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Approve a contract and Master Services Agreement with OpenGov, Inc., for $2,316,416 from November 1, 2026, through September 30, 2031, for countywide contract management software; and Authorize the County Administrator or designee to execute the contract and any subsequent amendments, pending County Counsel concurrence, up to a fiscal year aggregate of $74,999
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Published Notice Required? Yes ____ No _X _
Public Hearing Required? Yes ____ No _X _
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
The County Administrator’s Office (CAO) recommends that the Board of Supervisors:
1. Approve a contract and Master Services Agreement with OpenGov for $2,316,416 from November 1, 2026 through September 30, 2031 for contract management software; and
2. Authorize the County Administrator or designee to execute the contract and any subsequent amendments, pending County Counsel concurrence, up to a fiscal year aggregate of $74,999.
SUMMARY:
The County Administrator's Office recommends approval of a 5-year contract with OpenGov, Inc. to implement a centralized system for developing, executing, and managing County contracts, including monitoring expenditures, and tracking contractor performance.
Currently, County departments use varying processes and systems to develop and execute contracts, review invoices, monitor expenditures, and evaluate contractor performance. The lack of a consistent Countywide system creates administrative inefficiencies, limits centralized oversight, and makes it difficult to readily access comprehensive information regarding active contracts and performance.
The proposed software with OpenGov will establish a contract database and introduce standardized processes while allowing flexibility to accommodate departmental operations. The system will improve visibility into County contracts, strengthen administrative controls, streamline review and approval processes, and provide reporting tools to support oversight and decision-making. The agreement includes system implementation, software licensing, training, technical support, and ongoing system administration over approximately five years.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The total cost of the proposed agreement is $2,316,416 over 59 months, including up to $266,000 in one-time implementation costs, up to $4,800 in implementation-related travel expenses, $1,721,894 total in annual licensing costs over 5 years, and $323,722 total in ongoing expert services after implementation.
The $528,682 cost for the implementation and the first-year software fee is included as part of the department’s FY2026/27 Working Budget. Costs for future years will be requested in future budgets and will be partially offset by approximately $188,000 in savings due to the transition of other systems that are currently in place within some departments.
DISCUSSION:
The County administers numerous contracts for services, programs, and projects across its departments. Effective contract administration requires development and review of draft contracts, including scopes of work, budgets, and contract terms, contract execution, and ongoing monitoring of expenditures, deliverables, performance requirements, and compliance with applicable County policies and regulations. Currently, these activities are managed through a variety of departmental systems, spreadsheets, and manual processes. This decentralized approach can result in duplicated efforts, inconsistent documentation, and challenges in monitoring contractor performance and compliance requirements. In addition, there is no centralized contract database as each department keeps the records of its own contracts.
The proposed OpenGov Contract and Spend Approval Management System will provide a centralized platform for managing contracts from development through contract closeout. The system will build upon the County's existing OpenGov procurement platform and provide additional tools to improve contract administration and expenditure oversight.
Key system functions include:
• Contract Development, Review, and Execution: Establish a centralized system to support contract drafting, intra- and inter-departmental review, approval, and execution. The system will facilitate utilization of standard contract terms, coordination among departments including County Counsel and Human Resources review, track contract status and required approvals, maintain supporting documentation, have electronic signature capability, and provide a complete record of the contract approval process.
• Contract Database: Establish a Countywide repository for contracts and contract information, including authorized amounts, amendments, contract terms, and expiration dates.
• Invoice Review and Approval: While Finance Enterprise will be maintained as the system of record for payments and financial transactions, OpenGov will provide electronic workflows for invoice submission, review, and approval to reduce manual processing and improving the completeness and consistency of information. Workflows can be configured to reflect departmental responsibilities, approval thresholds, funding sources, and contract requirements. The system will maintain an audit trail of approvals and supporting documentation.
• Expenditure and Budget Monitoring: Provide tools for departments to monitor contract expenditures against authorized contract amounts and associated budgets. Dashboards and reports will allow County management to review spending trends, outstanding commitments, and available contract balances.
• Contractor Performance Monitoring: Establish consistent tools for tracking contract deliverables, performance measures, and program outcomes. Departments will be able to document quantitative results, narrative information, and progress toward established performance targets.
Implementation will include the development and configuration of forms and workflows, reporting dashboards, data migration, system testing, and employee training. OpenGov will work with County departments to document business processes, establish appropriate approval authorities, and configure the system to meet operational needs. The system will be configured to accommodate variations in departmental operations while establishing common Countywide controls and reporting standards.
The implementation is expected to take approximately nine to twelve months. Following implementation, OpenGov will provide ongoing technical and administrative services, including system maintenance, integration monitoring, configuration updates, user administration, training, and operational support.
The County currently has contracts with OpenGov for a web-based Capital Facilities Improvement Plan development solution and a procurement system through General Services, as well as budgeting through the County Administrator’s Office. This service is recommended as a sole source procurement as there are no other known contract management service providers that meet the County’s requirements for contract management.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board could elect not to approve the proposed agreement. However, this alternative is not recommended, as departments would continue to rely on existing manual and decentralized processes for contract administration, invoice review, expenditure monitoring, and contractor performance reporting. This would limit opportunities to improve administrative efficiency, standardize processes, and strengthen Countywide oversight.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The County Administrator's Office will coordinate implementation with County departments, including those responsible for procurement, contract administration, finance, information technology, and program oversight. The County Administrator’s Office coordinated with the Department of Information Technology to review the technical requirements and County Counsel reviewed the contract.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION