Specifications include, but are not limited to: 4.3.1 Career Ladder Assessment and Professional Development: The vendor will review existing job descriptions, organizational charts, and pay grade/step scale to develop a comprehensive KCHD Career Ladder Program. The assessment will identify job families and tiers within each family (e.g., Nutritionist 1, Nutritionist 2, Nutritionist 3; or similar approach). The vendor will define distinguishing features and qualifications for each tier, ensuring equivalency across job families. For example, a CHANT Coordinator 2 and a PAT Educator 2 should require similar education, experience, and skills. The vendor will define methods of compensation for each tier in the Career Ladder Program. Compensation must be feasible considering KCHD’s budget constraints and the realities of limited funding for salary raises. The Career Ladder Program should include alternative compensation methods beyond salary increases, such as but not limited to financial support for certifications or attendance at national-level conferences to ensure financial feasibility and sustainability within KCHD’s context. Currently, the main pathway for career progression at KCHD is by moving into management positions. Recognizing that some team members seek advancement opportunities without moving into management roles, the Career Ladder Program should include non-managerial advancement paths where feasible. 4.3.2 Process and Tools for Advancement: The vendor will define paths for advancement through the Career Ladder Program, in support of equivalent opportunities for advancement across the department. These paths should be clear and easily communicated to team members. The vendor will develop a written process for team member advancement that includes detailed explanations of the roles and responsibilities of all parties, including the team member, the manager/direct supervisor, KCHD Leadership, and Knox County Human Resources; how, when and by whom advancement considerations will be initiated; how and by whom advancement opportunities will be reviewed and approved or denied, and how advancement decisions will be documented and tracked. The vendor will develop tools to accompany the written process including a rubric, or similar tool, that managers, or responsible party, can use to evaluate team members’ eligibility for advancement, a documentation form to record all formal conversations with team members and leadership about advancement opportunities (both those granted and not), and team member self-assessment to allow team members to advocate for themselves. The process and tools must support fairness and impartiality, enabling equitable advancement opportunities across the organization.
