Leadership and Management Consultant

North Mississippi Rural Legal Services, Inc. (NMRLS) seeks proposals to assist the organization to develop and implement program management capacities.

Organization Background

NMRLS was organized in 1966 as a training program for law students at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) School of Law. The original goal was to develop a law school curriculum with a focus on legal problems of the poor. The program’s operating focus later shifted from being a training tool for law students to a program committed to providing quality legal assistance to the poor. NMRLS was subsequently incorporated as in independent non-profit corporation receiving funds from the Legal Services Corporation, its express purpose being to provide legal services, education and advocacy for people in poverty, in conformity with the LSC Act and Amendments thereto.

NMRLS currently services its 253, 540 eligible low income population (based on 2011 American Community Survey 3-Year estimate and other sources) in its 39-county service area with an administrative office and four (4) branch offices located in Oxford, West Point, Clarksdale and Greenville. See www.nmrls.com for more information concerning NMRLS operations.

Management Objectives

We seek to hire one or more consultants who can assist the NMRLS staff and board 1) develop numbers 1-7 below, and 2) provide a timeline for accomplishing said tasks. We expect the work product of the consultant to be developed and carried out with the assistance of the executive director and other staff.

The Product We Seek

1. A policy and procedures manual that contains the updated policies regarding outside practice of law, legal work management, standards of practice, legal work supervision, and job descriptions for each program position, review and strengthen the existing priorities and case acceptance guidelines and the impact advocacy plans for each branch office.

2. A fund-raising and resource development plan with a concrete action plan, including time lines for specific activities, name of prospects, targeted donors, grant makers, financial targeted amount sought, name of the program staff, board members, volunteers, supporters and committees responsible for accomplishing each stipulated activity.

3. Revise aspects of the Call Center’s operation, including: 1) a new on-line manual, 2) new sample advice letters, 3) a description of how the on-line intake process has been fully integrated into the Call Center; 4) improved average wait time, 5) increased advertisement and outreach to publicize the Call Center’s number and its available services, 6) extended Call Center hours of operation, 7) a revised home page of the program’s website to more clearly advertise what number to call and that on-line intake is available, 8) a decrease in the percentage of ineligible callers as a result of changes to the Call Center’s message about criminal cases and other cases not handled by the program, and 9) conducting time studies.

4. Conduct technology assessment, including telephones that work properly for staff, applicants, and clients, as well as the general public.

5. An assessment regarding the number of branch offices and staff configuration for the Mississippi Delta region of the service area.

6. An organizational governance and board improvement plan, including a permanent board policy requiring the development of a working budget by January of each year and the development of an approved budget by March of each year; a reserve policy; and a policy requiring at least one board or board advisory position be held by a member qualified to provide financial oversight for the board.

7. Strengthen the existing 2013-2018 strategic plan, including but not limited to a leadership succession plan for all of the program’s executive leadership and key management positions, as well as the board of directors.