Request for Proposal received on November 15, 2018 for S33-T28754 - Approve an ordinance awarding a professional services contract to Lopez Negrete Communications, Inc. for the Census “2020” Engagement Initiative for the Planning and Development Department.
Specific Explanation:
The Director of the Planning & Development Department and the Chief Procurement Officer recommend that City Council approve an ordinance awarding a professional services contract to Lopez Negrete Communications, Inc. in the amount of $650,000.00 for the Census “2020” Engagement Initiative for the Planning & Development Department. The Director of the Planning and Development Department and/or The Chief Procurement Officer may terminate this contract at any time upon thirty (30) days written notice to the contractor.
The scope of work requires the contractor to achieve the maximum outreach and response possible for the 2020 Census by aggressively targeting all populations, including the Hard to Count population. The key objectives of the City’s outreach efforts are to:
· Improve response rate with the introduction of digital response,
· Surpass the national average,
· Improve cooperation with follow-up enumerators,
· Improve overall accuracy to reduce undercount,
· Improve overall accuracy to reduce under count of Hard to Count populations,
· Work with volunteers on Mayor’s Complete Count Sub-Committees to
- Raise support from community leaders and the public,
- Establish creative partnerships within the community,
- Collaborate with local media,
- Identify outreach opportunities,
- Recruit volunteers from diverse backgrounds who understand the cultural differences and
- Collaborate with the U.S. Census Bureau
The above referenced tasks will be accomplished in two phases. Phase I is scheduled to begin in FY2019 for an amount of $650,000.00. In the event that additional funding is available in FY2020, the Director of the Planning & Development Department will seek Council approval to amend the maximum contract amount before authorization is issued to contractor to proceed with Phase II.
The Request for Proposal (RFP) was advertised in accordance with the requirements of the State of Texas bid laws. As a result, proposals were received from: Lopez Negrete Communications, Inc. and Outreach Strategists. The evaluation committee consisted of members from the Planning and Development Department, Department of Neighborhood and the Office of Business Opportunity.
The proposals were evaluated based upon the following criteria:
1. Responsiveness
2. Technical Competence
3. Price Proposal
After a detailed evaluation, Lopez Negrete Communications, Inc. received the highest overall score and was invited to participate in contract negotiations. The Planning & Development Department is confident that Lopez Negrete Communications, Inc. is well qualified to provide the required services as outlined in the RFP.
M/WBE Subcontracting:
The RFP solicitation was advertised with an 24% goal for M/WBE participation. Lopez Negrete Communications, Inc. has designated the below named companies as its certified MWBE subcontractors.
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SUBCONTRACTOR
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TYPE OF WORK
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Amount
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%
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Knudson, LP
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Public Relations, Government and Community Relation; Strategic Planning on Multilevel Outreach.
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$52,000.00
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8%
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The Black Sheep Agency
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Creative strategy and execution of multilevel campaigns; grassroots and omnichannel community outreach.
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$117,000.00
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18%
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Pay or Play Program:
The proposed contract requires compliance with the City's 'Pay or Play' ordinance regarding health benefits for employees of City contractors. In this case, the contractor will provide health benefits to eligible employees in compliance with City policy.
Hire Houston First (HHF):
The proposed contract requires compliance with the City's 'Hire Houston First' ordinance that promotes economic opportunity for Houston businesses and supports job creation. In this case, Negrete Communications, Inc. is a designated HHF company, but they were the successful awardee without application of the HHF preference.
Fiscal Note:
Funding for this item is included in the FY 2019 Adopted Budget. Therefore, no Fiscal Note is required as stated in the Financial Policies.
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_______________________________________
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___________________________________
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Jerry Adams, Chief Procurement Officer
Finance/Strategic Procurement Division
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Department Approval Authority
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Estimated Spending Authority
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DEPARTMENT
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FY2019
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OUT YEARS
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TOTAL
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Planning & Development
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$650,000.00
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$0.00
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$650,000.00
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