is a room available? and then also, it will help us to be able to communicate to

the legislative sponsor that there is the possibility that they might need to present to the leg and policy committee in addition, to the full commission, and let them know that date ahead of time so it can be calendared to ensure that they are there as well. that is just a logistic benefit from staffing side. >> so is it easier to have it standing and cancel? >> yes. >> yes. >> okay. >> just a couple of things for the commissioners to consider as the director said scheduling meetings based on city hall is extremely difficult. there are not many meeting rooms and hearing rooms especially. we have three standing meetings originally -- the original legislation and policy committee time of the fourth monday. 4-5 p.m. we also have space reserved the first thursday at 4 p.m., as well as the third friday at 2:00 p.m.

from my perspective, maybe we would consider a time other than after the meeting allowing more time to deliberate, if necessary, and a lot of the items that we hear are planning-related and that tends to complicate scheduling of sponsors as well. so maybe we consider something on that time slot, for the regularly established meeting not necessarily that they are all going to occur. >> commissioner dwight? >> to me, it sort of sounds like the third meeting a month, that is populated by a subset of us on something of an ad hoc base, but it's a standing reservation for a room for a place to meet. i think that as we know what is going to come to that agenda,

some of us may want to volunteer to be there, because it might be an area of expertise that we have. so i guess the idea about having a reservation and having it kind of -- so you know and you can have it on your schedule. i do want to avoid though, creeping back into meeting three times a month. i don't want to do that. >> i don't either. >> okay. >> i would agree with you on that. >> mr. president ? if i could, one concept suggested, when we discussed this was to perhaps reduce the number of commissioners assigned to the committee to two and that would allow that flexibility to assign a third commissioner with a subject-matter expertise without hitting the quorum of the full commission and that is something for the commission to consider and the rules of order allow the president to assign

the chair and members, so there is not action required of the full commission to make the changes. >> we need to take an action today on whether or not we want to reup this same committee. >> that is right a motion of the full commission is required to establish any standing commits, committees. but once they are established, the chair has the authorization to appoint the chair and members of the committee. >> at there point do i have a motion to reestablish the leg and policy committee and then we'll figure out who is on it afterwards. >> i move. >> i second. >> roll call. >> commissioner adams? >> aye. >> commissioner dooley? >> yes. >> commissioner dwight? >> aye. >> commissioner yee riley? >> aye. >> commissioner white? >> yes. >> so the motion passes to reestablish the standing legislation and policy

committee with five votes, no one opposed. >> and then i like commissioner's dwight's idea of expertise and you have expertise in planning and ada and everything has their expertise in different areas. i want to consider it and talk to the director in how to proceed forward. we're all busy and i really appreciate what commissioner dwight said, we don't need to meet three times a month. but as i see what is coming up as far as legislationwise, we may be moving it around. i will work with the director

on that and move forward. we should have taken public comment on this. let me really quick take public comment on item no. 8. do we have any members of the public who would like to make comment? seeing none, public comment is closed. and let's move to the next item. >> that brings us to item 9, director's report, discussion item. >> commissioners, i wanted to bring to your attention small business week is seven weeks away. and i have provided you an initial outline of the week's activities, just to give you a headez head's up. monday, may 12th small business week will do it its official kickoff, which this year we're aligned. last year the weeks were not aligned and it will be taking place on the west coast. this is exciting, because it will help sort of bring some

additional attention to the ten-year anniversary for small business week and that evening is our signature flavors of san francisco. and we're finalizing on the location for the kickoff event this week. then we move into the board of supervisors honoraries. and just want to encourage you to make sure that you schedule time between 2:30 and 5:00, if you can, to be part of that. we do have the president and the vice president opening and closing the program at the board of supervisors' meeting. then wednesday -- and that evening is a "make contact" with the golden gate association and castro merchants. then wednesday is the conference. this year we're having it at the holiday inn golden gate.

so sf state, i think i may have mentioned earlier, released their -- in their renewal of their lease, the 7th floor, which had additional classroom space that we were able to rent out. so this does reduce the number of workshops space that we are able to have. but it is providing us with an opportunity to do some different type of programming, so that we can have the mayor kickoff the event. style talks and have some panels, a larger expo space for the sponsors and then a small procurement section as well. and then we are -- the council of district merchants is working with the small business week to develop some merchant mixers. and so four of them have been

solidified. so i have listed them out. those are taking place during the week. but there are some that are going to be spread out over the month of may. and some are before small business week and some are after small business week and those are listed there. yes? >> i believe that noe valley will join us at the may may contact. >> okay. then we also have the office and the commission sponsors the annual sidewalk encroachment fee waiver. and that will be before you at your next commission meeting, the legislation. so i have listed -- there is one merchants association, the valencia street merchant's association doing their sidewalk sale the saturday before small business week. and then on saturday, may 17th,

i have listed the merchant areas doing it on may 17th and the castro merchants association is doing their in june. we worked with supervisor wiener and to let you know that the sfbiztax.org and they have pretty much given presentations to all of the ke ala key major business groups and organizations. and working to find any entity to do a presentation to. we do have our monthly

workshops at the library, the first thursday from 2-4. and an announcement has been dropped to all 95 entities that have business registrations, that includes non-profits and things of that sort. so hopefully you have seen it, and you have received it. our office continually announces this in our ee news bulletin, because the big key thing that is happening come april, when businesses at the end of april, when they send out the business registration renewals, businesses will see an increase in their business registration fee. so that is the key thing that we are trying to really highlight, advertise, get out there and educate businesses on. biz portal update, partners have delivered their