Found on 08-29-2013 at URL:

https://wisc.jobs/public/job_view.asp?annoid=68434&jobid=67949&org=410&class=04373

Corrections, Department of
Contracts Specialist-Advanced DCC
Job Announcement Code(s): 13-03375
County(ies): Dane
Classification Title: / JAC: CONTRACTS SPECIALIST - ADVANCED 13-03375
Job Working Title: Contracts Specialist-Advanced DCC
Type of Employment: Full Time (40 hrs/week)
Salary: The starting pay is between $46,451 and $76,646 per year depending on qualifications and in accordance with the state compensation plan. The pay schedule/range is 07-03. A six-month probationary period will be required.
Contact: Jan Zadra, Human Resources Specialist, 608-240-5516, jan.zadra@wisconsin.gov
Bargaining Unit: Non-Represented
Area of Competition: Open
Deadline to Apply: 9/6/2013
Exams must be saved and finalized by 11:59 pm on the deadline date.
Exam Information: 04373 - Contracts Specialist - Advanced DCC
The Department of Corrections administers Wisconsin’s state prisons, community correctional centers, and juvenile corrections programs. It supervises the custody and discipline of all prisoners in order to protect the public and seeks to rehabilitate offenders and reintegrate them into society.
The Department of Corrections, Division of Community Corrections has a vacancy in Madison (Dane County #13).
Job Duties: This position is responsible for the planning, development, and management of a comprehensive evidence based Division-wide and Cross-Divisional Purchase of Service (POS) program. This position works with Division of Community Corrections (DCC) Regional Program and Policy Analysts statewide to provide program planning at a Regional level, information, and POS technical assistance to the Department. This position is responsible for administering a centrally planned and maintained POS system, providing a seamless flow of services to offenders. This position exercises significant discretion and judgment in the performance of assigned duties and responsibilities through the interpretation of state statutes, administrative rules, Department of Administration purchasing policies and research of evidence based practices and programs. This position provides POS information, audits, and training to DCC staff.
Special Notes:
Applicants must be legally entitled to work in the United States (i.e., a citizen or national of the U.S., a lawful permanent resident, an alien authorized to work in the U.S. without DOC sponsorship) at the time of application. The Department of Corrections will conduct criminal background checks on applicants prior to selection. Upon hire, all new DOC employees are subject to fingerprinting.
Job Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
Knowledge of the principles and practices of public administration in creating and maintaining evidence based programs that target offender criminogenic needs and provide stabilization services; principles of management and data analysis; effective planning principles, practices, and techniques; community programs, program organizations, service provider organizations, and professional organizations for correctional clients; Purchase of Service process and procedures; laws, rules, regulations, and standardized procedures pertaining to the State of Wisconsin purchasing; time management skills, ability to manage multiple complex activities and projects simultaneously, and the ability to prioritize workload; methods for identifying available resources; techniques for effective oral and written communication; program and policy development and implementation and knowledge and experience using computer tools such as Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook, Access)
How To Apply:
Apply on-line in WISCJOBS, http://wisc.jobs/public/index.asp by either clicking on "Log In" to access your existing WISCJOBS account and completing a Job Search for keyword 1303375 and clicking on "Apply Now" or applicants new to WISCJOBS will need to create a new account to complete an initial application then apply on-line.
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Preview Exam
1. This position is responsible for the planning, development and management of a comprehensive evidence based Division-wide and Cross-Divisional Purchase of Service Program and requires significant experience in and knowledge of state purchase of service policies and procedures. Please describe your role, education, training and experience specific to the following areas:

Purchase of evidence based programs and services
Developing bids and proposals
Negotiating contracts
Contract administration
Procurement policies and procedures

2. This position is responsible for the development coordination, maintenance and projections of the Purchase of Service budget for the Division of Community Corrections. Please describe your education, training and experience, including your specific role and budget amounts, in the following:

Budget Development
Budget tracking, including use and type of budget tracking systems
Budget projections
Budget analysis

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3. This position requires the completion of a variety of tasks and projects within strict timeframes, as well as developing partnerships and maintaining effective working relationships including solving complex issues and problems with a wide variety of individuals and agencies, including corrections staff, vendors, community stakeholders and other state agencies.
Please describe your experience and level of responsibility in working with a variety of individuals, community stakeholders and other agencies. Include in your response a specific example of how you were able to manage multiple duties/tasks within stated timeframes and the outcome of your interactions with other entities. Also include your experience working on workgroups, committees or boards.

The contract specialist needs to find the cheapest effective vendors of prison, jail, and community supervision center supplies as well as contracting out certain probation/parole duties such as AODA and psychiatric counseling. Most of this boils down to getting promised prices and deliverables in writing and checking the fine print for exclusions prior to signing a service agreement.

You don’t really need to market the DOC as a buyer because relevant providers are already tripping over each other to score that cushy penal system contract. Therefore, I spend the rest of this article dressing down certain phrases in the job description.

The whole concept of “providing services to inmates” is rather paternalistic because aside from the minority of prisoners who commit crimes primarily to obtain taxpayer-funded food, clothing, and shelter, the imprisonment or invasive supervision under 35+ probation/parole rules being referred to as “serving” the one thus constrained is like saying someone is “served” at a DMV line: The clients don’t want to be there, and most workers involved are doing it because they enjoy job security and/or tormenting others.

Did you notice how the job description calls for “effective oral and written communication” but not for “excellent” or “professional” communication? That’s because explosive Type 2 personalities are common among corrections workers. The DOC is lucky their overweight probation/parole agents don’t get heart attacks from some of their outbursts towards the people they supervise, lest the employees end up having to see the doc. I’ve witnessed situations where agency employees lost their temper and had outbursts.

“Outbursts?” Yes, I’m talking about obscenity-laced provocations uttered by “community supervision” agents to goad their supervised into verbally retaliating in one-on-one meetings, often within earshot of another agent in a neighboring office or outright in public such as when I witnessed what I now tell you. It apparently is permissible for a community supervision agent to utter while on the job, “I’m not going to take your [expletive] [expletive]!” (The guy they the agent and the cops were leading out of the car just looked ahead and didn’t appear to say anything, but I was passing by on the sidewalk adjacent to the community building parking lot; multiple organizations shared the complex.)