DATE: January 7, 2020
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: David Pomaville, Director, Department of Public Health
SUBJECT: Agreement with The Regents of the University of California on behalf of the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, Moores Cancer Center, for additional evaluation work during the California Student Tobacco Survey
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
1. Make a finding that it is in the best interest of the County to waive the competitive bidding process consistent with Administrative Policy No. 34 for unusual or extraordinary circumstances for the solicitation of additional local data and analysis during the California Student Tobacco Survey for the Department of Public Health.
2. Approve and authorize the Chairman to execute a sole source Agreement with The Regents of the University of California, on behalf of the University of California, San Diego for additional local evaluation work, effective upon execution through June 30, 2021 ($47,600).
...REPORT
Approval of the recommended actions will allow the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) to incorporate additional Fresno County specific questions regarding knowledge and attitudes toward cigarettes and other tobacco products during their biennial California Student Tobacco Survey (CSTS) of Fresno County middle and high school students.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Should your Board not approve the recommended actions, the Department of Public Health will not receive additional data collection and analysis during the biennial CSTS.
SUSPENSION OF COMPETITION/SOLE SOURCE CONTRACT:
The Department’s request to waive the competitive bidding process is consistent with Administrative Policy No. 34 as UCSD is the only vendor that administers the large scale, in-school survey on behalf of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) every two years, in every county in the state. CDPH utilizes the results of the survey to identify California’s youth smoking prevalence and incorporates the data into its program planning. Using another vendor to conduct a similar survey would be duplicative since the CDPH has already contracted UCSD to sample and analyze two schools in Fresno county. The recommended Agreement allows for additional local data collection with analysis during its biennial CSTS. Based on this, a letter of interest was not necessary. The Internal Services Department - Purchasing concurs with the Department’s request to waive the competitive bidding process.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended actions. Costs associated with this agreement will not exceed $47,600 for the term of this agreement and are fully funded with the Tobacco Control Program funds. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues are included in the Department’s Org 5620 FY 2019-20 Adopted Budget.
DISCUSSION:
Every two years UCSD, through contract with CDPH, conducts the CSTS throughout the state. The CSTS is a large scale, in-school student survey designed to assess middle and high school aged students on their use of, knowledge of, and attitudes towards cigarettes and other tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, big cigars, little cigars or cigarillos, hookah, smokeless tobacco, and marijuana.
The recommended agreement would allow the addition of six Fresno County specific questions, designed by the Department's Tobacco Prevention Program (TPP) and issuing an evaluation report with Fresno County specific data. The Department’s TPP staff will assist UCSD with recruiting Fresno County schools to participate in the survey.
According to the 2017-18 CSTS, electronic smoking devices are now the most commonly used tobacco product among high school students in Fresno County. The survey found that 8.4% of high school students currently use electronic smoking devices, compared to the 1.9% who reported current cigarette use; and 79.7% of surveyed Fresno County high school current tobacco users reported using a flavored tobacco product. Electronic smoking device use has essentially replaced smoking cigarettes in Fresno County.
Additionally, this survey is the only statewide survey conducted in California that assesses youth marijuana prevalence. The Department of Public Health has received many reports from local Fresno County schools that marijuana use is a major issue. In Fresno County, according to the CSTS, the rates of Fresno County youth using marijuana is 16.2%. This is significantly higher than the rates reported for using cigarettes or using electronic smoking devices.
It is anticipated that the final Fresno County CSTS data will be released in the Spring of 2021. The Department’s TPP is the local lead agency for tobacco control in the County, and the final data report will be useful to the Department, community partners, and schools in understanding and addressing youth-related tobacco intervention and with program planning.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #44, September 24, 2019
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Sole Source Acquisition Request
On file with Clerk - Agreement with The Regents UCSD
CAO ANALYST:
Raul Guerra