In August 2008, Evergreen Solutions concluded a project with the City of Newport News and the Newport News Sheriff’s Office to conduct a Job Comparability Study of selected positions. The main focus of the project was to review and evaluate Sheriff’s Department jobs utilizing job description reviews, questionnaires (where appropriate), and meetings with subject matter expert (SME) committees.
The project involved assessing the comparability of NNSO ranking positions against similar positions in the Newport News Police Department, Parks Department, and Adult Corrections Department. The structure of the Newport News Sheriff’s Office is designed in a typical paramilitary fashion, with a ranking hierarchy consisting of the following sworn classifications: Deputy I, Deputy II, Master Deputy/Corporal, Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Lt. Colonel, and Colonel.
Evergreen Solutions methodology for conducting the review included six major components. These components were Policies and Statutes Review, Personal Interviews, Focus Groups, Job Assessment Tool (JAT) Collection, and Personal Observations, including time spent in the following capacities: Jail Administration, Courtroom Security and Transportation, Civil Process, Booking, and Records/Classification.
As an additional element of the analysis, Evergreen Solutions conducted a market salary survey of regional sheriff’s offices to assess the competitive position of NNSO against eight regional peers. Evergreen Solutions consultants conducted a statistical analysis of the mean salary ranges at the minimum, midpoint, and maximum levels of the salary ranges within NNSO.