sr-061212-3qCity Council Meeting: June 12, 2012
Agenda Item:3 Q
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Karen Ginsberg, Director, Community and Cultural Services
Subject: Contracts for the Cradle to Career Initiative's Child Care Assessment and
Youth Web Portal
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a contract with RAND
Corporation, a California based company, in an amount not to exceed $80,000 to
provide consulting services to assess and develop options for early childhood
and school age child care programs.
2. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute a contract with UNIT
Partners, a California based company, in an amount not to exceed $57,000 to
design and develop a youth web portal.
Executive Summary
In 2010 the City Council directed the formation of the Youth Resource Team Policy
Group, recently renamed the Cradle to Career (C2C) Work Group, to advance the City's
and community's efforts to address youth violence. In order to move the C2C's work
forward, a portion of the FY 2011 -12 approved one -time set aside of $150,000 for the
Cradle to Career Initiative is needed for two projects: (1) assessing and planning for
continued early childhood and school age programs' state funding reductions and the
fragmented system of program delivery, and (2) development of an online, one -stop
youth portal to address existing challenges in outreach and communication about
services for young children, youth and families.
Staff recommends the selection of RAND Corporation to assess the system of child
care services and develop options in an amount not to exceed $80,000. Staff also
recommends a contract with UNIT Partners to design and create the youth web portal in
an amount not to exceed $57,000.
Background
On September 14, 2010 Council approved the Council adopted Youth Violence
Prevention in Santa Monica: An Action Plan for 2010 and 2011 and directed the
formation of the Youth Resource Team Policy Group (YRT), recently renamed the
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Cradle to Career (C2C) Work Group. The FY 2011 -12 budget adoption on June 21
2011 included a one -time set aside of $330,000 to address state budget funding
reductions for child care and related child and youth programming. On November, 22,
2011, Council approved $150,000 of the set aside for designated cradle to career
activities that will help Santa Monica create a unified strategy of promoting the positive
development of children and youth, facilitation and planning services, currently
underway, to guide the C2C Team in refining its structure and developing key features
of a Santa Monica Cradle to Career System, program assessment and development of
options for early childhood and school age child care programs, and planning for a
youth data system and related web -based community resources.
Discussion
Contract for Child Care Assessment and Options
The C2C Work Group has successfully restructured, developed its mission, and
continues to formulate the framework for a Santa Monica cradle to career system. A
component of the system is the network of early childhood and after school programs
implemented by the City, Santa Monica - Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) and
other service providers. The network of services is highly fragmented and facing
increasing costs, with a portion of the network becoming progressively threatened by
diminishing state dollars. A consultant with solid expertise in the assessment of
programs, systems and funding of early childhood and after school programs is needed
to assist the City and its partners in developing sustainable child care and after school
programming.
Consultant Selection
The City issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) in January 2012. The RFP was made
available to all consultants on the Human Services Division's consultant list and posted
on the City's on line bidding website from January 24, 2012 — February 23, 2012. Three
proposals were received, reviewed and evaluated by an interagency selection
committee, with seven representatives from the Human Services Division, SMMUSD
and Connections for Children, a City grantee. The proposals were evaluated based on
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each consulting firms' expertise in early childhood and school age programming,
understanding of major state and private funding streams, assessment and evaluation
experience, and the ability to generate innovative recommendations tailored to the
needs of Santa Monica. Based on this evaluation process, the committee recommends
the RAND Corporation as the best bidder and that it be awarded a contract in the
amount of $80,000 because of its proposed team's strengths which incorporate the full
breadth of skills for assessment, analysis of complex systems of child care service
delivery and funding for infants through school age, and its ability to develop innovative
solutions and recommendations.
Youth Web Portal Development
In response to ongoing community demand for streamlined access to information and
resources for young children, older youth and families, staff recommends the
development of a cradle to career web portal. The intended audience for this website is
parents, counselors, teachers, staff of community agencies, policy groups and young
people. It would provide users with a central location to find programs, activities and
events for youth and families in Santa Monica in an engaging and easily accessible
manner. The site would make use of emerging technologies to encourage community
interaction.
Consultant Selection
The City issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) in January 2012. The RFP was made
available to all consultants on the Human Services Division's consultant list and posted
on the City's on line bidding website from January 13, 2012 — February 13, 2012. Two
proposals were received, reviewed and evaluated by an interdivisional Community and
Cultural Services Department selection committee. The proposals were evaluated
based on each consulting firms' expertise in website design, creativity, and the ability to
create an interactive communitywide website with complex content. Based on this
evaluation process, the committee recommends UNIT Partners as the best bidder and
that it be awarded the contract in the amount of $57,000 because they demonstrate the
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ability to produce strategic, innovative solutions for their client's needs, have
considerable experience in developing large, complex web portals, and they received
strong recommendations from other City departments that had hired them previously.
Financial Impacts & Budget Actions
The contract to be awarded to RAND Corporation is $80,000. Funds in the amount of
$80,000 are included in the FY 2011 -13 division 262 budget, and will be charged to
account 0126210.555060.
The contract to be awarded to UNIT Partners is $57,000. Funds are included in the FY
2011 -13 division 262 budget, and will be charged to the following accounts:
0126210.555060 $20,000
012621.522540 $20,000
012621.544450 $17,000
TOTAL $57,000
Prepared by: Robin B. Davidson, Human Services Administrator
Approved: Forwarded to Council:
Services
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Reference Contract Nos.
9600 (CCS) and 9606
(CCS).