MCCC AND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A DELEGATE

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MCCC AND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A DELEGATE

• Lisa Christine Meredith
• Executive Director, MCCC

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PURPOSE OF MCCC

• The purpose of the Minnesota Counties Computer
  Cooperative (MCCC), is to jointly and
  cooperatively provide for the establishment,
  operation, and maintenance of data processing
  facilities and management information systems.
• To this end, the Cooperative (MCCC) provides
  services, software and other cost-effective
  measures which substantially reduce the cost of
  data processing for counties.

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Background

• MCCC was organized in 1978 through the efforts of
  property tax administrators from four counties,
  the Association of Minnesota Counties, and a
  software firm.
• As an organization operated solely for the
  benefit of its members, MCCC adheres to a
  strictly democratic process in order to ensure
  that member needs and expectations are met.

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Goals

• In addition to and consistent with the charter
  given to MCCC in the Joint Powers Agreement for
  Data Processing, MCCCs goals are
• To provide members efficient software at an
  economical cost.
• To provide training to member counties in the
  areas of operations and administration of MCCC
  applications and systems.
• To provide on-going education to members,
  potential members, and outside organizations as
  to the benefits, goals, and responsibilities of
  MCCC.
• To accommodate member growth potential.

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Goals

• To provide support to member counties data
  processing staff and departmental users for
  continued operation of program products.
• To conduct research and development for the
  purpose of improving software, hardware,
  training, education, and support.
• In cooperation with the Association of Minnesota
  counties and other county organizations, to
  impact State administrative and legislative
  decisions and secure appropriate State funding.
• To promote standardization while maintaining
  flexibility.

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Advantages

• Membership in MCCC offers the following
  advantages
• Costs of development, enhancement, and
  maintenance of systems are reduced through
  sharing of information and group purchasing
  power.
• Contractual agreements with vendors specializing
  in the development and maintenance of software
  guarantee direct support service to members
  without the need for expensive in-house
  programming staff.
• Communication and sharing of ideas occur when
  members meet in user groups to discuss and
  resolve common problems. This communication also
  provides an efficient means of collecting and
  disseminating information.

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Advantages

• Coordinating the needs of various county data
  processing systems reduces the need for counties
  to employ expensive in-house programmers and
  analysts.
• Grants for systems development are obtained to
  reduce county expenses.
• Membership forms a political base, bringing
  together counties having a common purpose, so
  they can undertake activities which are mutually
  beneficial.

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Membership

• The types of entities are eligible for membership
  in MCCC
• Minnesota counties, cities, or other governmental
  entities.
• Minnesota nongovernmental agencies. Membership
  requires the payment of annual dues and a
  one-time member fee established by MCCC.
• Out 0f State membership as set by each individual
  User Group.

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Membership

• To become a member of MCCC, a county, city,
  agency, or other entity should provide MCCC a
  signed Joint Powers Agreement for Data Processing
  which has been approved by the governing board of
  that entity.
• A contact person should be named to communicate
  with MCCC and with the appropriate support
  vendor(s). MCCC will assist the new member in
  securing needed software, hardware, and services.
  The new member will be billed by MCCC for the
  appropriate fees and annual dues, and for the
  software and start-up services.
• The governing board of the new member should
  formally appoint an MCCC delegate (usually the
  contact person) and alternates to represent the
  member in user groups and at MCCC Board meetings.

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MCCC Membership

• MCCC has three three types of User Groups
• Large More than 40 member counties/agencies
• Small Less than 40 member counties/agencies
• Support Such as the ISSG Group
• Voting Members of the MCCC Board are those
  members that participate in two or more User
  Groups, not including ISSG.

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Out-of-State Member

• Out-of-State Member. A county, city or agency
  outside the state of Minnesota that participates
  in one or more of the User Groups.
• Out-of-State members must be approved by the
  decision making body of the User Group that the
  Out-of-State Member wishes to join. Voting
  rights are determined by the User Group.

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MCCC Board

• Comprised of one delegate from each full member.
  Each full member county/agency has one vote.
• Meets annually to approve MCCC budget and dues
  structure.
• Establishes policy and direction of MCCC.
• May amend bylaws as necessary.
• Elects statewide officers among the delegates and
  alternates. (Secretary/treasurer is elected each
  year and progresses to vice chair, chair, and
  past chair.)
• Meets annually in June other meetings at the
  call of the chair.

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Executive Committee

• Administers policies and annual budget set by the
  Board.
• Hires, evaluates, and directs staff.
• Performs resource and financial management.
• Negotiates, approves, and executes all contracts
  with appropriate user group involvement.
• Consists of
• Three statewide officers elected by the Board
• (chair, vice chair, secretary/treasurer).
• Four regional directors one elected by members
  of each region from among the delegates and
  alternates.
• Past chair, as ex-officio member.
• Meets second Thursday of each month.
• Chair appoints Executive Committee liaison to
  each user group.
• May form special committees and new user groups.

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Executive Director and Staff

• Manage day-to-day operations under the direction
  of the Executive Committee.
• Coordinate user groups and committee functions
  including planning, meetings and vendor
  selection.
• Coordinate Training Sessions Seminars
• Negotiate vendor contracts monitor vendor
  contracts and performance.
• Manage financial resources including accounts
  receivable and payable.
• Coordinate Grant Application efforts on behalf of
  the User Groups.
• Promote MCCC to prospective members and act as
  liaison with other organizations.
• Communicate information between user groups,
  counties, and State agencies.

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Regions

• The state has been divided into four geographic
  regions for expedience in addressing members
  needs. Each region elects a director to serve a
  two-year term on the Executive Committee.
  Regional meetings occur quarterly, or at the call
  of the regional director, for the purpose of
  sharing information and common concerns,
  discussing bylaw revisions and annual budget,
  electing regional directors and advisory
  committee representatives, and addressing any
  other member concerns.
• Representation on user group advisory committees
  is distributed by region.
• Members are urged to communicate ideas and
  concerns to their regional representatives.

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Delegates and Alternates

• Communicating information from MCCC to county
  board, appropriate county staff, and county data
  processing steering committee.
• Receiving and routing all correspondence from
  MCCC.
• Receiving/processing for payment all billings
  from MCCC.
• Acting as liaison with all user groups
  coordinating appointment of alternates.
• Communicating information and needs from the
  county to MCCC.
• Participating on county data processing steering
  committee, or, if there is none, urging creation
  of such a committee.
• Maintaining central repository of up-to-date MCCC
  information.

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Delegate Designate

• The person chosen by the county to be the MCCC
  delegate should be one who is involved with at
  least one of the software applications used by
  the county. The delegate must be willing to take
  responsibility for attending MCCC board meetings
  as a voting member on budget, policy, and
  contract issues attending user group meetings or
  ensuring the county is represented attending
  quarterly regional meetings prepared to voice any
  concerns and report back to the county promoting
  MCCC within the county and with other groups of
  county personnel (professional associations).

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Delegate As A Liaison

• The delegate is also the liaison with his/her
  county board on MCCC matters. He/she is
  responsible for keeping the commissioners
  informed about
• Cost of purchasing and supporting proposed
  software and hardware
• Expected benefits to the county
• Other departments that may benefit
• Long-range cost/benefit of software and hardware
  proposed for purchase
• What can be done to solve data processing
  problems when they arise
• Current activities of MCCC and the various user
  groups
• On-going general status of data processing
  activities and needs in the county

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MCCC CURRENTLY MANAGES SEVEN USER GROUPS

• Minnesota Property Tax
• Community Health Service
• Corrections
• Law Enforcement
• County Attorneys
• Finance General Government
• Information Services Support Group

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Information Services Support Group (ISSG)

• The Information Services Support Group is made up
  of data processing staff from member counties who
  meet quarterly to provide technical assistance to
  MCCC staff and user groups to coordinate
  information systems training to evaluate
  software, hardware, documentation, and education
  as requested by MCCC user groups or staff to set
  up and monitor standards for applications and
  services provided by MCCC in general, to ensure
  quality information systems and service for
  member counties.
• In 2004, the ISSG Group changed its bylaws to
  allow for Business Committees to be formed to
  manage contracts under ISSG. The Nazca contract
  was the first contract.

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User Groups

• Established by Executive Committee to direct
  software changes and development for systems used
  by members of the user group.
• Rules and regulations governing the user groups
  business are written/amended by the full user
  group and approved by the Executive Committee.
• Membership is limited to MCCC members who use the
  software applications common to the user group.
• CHS, Corrections, and County Attorneys own and
  manage their software. All other software
  packages are customized to Minnesota and used
  under contract.

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ISSG Liaisons

• Established in the June 2002 ISSG User Group
  Meeting.
• Liaisons to the six other User Group with the
  purpose of facilitating IT/IS involvement in the
  following areas
• Software Release Issues
• New Enhancements or New System Designs
• Involvement in Future Hardware/Software
  Requirements
• Technical Expertise at User Group Meetings

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User Group Representative

• Delegate to MCCC Board, authorized alternate, or
  other representative is designated for each user
  group. A representative to a user group is not
  required to be an MCCC delegate or alternate. The
  decision is made internally by each member county
  as to who will represent the county as delegate,
  alternates, and representatives to user groups.
• Members may submit enhancement/change requests,
  signed by the MCCC delegate to the advisory
  committee of the appropriate user group.

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• Major financial commitments, vendor selection,
  special assessments, and approval of contracts
  are done by a majority vote of the full user
  group. The full user group usually meets once per
  year.
• Recommendations for contract approval, vendor
  selection, and new financial obligations are
  forwarded to the Executive Committee for
  approval.
• Each user group elects a chairperson, who may
  call meetings of the full user group, advisory
  committee, or special committees.

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MEETING MANAGEMENT
How to ConductA Successful Meeting
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Before The Meeting

• Define the purpose of the meeting
• Develop an agenda
• Distribute agenda, background material and any
  lengthy documents prior to the meeting so members
  will be prepared
• Choose an appropriate meeting day, date and time.
  Set a time limit for the meeting and stick to it!

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• Arrange the room so members face each other. For
  large groups, try U-shaped rows.
• Choose a location suitable for your groups size.
  Small rooms with too many people get stuffy and
  create tension.
• Use visual aids (posters, diagrams) for interest.
  Post a large agenda up front for reference. Be
  sure everyone knows where and when the next
  meeting will be held.

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During The Meeting

• Greet members and make them feel welcome.
• Serve refreshments if possible.
• Start on time. End on time.
• Review the agenda and set priorities for the
  meeting. Stick to the agenda!
• Encourage group discussion and feedback.
• Keep conversation focused on the topic.
• Keep minutes for future reference.
• Be a role model by listening and showing
  interest, appreciation and confidence in members.
  Summarize agreements reached and end the meeting
  on a positive note. Set date, time and place for
  next meeting.

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• When deciding who to invite to a meeting, choose
  only those persons who have a reason to
  participate. Under no circumstances should
  someone be included simply because its political
  or his feelings might be hurt if not asked.
  Those attending should
• Have thorough knowledge of the meeting subject
  matter and be ready to make a valuable
  contribution.
• Have the power to make a decision.
• Be responsible for implementing decisions
• Represent a group that will be affected by
  decisions made during the meeting.

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Number Of Attendees

• Other than informational meetings, consider the
  following guidelines
• A meeting to identify a problem should be limited
  to 10 people
• Training sessions should involve no more than
  15-20 people (less if there is hands-on
  instruction)
• A meeting to identify a problem should be limited
  to 10 people
• Problem-solving meetings are best accomplished
  with no more than 7 people

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Setting The Time and Place

• Poorly timed meetings can create resentment even
  before they begin. The 3 most common times for
  meetings are
• Noon This is disliked by some people because it
  interferes with their lunch. This can be
  partially compensated for by providing lunch.
• Mid-morning This is the most popular time for
  meetings. It gives participants time to gather
  their thoughts, take care of leftover work, and
  get departments started on their current days
  assignments.
• Late afternoon Some people like to hold late
  afternoon meetings because they feel that the
  nearness of quitting time will pressure people to
  come to closure.

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Setting The Date and Length

• Experience shows that Mondays and Fridays are the
  worst days to hold a meeting.
• The length of the meeting is also important. Most
  meetings should not last more than two hours. If
  they do, schedule a coffee break every 90 minutes
  so that people can stretch, call their offices,
  get refreshments, etc. This is the best way to
  ensure that longer meetings retain their
  effectiveness.

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Managing The Energy Cycle

• Every meeting has an energy cycle that can be
  managed and enhanced by a perceptive leader
• The early part of the meeting tends to be more
  lively and creative than the end of it, so items
  requiring more imagination and mental energy
  should be addressed early in the meeting. Any
  items of absolute priority should be first on the
  agenda.

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• Consider reserving a controversial, high
  interest item until the end of the session. This
  way, useful work can be accomplished before the
  topic comes up. The high interest level in that
  item will keep attention from lagging.
• If the meeting will be long with many agenda
  items, consider alternating working items with
  reporting items in order to avoid boredom.

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After The Meeting

• Write up and distribute minutes within 3 or 4
  days.
• Discuss any problems during the meeting with
  officers and advisors) come up with a way to
  improve.
• Follow-up on delegation decisions. Check to see
  that members understand and carry out
  responsibilities.
• Give recognition and appreciation to excellent
  and timely progress.
• Put unfinished business on the agenda for next
  meeting.
• Conduct a periodic evaluation of the meetings.

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How To Find Out More

• www.mnccc.org
• MCCC Staff
• Lisa Meredith, Executive Director
• Darci Gawthrop, Office Manager
• Mike Fox, Accountant
• MCCC Monthly Newsletters
• MCCC RSVP Calendar
• MCCC Tech Talk

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Ive just been elected! Help!

• First, Congratulations!
• Second, youre off to a good start being part of
  this session.
• You have many resources available including the
  MCCC Staff, MCCC Executive Committee, the
  Executive Committee Liaison to your User Group
  and the ISSG Liaison to your User Group.
• Shortly after the conference, you will receive a
  mailing from MCCC with information about your
  responsibilities.