Our Studies

Find samples of our previous and ongoing projects below. Please contact us to learn more.

Evergreen Solutions Received Rave Client Reviews

Based on a recent survey, Evergreen Solutions excels in client performance ratings! With the continual growth at Evergreen Solutions, it is important that customer satisfaction never falters. That is why we are proud to announce that in a recent survey conducted by Dun and Bradstreet, we have achieved the highest satisfaction ratings in all areas! The consulting services that Evergreen Solutions provides have been ranked among the highest quality in the nation. Dun and Bradstreet affirmed our place as one of the top consulting firms in the business by ranking us in the top 90th percentile in all areas including, but not limited to reliability, cost, quality, timeliness, customer support, and order accuracy.

K-12 PROJECTS

Cement Public Schools and Tipton Public Schools, Oklahoma

Evergreen Solutions is being retained by the Oklahoma Office of Accountability to conduct School Performance Reviews in two Oklahoma Public Schools-Cement Public Schools and Tipton Public Schools. The School Performance Reviews of Cement Public Schools and Tipton Public Schools consist of the following components:

Management, Personnel, and Communications: Findings, commendations, recommendations, and estimates of costs and savings regarding the school district's organization, management, and personnel as well as the district's long-range planning process and community involvement.
Instructional Delivery: Findings, commendations, recommendations, and estimates of costs and savings regarding the school district's instructional delivery, educational programs, and technology related to instruction.
Business Operations: Findings, commendations, recommendations, and estimates of costs and savings regarding the school district's business operations, asset and risk management, financial management, purchasing and warehouse services, human resources, and payroll.
Facilities Use and Management: Findings, commendations, recommendations, and estimates of costs and savings regarding the school district's facilities use and management, safety and security, and energy management.
Support Services: Findings, commendations, recommendations, and estimates of costs and savings regarding the school district's support services. These services include computers and technology, food services, and transportation services.

Dayton Public Schools

In January 2008, the Dayton Foundation, working with a Business and Citizens Advisory Committee, contracted with Evergreen Solutions, LLC to conduct a comprehensive diagonstic review of operations in Dayton (Ohio) Public Schools. This urban school district has been plagued with decreased school enrollment, declining fiscal resources, and lower than expected student achievement at many schools and grade levels. The Evergreen Consultant Team will conduct surveys of central office administrators, principals, and teachers. The study will focus on instructional improvements as well as efficiency and effectiveness improvements to non-instructional operations including finance, facilities, safety and security, transporation, human resources, technology, and district organization and management.

Department of Defense

Department of Defense (sub to Cotton and Company)

Through Cotton & Company, Evergreen Solutions employees were contracted to conduct an independent audit of the Army and Air Force Exchange Services (AAFES) School Meal Program (SMP) to assess the accuracy of collections and accounting for the Department of Defense Dependent Schools (DODDS). The SMP is a USDA Child Nutrition Entitlement Program funded by three primary sources: USDA reimbursements and commodities, Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA) appropriations, and the meal prices charges to students.

The audit will review SMP operations annually from government fiscal years 2004-2006 and include information from AAFES Headquarters in Dallas, Texas as well as 10 schools and five accounting offices in three European (Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom) and two Pacific countries (Korea and Japan). Areas under review include claims for reimbursement, accounting systems, annual reconciliation processing, financial management, financial reporting, staffing, foreign currency exchange, and nutritional adequacy.

Los Angeles Unified School District

The Los Angeles Unified School District is the second largest in the country with approximately 750,000 students and 900 schools. As part of a two-phase review, Evergreen Solutions studied the most significant audits, reports, and studies on the district's organizational performance and assessed what was implemented, what was not, and the reasons why.

Phase I was completed in March 2007 and included an in-depth evaluation of the district's food services program. Phase II is currently underway and includes studies of the following:

Instruction
Governance
Accountability
Safety and security
Finance
Budgeting and payroll

The Ten Largest Districts in Washington State

As a subcontractor to Cotton and Company LLP, Evergreen is applying its education expertise to a comprehensive, independent performance audit of the administrative and overhead operations of the ten largest school districts in the state of Washington.

The districts being reviewed include:

Seattle School District
Tacoma School District
Spokane School District
Kent School District
Evergreen (Clark) School District
Lake Washington School District
Federal Way School District
Vancouver School District
Puyallup School District
Edmonds School District

The audit shall review and analyze the economy and efficiency of the administrative and overhead operations at these school districts and is being conducted in accordance with government auditing standards.

STATE GOVERNMENT PROJECTS

Evergreen Solutions Provides Outsourcing Services to the Florida Department of Health

Evergreen Solutions, in association with Five Points Technology, is providing the Florida Department of Health outsourcing services to fulfill the Department's Public Health and Medical Preparedness and Response Consultant position.

As a function of this agreement, the consultant will:

Review the relationship of other community providers as well as local Emergency Management Plans.
Assure that exercises and plans are in keeping with practical aspects of the problem being addressed.
Attempt to formulate a "building block" approach to disaster planning to allow for public and private entities to achieve success and not be overcome by the scenario.
Promote the integration of rumor control into public information operations.
Work with the projects' already established local and state committees to obtain consensus on the planning.
Work with project managers to obtain final approvals from the SWG and the DSOC, as appropriate.
Advise, when appropriate, the ongoing information exchange with other response partners, in particular hospitals, long-term care, fire/rescue, law enforcement, and education.
Work with exercise design consultant lead in development of scenarios.

Evergreen Solutions also maintains outsourcing contracts with other municipal government organizations.

Best Practices Study and Human Resource Strategic Planning

The Florida Department of Management Services (DMS) retained Evergreen Solutions to create a statewide workforce strategic plan. The purpose of this project is to develop a strategic planning document that will serve as the State’s roadmap for human resource policy guidance for the next five years. This roadmap will assist DMS in providing innovative, world-class human resource services designed to recruit, retain, reward and recognize a high-performance workforce for the State of Florida. The Strategic Plan will address three critical components: workforce design, compensation and benefits, and workforce training and development.

To generate a comprehensive understanding of stakeholder perspectives, Evergreen Solutions interviewed state-level leaders, engaged employees through focus groups, and conducted trend analysis. In addition, Evergreen Solutions administered an electronic survey statewide and received feedback and responses from more than 20,000 employees across all departments and agencies. This research will assist Evergreen Solutions create meaningful action-driven recommendations.

Evergreen Solutions was also recently retained by the DMS to conduct a Best Practices Review of its internal human resources operation. A multi-faceted, multi-level approach was utilized that included focus groups, interviews, peer review, process analysis, best practices, benchmarking, and gap analysis. Based on data from each of these tools, a variety of operational commendations and recommendations were made.

HIGHER EDUCATION PROJECTS

Missouri Western State University: Comprehensive Market Survey and Compensation Plan Study

In February, Evergreen Solutions kicked off a Comprehensive Market Salary Survey and Compensation Plan Study for all non-faculty jobs at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Missouri. Evergreen Solutions consultants will work with the University's Salary Review and Compensation Committee to select benchmark job titles and market peer organizations to survey. Market comparisons will be made at the local, regional, state, and national levels. Once data have been collected as a result of the survey, Evergreen Solutions will provide detailed and comprehensive recommendations for revision and update the University's pay plans, including projected costs for implementation. Finally, Evergreen Solutions staff will provide compensation administration guidelines for continued administration of the updated pay plans. Missouri Western State University is a four-year, state-supported institution providing undergraduate and graduate programs through the colleges of liberal arts and professional studies. In addition, the University offers continuing education courses, seminars, conferences, and workshops suited to the needs of the community and serving groups throughout the nation.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROJECTS

Manatee County, Florida: Compensation and Classification Study

In December 2007, the Evergreen Solutions Team kicked-off a Compensation and Classification Study for Manatee County, Florida. The study includes all employees that serve in capacities for the Board of County Commissioners. As part of the review, orientation sessions, focus groups, and interviews were conducted throughout the county with approximately 1,500 employees. All employees were asked to complete Evergreen Solution's Job Assessment Tool (JAT). Starting in January, consultants will conduct job analysis based on employee feedback in order to assist with the creation of a classification plan. A salary survey of local and regional employers is in progress to assess Manatee County's level of market competitiveness. Based on the classification and compensation findings, a new pay plan, as well as policies and procedures, will be recommended to the County.

City of Fountain, Colorado: Management Review

As part of an ongoing effort to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its operations and management, the City of Fountain, Colorado, a growing city near Colorado Springs, hired Evergreen Solutions to conduct a comprehensive management and performance review of its operations.

In Phase I, Evergreen Solutions consultants conducted a thorough diagnostic review of the city’s structure, management, and organizational issues. Chief among those was the tremendous growth the city has experienced since the late ‘90s, and which is projected to continue. This growth has led to a strain on limited resources within the city and a need to identify strategic priorities for the future.

In Phase II of the study, the Evergreen Solutions team conducted an in-depth analysis of the city’s overall organizational structure, financial operations, human resources management, public safety operations, public works, and utilities management. The overriding goal of the study was to assist the city in determining where resources needed to be directed to accomplish its goals, where resources were being utilized inefficiently, and the best approach to realign resources to sustain positive community development.