New York State
 Office of Real Property Services
 

Scope of Work:

Leadership of the New York State Office of Real Property Services (ORPS) recently reorganized operations around core process functions. This was driven by a need for greater integration and for better interface with local government customers. New York State is unique in that state government does not control the real property tax system. Rather that function is vested with local village, city and town governments.

As the new approach unfolded, it became clear that the challenge for ORPS was to collaborate as partners with local government in improving the system rather than pursue the traditional role of regulator. ORPS leadership contracted with The Bukiewicz Organization (TBO) in 1997 to help them operationalize this concept.

TBO coached members of a newly created internal consulting unit in the consultative approach and mentored them through several projects at central office. This work demonstrated that the change to collaborative relationships with local government was going to require more than just new technologies, skills and methodologies. The real change would be in the shift in organizational culture. Staff at all levels needed to be less technical experts who always had the answer and more process consultants who could help with problem solving and program development.

The next phase began in 1999 when a core of nine field staff was identified to undergo extensive development in the consultative model. TBO designed and delivered a year long development program for these people. That program involved seminars, workshops (learning labs) and real time practice projects as learning tools.

In early 2000 ORPS leadership took the next step in this cultural change and committed to remodeling the agency into a “consulting organization.” This would require field staff to ply consulting skills with their local government customers and central office staff to rethink their role to that of support for field operations. TBO worked with leadership and management groups throughout these initiatives to create strategies and mechanisms for change. While many challenges remain, the agency is well on its way to redefining its role in New York’s real property tax system.

Accomplishments:

The internal consulting unit has been institutionalized as the Organizational Effectiveness and Strategic Capabilities Group (OESC) within ORPS. Staff from that group is now working closely with leadership to plan and implement change.  OESC continues to rely on TBO for coaching and support. Regional people trained in consulting skills have been given the new title of Customer Service Representatives (CRM). They are now engaged in several pilot projects intended to maximize sharing of local government resources at the county level. TBO continues to develop and coach CRMs individually and as a group at their learning labs. Most recently, TBO began creation of a development program to help ORPS managers with the transition to managing in a consulting environment.