title
Approve a contract with Racy Ming and Associates to serve as the Regional Organizer for the North Bay and to assist in the development of a Regional Training Plan on behalf of the North Bay Employment Connection (NBEC) for an amount not to exceed $68,250; and Authorize the WDB President/Executive Director to sign the contract
body
Published Notice Required? Yes ___ No _X _
Public Hearing Required? Yes ___ No _X _
DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION:
It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors:
1. Approve a contract for Regional Consultant services with Racy Ming and Associates on behalf of the NBEC Partners consisting of Solano WDB, Sonoma and Mendocino Counties and the Joint Powers Agency representing Napa, Lake and Marin Counties; and
2. Authorize the WDB President/Executive Director to sign the contract.
SUMMARY:
The WDB has been designated as the Regional Planning Unit for the North Bay. Based on that designation, the WDB is responsible for ensuring that certain State of California Workforce Development Board (CWDB) regional functions for the North Bay take place. Recently the WDB was awarded funding from the CWDB to provide both Regional Organizer activities, as well as serve as the Regional Training Coordinator. The NBEC partners (as noted above) are recommending using Racy Ming and Associates to assist in the development of NBEC’s Regional Training Plan and to serve as their Regional Organizer. This contract recommendation was reviewed and approved by the WDB at the May 19, 2017 board meeting.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
There is no impact to the Solano County General Fund. The contract will be paid for from two special State of California grants received by the WDB for Regional Organizer activities and to assist in the development of the NBEC Regional Training Plan. Unless modified at a later date, the total contract award will not exceed $68,250.
DISCUSSION:
The CWDB is making multiple investments to strengthen the set of 14 Regional Planning Units (RPUs) throughout the State to serve as a network of aligned Workforce Development Boards, America’s Job Centers and partner entities. This effort builds on the major investment made by the CWDB to date in the large SlingShot projects for which the WDB is administering a multi-year $1 million grant for the North Bay.
In late 2016-17 the State unilaterally provided two grants to the North Bay RPU with the Solano WDB acting as the “lead” for each grant/project. These two grants include:
Regional Organizer
This grant has an initial funding amount of $85,714 to develop/maintain a chief organizer/liaison to work both the CWDB and the regional entities to build partnerships and better align workforce development efforts; and to be part of a 14-member team of such staff persons who can better inform and assist the State implementation of the Governor’s Strategic Workforce Development Plan vision. The State has indicated that the original $85,714 funding level is a down payment and that further financial investment is planned. The contract award for this activity is $64,750 to provide the following types of activities from July 1, 2017 through March 31, 2019:
• Serve as liaison on behalf of NBEC;
• Support ongoing dialogue between CWDB and regional partners;
• Assist in building capacity/local technical assistance and local board development;
• Connect CWDB and State SlingShot Technical Assistance providers with regional partners;
• Coordinate with State partners to identify issues and concerns regarding implementation of regional plans and efforts to support industry engagement; and
• Identify related and relevant State and federal grant projects that should be coordinated in common regional effort.
Regional Training Plan Development
This grant was funded for $200,000 to develop and implement a professional training program/capacity building effort across the North Bay targeting and prioritizing the needs of the following four attendees - Americas Job Center staff, Americas Job Center Management staff, the Workforce Development staff and the Workforce Development Members and Leadership. Of the available $200,000 10% of $20,000 will be used to cover Administration of the grant and another $15,000 for the added cost of WDB staff to support this project leaving a balance of $165,000 to cover the cost of the plan development and subsequent training activities.
In order to develop the Regional Training Plan the NBEC Steering Committee has decided to engage a consultant to: 1) facilitate a group development and consensus-building effort; 2) develop a Regional Training Plan; and 3) assist in implementing/overseeing the Plan’s training activities. This initial contract is for $3,500 to work with the NBEC Steering Committee to accomplish items 1 and 2 with a contract period of July 1, 2017 through October 31, 2017. The implementation and oversight efforts will be determined once the plan is developed and a new contract for those services will be recommended.
Use of a Compliant Procurement Process - to Serve Regional Needs
The joint powers agency (JPA) entitled the “Workforce Alliance of the North Bay” (WANB) recently undertook a legally-compliant procurement process to establish an approved list of professional consultants to support the JPA’s needs across the coming years.
Based on past County of Solano practices and advice from prior County Counsel (i.e., Ms. Davina Smith), the Solano WDB staff pursued with WANB the opportunity to possibly “piggy-back” upon a completed procurement and contracting process for these services. WANB staff shared that it had fully negotiated/completed a contract with Ms. Racy Ming (from its approved consultants listing) to establish an hourly consulting fee of $175.00 per hour.
With the approval of the NBEC Steering Committee (at its May 8, 2017 meeting) Solano WDB staff approached Ms. Ming to determine if she would enter into contract negotiations to serve as the Regional Organizer for the North Bay and to assist in the development of a regional training plan on behalf of NBEC. Ms. Ming agreed to proceed.
WDB staff held negotiations on the proposed statement of work (SOW), deliverables, payment approach and deadlines. A meeting of the minds was reached and the attached contract is finalized.
ALTERNATIVES:
The Board of Supervisors could choose not to approve this contract and direct staff to consider other options and return with new recommendations.
However, this alternative is not recommended as this is a consensus decision of the three WDB NBEC Steering Committee Directors and any approach would need to be presented and endorsed on a regional basis by the Steering Committee.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
The authorized representatives of the four North Bay WDBs have been actively involved in this procurement process and establishment of contract deliverables, basis of payment, and payment approach. This action is recommended for approval by Steering Committee
County Counsel has approved the contract as to form. The County Administrator’s Office has been consulted and concurs with the recommendation.
CAO RECOMMENDATION:
APPROVE DEPARTMENTAL RECOMMENDATION