DATE: September 25, 2018
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Delfino E. Neira, Director, Department of Social Services
SUBJECT: Amendment II to Agreement with Proteus, Inc. for Job Readiness, Job Search, and Employment Barrier Removal Services
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute Amendment II to Agreement No. 16-410 with Proteus, Inc. (Proteus), to reduce the duration of the rural Fresno County job readiness classes from five weeks to four weeks, effective October 1, 2018 with no change to the compensation amount or term of July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2021 ($4,503,014).
REPORT
Approval of the recommended action decreases the length of rural Fresno County job readiness classes from five weeks to four weeks to allow Proteus staff to be utilized more efficiently in the rural areas. There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with these actions. This item pertains to locations in District 4.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
The Board may choose not to approve the recommended action and rural classes would remain five weeks in duration, causing existing inefficiencies to persist.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. The maximum cost of the agreement ($4,503,014) is to remain unchanged, and will be offset using CalWORKs Single Allocation funds. Sufficient appropriations are included in the FY 2017-18 Adopted Budget for the Department of Social Services, Organization 5610, and will be included in subsequent budgets.
DISCUSSION:
On June 21, 2016, the Board approved Agreement 16-410 with Proteus for Job Readiness, Job Search, Employment and Barrier Removal Services for CalWORKs WTW participants. On October 17, 2017, the Board approved Amendment I, which decreased funding, allowing the Department to partially address the decrease in the CalWORKs Single Allocation without disrupting client services. In addition to the reduction in funding, the anticipated amount of client referrals and the amount of classes offered each year were reduced to better reflect the most recent utilization of the Agreement. Funding, referrals and the number of classes were all reduced, however, the class structure was not considered when the reductions were approved.
To accommodate the cut in funding, Proteus reduced their staff along with other programmatic reductions. One year into Amendment I, the Department and Proteus have mutually evaluated the program and request that the five-week rural classes be reduced to four weeks to improve the class structure and better utilize Proteus staff. Rural classes move through the curriculum quicker than metropolitan classes due to the smaller-than-average class size, and Proteus’ reduced staffing can be utilized more efficiently with abbreviated cohorts.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #73, October 17, 2017
BAI #69, June 21, 2016
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Amendment II
CAO ANALYST:
Ronald Alexander