DATE: July 18, 2023
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Robert W. Bash, Director of Internal Services/Chief Information Officer
SUBJECT: Agreement with The Little Group LTD, Co.
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Make a finding that it is in the best interest of the County to suspend the competitive bidding process consistent with Administrative Policy No. 34 for unusual or extraordinary circumstances as The Little Group LTD. Co. has expertise and familiarity with the County’s ongoing property management information system conversion project; and
2. Approve and authorize the Chairman to amend, restate, and supersede the Procurement Agreement with The Little Group LTD. Co., retroactive to that agreement’s effective date of March 1, 2022, to continue project management services for the County’s property management information system and add additional IT professional services, not to exceed five consecutive years, which includes a three-year base contract and two optional one-year extensions, and increasing the maximum compensation by $401,000, total not to exceed $600,000.
REPORT
There is no additional Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions, which will allow The Little Group LTD, Co. doing business as Exclusive Network Enterprises (The Little Group) to continue providing project management services for the implementation of the County’s property management information system (PMIS). The increased funding in the recommended Agreement will address higher than anticipated service needs for the Assessor-Recorder and Auditor-Controller/Treasurer-Tax Collector departments. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Should your Board not approve the recommended actions, The Little Group will be unable to continue providing professional services to assist in completing the County’s modernization of the property management information system.
SUSPENSION OF COMPETITION/SOLE SOURCE CONTRACT:
The Department’s request to suspend the competitive bidding process is consistent with Administrative Policy No. 34 as The Little Group had commenced work under a previously expiring agreement, possess expertise and familiarity with the County’s property management information system conversion project, and that the best interests of the County would be served by not securing competitive bids.
RETROACTIVE AGREEMENT:
The recommended Agreement is retroactive to March 1, 2022, because it replaces and supersedes Procurement Agreement No. P-22-053 (Procurement Agreement), and is necessary to allow The Little Group to complete implementation 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 recommended Agreement will increase total compensation payable by $401,000, from $199,000 (the limit of Purchasing Manager’s authority) to $600,000 total. The compensation increase is funded through department chargebacks. As of June 2023, pending invoices total $41,813. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues are included in the Internal Services Department (ISD) - Information Technology (IT) Org 8905 FY 2023-24 Recommended Budget and will be included in subsequent annual budget requests.
DISCUSSION:
Since the original Procurement Agreement was previously executed under a suspension of competition, the Department seeks Board ratification of the original Procurement Agreement’s suspension of competition, and approval to amend, restate, and supersede that Procurement Agreement with an agreement for additional IT professional services, and a maximum compensation amount of up to $600,000. The Little Group has been providing project management services for the County’s large-scale modernization of the property management information system to transition off the mainframe architecture.
On February 23, 2022, ISD - Purchasing approved the Procurement Agreement with The Little Group for project management services for the implementation of the County’s property management information system, for a potential term of five years and a total maximum compensation payable of $199,000. The Procurement Agreement was effective March 1, 2022 and includes a three-year initial term with two optional one-year extensions. The Procurement Agreement was established through a Suspension of Competition due to unusual or extraordinary circumstances and that the best interests of the County would be served by not securing competitive bids, because The Little Group had commenced services related to this Agreement in a previous contract that expired February 28, 2022 (A-17-058).
ISD-IT is now recommending that the current Procurement Agreement be amended, restated, replaced, and superseded by the recommended Agreement, which restates some of the terms of the existing Procurement Agreement, add new rates for additional IT professional services, and increases the total potential five-year compensation payable by $401,000, from $199,000 to $600,000. The increased funding in the recommended Agreement will allow The Little Group to continue providing project management services for the County’s large-scale modernization of the property management information system to transition off the mainframe architecture, and allow for additional IT professional services to account for new service needs.
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Suspension of Competition Acquisition Request
On file with Clerk - Agreement with The Little Group LTD, Co.
CAO ANALYST:
Ahla Yang