Emergency Purchase Order - E31121 - Approve spending authority to APEX Systems, LLC in the total amount of $288,810.00 for Information Technology Staff Augmentation Services for the Houston Health Department.
Specific Explanation:
The Director of the Houston Health Department (HHD) and the Chief Procurement Officer recommend that City Council approve spending authority to APEX Systems, LLC in the total amount of $288,810.00 for Information Technology Staff Augmentation Services for HHD and that authorization be given to issue a purchase order.
The Secretary of Health and Human Services declared a public health emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In October of 2020, HHD contracted with APEX Systems, LLC to provide technical support to the contact tracing team housed at Houston First George R. Brown Convention Center. The project management was responsible for facilitating IT projects, product management, budget alignment, service level management, IT services and resource management. APEX Systems, LLC’s staff planned, directed, and coordinated cross-functional teams’ activities to manage and implement projects and or interrelated programs from contact/proposal initiation to final operational stages. Further, APEX assisted HHD with business analysis to help support requirements gathering, communication with internal and external stakeholders, documentation of business requirements and creation of use cases and activity diagrams. APEX also provided technical support to assist with deployments, failure analysis, and repair and replacement of workstations, Help Desk support to serve as the first point of contact for customers seeking technical assistance over the phone or email and troubleshooting through diagnostic techniques and pertinent questions. These individuals that are being retained have relatively difficult skills sets to find and retaining these individuals that have gained knowledge and skills of the systems utilized by HHD is imperative to the continuity of the services citywide.
This spending authority is necessary for the extension of the services provided by APEX’s staff until a long term solution is developed. These services are directly related to the current pandemic, activities are ongoing, and this request is funded through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity (ELC) grant provides funds to implement and maintain surveillance for human disease and their vectors.
This recommendation is made pursuant to subsection 252.022(a)(2) of the Texas Local Government Code, which provides that "a procurement necessary to preserve or protect the public health or safety of the municipality’s residents” is exempt from the competitive requirements for purchases.
MWBE Participation:
This procurement is exempt from M/WBE subcontracting participation goal because the department utilized an emergency purchase order for this purchase.
Hire Houston First:
This procurement is exempt from the City’s Hire Houston First Ordinance. No bids were solicited because these services were obtained through an emergency purchase order.
Fiscal Note:
No Fiscal Note is required on grant items.
__________________________________ ___________________________
Jerry Adams, Chief Procurement Officer Department Approval Signature
Finance/Strategic Procurement Division
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Estimated Spending Authority
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Department
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FY22
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Out Years
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Total
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Houston Health Department
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$288,810.00
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$0.00
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$288,810.00
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