HomeMy WebLinkAbout09/29/22 Civil Service CommissionAgenda
Civil Service Commission
Thursday, September 29, 2022
10:00 a.m.
City Manager's Conference Room
City Hall
410 E Washington St
Iowa City, IA
1. Entry level Police Officer testing
2. Police Department promotional testing
3. Entry level Firefighter testing
4. Fire Marshal promotional testing
If you will need disability -related accommodations in
order to participate in this program/event, please
contact Karen Jennings, Human Resources at 319-
356-5025 or karenJenningsja�iowa-city:ora. Early
requests are strongly encouraged to allow sufficient
time to meet your access needs.
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CITY OF IOWA CITY
MEMORANDUM
Date:
September 26, 2022
To:
Civil Service Commission
From:
Karen Jennings, Human Resources Administrator
Re:
Rolling Test Cycles for Entry Level Police Officer
On September 21, 2021, the Civil Service Commission authorized City staff to accept applications for Police
Officer on a continuous basis with a new candidate pool established and testing cycle authorized upon
exhaustion of the current certified hiring list. This process was intended to enable the City to more efficiently
meet the staffing needs of the department in an increasingly competitive recruitment environment and was
authorized for a one-year trial period. We have reached the end of that one-year period and are seeking
the Commission's authorization to continue this method of recruiting and testing police officer candidates
on a rolling test cycle basis.
To recap the rolling test cycle process, applications for the position of Police Officer have been accepted
on an ongoing basis through the City's self-services portal. An application deadline and test schedule is
announced when it has been determined that the current civil service hiring list has been exhausted or can
no longer reasonably be relied upon to meet staffing needs. All candidates who have applied during the
current application cycle are eligible to test. Applications received after the deadline are included in the next
subsequent testing cycle. Applicants need to resubmit their application to be eligible for future testing
cycles.
Trial period results: This was a new approach to Police Officer recruitment and testing that was intended
to increase efficiencies, provide more timely testing opportunities for candidates throughout the year, and
to facilitate meaningful recruitment opportunities year-round. Staff believes that these objectives have been
successfully achieved through this process. Over the course of the trial period, we have achieved the
following:
• Completed 2 test cycles and will soon need to initiate a third
• Received 95 applications
• Tested or verified that testing requirements were met for 59 candidates
• Completed 31 interviews
• Recommended 21 candidates to the Civil Service Commission for certification on a hiring list
• Reduced the length of the process from announcement of testing to certification of hiring list by
approximately 40 days
• Eliminated need for reliance on use of outside facilities to accommodate large test groups
• Reduced level of staffing necessary to proctor fitness testing
• Provided flexibility in test scheduling options to candidates
The EEO summaries previously provided to the Commission for the 2 completed rolling test cycles and
from the test process used to create the certified hiring list preceding the trial period are attached for your
reference.
Written Test: Staff recommends continued use of the National Police Officer Selection Test (POST) which
is required for acceptance into the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) and the most widely used entry
level written test in the state of Iowa. The test includes four sections (arithmetic, reading comprehension,
identification of grammar/punctuation/spelling errors, and writing skills) designed to measure cognitive skill
critical to successfully learning and performing the job of police officer. No prior training or experience in
the job of police officer is assumed of candidates taking this test. A passing score of 70% in each test
section is required. The City will continue to provide, at City expense, one POST study guide and, upon
request, one online timed practice test opportunity for candidates who are required to take the POST. The
POST will be proctored by City of Iowa City Human Resources staff certified as test proctors by the ILEA.
Because the POST is used statewide and a database of test scores is maintained by Stanard and
Associates, Inc., staff recommends continued acceptance passing POST scores for exams administered
within one year of anticipated certification of a hiring list. Candidates with such a score on file or who are
ILEA certified will be excused from having to retake the POST.
Physical Fitness Test: Staff recommends continued use of the physical test regimen established as a
pre -employment standard by the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy Council. The test is administered on a
pass/fail basis and consists of the following: (1) sit-ups; (2) push-ups; (3) one and one-half (1.5) mile run.
Eligible candidates who provide acceptable documentation of having successfully completed the ILEA pre-
employment physical test regimen administered by another law enforcement agency within four months
preceding Iowa City's final test date for the current testing cycle or who are ILEA certified will be excused
from having to complete the fitness test.
Test dates: A testing schedule will be established and announced for each cycle. Depending on the number
of candidates who have applied during that cycle and who still need to complete the POST and/or PT, tests
may be scheduled on an individual, small group, or large group basis. Because it is anticipated that there
will be more frequent testing opportunities under this model and in the interest of reducing the time required
to complete the overall process, there will not be re -test dates built into the testing cycles.
Oral Interviews: Interviews will be offered to all candidates passing both the POST and the physical fitness
test or with current ILEA certification. Interviews follow a structured interview format with the interview panel
consisting of Human Resources Division, Police Department supervisory staff, and community
representation, pending availability. Interviews will be followed by panel discussion to determine the
composition of the recommended list.
Certification of Hiring List: Rank order lists will be recommended to the Commission for certification upon
the completion of each testing cycle. The Chief will retain the ability to hire candidates from the list in any
order.
Hiring Process: Following certification, all offers of employment will be made only to individuals on the,
current hiring list. Any offer of employment is subject to the candidate passing a background investigation
and medical examination conducted in accordance with the protocols developed by Municipal Fire and
Police Retirement System of Iowa (MFPRSI) as mandated by Chapter 411 of the Code of Iowa.
ILEA interpretation of a valid Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) will be required of all
candidates as part of the post -offer medical examination process and could result in a required follow-up
psychological exam. The Minnesota Multiphase Personality Inventory (MMPI) will be administered to all
candidates who do not have a valid result on file with the ILEA in conjunction with the medical examination
process. City of Iowa City Human Resources staff possessing valid proctor certifications from ILEA will
proctor the MMPI for candidates without a score on file and will then forward the exam to the ILEA for
interpretation.
Staff recommendation: Staff respectfully recommends that the Commission extend the authorization
indefinitely to administer police officer candidate recruitment and testing on a rolling test cycles basis. The
Civil Service Commission will continue to meet to for the purposes of certifying hiring lists for the position
of Police Officer and has the authority to add an agenda item to review, modify, or terminate the requested
authorization at any time.
I look forward to discussing this process with you at your meeting. In the meantime, please contact me at
356-5025 with any questions.
Thank you.
Cc: Chief Liston
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CITY OF IOWA CITY
MEMORANDUM
Date: September 26, 2022
To: Civil Service Commission
From: Karen Jennings, Human Resources Administrator
Re: Police Department Promotional Testing
The certified lists for promotional positions in the Police Department expired on March 18, 2022.
To enable the Chief to fill future vacancies, we need to hold a new promotional process. The Iowa
Code allows up to ten names to be certified for promotional positions.
After consulting with Chief Liston and City Administration, we are recommending a testing process
for each rank which includes 2-3 weighted components to establish the rank order promotional
lists required by Chapter 400. The minimum requirements and proposed testing process
(including the recommended weighting) for each rank is summarized in the following table.
3 years as Iowa City Police Officer Assessment center (65%)
Associate's degree or 60 hours college Panel interview with sworn ICPD staff at the rank
credit of Lieutenant or higher, ICFD staff at rank of
Battalion Chief or higher, City
department/Division heads, and/or HR staff
(35%)
5 years in law enforcement including 2 Assessment center (65%)
years minimum as a Sergeant
Associate's degree or 60 hours college Panel interview with Captains or equivalent from
credit area agencies (35%)
4 years at Sergeant rank or higher Assessment center (30%)
Bachelor's degree Panel interview with ICPD command staff (30%)
Experience at Lieutenant rank and Masters Panel interview with City
dearee is nreferred Administration/Department Directors (40%)
As you can see, we are recommending that assessment centers be used in the selection process
for each of these positions. An assessment center is a process whereby assessors who have
held command staff positions in other law enforcement agencies evaluate candidates for a
position based on candidate performance in exercises designed to simulate situations
encountered by a person in the rank they are seeking to hold. Previous assessment center
exercises have included a number of the following: problem -solving, training presentation, citizen
complaint, tactical, oral presentation, in -basket, employee interview or other job -related situations.
A consultant with police administration background and experience in administering civil service
promotional testing processes will be hired to design and administer the assessment centers.
Exercises are selected based on the position being tested and are developed in conjunction with
input from ICPD command staff and Human Resources. Following completion of the assessment
center the consultant will be available to meet with candidates to provide feedback regarding the
candidate's participation in the assessment center. This is the opportunity for candidates to hear
the assessors' comments regarding their strengths and weaknesses. This type of feedback is
valuable to candidates as it provides them with information they can use in their professional
development.
September 26, 2022
Page 2
Cayler Consulting is recommended to administer the promotional assessment centers. Jeff
Cayler has had a lengthy career in law enforcement, having served as Police Chief in Carroll,
Iowa for over 30 years before retiring in 2015. He has been administering assessment centers
for law enforcement agencies for over 20 years and has both administered assessment centers
and served as an assessor in past City of Iowa City police promotional testing processes.
We recommend that City Human Resources staff be authorized to administer the panel interviews
for the Sergeant, Lieutenant and Captain processes on behalf of the Civil Service Commission.
Human Resources staff will be involved at all stages of the process to ensure that legal
requirements associated with the hiring process are met.
Testing is tentatively planned to take place in late 2022. 1 look forward to answering any questions
you may have at your upcoming meeting.
cc: Chief Liston
CITY OF IOWA CITY
MEMORANDUM
Date:
September 26, 2022
To:
Civil Service Commission
From:
Karen Jennings, Human Resources Administrator
Re:
Entry Level Firefighter Test
The current hiring list for the position of Firefighter was certified in May 2019, and we recommend that we
re -test for this position and certify a new hiring list. The City is committed to the goal of achieving a
workforce that is reflective of the community we serve. To that end, the Iowa City Fire Department has
formed an internal staff recruitment committee focused on recruitment outreach initiatives to attract and
support candidates from diverse backgrounds. These initiatives include creation of a new recruitment video
presenting the broad role of the position including emergency medical services, fire suppression and public
service. Fire department staff also continue to participate in community outreach through participation in
events such as National Night Out, job fairs, outreach to Kirkwood Community College and participating in
a public safety panel with the South District Neighborhood Association.
Staff recommends that the position be advertised and applications accepted for a minimum of three to four
weeks. The testing and selection process being recommended is intended to better support the City's desire
and intent to achieve a more diverse workforce utilizing assessments that minimize unintentional bias or
barriers for female and other diverse candidates, including those from lower socio-economic households.
Written Test: Staff recommends use of an entry-level Firefighter exam developed by the International
Public Management Association for Human Resources (IPMA-HR). The recommended test is a multiple-
choice test designed to assess whether candidates have the most basic abilities to perform on the job and
includes both a cognitive and noncognitive component. The cognitive component focuses on learning,
remembering and applying information, reading comprehension, logical and mathematical reasoning, and
situational judgement. The noncognitive component uses a Firefighter Interest Questionnaire to assess a
variety of personal traits consistent with success on the job. The noncognitive components are designed
to provide a more complete assessment of candidates while also lowering adverse impact. All candidates
with a passing score will be eligible to participate in the physical fitness test.
The exam is available in both online and hardcopy formats. Candidates will be given the option of
completing the exam on-line in a remotely proctored individual test session as long as they can meet the
technology requirements of the testing company or completing the exam in hardcopy form at a testing
session proctored by Human Resources staff.
The written test will be coordinated by Human Resources staff and proctored by the remote test proctoring
service contracted by IPMA-HR or Human Resources staff depending on the test option selected by the
candidate.
Physical Fitness Test: We have used the CPAT test for Firefighter candidates in the past, however, staff
recommends that we instead use the same general fitness test used for Police Officer candidates. The
physical fitness test used for police officer candidates establishes general fitness standards by age and sex
demographic groups. It is administered on a pass/fail basis and includes a 1.5 mile run, 1 minute sit-up test,
and 1-minute push-up test. The recommended change in fitness tests is intended to reduce or eliminate
unintentional bias that may exist with a test that does not account for age and sex in the established passing
requirements and the barriers that may impact candidates from lower socio-economic households by
utilizing assessments (running, sit-ups, push-ups) that do not require specialized equipment, technique
coaching, or travel to access. The technical physical fire skills needed to perform the job successfully,
several of which were simulated in the CPAT, will be a focus of the new firefighter training academy
completed during the probationary period. This approach will enable the City to establish a baseline fitness
September 26, 2022
Page 2
level for candidates through the hiring process while allowing for skills to be taught, properly trained and
competencies to be measured through the new recruit training program.
The physical fitness testing will be coordinated and managed by Human Resources staff and administered
with the assistance of Fire Department test proctors.
Oral Interviews: Interviews will be offered to all candidates passing both the written and the physical
fitness test. Interviews follow a structured interview format with the interview panel consisting of Human
Resources Division, Fire Department supervisory staff, and community representation, pending availability.
Including community representation on the interview panel has been utilized and proved to have benefited
recent Police Officer selection processes by providing additional perspectives on candidates. This process
could take up to two weeks followed by panel review and discussion to determine the composition of the
recommended list.
Certification of Hiring List: A rank order list will be recommended to the Commission for certification. The
goal will be to certify a hiring list sufficient to meet the staffing needs of the department for approximately
the following year. The Chief will have the ability to hire candidates from the list in any order.
Hiring Process: Following certification, all offers of employment will be made only to individuals on the
list. Any offer of employment is subject to the candidate passing a criminal background and driving record
check and medical examination conducted in accordance with the protocols developed by Municipal Fire
and Police Retirement System of Iowa (MFPRSI) as mandated by Chapter 411 of the Code of Iowa.
A testing schedule will be established based upon the availability of testing facilities.
I look forward to discussing this process with you at your meeting. In the meantime, please contact me at
356-5025 with any questions.
Thank you.
Cc: Chief Lyon
CITY OF IOWA CITY
MEMORANDUM
Date:
September 26, 2022
To:
Civil Service Commission
From:
Karen Jennings, Human Resources Administrator
Re:
Fire Marshal Promotional process
The Civil Service Commission certified promotional lists for the ranks of Fire Lieutenant, Fire
Captain, Battalion Chief, and Deputy Chief on March 18, 2020. Per Chapter 400.11 of the Iowa
Code, persons on certified eligible lists for promotion shall hold preference for two years following
the date of certification. While these promotional lists have expired, we have delayed a
recommendation for a promotional testing process until such time that there are anticipated
vacancies to fill. Battalion Chief/Fire Marshal Greer has announced his intention to retire and a
promotional list will be needed to fill this position.
The Fire Marshal position is a specialty assignment at the Battalion Chief rank. In the past, the
Fire Marshal assignment has been filled by an existing Battalion Chief or from the Battalion Chief
promotional list. Because the role and responsibilities of the Fire Marshal assignment differ
significantly from the shift Battalion Chiefs, we recommend conducting a separate promotional
assessment and certifying a separate list for Battalion Chief — Fire Marshal. Therefore, staff
recommends a promotional testing process which will result in a certified list for the Battalion Chief
— Fire Marshal position. This process will be conducted as soon as practicable to enable the
pending vacancy to be filled. A promotional process for the rank of Battalion Chief will be
recommended along with promotional testing processes for other Fire department promotional
positions at a later date. Qualified candidates will be able to participate in the promotionalgesting
process for Battalion Chief — Fire Marshal, Battalion Chief (to fill shift BC positions), or both
depending on their interests.
The requirements for the position of Battalion Chief — Fire Marshal includes a bachelor's degree
in fire science or a related field from an educational institution accredited by a DOE recognized
accreditation body and five years as a company officer with the Iowa City Fire Department. Fire
Code certification is required within two years and IAAI Certified Fire Investigator within four years
of appointment. A valid driver's license with satisfactory driving record is required along with
compliance with the City's residency requirement policy. This position previously required ILEA
certification within 5 years of appointment but that has been determined to be an outdated and
unnecessary requirement and has, therefore, been removed.
Human Resources staff has consulted with the Fire Chief and recommends the following process:
1. All eligible candidates will be required to submit a promotional testing application, resume,
and appropriate documentation of the required degree by the application deadline.
Candidates will also be required to submit a completed candidate questionnaire for review
and reference by the selection committee in the interview process.
2. All eligible candidates will be provided the opportunity to interview with a selection
committee to be comprised of City Department Directors, Division Heads, or other internal
stakeholders such as engineering and/or inspection staff and a Fire Marshal from another
fire department. If the Commission wishes to be represented in the process, the
Commission may also appoint a member to the selection committee.
September 26, 2022
Page 2
3. Candidates will be required to achieve a minimum passing score in the panel interview
assessment and the rank order of the promotional list will be determined by the score of
the interview assessment.
Staff recommends that Human Resources staff be authorized to administer this promotional
assessment process. Human Resources staff will be involved at all stages of the process to
ensure that legal requirements associated with the hiring process are met.
The Chief and I will be available at your upcoming meeting to answer any questions.
Thank you.