SR 06-12-2018 3N
City Council
Report
City Council Meeting: June 12, 2018
Agenda Item: 3.N
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To: Mayor and City Council
From: Katie Lichtig, Assistant City Manager, City Manager's Office
Subject: Award Contract for Citywide Website Design and Development
Recommended Action
Staff recommends that the City Council:
1. Award RFP #128 to Edenspiekermann L.A. Corp., a Delaware-based
corporation, for design and development of a new website,
2. Authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute an agreement with
Edenspiekermann L.A. Corp., in an amount not to exceed $1,000,000 including a
10% contingency, for a two-year term and possible one-year extension with the
future year contingent on Council budget approval, and
3. Authorize budget changes as outlined in the Financial Impacts & Budget Actions
section of this report.
Executive Summary
A user-friendly website is a standard tool of governments for providing public
information and digital services to our residents and other customers. The City of Santa
Monica’s website is among the most extensive among local agencies, with more than
22,000 pages of content across more than a dozen departments. Technical and
functional expectations for websites, including their adaptability to use on mobile
phones has revolutionized design and content in recent years. The City of Santa
Monica is launching a website redevelopment project that will revamp the structure to
be easier to navigate and find what users are looking for -- streamlining access to
content to improve the user experience and expand and improve online services. Staff
has completed an extensive RFP process to identify an agency to work with in-house
staff to deliver this work and recommends entering into an agreement with
Edenspiekermann L.A. Corporation to implement a modern, mobile -friendly city-wide
website that creates a unified, customer-focused experience in alignment with the vision
for a 21st century government.
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Background
The City’s current website smgov.net has been running on a platform, called Ektron,
since it was launched in 2000. Even though it was significantly updated in 2010 with
mobile friendly templates, this outdated technology has only limited capabilities that
have hindered the site’s ability to evolve and keep pace with the needs of residents,
businesses, visitors, and staff.
In the last decade, technologies such as smartphones and tablets have become the
typical way people access online services and the City of Santa Monica’s digital
presence has not kept pace. Due to its legacy infrastructure, finding information on the
City’s website and completing simple City processes is cumbersome with many still not
offering a full digital transaction. The site’s 22,000+ pages of content have been
expanded over time and because of the sheer size and complexity of the content and
services offered are not managed in a cohesive or standard manner. Currently,users
must navigate the City’s departmental organizational structure while understanding City
jargon to access the services they seek. Patches and individual departmental
redesigns done by in-house staff over the years made sense at the time but over time
have created a sprawling and inconsistent leviathan in desperate need of being
comprehensively redesigned to contemporary standards and expectations
The City of Santa Monica is a robust organization with 64 divisions embedded within 14
departments providing hundreds of services and programs. Staff examined the potential
to continue to provide in-house support for the extensive content and services currently
maintained while embarking on a total redesign. However, it became clear that to
launch a new site with this volume of content that is consistent with the user-friendliness
and adaptability of private sector sites routinely accessed by our residents while
successfully accommodating the variety of needs of all the departments within a
reasonable timeframe will require guidance and expertise from an agency that
specializes in this type of work. This will be a collaborative work effort between the
agency and City staff. It is anticipated that each department will designate staff time to
ensure that the website content is complete and accurate.
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Existing Digital Transformation Work
Last year, the City secured santamonica.gov from the General Services Administration
(GSA) and has been experimenting with content creation across a unified newsroom,
blog, services, and event listings. Santamonica.gov is the first step in creating a new,
consolidated web resource for City of Santa Monica information. This contract will build
upon and accelerate existing efforts and fully build out santamonica.gov a s the City’s
website presence.
Staff completed its digital strategy project in partnership with Rightpoint in April 2017 to
develop a five-year plan for enabling a customer-centric digital experience. This strategy
allowed City staff to analyze the current state of our digital environment then define and
prioritize a strategy for better serving our community through a more robust digital
experience. Developing a new website is the first phase of the digital strategy five -year
plan to improve and expand Santa Monica city’s digital services. The City’s digital
strategy is informed by: current digital trends and practices in both the private and public
sectors, interviews with staff from all City departments, and surveys and interviews with
website users. The City now seeks a full-service partner to enhance the digital customer
experience by designing and implementing a new website and digital experience that is
represented in the below diagram:
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Santa Monica’s Digital Strategy Defined
A digital strategy helps answer important questions like defining what services people
are most interested in, the most frequent information and services people seek, how to
bridge the gap between what the City is able to provide and what the community needs,
and how to overall serve customers better in the online landscape.
During the digital strategy analysis, twenty-one areas were identified for the City to
improve its digital customer experience including: unified design, mobile first, search
intelligence, master data plan, etc. With over 22,000 web pages currently serving as
the information portal for consumers, a cornerstone of the digital strategy is to centralize
under one domain with information presented in the common vernacular rather than a
vocabulary that is based on how our departmental services are traditionally organized
and titled.
The timeline for implementation of the Digital Strategy is laid out across three phases
coming to fruition over five years. This contract scope of work includes content design
and operationalizing a new website as part of phase one of the digital strategy. The
effect of this digital transformation ensures that the City will be able to continue offering
excellent customer service to more of the community in a faster, more holistic way.
The creation of a new website is described as occurring in Year 1 and Year 2 of the
digital stratgey implementation, as represented in the Roadmap graphic. For the first
two years, the primary focus will be unifying content and design under t he modernized
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santamonica.gov site. After the basic ground work is completed with this contract, the
City will be able to implement additional features in Years 3, 4 and 5, like
personalization of content based on search history. This contract does not inc lude
features like single sign-on or single payment systems.
Discussion
The goal of the website project is to create a unified, customer-focused experience for
the City’s residents, businesses, visitors and employees. The City will redefine how
traditional municipal services are provided through a best in class digital experience.
This project will address the modern digital experience and guide future development
and design. In addition to providing a user-centric interface, this project seeks to replace
the outdated content management system (CMS), Ektron, the City uses for its website.
Ektron has reached end-of-life and will no longer be supported by its parent company,
leaving the City’s website vulnerable to technical and security issues.
This project’s scope of work includes:
implementing and hosting a new cloud-hosted, open source content
management system,
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developing and implementing a city-wide digital content strategy with a customer
focused experience, such as online form submissions, and
refining the City’s graphic identity.
The work will be led by the City Manager’s Office and Information Services Department
in close partnership with all City departments. In the end, our programs, resources and
services will be unified under a centralized santamonica.gov domain.
The City seeks to enter into an agreement with Edenspiekermann to implement the
vision and guiding principles developed to date.
As the recommended vendor, Edenspiekermann would provide an experienced core
team of nine staff across technology, content and design including an account
manager/project owner, creative lead/product owner, creative director, user
interface/user experience director, development director, developer, content strategist,
and internal project manager to create the multi-year project schedule and keep items
moving to ensure on-time completion without sacrifice to work product.
As part of the project, Edenspiekermann would update the City’s graphic identity and
guidelines for use in the digital space. This process would include updates to city visual
identity, fonts, color palette, photography direction, and icons. In conjunction with the
graphic design update, Edenspiekermann would help the City determine video and
photography needs for website content. Edenspiekermann would also work with the City
to create a comprehensive governance document outlining rules and procedures for
content management to be used City-wide by departmental users and administrators.
Training to City staff would occur by Edenspiekermann throughout implementation of
the website to ensure staff are adequately trained. The selected vendor will conduct
multiple rounds of user experience (UX) testing in which staff and stakeholders will
participate. This will allow staff to make modifications to the design before the site is in
production and changes are more difficult to make.
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Vendor/Consultant Selection
On August 1, 2017, the City issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for website design
and development. The RFP was posted on the City’s online bidding platform
PlanetBids, and notices were advertised in the Santa Monica Daily Press in accordance
with City Charter and Municipal Code provisions. 286 vendors downloaded the RFP and
the City received complete responses from 46 firms. This was remarkable for both the
quantity and the quality of the proposals from firms with sterling reputations for
successfully implementing this type of comprehensive website revamp for both public
and private institutions. Responses to the RFP were reviewed by a selection committee
of staff from the following departments: City Manager’s Office, Information Services,
Community and Cultural Services, Library, Public Works and Finance.
Proposals were provided by:
3Di 87AM 360Civic Apex Digital Media
Ars Datum, Inc.* CCS Interactive City Base CivicLive
Comrade*
Creative Computer
Services Edenspiekermann** Hawke Media
Hello Monday Hype Creative Partners
JesseJames
Creative/Citrus
Studios KPS3
Ludlow Kingsley MAV12 Mindera Municipal Agenda
Nemoi Advertising Neumeric Technologies Nuffer, Smith, Tucker Omnigon
PANGEA Pier2 Marketing Pixel Jar Planeteria
Rightpoint Rolling Orange** Ruckus SA Technologies
SeamlessGov Sensis Sew LA Slalom
Solodev Sunlight Media Super Toy Box SymSoft Solutions
Top Hand Media Type/Code** Verndale Verynice*
VITRO Web Advanced
Evaluation was based on the following selection criteria: experience/technical
competence, references and past projects, project work plan and timeline, cost of
services/cost control, and presentation/interview. Staff then interviewed 6 shortlisted
firms (indicated with * above) based on their written proposals and interviewed 3 firms a
second time (indicated with a ** above) based on their interview performance. Based on
criteria in SMMC 2.24.073, staff recommends Edenspiekermann as the most qualified
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firm to provide website design and development based on a combination of their
expertise in technology, content strategy, and design.
Edenspiekermann is an expert in using agile methodology to simplify complex
information for the user and build modern, functional digital experiences for clients such
as City of Amsterdam, Red Bull, Amsterdam Airport, Silicon Valley Bank, Northern
Trust, and more. Their LA-based team proposed a thorough approach to
implementation that includes completion of critical work like content creation, UI/UX
design, frontend and backend coding, graphic identity refinement, and one year of
maintenance to help the City realize our 21st Century vision. Their references
confirmed they are smart, creative and strong partners in delivering complex projects.
Financial Impacts and Budget Actions
The contract to be awarded to Edenspiekermann L.A. Corporation is for an amount not
to exceed $1,000,000. Funds in the amount of $500,000 are available in the FY 2017 -
18 budget in the City Manager’s Office. Another $500,000 was set aside from prior year
savings for this purpose. Award of the contract requires the following FY 20 17-18
budget changes:
1. Release of $500,000 from account 1.380006;
2. Appropriate $500,000 to account C019228.589000; and
3. Transfer $500,000 from account 012071.555060 to account C019228.589000.
The contract will be charged to C019228.589000.
The contract to be awarded to Edenspikermann L.A. Corporation is for a two year term
which will include creation of the website and one year of maintenance. A possible one -
year extension to complete the work will be incorporated into the agreement. Future
year funding is contingent on Council budget approval.
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Prepared By: Beth Rolandson, Administrative Services Officer
Approved
Forwarded to Council
Attachments:
A. Edenspiekermann LA Corp Oaks
CITY OF SANTA MONICA
OAKS INITI ATIVE NOTICE
NOTICE TO APPLICANTS, BIDDERS, PROPOSERS
AND OTHERS SEEKING DISCRETIONARY PERMITS, CONTRACTS,
OR OTHER BENEFITS FROM THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
Santa Monica’s voters adopted a City Charter amendment commonly known as
the Oaks Initiative. The Oaks Initiative requires the City to provide this notice and
information about the Initiative’s requirements. You may obtain a full copy of the Initiative’s
text from the City Clerk.
This information is required by City Charter Article XXII—Taxpayer Protection. It
prohibits a public off icial from receiving, and a person or entity from conferring, specified
personal benef its or campaign advantages from a person or entity after the official votes,
or otherwise takes official action, to award a “public benefit” to that person or entity. The
prohibition applies within and outside of the geographical boundaries of Santa Monica.
All persons or entities applying or receiving public benefits from the City of Santa
Monica shall provide the names of trustees, directors, partners, and officers, and names
of persons with more than a 10% equity, participation or revenue interest. An exception
exists f or persons serving in those capacities as volunteers, without compensation, for
organizations exempt from income taxes under Section 501(c)(3), (4), or (6), of the
Internal Revenue Code. However, this exception does not apply if the organization is a
political committee or controls political committees. Examples of a “public benefit” include
public contracts to provide goods or services worth more than $25,000 or a land use
approval worth more than $25,000 over a 12-month period.
In order to facilitate compliance with the requirements of the Oaks Initiative, the City
compiles and maintains certain information. That information includes the name of any
person or persons who is seeking a “public benefit.” If the “public benefit” is sought by an
entity, rather than an individual person, the information includes the name of every person
who is: (a) trustee, (b) director, (c) partner, (d) officer, or has (e) more than a ten percent
interest in the entity. Therefore, if you are seeking a “public benefit” covered by the Oaks
Initiative, you must supply that information on the Oaks Initiative Disclosure Form. This
inf ormation must be updated and supplied every 12 months.
DocuSign Envelope ID: 20AA3B46-B5E1-48AD-A1D2-D84C423C82BA
CITY OF SANTA MONICA
OAKS INITI ATIVE DISCLOSURE FORM
In order to facilitate compliance with the requirements of the Oaks Initiative, the City
compiles and maintains certain information. That information includes the name of any
person or persons who is seeking a “public benefit.” If the “public benefit” is sought by
an entity, rather than an individual person, the information includes the name of every
person who is: (a) trustee, (b) director, (c) partner, (d) officer, or has (e) more than a ten
percent interest in the entity.
Public benef its include:
1. Personal services contracts in excess of $25,000 over any 12-month period;
2. Sale of material, equipment or supplies to the City in excess of $25,000 over a 12-
month period;
3. Purchase, sale or lease of real property to or from the City in excess of $25,000
over a 12- month period;
4. Non-competitive franchise awards with gross revenue of $50,000 or more in any
12-month period;
5. Land use variance, special use permit, or other exception to an established land
use plan, where the decision has a value in excess of $25,000;
6. Tax “abatement, exception, or benefit” of a value in excess of $5,000 in any 12-
month period; or
7. Payment of “cash or specie” of a net value to the recipient of $10,000 in any 12-
month period.
Name(s) of persons or entities receiving public benefit:
Name(s) of trustees, directors, partners, and officers:
Name(s) of persons with more than a 10% equity, participation, or revenue interest:
Prepared by: ____________________________Title: __________________________
Signature: ______________________________________ Date: ________________
Email: ____________________________________ Phone: ____________________
FOR CITY USE ONLY:
Bid/PO/Contract # ____________________________ Permit # ___________________________
Anna Ibbotson CEO
a.ibbotson@us.edenspiekermann.com +1 323 607 2800
Edenspiekermann LA Corp
Officers: Anna Ibbotson (CEO), Oliver Schmidthals (Secretary), Oliver Schmidthals (CFO), Paul Woods (CCO)
Directors: Oliver Schmidthals, Michael Borner, Paul Woods
Edenspiekermann AG
DocuSign Envelope ID: 20AA3B46-B5E1-48AD-A1D2-D84C423C82BA
4/20/2018
REFERENCE:
Agreement No. 10969
(CCS)