COVER LETTER
Jacquelyn West
Program Manager of Emergency Shelters
Cass Community Social Services
11754 Rosa Parks Blvd.
Detroit, MI 48206
October 22, 2024
Jacquelyn,
Thank you for the opportunity to share this proposal for Fractional Operations Support for Cass Community Social Services. For over ten years, I’ve successfully led noteworthy operational transformations for nonprofits serving historically excluded communities. As a Detroiter who has experienced housing insecurity and homelessness, I would consider working with you and your team a professional privilege
In the following document, I’ve outlined my understanding of the engagement and have proposed a scope of work for your review. Based on our discussions, this proposal reflects a three month engagement with the option of extending up to six months. I look forward to working with you to develop a more detailed version that will comprehensively address the CCSS’s needs.
Best,
Racheal Allen CEO, OPSIDIA
OPSIDIA is a woman, minority owned management consultancy specializing in providing fractional operations support, program design and technical assistance services. Through our diverse network of culturally competent practitioners, OPSIDIA helps our clients operationalize their visions by prescribing the precise interventions needed while managing costs. We're unapologetic about our desire to support initiatives that are led by or serve historically excluded communities. Founded in 2022 by Lean Six Sigma certified consultant Racheal Allen, OPSIDIA has quickly grown into a highly sought after firm due to our niched expertise in the areas of operations and program management. Our services include:
Capacity Building Services
Process Improvement
Performance Measurement
Change Management
Operational Plans
Systems Development
Standard Operating Procedures
Organizational Strategy
Program Design
Technical Assistance Support
Strategic Planning
We have a reputation for providing quality service and reliable advice. Our experience provides us with tools, techniques, and strategies that allow us to focus on the timely delivery of credible results.
RACHEAL ALLEN PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT
Racheal Allen is a Lean Six Sigma certified operations expert with twenty years of experience. In 2019, she created Operations School, a nonprofit with a mission to train, empower and equip BIPOC startup and nonprofit leaders with the skills to successfully manage and scale their organizations leveraging systems, automation and delegation strategies.
As CEO of OPSIDIA, Racheal leads a diverse team that empowers organizations to build capacity via program design and fractional operations support. Racheal is also co-founder of Centric Place, a first of its kind incubation space for Black arts, culture and entrepreneurship.
As a executive and consultant, she’s led operations for educational districts, foundations and complex nonprofits including Rebuild Foundation, Racquet Up Detroit, Midtown Detroit Inc. and Downtown Boxing Gym to name a few. Allen previously served as the founding Chief Operating Officer for Marygrove Conservancy, a transformational cradle to career initiative that represents the Kresge Foundation’s largest investment into a single project with a commitment of over $75M.
Recent recognition includes being named Small Business Hero of the Year by Connect313, a Young American Leader at Harvard Business School, Oakland County’s 40 Under Forty, DBusiness’ 30 in Their Thirties, Crain’s Detroit Business’ 40 Under Forty, Great Expectations Award by the Detroit NAACP Branch and Notable Black Business Leaders by Crain’s Detroit Business. She is also the author of “Get Your Business Legit: A Guide to Starting, Launching and Scaling Your Startup”.
ALYSSA WILLIAMS PROJECT MANAGER
Alyssa Williams is an experienced and dynamic project management and nonprofit professional with 7+ years of experience in program design, program facilitation and community engagement. Throughout her career, Williams has been regarded as a natural leader, having held both manager and director roles under the age of 27. Driven by her commitment to supporting the creation of stronger communities, Williams is dedicated to supporting black and brown organizations in scaling and deepening their impact while staying true to their mission.
Williams received multiple honors including the Constructive Leadership Award from BuildOn Inc, Distinguished Leader Award from Eastern Michigan University, BMe Vanguard, and was featured in the documentary “Journey of Stories: Detroit X”. Williams is a proud product of Detroit Public Schools and went on to receive her Bachelor's in Psychology from Michigan State University, a Masters in Women’s and Gender Studies from Eastern Michigan University and is currently working towards a Master’s Degree in Social Work at Wayne State University.
William’s main focuses are mental health and wellness practices that centers on culturally relevant, trauma informed, evidence based practices. Williams is passionate about supporting black and brown folx in creating happier and healthier realities. By prioritizing mental health, radical wellness and rest, Williams empowers individuals and groups to create more sustainable lives.
SCOPE OF WORK
Cass Community Social Services (CCSS) is currently experiencing rapid growth, which has highlighted the need for a review of its organizational structure and operations. CCSS is facing high turnover and challenges in hiring and retaining staff. The current structure, with multiple roles such as case managers, program assistants, and security staff, needs to be assessed to determine whether the allocation of resources and roles is optimized.
CCSS seeks strategic support to ensure that its growth is sustainable, its resources are efficiently utilized, and the operational structure is aligned with its mission of serving unhoused families.
FRACTIONAL OPERATIONS SUPPORT
Operational Assessment:
OPSIDIA will perform an operational assessment to identify opportunities, address gaps, and gain a comprehensive understanding of the current operations to ensure the highest-impact results.
Operational Capacity:
Once a thorough assessment is completed, CCSS needs additional capacity to augment policies, procedures, handbooks, etc. This will provide the program staff with the bandwidth and expertise to produce these materials on an accelerated timeline.
CCSS would benefit from receiving C-suite level strategic operations support. This will help the leadership team with operational decision making and implementing best practices. Strategic Operations Support
SCOPE OFWORK
FRACTIONAL OPERATIONS SUPPORT
PART I: DISCOVERY
OPSIDIA will seek to understand the current state of CCSS’s people operations, identify key challenges, and gather relevant data to inform the analysis and implementation phases
ACTIVITIES
Initial Consultation
Meet with key stakeholders to discuss CCSS’s goals, challenges, and current operational status Identify specific areas of concern related to people operations including recruitment/attraction, hiring, onboarding and retention.
Stakeholder Mapping
Identify key stakeholders and their roles within the organization
Understand the decision-making processes and communication channels for change management.
Data Collection
Gather existing documentation on operational processes including policies, procedures, passwords, etc.
Conduct a high-level review of the collected data to identify immediate gaps and areas needing further exploration.
DELIVERABLES
Detailed discovery meeting/report outlining initial findings and key challenges
Stakeholder map and communication plan
List of data and documentation collected
SCOPE OFWORK
PART II: ANALYSIS
OPSIDIA will analyze the collected data to identify root causes of operational inefficiencies and develop strategic recommendations for improvement.
ACTIVITIES
Data Analysis
Review and analyze the data collected during the discovery phase Identify patterns, bottlenecks, and inefficiencies in operational processes
Benchmarking
Compare CCSS’s current practices with industry best practices and standards
Identify areas where the organization is underperforming or excelling
Root Cause Analysis
Use techniques such as SWOT analysis, cause-and-effect diagrams, and process mapping to identify the root causes of operational challenges
Prioritize issues based on their impact on CCSS’s day to day operations
Strategic Recommendations
Develop a comprehensive set of strategic recommendations to address identified challenges and improve operational efficiency
Provide specific action plans for swift implementation
DELIVERABLES
Comprehensive analysis report detailing findings and root cause analysis
Benchmarking report comparing current practices with industry standards
Strategic recommendations and action plans
SCOPE OFWORK
PART III: IMPLEMENTATION
OPSIDIA will execute the strategic recommendations to improve operational efficiency and support CCSS’s goals
ACTIVITIES
Implementation Planning
Develop a detailed implementation plan with timelines, milestones, and responsible parties
Ensure alignment with CCSS’s strategic goals and stakeholder expectations
Policy and Process Development
Update or create people policies to ensure compliance and best practices
Streamline processes to enhance ease of use for staff, end users and to improve efficiency/satisfaction
Change Management
Implement a change management strategy to ensure smooth adoption of new policies and processes
Conduct training sessions procedures to educate leadership/staff on new practices
Monitoring and Evaluation
Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success of the implemented changes
Regularly review progress and make adjustments as needed to ensure continuous improvement
DELIVERABLES
Detailed implementation plan with timelines and milestones
Updated fiscal policies and processes
Change management strategy and training materials
INVESTMENT SUMMARY
OPSIDIA proposes providing the above services according the following fee schedule:
Six Months of Fractional Operations Services:
Principal Consultant - Racheal Allen
Project Manager - Alyssa Williams
Administrative Support - Khadijah Johnson
As needed support from OPSIDIA network:
Up to a (60) minute weekly team meeting
MONTHLY INVESTMENT
$6,250.00
INVESTMENT: $37,500.00
