DeKalb committee approves Momentum Firm to implement countywide performance plan

The DeKalb County Operations Committee on Tuesday approved a substitute to award a one‑year contract to the Momentum Firm to lead implementation of the county’s operational and performance assessment and to develop a countywide transformation roadmap. The contract’s performance period runs through 2026; the committee recorded the award as exempt from the county competitive procurement process. The contract amount was not specified during the committee discussion.

The Momentum Firm’s president and managing principal, Lakisha Cisse, told commissioners the firm will provide a “high touch 12‑month implementation support engagement” to translate the Malden & Jenkins assessment into prioritized actions, standards and metrics. Cisse said the assessment covered 18 departments, produced more than 250 recommendations, and that Momentum will help prioritize “quick wins” and major projects, set strategic priorities and build internal capacity so county staff can manage improvements over time.

COO Williams and Momentum staff described a proposed implementation team that includes an implementation lead (to be provided by Momentum), a coordinator for day‑to‑day management, implementation consultants for department support and a data‑science function to monitor progress. Cisse said the approach will be hybrid—part on‑site for process observation and part off‑site for analytic work—and will include quarterly performance updates and an annual report similar to the county’s earlier 100‑day progress report.

Commissioners asked how the firm would interact with other assessments and transition plans. COO Williams said the Momentum contract is intended as an implementation partner to operationalize findings from multiple studies, and staff will consider amending the scope if additional work (for example, from other ongoing studies) should be folded in. Commissioner questions also touched on whether Momentum could incorporate an operational audit of the Watershed Department; Momentum and county staff said the firm would coordinate and could add additional findings into the living implementation plan.

Commissioner Robert Patrick asked about the procurement route; COO Williams said the award is being made under a CEO exemption that the administration uses for certain professional services. Commissioner Terry and others emphasized the need for board engagement and committee oversight during implementation; Cisse said Momentum plans to engage the Board of Commissioners through committee briefings to foster transparency and accountability.

The committee approved the substitute motion to award the contract and allowed the administration to negotiate potential hourly add‑ons or amendments to cover additional work that might arise. No dollar amount for the contract was provided in the committee discussion.

The committee discussion also included references to broader goals such as aligning a strategic roadmap to a performance‑driven budget, developing customer satisfaction baselines, and pursuing industry standards such as the Malcolm Baldrige framework as a long‑term benchmark.

The committee’s motion to approve the substitute passed with the recorded voice vote in committee in favor; the item will proceed per the usual county process for final board action.