New consultant roles figure in consultant's report
Source: BY BILL DOLAN, Northwest Indiana Times, Sunday, March 19, 2006
Efficiency consultants took a long look at five Lake County communities and found more than 230 ways for local government to improve. In several cases, Maximus Inc., the Reston, Va., firm, that just completed a 1,800-page study offering remedies in Gary, Hammond, East Chicago, Whiting and Hobart, recommends outsourcing government jobs to private business. It's a job Maximus stands ready to take on if called upon to do so. Maximus project director Ken Murray said it isn't a conflict of interest for his consulting firm to be suggesting local government hire consultants because Maximus doesn't craft its recommendations to feather its own nest. ...... Maximus' report indicates Golec's office has an opportunity to improve its performance by upgrading his office's computer software through a federal/state grant program. Golec said the upgrade could cost the public $160,000 and Maximus could profit from it because Maximus recently took control of his previous software vendor, Manatron of Portage, Mich.