DATE: December 17, 2024
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Sanja Bugay, Director, Department of Social Services
SUBJECT: Retroactive Agreement with MindTapp for Management Training, Consultation, and Coaching Services
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Under Administrative Policy No. 34 for competitive bids or requests for proposals (AP 34), determine that an exception to the competitive bidding requirement under AP 34 is satisfied and a suspension of competition is warranted due to unusual or extraordinary circumstances, and that the best interests of the County would be served by entering into an agreement with Thomas Sy dba MindTapp to continue the current project to completion; and
2. Approve and authorize the Chairman to amend, restate, replace and supersede existing Purchasing Agreement with Thomas Sy dba MindTapp, retroactive to that agreement’s effective date of December 16, 2022, for management training, consultation, and coaching services, not to exceed four consecutive years, which includes a three-year base contract and one optional one-year extension, increasing the maximum by $200,000, total not to exceed $399,000.
REPORT
There is no additional Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions, which will allow the Department of Social Services (Department) to continue working with Dr. Thomas Sy dba MindTapp (MindTapp) to provide its staff with management training, consultation, and coaching services. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
If the Board does not approve the recommended action, the Department will not be able to continue services with MindTapp, which would impact the Department’s ability to complete its Leadership Competency Model and receive subsequent management training, consultation, and coaching to support its implementation.
SUSPENSION OF COMPETITION:
It is requested that the County find under AP No. 34 that an exception to the competitive bidding requirement is satisfied, and a suspension of competition is warranted due to unusual or extraordinary circumstances, as MindTapp is fully qualified through extensive education, research, and experience working with public social services agencies and has been working with DSS since December 16, 2022, including on the development of a Leadership Competency Model that is unique to Fresno and requires additional time to complete and operationalize. It is the County’s best interest to leverage the resources invested both in dollars and time spent for this vendor to gain detailed insight on the Department’s operational infrastructure. The Internal Services Department - Purchasing concurs with the Department’s assessment that this satisfies the exception to the competitive bidding process required by AP 34.
RETROACTIVE AGREEMENT:
The recommended action is retroactive to December 16, 2022, because it replaces and supersedes Procurement Agreement No. P-23-022 and is necessary to allow MindTapp to continue providing management training, consultation, and coaching services that have already commenced under the procurement agreement.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. The maximum compensation of $399,000 will be offset with State and Federal Social Services funds ($342,075), 2011 Realignment ($27,135) in lieu of State General Funds for Child Welfare Services and Adult Services Programs that were realigned to counties through AB 118, 1991 Realignment ($27,003), and the required NCC ($2,787), which offsets the General Relief (GR) Program share of the cost. The 1991 Realignment and NCC will not be increased due to maximizing State and Federal program funds and will be absorbed by the Department of Social Services Org 5610 using existed budgeted appropriations. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues are included in the Department’s Org 5610 FY 2024-25 Adopted Budget.
DISCUSSION:
The Department has a vested interest in the development of its leadership team by providing the necessary support and guidance to improve the capacity to communicate, team build, evaluate, and coach staff. To support these efforts, the Department partnered with MindTapp through a procurement agreement (P-23-022) on January 5, 2023 with a term beginning on December 16, 2022, to provide management training, consultation, and coaching services to its management and executive team. This agreement was established through a Suspension of Competition approved by Internal Services Department (ISD)-Purchasing, consistent with Administrative Policy No. 34 for unusual or extraordinary circumstances due to Dr. Sy’s specialized education and experience working with other public social service agencies.
MindTapp provides leadership development, management workshops, and coaching programs to a variety of organizations and government agencies, including public social service agencies of Los Angeles and Riverside. An Industrial Organizational Psychologist, Dr. Sy has obtained a PhD in Organizational Psychology from the University of Michigan and teaches and conducts research on leadership, followership, and teams, focusing on schemas, emotions, diversity, and unconscious processes and biases.
The Department is in the process of developing a Leadership Competency Model with MindTapp. If approved, the recommended actions would continue work with MindTapp through its completion and allow for subsequent management training, coaching, and consulting services to support operationalization and implementation of the model. Continued service will increase the Department’s capacity to address staff retention, organizational cohesion, and ultimately the capacity to effectively serve clients.
The recommended Agreement deviates from the standard County language by omitting Professional Liability insurance. Risk Management recommends inclusion of the language; however, the Department has evaluated that the services and past experience with the vendor garner low risk.
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Suspension of Competition Acquisition Request Form
On file with Clerk - Agreement with Thomas Sy dba MindTapp
CAO ANALYST:
Ronald Alexander