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County staff to use MacArthur funds to map and assess criminal‑justice data systems
Summary
Spokane County staff plan to hire JMI using $160,000 in unspent MacArthur indirect funds to map data systems across 12 departments, begin interviews later this month, and deliver a preliminary report in early August; the consultant contract is on the upcoming legislative agenda.
Spokane County staff said the county will use $160,000 in unspent MacArthur indirect funds from 2016 to pay JMI to perform a countywide evaluation of criminal‑justice data systems.
Rebecca, who is leading the project for county staff, said consultants from JMI will begin in‑person interviews with stakeholders from 12 county departments and municipal partners the week of March 27 and will document systems, processes and data touchpoints. "MacArthur will be paying for the full cost of the project, so [there will] not be any burden on the general fund," Rebecca said. She told commissioners the team expects a preliminary report the first week of August and to wrap up the work by the end of October.
The scope includes mapping how documents move among departments, identifying software and data incompatibilities, and recommending ways to streamline operations and costs. County staff said they will ask the consultant to produce high‑level maps of department interactions and, if possible, associate dollar amounts with major software systems to highlight potential cost savings.
Commissioners asked about cost and scope. Staff said the consultant contract is roughly $141,000; the remainder of the MacArthur funds will be applied elsewhere. Commissioners also asked whether the review would capture the customer experience for people trying to access court schedules or documents; Rebecca said the current scope focuses on data systems and process documentation but that staff could discuss with JMI whether to add interviews of court users.
The resolution and contract to hire JMI will appear on the county’s next legislative agenda; county counsel said the procurement and MacArthur's authorization to use the indirect funds have been documented and reviewed.
The county expects the procurement and initial interviews to proceed immediately and will return to the board with the formal contract and resolution as scheduled.
