City: Hartford, Connecticut

Reporting to: Performance Manager

The Challenge

After narrowly avoiding bankruptcy in 2016 and 2017, the city of Hartford has made significant strides in regaining financial stability thanks to budget tightening and investments from both the state and local organizations. However, the city is still unable to issue bonds or take on new debt—and is rated at BBB with a positive outlook by Standard and Poor’s. Maintaining financial stability and improving efficiencies is a top priority for Mayor Arunan Arulampalam. With rising expenses and a growing economy, Hartford is exploring innovative solutions for managing costs without borrowing, including shared services with neighboring cities and towns. This work would strengthen community relationships and expand available resources, reinforcing the city’s role as a commuter hub and central anchor for the Greater Hartford region.

In November 2024, the city launched a shared services initiative between Hartford and East Hartford aimed at exploring opportunities for greater collaboration and efficiency across various service lines. Over the next six months, each service area will engage in exploratory discussions to identify potential areas for partnership. The cities have established Service Line Subcommittees who are tasked to review opportunities and ideas for shared services. This work will include exploring needs, viability, potential, and feasibility for recommendations. In April/May 2025, the Shared Services Task Force will identify and prioritize projects as business cases for implementation. The city will then conduct feasibility studies to assess how approximately 50 positions, services, and functions can be effectively shared between departments and neighboring jurisdictions, including contracting and procurement, information technology, and human resources. By identifying cost-saving opportunities, improving service delivery, and maximizing the use of resources across the board, Hartford can create a more efficient and sustainable model for municipal operations. This initiative will also run in conjunction with several Lean Process Improvement projects implemented during the pandemic, and a number of city-wide efforts to boost efficiency in city services.

A successful summer fellow will support our work on the Shared Services Initiative with a specific focus on helping us to develop and track key performance metrics. A successful project will significantly benefit the city in both the short and long term, enhancing its financial stability and demonstrating the power of collaboration in driving meaningful progress. Given the similar financial and structural challenges many municipalities face, this project could also serve as a model for other cities nationwide. Key questions we hope the fellow can help us answer:

• What are meaningful and measurable metrics to track the progress of shared services initiatives, including clear, longitudinal indicators of cost savings, boosted efficiency, and service improvements?
• How can we measure sustainability and feasibility in a more efficient way that enhances fiscal responsibility?
• What can we learn from other cities across the nation? Are there any relevant benchmarks?
• What do we know about the different demographic groups who rely on the services in question? What are the equity implications to this project and what can a socially responsible framework for shared services look like?

What You’ll Do

To address these questions, the fellow will work with key stakeholders from both municipalities. This includes elected leadership, departmental leaders of service lines, relevant consultants, council leadership, residents and business owners impacted by service lines, and interested community members. The fellow will focus on prioritized service lines, as identified by the Subcommittees and the Task Force in the spring/summer of 2025. For the subset of service lines, we expect the fellow to work on the following deliverables:

1. Research report, including benchmarking data:
   • Conduct research to identify best practices in shared services from other cities
   • Cross-check existing progress and committee recommendations against proven methods, ensuring that the approach is informed by successful models as we move toward full implementation
2. Shared Service Analysis (for one area of service):
   • Analyze and consolidate gathered data (qualitative and quantitative) to prioritize initiatives and develop a realistic, actionable timeline for implementation
   • Conduct a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis to evaluate the financial implications of shared services and ensure sustainable, long-term savings
   • Engage with key municipal leaders, including officials from East Hartford and Hartford, to ensure alignment and buy-in at all levels of government. Meaningfully engage with community members to gain insights into how services can be streamlined through collaboration and equitable development
   • Assist with the execution of key components of the shared services plan, including pilot programs or early-stage initiatives
3. Program Metrics and Execution:
   • Develop measurable metrics, both qualitative and quantitative, and key performance indicators to track progress and ensure continued collaboration across municipalities
   • Work with dashboard software that enables real-time data tracking and supports faster, data-driven decision-making for all stakeholders
   • Identify and implement process improvements to standardize and align with best practices, eliminate inefficiencies, and optimize service delivery

The fellow will be a key member of our performance management team and is expected to present findings from the fellowship to key council staff throughout the fellowship. As part of the final presentation, we would like the fellow to reflect on the question of how/if this project process informed a more transparent and accountable practice or standard operating procedure for both municipalities to share with constituents.

What You’ll Bring

• Data analysis
• Design thinking
• Mapping (GIS)
• Financial modeling
• Marketing
• Policy analysis
• Qualitative interviewing and analysis