Organizational Assessment and Alignment Consulting Services

Location:	Vermont
Posted:	Apr 16, 2026
Due:	May 29, 2026
Agency:	Town of Hartford
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	R - Professional, Administrative and Management Support Services
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

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TOWN OF HARTFORD, VERMONT

171 Bridge Street • White River Junction, VT 05001

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Organizational Assessment and Alignment

Consulting Services

Town Manager • Executive Support • Human Resources

RFP Issue Date: April 17, 2026

Proposals Due: May 29, 2026 at 4:00 PM EDT

Budget: $20,000

Submit To: jhaverstock@hartford-vt.org (PDF)

Town of Hartford, Vermont • hartford-vt.org

1. Introduction and Background

The Town of Hartford, Vermont (the “Town”) invites proposals from qualified consulting firms or

individuals to conduct an Organizational Assessment and Alignment engagement focused on

three interconnected functions: Town Manager, Executive Support, and Human Resources.

Focus Functions

The focus of this engagement is the three functions: Town Manager, Executive Support to the Town

Manager, and Human Resources, referred to hereafter in this RFP as the “focus functions”.

Hartford is a vibrant Upper Valley community in Windsor County, encompassing the villages of

White River Junction, Wilder, Hartford, Quechee, and West Hartford. The Town operates under

a Town Manager–Selectboard form of government and employs approximately 116 full-time and

41 part-time and seasonal employees across ten departments. The Town has collective

bargaining agreements with five unions (Fire, Police and Dispatch, Public Works, Parks and

Recreation, and Clerical) representing approximately 85 employees. The Human Resources

Department additionally administers benefits for approximately 75 retirees. Currently one full-

time employee serves as both HR Director and Executive Assistant to the Town Manager.

Purpose of This Engagement

This engagement is a proactive and affirmative step in support of the Town’s evolving workforce

demands and commitments to continuous improvement and operational excellence. The intent is to

affirm the existing strengths of Town departments and staff, identify opportunities for enhanced

effectiveness, and ensure the Town’s management and support infrastructure is well-positioned to

serve Hartford’s residents, employees, and mission.

2. Project Goals and Objectives

The overarching goal of this engagement is to evaluate the managerial operations,

organizational structure, effectiveness, and resource utilization of the focus functions. Specific

project objectives are as follows:

# Objective

1 Assess the current organizational structure and management practices within the focus functions

including reporting relationships, span of control, and role clarity

2 Evaluate the Executive Support function and analyze the relative merits of the current Executive

Assistant model against alternative structures, specifically an Assistant Town Manager or a

Deputy Town Manager

3 Review staffing levels, resources, and operational effectiveness compared to peer towns of

similar size and complexity, benchmarking across the focus functions

4 Identify skills and competencies for individuals seeking to serve in roles in each of the focus

functions

# Objective

5 Provide recommendations for optimizing operations, staffing, and resource allocations, as well as

best practices for enhancing the quality of the work environment for all staff across Town

departments

6 Develop a phased implementation plan for recommended organizational changes, recognizing

that the Town may be able to add, at most, one full-time employee to staff each fiscal year

3. Town’s Engagement Team

The Town’s Engagement Team will consist of the Town Manager (or their designee) and one

Selectboard delegate. The Selectboard delegate will serve as the point of contact for the

consultant throughout the duration of the engagement unless otherwise noted or dictated by

confidentiality requirements (Section 5).

4. Scope of Work

The engagement is organized into three phases. Given the $20,000 budget, the scope has been

deliberately focused on the highest-value activities. A formal reprioritization checkpoint following

Phase 1 allows the Town and consultant to confirm scope for Phases 2 and 3 based on

findings.

Executive Support: Scope and Role Analysis

A central element of this engagement is an objective analysis of the Town’s executive support

capacity. The Town currently employs an Executive Assistant (part time) supporting the Town

Manager. The consultant shall evaluate this function and provide a structured analysis of three

staffing models (Executive Assistant, Assistant Town Manager, Deputy Town Manager),

identifying the most appropriate structure for Hartford’s current and anticipated needs.

The consultant’s analysis shall include a benchmark comparison of how peer Vermont

municipalities of similar size and complexity have structured this function and shall provide a

clear recommendation with supporting rationale. If the recommendation involves a role change,

the associated staffing and budget implications shall be addressed within the phased

implementation plan.

Phase 1 — Assessment and Discovery

4.1 Document Review

The consultant shall review the following Town documents. Review is limited to these materials

unless the consultant identifies a specific additional source that materially affects findings:

• 2024 Hartford Strategic Vision

• Equity and Inclusion Strategic Plan

• 2023 Compensation Study and subsequent analysis

• Relevant HR policies, collective bargaining agreements, and personnel rules

• Organization charts

• Job descriptions for the focus functions

• Employee performance review processes including the Town Manager evaluation process

4.2 Stakeholder Interviews and Engagement

The methodology and range of interviews and engagement mechanisms will be defined by the

consultant and mutually agreed upon by the consultant and the Town’s Engagement Team.

The consultant is advised to conduct semi-structured interviews with the following, tailored to

gather perspectives on organizational effectiveness, role clarity, and improvement opportunities:

• Members of the Selectboard

• Town Manager

• Human Resources Director/Executive Assistant

• 4-5 other Department heads

• 10-20 non-managerial Town staff, making an effort to ensure input from underrepresented

groups

The consultant is also advised to invite former Town employees who left their position within the

last two years to participate in interviews.

4.3 Benchmarking

The consultant shall compare qualifications, skills, responsibilities, compensation, and benefits

for the focus functions against benchmark roles in 5–7 comparable Vermont municipalities,

identified collaboratively with the Town’s Engagement Team.

The consultant shall compare HR FTE count to total FTE count and beneficiaries served by HR

in 5–7 comparable Vermont municipalities.

The consultant shall list and analyze Executive Support staffing models for all Vermont

municipalities that employ Executive Assistants, Assistant Town Managers, and Deputy Town

Managers.

4.4 Current-State Assessment

Drawing on document review, interviews, and benchmarking, the consultant shall assess the

current state of each of the three focus functions across the following dimensions and develop a

baseline the Town can use for evaluating outcomes.

Dimension

Organizational

Structure

Staffing and

Resources

Competencies

and Skills

Operational

Effectiveness

Management

Practices and

Style

What Is Assessed

Reporting relationships, span of control, role clarity, and accountability at the

focus function levels and including the Town Manager – Selectboard interface

FTE levels, workload distribution, and resource allocation compared to peers;

capacity of staff in focus functions to serve the Town’s size, complexity, and

strategic needs

Competencies and skills needed to translate strategy into organizational

effectiveness

Workflow efficiency, service delivery quality, decision-making processes, and

use of systems and technology; workplace complaint and investigation

processes as a priority area

At the organizational level: leadership approach, communication patterns,

accountability norms, and staff supervision practices including employee

performance evaluations.

Dimension

Strategic

Alignment

Work

Environment and

Culture

What Is Assessed

Alignment of management and HR functions with the Town’s strategic

documents, guiding principles, and commitments

Factors affecting employee well-being and satisfaction, retention, and

engagement

Scope Reprioritization Checkpoint

A formal reprioritization checkpoint shall occur at the first project check-in meeting, following delivery

of the Phase 1 Current-State Assessment. At this meeting, the consultant and Town’s Engagement

Team will review findings together and confirm, adjust, or reprioritize the scope for Phases 2 and 3

to ensure the $20,000 budget is directed at the highest-value work. Proposers should build this

checkpoint into their project plan and cost allocation.

Phase 2 — Ideal State, Gap Analysis, and Recommendations

4.5 Best Practices Identification

The consultant shall identify specific best practices applicable to each focus function, grounded

in current public administration standards, peer municipality experience, and the Town’s

strategic commitments.

4.6 Gap Analysis

For each focus function, the consultant shall:

• Identify gaps between the current state and identified best practices

• Classify gaps by urgency (immediate / near-term / longer-term) and impact (high / medium

/ low)

• Flag key interdependencies among gaps (e.g., structural changes that affect HR service

delivery)

4.7 Recommendations

The consultant shall develop specific, actionable recommendations for each focus function

across the dimensions identified in 4.4 giving consideration to:

• A clear recommendation on the Executive Support staffing model with supporting rationale

and peer town comparisons

• Staffing recommendations, sequenced to respect the Town’s approximate constraint of

one new FTE per fiscal year (within Town Management and HR)

• Operational and systems improvements, with priority on workplace complaint and

investigation processes

• No-cost and low-cost improvements that can be implemented immediately alongside

longer-term structural changes

• Recommended indicators and approaches for evaluating observable and measurable

outcomes in the near and long term.

Recommendations containing individual-level personnel information related to competencies,

skills assessment, professional development, or management and leadership style shall be

handled in accordance with the confidentiality framework described in Section 5.

This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.

Bid Title:	Organizational Assessment and Alignment Consulting Services
Category:	Administration
Status:	Open