TO:
Honorable Mayor Powell and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
David N. Carmany, City Manager
FROM:
Bruce Moe, Finance Director
Leilani Flores Emnace, Information Systems Manager
Gwen Eng, General Services Manager
SUBJECT:Title
Contract for the Development of a Five-Year Information Systems Master Plan to NexLevel Information Technology, Inc. in an Amount not to Exceed $63,260; Appropriation of $63,260 from the Information Systems Fund Unreserved Balance.
APPROVE & APPROPRIATE
Body
________________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council:
a) Award a contract to NexLevel Information Technology, Inc. for the development of a five-year Information Systems Master Plan in an amount not to exceed $63,260; and
b) Appropriate $63,260 from the unreserved Information Systems Fund balance.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
The total cost of the contract with NexLevel will not exceed $63,260. This is not a budgeted item; therefore, funds available from the unreserved Information Systems Fund will need to be appropriated. The current balance in the Information Systems Fund is $297,711.
DISCUSSION:
The Information Systems Division of the Finance Department is dedicated to maintaining and improving operations, services and communications through technology, data and voice in support of the City's strategic and operational requirements. The objectives of the Information Systems (IS) Division are to enhance the use of technology as a cost-effective resource to support the City-wide mission; provide infrastructure for the sharing of information and computer resources throughout the organization; and support the operational, tactical and strategic information needs of the City.
The IS Division ensures the integrity of the City's data and voice network by maintaining the city's infrastructure to accommodate technical advances and growth. Information Systems is involved with virtually all hardware and software, ensuring compatibility with all other devices on the network. The Division administers the capital planning function and represents the interests of all City Departments. IS manages the budgeting, purchasing and deployment of all network, hardware and software solutions, as well as ongoing maintenance.
The City's Information Systems Master Plan serves as the strategic road map for development, implementation and utilization of technology in a coordinated effort Citywide. The plan was last updated in 2002 to reflect the needs of the City through 2004. While there has not been a formalized Information Systems Master Plan since then, the City's technology needs have continued to be addressed proactively and in a coordinated effort. However, clearly the City would benefit from an updated plan.
During the July 2012 Strategic Planning meeting, the City Council directed staff to develop the new Information Systems Master Plan, and suggested that staff consider utilizing an outside resource that would provide a broad and fresh perspective to augment that of City staff. Additionally, because this is a labor intensive process, developing the plan internally would divert IS staff from other pressing projects. As a result, a Request for Proposal (RFP #898-13) was issued to solicit proposals from prospective consultants to develop the plan, which will include:
1. A comprehensive assessment of existing technologies and IS staffing that will highlight current strengths and weaknesses
2. A focus on maximizing the City's information systems investment
3. An alignment of IS planning activity with City and department objectives
4. A proposed implementation plan that can be incorporated into the annual budget
5. Recommended projects and priorities
6. Recommendations for cost savings and efficiencies with respect to available partnerships and collaboration strategies
7. Cost estimates
8. Identification of resources required to support IS and the implementation of the Master Plan
The goal is the development of an IS Master Plan that will guide the organization over the next five years in planning, procuring, implementing and managing current and future investments and resources.
Seven proposals were received. Consultants were evaluated upon the following criteria: cost, knowledge and experience with similar projects, their approach and understanding of the scope of services, references and availability. The comparison in Attachment 1 shows the valuation of services.
Staff reviewed all proposals and interviewed six of the seven firms. At the conclusion of the interviews, staff selected NexLevel as the firm best positioned to successfully develop the City's next ISMP. This assessment was based on NexLevel's comprehensive response to the request for proposal, their strong understanding of the required scope of services, project team, strong references and relative experience in the preparation of assessments for 24 municipalities in California. A significant number of NexLevel's client projects are of similar scope and size to Manhattan Beach. References reported NexLevel to have successfully completed past projects on-time and within or under budget.
As a result of the proposal, research and interviews, staff recommends that the City Council award a contract to NexLevel Information Technology, Inc. for development of a five-year Information Systems Master Plan in an amount not to exceed $63,260. Staff expects to return to the City Council with the results in Spring of 2013.
Attachments:
1. RFP #898-13 IS Master Plan Comparison
2. NexLevel Information Technology, Inc. Proposal
3. Professional Services Agreement with NexLevel Information Technology, Inc.