san francisco city government controller - csa dph consultant services rfq 100804

8/14/2019 San Francisco City Government Controller - Csa Dph Consultant Services Rfq 100804

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City and County of San Francisco

Request for Qualifications to Provide

Public Health Consulting Services

RFQ# CON2004-3

Sponsored by the Office of the Controller

Issue Date: October 8, 2004

Deadline for Questions about the RFQ: October 22, 2004, 12:00 noon

Deadline For Submission: November 10, 2004, 12:00 noon


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Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Page

I. Introduction 1

II. Scope of Work 4

III. Submission Requirements 6

IV. Evaluation Criteria 10

V. RFQ Clarification and Schedule 12

VI. Terms and Conditions for Receipt of Responses 12

VII. City Contract Requirements 19

VIII. Protest Procedures 20

Appendices

A. HRC Forms to be Submitted in Separate Packet as Part of ResponseOnly one copy of the HRC forms should be submitted with your response in a separate, sealedenvelope addressed to Selormey Dzikunu, HRC Contract Compliance Officer

HRC Forms 1, 2A and 2B, 3, 4, 5, and 6http://www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/sfhumanrights/dbe/Attachment%203-wf-09-02-04.docChapter 14A Rules and Regulations (Word)

B. Standard City Forms to be Submitted and Approved Prior to Contract Award

Vendor Profile Applicationhttp://www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/oca/purchasing/forms/vendorprofile/application.doc

Vendor Profile Application Instructionshttp://www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/oca/purchasing/forms/vendorprofile/app_instructions.doc

Commodity Codes for Reference in Filling Out Applicationhttp://www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/oca/purchasing/forms/vendorprofile/commodity_codes.doc

IRS Form W-9 http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9.pdf Business Tax Declaration http://www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/oca/purchasing/forms/p_25a.doc HRC Form 12B-101 (Declaration: Nondiscrimination in Contracts and Benefits)

http://www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/sfhumanrights/forms/12b101.pdf

Minimum Compensation Ordinance http://www.sfgov.org/oca/lwlh.htm Health Care Accountability Ordinance http://www.sfgov.org/oca/lwlh.htm Insurance http://www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/oca/purchasing/forms/ins_requirements.doc

Fulfillment of the Citys insurance requirements is not required as part of your RFQresponse. However, fulfillment prior to contract award is required.

C. Agreement for Professional Services (form P-500) Contract Templatehttp://mission.sfgov.org/FormCenter/forms/7/P-500%20(8-04).doc

I. Introduction
http://www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/sfhumanrights/dbe/Attachment%203-wf-09-02-04.dochttp://www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/sfhumanrights/dbe/Chapter%2014A%20Rules%20and%20Regs-APP%20081304.dochttp://www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/oca/purchasing/forms/vendorprofile/application.dochttp://www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/oca/purchasing/forms/vendorprofile/app_instructions.dochttp://www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/oca/purchasing/forms/vendorprofile/commodity_codes.dochttp://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9.pdfhttp://www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/oca/purchasing/forms/p_25a.dochttp://www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/sfhumanrights/forms/12b101.pdfhttp://www.sfgov.org/oca/lwlh.htmhttp://www.sfgov.org/oca/lwlh.htmhttp://www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/oca/purchasing/forms/ins_requirements.dochttp://mission.sfgov.org/FormCenter/forms/7/P-500%20(8-04).dochttp://mission.sfgov.org/FormCenter/forms/7/P-500%20(8-04).dochttp://www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/oca/purchasing/forms/ins_requirements.dochttp://www.sfgov.org/oca/lwlh.htmhttp://www.sfgov.org/oca/lwlh.htmhttp://www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/sfhumanrights/forms/12b101.pdfhttp://www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/oca/purchasing/forms/p_25a.dochttp://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9.pdfhttp://www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/oca/purchasing/forms/vendorprofile/commodity_codes.dochttp://www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/oca/purchasing/forms/vendorprofile/app_instructions.dochttp://www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/oca/purchasing/forms/vendorprofile/application.dochttp://www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/sfhumanrights/dbe/Chapter%2014A%20Rules%20and%20Regs-APP%20081304.dochttp://www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/sfhumanrights/dbe/Attachment%203-wf-09-02-04.doc


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A. Background

San FranciscoSan Francisco is the fourth largest city in California and serves as a center for business,commerce and culture for the West Coast. One of the most diverse communities in the United

States, San Francisco has a population of approximately 800,000 spread over a 46.7 square milearea. The City and County of San Francisco (the City) established by Charter in 1850, is alegal subdivision of the State of California with the governmental powers of both a city and acounty under California law. The Citys powers are exercised through a Board of Supervisorsserving as the legislative authority, and a Mayor and other independent elected officials servingas the executive authority. The services provided by the City include public protection, publictransportation, construction and maintenance of all public facilities, water, parks, public healthsystems, social services, planning, tax collection, and many others.

Department of Public HealthThe Citys Department of Public Health (DPH) strives to achieve its mission through the work of

two Divisions - the Community Health Network (CHN) and Population Health and Prevention.The CHN is the City's health system and has locations throughout the City including SanFrancisco General Hospital Medical Center, Laguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center,and over 15 primary care health centers. The Population Health and Prevention Division has abroad focus on the communities of San Francisco and is comprised of the Community Healthand Safety Branch, Community Health Promotion and Prevention Branch, the CommunityHealth Services Branch, and Behavioral Health Services.

In 1997, the CHN embarked on an organizational restructuring plan to meet the challenges of arapidly evolving health care environment. Established as the division of the Department ofPublic Health that encompasses all personal health care services, the CHN has the unique role of

addressing the broad health needs of all San Franciscans, with a special emphasis andcommitment to serving the Citys most vulnerable, diverse populations. The CHN encompassesa wide array of services across a continuum of care. Major service components include primarycare (provided at sites throughout the City), specialty care, acute care, home care, long-termcare, and emergency care.

Laguna Honda Hospital and General HospitalLaguna Honda Hospital and Rehabilitation Center (LHH) provides high quality long-term careand rehabilitative inpatient services. In FY 2003-2004 LHH provided the following services:

378,445 Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) days

1,621 Acute Days

Served 1,671 residents 1,038 Average Daily Census

10.3 days = Average length of stay in the acute units

348.2 days = Average length of stay in the SNF units

The total number of admissions to LHH from all sources increased by 8 percent from 899 in FY01-02 to 973 in FY 02-03.

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The number of admissions from SFGH to LHH increased by 11 percent from 451 in FY 01-02 to502 in FY 02-03.

Total LHH discharges to the community increased by 17 percent from 231 in FY 01-02 to 270 inFY 02-03.

In FY 03-04, the Departments Primary Care Clinics and San Francisco General Hospital(SFGH) provided the following services:

325,389 Primary Care Visits (at 18 sites)

161,816 Specialty Visits

8,299 Dental Visits

11,142 Urgent Visits

60,013 Emergency Visits

52,914 Medical Emergencies (15.6% Admitted)

7,099 Psych Emergencies (36.4% Admitted)

104,727 Acute Inpatient Days

21,870 Home Health Care Visits

10,125 SFGH Skilled Nursing Days 30,791 Mental Health Rehabilitation Skilled Nursing Days

As a result of recommendations from a Blue Ribbon Committee charged by the Mayor, the SanFrancisco Behavioral Health Center, formerly known as the Mental Health RehabilitationFacility, is currently being reconfigured to provide not only skilled nursing but multiple levels ofcare so that the mentally ill can receive a continuum of care within one facility.

Fifty-nine (59) beds for skilled nursing remain licensed by the State Department of HealthServices (DHS) for patients who have complex, sub-acute medical problems in addition to theirprimary psychiatric diagnoses. As of July 2004, the facility also has a 47 bed Mental Health

Rehabilitation Center licensed under the State Department of Mental Health (DMH). Thisprogram provides long term mental health services to the severely and persistently mentally illthat have more psychiatric versus medical conditions.

In addition, a 27 bed residential care facility and 14 bed residential treatment program are in theplanning and development phases for Fall of 2004. These programs are for patients needingassistance with daily living skills or group therapy as a means to transition back into thecommunity.

Patient Flow ProjectThe Department of Public Health (DPH) initiated the Patient Flow project in February 2004.The goal of the project is to improve patient flow from San Francisco General Hospital (SFGH)to Laguna Honda Hospital (LHH), significantly reducing staff time spent on transfers and thenumber of days spent by patients at SFGH awaiting transfer to a lower level of care. Thoughmany factors contribute to the issues around patient flow, DPH has greatest control over the flowwithin its own system.

The issue of patients spending days in acute beds at SFGH while at a lower level of care is amajor problem for DPH for several reasons. First, the cost of a bed at SFGH is substantially

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higher than at LHH due to differences in acuity and staffing. Fixing this problem by movingpatients who are ready to transfer to LHH in a timely manner could save millions of dollarswithout inappropriately decreasing services for anyone. Additionally, an inability to transferpatients to LHH in a timely way results in SFGH being on diversion for a substantial number ofhours, often preventing LHH patients from receiving care at SFGH as well as SFGH patientsbeing kept in the ED for long periods of time. Both of these issues result in sub-optimal care for

patients in DPHs system. Like all hospital-based SNFs in San Francisco, DPH wanted toprioritize the patients in its own system before accepting patients from outside the system.

The Patient Flow Committee has seen a number of changes in patient flow due to efforts over thepast few months. Here are a few examples:

Increase in new admissions to LHH from SFGH: There has been an increase in admissionsfrom SFGH to LHH in 2004, particularly in the month of March, where new admissions alsoincreased overall. In 2004 (Jan-April), 79 percent of LHHs 199 new patient admissions werefrom SFGH, 12 percent were admitted from other facilities and 8 percent from home/other. Inthis same time period in 2003 (Jan-April), 53 percent of LHHs 200 new admissions came from

SFGH, 34 percent from other facilities and 13 percent from home/other.

Decrease in SFGHs average daily census: The only months in which the SFGH averagedaily census fell below the budgeted census and the years average was in March and April2004, when it was 262 and 258 respectively.

Little change in the percentage of patients admitted from SFGH Acute to LHH anddischarged to an acute provider within 7 and 30 days: This is a marker of quality that LHHregularly tracks. Though the number of discharges has increased when compared to past timeperiods, the percentage has not increased considerably from last year. Discharges within 7 daysare 0.8% higher in 2004 than they were in 2003, and discharges within 30 days are 0.1% lower

than they were in 2003.

SFGH diversion has decreased: Diversion has dropped to 7% for the second consecutivemonth and diversion was suspended only twice, the lowest point since June of 2002.

Controllers OfficeProposition C, passed by the Citys voters in November 2003, amended City Charter Section3.105 to instruct the Citys Controller to also serve as City Services Auditor. With this new role,the Controllers Office is responsible for monitoring the level and effectiveness of servicesrendered by the City to its residents. To implement this new Charter-mandated function, theControllers Office City Services Auditor Division is seeking technical expertise in public health

consulting services to evaluate and improve the Citys continuum of care between acute andlong-term care services, to improve intake and billing documentation procedures for revenuemaximization, and to provide other as-needed public health-related consulting services includingaudits, analyses, and technical assistance for future projects.

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B. Intent of this RequestBased on responses to this Request for Qualifications (RFQ), it is the intent of the City to createa pre-qualified pool of public health consultants from which the City shall choose prospectivecontractors on an as-needed basis for consulting projects indicated below in Section II, Scope ofWork.

Respondents may submit responses for one or more project areas. Multi-project responsesshould include a separate set of Qualifications, Rates, and References for each project area type(if information differs between project areas). See Section III, Submission Requirements formore details.

II. Scope of Work

This scope of work is intended to be a general guide to the work the City expects to beperformed, and is not a complete listing of all services that may be required. The first twoproject areas are more specific. The third project area is more general, which will allow

respondents with more varied experience in public health projects, to respond.

A. Project Areas

1. Evaluate and improve the Citys continuum of care between acute and long-term careservices.

a. Project Goals/Deliverables

Reduce the wait for long-term care beds at Laguna Honda Hospital (LHH) forpatients at San Francisco General Hospital (SFGH) and decrease the number ofreimbursements denied annually.

Develop a management plan for the San Francisco Department of Public Healththat most effectively utilizes both current and future capital and operatingresources for long-term care services, particularly focusing on the inter-relationship between SFGH and LHH.

Develop a management plan that details how DPHs capital resource outlay forlong-term care may be impacted by programs operated or authorized by MediCal,the US Department of Health and Human Services, and the US Department ofHousing and Urban Development.

b. Project Tasks

Assess the current inpatient units, outpatient services and management practices

at both SFGH and LHH and develop recommendations for more effectivesynergies, coordinated management and use of resources between the twohospitals.

Identify the barriers in the broader community to meeting the long-term careservice needs of the target population through community-based facilities (e.g.,inadequate reimbursement rates for non-institutional setting) and developrecommendations to allow for potentially expanding the long-term care providerpool in San Francisco.

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Assess the cost and revenue aspects of the scope of services to be provided toassure that the plan is financially viable. Identify financial policies that could beaddressed through waivers or other interventions at the State or Federal levels.

Explore the application of best practices of other large urban safety net systemsthat have effectively addressed the connections between acute and long-term careto DPHs delivery system.

Assess the current medical services model at LHH and develop strategies formaximizing revenue and increasing efficiencies of service. Determineappropriate level of staffing including specialties based on client needs.

2. Expedite claim processing and maximize City revenues by evaluating and improving theCitys health center and clinic intake and billing documentation procedures.

a. Project Goals/Deliverables

Create and document comprehensive patient eligibility, registration and servicecharge procedures in flowchart and narrative form for the Citys Health Centersand San Francisco General Hospital clinics.

Reduce number of patient registrations missing charges and/or diagnosis codesand the amount of time before claims can be processed.

Assure that pricing for all billable services and that coding informationdetermining how charges are reflected on the Citys claims are current andcomplete.

b. Project Tasks

Conduct reviews of the Citys Health Centers and San Francisco General Hospital(SFGH) clinics current procedures for registering patients, documenting chargesfor services, and validating registration and billing information prior toprocessing. In the typical Emergency Department (ED) setting, charts are

matched up with registration face sheets and batched at the end of a day so thatpatient accounting gets the information necessary to bill. Registrations withincomplete charge documentation, are followed up on in the ED, and sent on forprocessing when the package is complete.

Conduct a full review of the Citys Charge Description Master including a reviewof the charge capture documents in departments to make sure they are completeand electronically match to a model charge master to identify problems.

3. Provide other as-needed public health and hospital consulting services.The City will also consider responses from consultants illustrating experience in othertypes of public health project areas that may be of interest and use to the City for as-needed public health and hospital consulting services. The City is particularly interestedin experience related to maximizing revenues and increasing operational efficiency ofpublic health and hospital facilities. Work may include auditing, analyzing andevaluating City operations and services, comparing findings with other jurisdictions,examining best practices for benchmarking, measuring compliance with legal andpolitical requirements, and technical assistance.

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B. Workload and Use of Pre-Qualified RespondentsContractor(s) selected from the pre-qualified pool may work on a per project basis subject to anagreement for each project specifying the maximum number of hours, due date, and hourly ratesto be charged. Contractor(s) may also be asked to use and train City staff in conducting projects.There is no guarantee of a minimal amount of work or compensation for any of the respondentsselected for pre-qualification. The City may select contractors from the pre-qualified pool in its

sole and absolute discretion.

C. City Support and AssistanceThe City will arrange for contractors use of office space, equipment and access to the Citysdata, as deemed appropriate by the City. The City will make appropriate staff available toprovide reasonable assistance to selected contractors where necessary. Such assistance mayinclude coordinating fieldwork, identifying locations of required records and documentation, andother such tasks. Contractors shall use the Citys online financial system to the fullest extentpossible to research transactions and analyze account balances in conjunction with their work.

III. Submission Requirements

A. Time and Place for Submission of Responses

Responses and all related materials must be received by 12:00pm Noon on Wednesday,November 10, 2004. Postmarks will not be considered in judging the timeliness of submissions.Responses may be delivered in person to the Reception Desk at City Hall, Room 316 or mailedto:

Esther Reyes

Office of the Controller

City Hall, Room 477

1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett PlaceSan Francisco, CA 94103-0948

Respondents shall submit an original copy (for original signatures) and five (5) complete copiesof the response and one (1) copy, separately bound, of required HRC Forms (see Appendix A) ina box or envelope clearly marked RFQ #CON2004-3 Public Health Consulting Services to theabove location. Responses submitted by fax or e-mail will not be accepted. Late submissionswill not be considered. Note that respondents hand-delivering responses to City Hall may berequired to open and make packages accessible for examination by security staff.

B. Requirements for Consideration Prior to Submission

1. Administrative Requirements In advance of submitting response.If you or your responding firm has not already done so, review, complete and submit theforms referenced as Appendix B prior to submitting your response. The City may onlyconsider responses from qualified respondents that at the time of response submissionhave already fulfilled the administrative requirements for doing business with the City.Fulfillment of this requirement will be verified prior to presenting responses to thereview panel. Responses that fail to meet this requirement may be deemed non-

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responsive on a case-by-case basis. Contact Esther Reyes at (415) 554-7819 or [email protected] for information and assistance on meeting this requirement.

2. Subcontracting Requirement As part of your response submission (Appendix A).The subcontracting participation goal for this contract is a 15% Disadvantaged BusinessEnterprise (DBE) participation of San Francisco Human Rights Commission certified

firms. Please see information in Appendix A and be sure to submit required HRC formsin a separate envelope as part of your response (see Section VI.N of this RFQ forcomplete details on required forms and rating discounts for HRC-certified DBEsresponding as primes or as part of a joint-venture prime).

Current List of Certified Vendors/Subcontractor Contacts - DBE Directoryhttp://www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/sfhumanrights/directory/vlist_1.htm

C. Format and Content of ResponsesSubmit the following information in the order specified below. Three-hole binders arerecommended for ease of review by the selection panel.

1. Cover LetterAn introductory cover letter should be submitted, including:a. Company name and address of the responding firm(s).b. Statement identifying for which project areas (Section II.A.1, II.A.2, or II.A.3 of this

RFQ) the qualifications should be evaluated.c. Name, address, telephone number, fax number and e-mail address of the person(s) to

be used as contact(s). These contacts must be authorized to make representations forthe responding entity.

d. Citys Vendor Number assigned to responding entity. Possession of this numberserves as partial verification that responding firm(s) has completed the Citys

administrative requirements.e. Statement that the respondent has fulfilled the Citys administrative requirements.

Fulfillment is defined as completion, submission and approval by applicable Cityagencies of the forms referenced in Appendix B.

f. Statement that the respondent is willing to meet all of the Citys terms and conditionsas stated in the Citys standard contract boilerplate (referenced as Appendix C).Respondents wishing to negotiate modification of the Citys terms and conditionsmust refer to the specific portion of the contract to be changed, and show proposedchanges (deleted sections with a strikeover and added sections in boldface type). TheCity, in its sole discretion, may reject any response based on objections to the Cityscontract terms.

g. Statement that submission of this letter constitutes a representation by the respondingfirm(s) that the responding firm(s) is willing and able to perform the commitmentscontained in the response.

h. Signature by a person authorized by the responding firm(s) to obligate the respondingfirm(s) to perform the commitments contained in the response.

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mailto:[email protected]://www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/sfhumanrights/directory/vlist_1.htmhttp://www.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/sfhumanrights/directory/vlist_1.htmmailto:[email protected]


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2. Qualificationsa. Minimum Qualifications

If respondent is requesting consideration for more than one City project area,respondent should submit separate statements of qualifications for each area inaccordance with Section III.C.2.b below. As applicable, respondents must havesuccessfully implemented at least three (3) projects similar to:

i. one or both of the projects described in Section II.A.1-2 of this RFQ; and/orii. those proposed by the respondent in response to Section II.A.3 of this RFQ.

The lead staff assigned to the proposed project(s) must individually have had asimilar lead role in two comparable projects.

Respondents not meeting these minimum qualifications will not be considered andtheir RFQ responses will not be evaluated. The respondent must clearly state in itsresponse how it meets or exceeds these minimum qualifications for each area itproposes consideration.

b. QualificationsRespondents must submit a separate statement of qualifications for each project areait wishes to be considered. Each statement of qualifications must provide all of theinformation listed below.

Service Qualifications for all projects

Significant leadership experience in clinical or administrative projects with largeurban public hospital systems, particularly demonstrating experience in makingmanagement change within those systems that resulted in more efficientoperations.

Expertise in public health policy and financing, particularly in understanding

local, state and federal funding sources, designing cost-effective models of care(including integrated acute and long-term care models) and accessing andcoordinating multiple funding sources.

Demonstrated success working on high-profile projects with high-level publicofficials in local, state and federal governments.

Ability to work collaboratively with City management, staff and users to assessCitys needs and requirements and to define and document overall project scope,plan, timeline, deliverables, quality control, contingency plan and changemanagement procedures.

Ability to manage large, complex projects in a time-pressured environment withabilities to anticipate, analyze and resolve issues and problems effectively using

an appropriate level of independence. Ability to commit sufficient time and resources for projects to meet the Citys

needs.

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Service Qualifications for continuum of care projects (in addition to general servicequalifications above)

Experience in working with other key long-term care stakeholders, includingadvocates, advocacy agencies, consumers, families, providers, funders andregulators.

Experience developing and implementing long-term care strategies, from the

financial, operational and policy levels including expertise designing andimplementing Medicaid long-term care waiver programs, including integratedlong-term care/acute care programs, home and community-based services waiverprograms, and consumer-directed long-term care programs.

Intimate knowledge of and experience with the clinical, operational, financingand regulatory aspects of all levels of long-term care services, includingexperience in a range of disciplines and a range of settings serving persons withvarying disabilities and elders.

c. Staff Qualificationsi. Names and contact information of account manager and team members that will

be assigned to project(s).ii. Statement of the qualifications of the key individuals identified, including their

applicable experience. Include a statement of the education and the trainingprogram(s) provided to, or required of the identified individuals, and anyexperience with public health-related accounting and auditing, technicalassistance, practices and procedures.

iii. Statement of the respondents total size and size of staff of the local or regionaloffice responding to perform services. Provide a further breakdown showing thecomponents of professional and administrative staff by major function, e.g. ITconsulting, audits, etc.

iv. If applicable, include a statement of any joint venture arrangements with other

firms with a percentage breakdown of workload. Include within this percentagebreakdown, involvement of any Human Rights Commission-certifiedDisadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) firms. Include a brief description ofthe respondents efforts to solicit inclusion by Human Rights Commission-certified firms (see Section VI.N of this RFQ).

d. Previous Project DescriptionConcise description from inception through completion of one project completedwithin the past two years with services similar to those proposed in response to thisRFQ. If respondent is requesting consideration for more than one City project area,respondent should submit a previous project description for each area.

For each previous project description, describe the: (1) roles and responsibilities ofthe firm and firm lead staff in the project; (2) approach to project planning, roll-out,and evaluation; and (3) methods used to monitor and evaluate progress ondeliverables and acceptance processes.

3.

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RatesProvide hourly billing rates and any other charges for the work outlined in this RFQ.State clearly which project areas for which the rates will apply. Separate rates for eachproject area, if different, should be submitted for those bidding on multiple projects. Thehourly rate is intended to fully compensate respondents for all services. No additionalexpenses are allowed, including reproduction costs associated with the services, as well

as travel, lodging, meals, miscellaneous and any other expenses related to the completionof services.

The City intends to select respondents that it considers will provide the best overallservices, and reserves the right to accept other than the lowest-hourly-rate offers and toreject all responses that are not responsive to this RFQ.

4. ReferencesRespondents must provide a list of a minimum of three (3) local governmentgovernmental agencies and/or relevant industry clients that the local or regional officeand proposed staff have provided services to over the past five years. At least two of the

three references must be from entities other than the City and County of San Francisco.Separate reference lists should be submitted for each project area for those bidding onmultiple projects.

Indicate each organizations name and address, reference contact person, phone number,nature of services provided, dates of the engagement(s), and the names of respondentsstaff who worked on these engagements.

IV. Evaluation Criteria

This section describes the guidelines used for analyzing and evaluating the various responses forrespondent pre-qualification. It is the Citys intent to pre-qualify respondents that will providethe best overall service package to the City inclusive of fee considerations. Consultants selectedfor pre-qualification will remain eligible for consideration for contract negotiation on an as-needed basis for a period of two (2) years after pre-qualification determination by the City.Consultants selected for pre-qualification are not guaranteed a contract. This RFQ does not inany way limit the Citys right to solicit contracts for similar or identical services if it determinesthe pre-qualified pool is inadequate to satisfy its needs.

Responses will be evaluated by City staff based on the following criteria to determine whichresponses will best meet the needs of the City. The City reserves the right to interview any, all,

or none of the respondents to further clarify responses. As in all professional service contracts,the City reserves the right to accept other than the lowest price offer and reject all responses thatare not responsive to this request.

A. Minimum Qualifications

Responses not meeting the minimum qualifications stated in Section III.C.2 of this RFQ will notbe considered and will not be evaluated. Each respondent must clearly state how it meets orexceeds these minimum qualifications in its response.

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B. Pre-Qualification Criteria

1. Respondent Qualifications for Each Requested Project Area(70 points)a. How well does the response address project tasks and goals as stated in the RFQ?b. How well do the proposed strategies and solutions meet the Citys needs?c. Does the response demonstrate relevant qualifications and experience to deliver

proposed services?d. Are the proposed staff appropriately qualified?e. Are the proposed hourly rates reasonable?

If a response does not receive a score of 50 or above out of the 70 possible points in thissection, the respondent will not be pre-qualified.

2. Respondent References (30 points)How did the references rate the respondents quality of services for previously completedprojects? Did the respondent adhere to schedules, budgets, and deadlines?

If a response does not response a score of 21 points or above out of the 30 possible pointsin this section, the respondent will not be pre-qualified.

C. Contractor Selection Criteria

Following establishment of the pre-qualified consultant pool, the City, at its sole and absolutediscretion, will contact pre-qualified consultants to negotiate specific projects and contracts.Due to the varied nature of the services to be performed, the Controllers Office reserves theright to contract with any or all of the respondents selected as qualified for the pool.

The City may issue Request(s) for Proposals from the pre-qualified consultant pool to betterassess qualifications for a specific scope of service, which may include staffing, scheduling,

deliverable, and cost considerations.

The selection of any pre-qualified respondent for contract negotiation shall not imply acceptanceby the City of all terms of the response, which may be subject to further negotiation andapprovals before the City may be legally bound thereby.

If a satisfactory contract cannot be negotiated in a reasonable time with any pre-qualifiedrespondent, then the Controllers Office, in its sole discretion, may terminate negotiations andbegin contract negotiations with any other remaining pre-qualified respondents.

The Controllers Office, in its sole discretion, has the right to approve or disapprove any staff

person assigned to a firms projects before and throughout the contract term. The ControllersOffice reserves the right at any time to approve, disapprove, or modify proposed project plans,timelines and deliverables.

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V. RFQ Clarification and Schedule

A. Clarification of RFQ

In lieu of a pre-response conference, respondents may submit questions in writing by 12:00 P.M.on October 22, 2004. Questions may be faxed to Esther Reyes at 415.554.7568 or emailed to

[email protected].

A summary of the substantive information, questions, and answers pertaining to this RFQ will beissued as a written addendum to this RFQ for posting on the Controllers Office website athttp://www.sfgov.org/controller.

B. Schedule

The following is a summary of key dates related to this response and pre-qualification selectionprocess:

Phase Date

RFQ is advertised and issued by the City October 8, 2004Deadline for RFQ clarification questions (12:00 p.m.) October 22, 2004Summary of clarification info available October 25, 2004*Responses due (12:00 p.m.) November 10, 2004

*Date subject to change.

VI. Terms and Conditions for Receipt of Responses

A. Errors and Omissions in RFQRespondents are responsible for reviewing all portions of this RFQ. Respondents are topromptly notify the Controllers Office, in writing, if the respondent discovers any ambiguity,discrepancy, omission, or other error in the RFQ. Any such notification should be directed to theControllers Office promptly after discovery, but in no event later than five working days prior tothe date for receipt of responses. Modifications and clarifications will be made by addenda asprovided below.

B. Inquiries Regarding RFQInquiries regarding the RFQ and all oral notifications of an intent to request written modificationor clarification of the RFQ, must be directed to:

Esther ReyesOffice of the ControllerCity Hall, Room 4771 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett PlaceSan Francisco, CA 94103-0948Fax: (415) 554-7568Email: [email protected]

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C. Objections to RFQ TermsShould a respondent object on any ground to any provision or legal requirement set forth in thisRFQ, the respondent must, not more than ten calendar days after the RFQ is issued, providewritten notice to the Controllers Office setting forth with specificity the grounds for theobjection. The failure of a respondent to object in the manner set forth in this paragraph shallconstitute a complete and irrevocable waiver of any such objection.

D. Addenda to RFQThe Controllers Office may modify the RFQ, prior to the response due date, by issuing writtenaddenda. Addenda will be posted on the Controllers Office website athttp://www.sfgov.org/controller. The Controllers Office will make reasonable efforts to postnotification of modifications in a timely manner. Notwithstanding this provision, the respondentshall be responsible for ensuring that its response reflects any and all addenda issued by theControllers Office prior to the response due date regardless of when the response is submitted.Therefore, the City recommends that the respondent call the Controllers Office or check theControllers Office website before submitting its response to determine if the respondent isaware of all addenda.

E. Term of ResponseSubmission of a response signifies that the proposed services and prices are valid for 120calendar days from the response due date and that the quoted prices are genuine and not theresult of collusion or any other anti-competitive activity.

F. Revision of ResponseA respondent may revise a response on the respondents own initiative at any time before thedeadline for submission of responses. The respondent must submit the revised response in thesame manner as the original. A revised response must be received on or before the response duedate.

In no case will a statement of intent to submit a revised response, or commencement of arevision process, extend the response due date for any respondent.

At any time during the response evaluation process, the Controllers Office may require arespondent to provide oral or written clarification of its response. The Controllers Officereserves the right to make an award without further clarifications of responses received.

G. Errors and Omissions in ResponseFailure by the Controllers Office to object to an error, omission, or deviation in the responsewill in no way modify the RFQ or excuse the vendor from full compliance with the

specifications of the RFQ or any contract awarded pursuant to the RFQ.

H. Financial ResponsibilityThe City accepts no financial responsibility for any costs incurred by a firm in responding to thisRFQ. Submissions of the RFQ will become the property of the City and may be used by the Cityin any way deemed appropriate.

I. Respondents Obligations under the Campaign Reform Ordinance

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Respondents must comply with Section 1.126 of the S.F. Campaign and Governmental ConductCode, which states:

No person who contracts with the City and County of San Francisco for the rendition of personalservices, for the furnishing of any material, supplies or equipment to the City, or for selling anyland or building to the City, whenever such transaction would require approval by a City elective

officer, or the board on which that City elective officer serves, shall make any contribution tosuch an officer, or candidates for such an office, or committee controlled by such officer orcandidate at any time between commencement of negotiations and the later of either (1) thetermination of negotiations for such contract, or (2) three months have elapsed from the date thecontract is approved by the City elective officer or the board on which that City elective officerserves.

If a respondent is negotiating for a contract that must be approved by an elected local officer orthe board on which that officer serves, during the negotiation period the respondent is prohibitedfrom making contributions to:

the officers re-election campaign a candidate for that officers office

a committee controlled by the officer or candidate.

The negotiation period begins with the first point of contact, either by telephone, in person, or inwriting, when a contractor approaches any city officer or employee about a particular contract, ora city officer or employee initiates communication with a potential contractor about a contract.The negotiation period ends when a contract is awarded or not awarded to the contractor.Examples of initial contacts include: (i) a vendor contacts a city officer or employee to promotehimself or herself as a candidate for a contract; and (ii) a city officer or employee contacts acontractor to propose that the contractor apply for a contract. Inquiries for information about a

particular contract, requests for documents relating to a Request for Qualifications or Proposals,and requests to be placed on a mailing list do not constitute negotiations.

Violation of Section 1.126 may result in the following criminal, civil, or administrative penalties:a) Criminal. Any person who knowingly or willfully violates section 1.126 is subject to a

fine of up to $5,000 and a jail term of not more than six months, or both.b) Civil. Any person who intentionally or negligently violates section 1.126 may be held

liable in a civil action brought by the civil prosecutor for an amount up to $5,000.c) Administrative. Any person who intentionally or negligently violates section 1.126

may be held liable in an administrative proceeding before the Ethics Commission held pursuantto the Charter for an amount up to $5,000 for each violation.

For further information, respondents should contact the San Francisco Ethics Commission at(415) 581-2300.

J. Sunshine OrdinanceIn accordance with S.F. Administrative Code Section 67.24(e), contractors bids, responses toRFQs (or RFPs) and all other records of communications between the City and persons or firmsseeking contracts shall be open to inspection immediately after a contract has been awarded.Nothing in this provision requires the disclosure of a private persons or organizations net worth

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or other proprietary financial data submitted for qualification for a contract or other benefits untiland unless that person or organization is awarded the contract or benefit. Information providedwhich is covered by this paragraph will be made available to the public upon request.

K. Public Access to Meetings and RecordsIf a respondent is a non-profit entity that receives a cumulative total per year of at least $250,000

in City funds or City-administered funds and is a non-profit organization as defined in Chapter12L of the S.F. Administrative Code, the respondent must comply with Chapter 12L. Therespondent must include in its response (1) a statement describing its efforts to comply with theChapter 12L provisions regarding public access to respondents meetings and records, and (2) asummary of all complaints concerning the respondents compliance with Chapter 12L that werefiled with the City in the last two years and deemed by the City to be substantiated. Thesummary shall also describe the disposition of each complaint. If no such complaints were filed,the respondent shall include a statement to that effect. Failure to comply with the reportingrequirements of Chapter 12L or material misrepresentation in respondents Chapter 12Lsubmissions shall be grounds for rejection of the response and/or termination of any subsequentAgreement reached on the basis of the response.

L. Reservations of Rights by the CityThe issuance of this RFQ does not constitute an agreement by the City that any contract willactually be entered into by the City. The City expressly reserves the right at any time to:

1. Waive or correct any defect or informality in any response, response, or response procedure;2. Reject any or all responses;3. Reissue a Request for Qualifications or Request for Proposals;4. Prior to submission deadline for responses, modify all or any portion of the selection

procedures, including deadlines for accepting responses, the specifications or requirementsfor any materials, equipment or services to be provided under this RFQ, or the requirements

for contents or format of the responses;5. Procure any materials, equipment or services specified in this RFQ by any other means; or6. Determine that no project will be pursued.

M. No WaiverNo waiver by the City of any provision of this RFQ shall be implied from any failure by the Cityto recognize or take action on account of any failure by a respondent to observe any provision ofthis RFQ.

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N. Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Goals

The requirements of the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Ordinance set forth in Chapter 14Aof the San Francisco Administrative Code as it now exists or as it may be amended in the future(collectively the DBE Ordinance) shall apply to this RFQ.

1. Chapter 14A. Requirements

a. DBE Subconsultant Participation Goals

The DBE subconsulting goal for this project is 15% of the total value of the goodsand/or services to be procured. A respondent may request that the Director of HRC waive orreduce the subcontracting goals by submitting the reasons for the request in writing with itsresponse. The factors that the Director will consider in evaluating such a request are set forth inS.F. Administrative Code 14A.14(G). Denial of the request may be appealed to the HumanRights Commission.

Each person responding to this solicitation shall demonstrate in its response that it

has used good-faith efforts to employ DBE subcontractors, and shall identify the particular DBEsubcontractors to be used in performing the contract. For each DBE identified as asubcontractor, the response must specify the value of the participation as a percentage of the totalvalue of the goods and/or services to be procured, the type of work to be performed, and suchinformation as may reasonably be required to determine the responsiveness of the response.DBEs identified as subcontractors must be certified with the San Francisco Human RightsCommission at the time the response is submitted, and must be contacted by the respondent(prime contractor) prior to listing them as subcontractors in the response. Any response thatdoes not meet the requirements of this paragraph will be non-responsive.

Good-faith efforts when required of a professional services providershall mean the

steps undertaken to comply with the goals and requirements imposed by the City forparticipation by DBEs as subcontractors, and shall include the following:

(1) Attending any presolicitation or prebid meetings scheduled by the City to informpotential contractors of DBE program requirements for the project for which the contract will beawarded;

(2) Identifying and selecting specific items of the project for which the contract will beawarded to be performed by DBEs to provide an opportunity for participation by thoseenterprises;

(3) Advertising for DBEs that are interested in participating in the project, not less than10 calendar days before the due date for responses to the solicitation, in one or more daily orweekly newspapers, trade association publications, trade journals, or other media, specified bythe City. This paragraph applies only if the City gave public notice of the project not less than15 calendar days prior to the due date for responses to the solicitation;

(4) Utilizing HRC lists of enterprises that are certified by the Director of HRC as DBEsnot less than 15 calendar days prior to the due date for responses to the solicitation.

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(5) For each specific trade identified in HRCs lists of certified enterprises, providingwritten notice of interest in submitting a bid or response for the contract to the followingnumbers of certified DBEs not less than 10 calendar days prior to the due date for responses tothe solicitation:

If the HRC list of certified enterprises identifies 1-25 available DBEs for the

identified trade, the potential contractor must contact all of the identified firms.

If the HRC list of certified enterprises identifies 26-50 available DBEs for theidentified trade, the potential contractor must contact 75% of the identified firms.



If the HRC list of certified enterprises identifies 101 or more available DBEs for theidentified trade, the potential contractor must contact 25% of the identified firms.

(6) Following up initial solicitations of interest by contacting potential DBEsubcontractors to determine with certainty whether those enterprises were interested inperforming specific items of the project;

(7) Providing interested DBEs with information about the plans, specifications, andrequirements for the selected subcontracting or material supply work;

(8) Requesting assistance from community organizations; local contractor or professional

groups; local, state or federal small or disadvantaged business assistance offices; or otherorganizations that provide assistance in the recruitment and placement of small or disadvantagedbusiness enterprises, if any are available;

(9) Negotiating in good faith with interested DBEs, and not unjustifiably rejecting asunsatisfactory bids or responses prepared by any DBEs, as determined by the City;

(10) Where applicable, advising and making efforts to assist interested DBEs in obtainingbonds, lines of credit, or insurance required by the City or contractor;

(11) Making efforts to obtain DBE participation that the City could reasonably expect

would produce a level of participation sufficient to meet the City's goals and requirements.

Responses which fail to comply with the material requirements of S.F. AdministrativeCode 14A.14 and this RFQ will be deemed non-responsive and will be rejected. During theterm of the contract, any failure to comply with the level of DBE subcontractor participationspecified in the contract shall be deemed a material breach of contract. Subconsulting goals canonly be met with HRC-certified DBEs located in San Francisco.

b. DBE Participation

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The City strongly encourages responses from qualified DBEs. Pursuant to Chapter 14A,the following rating discount will be in effect for the award of this project for any respondentswho are certified by HRC as a DBE, or joint venture partners who are certified as a DBE at thetime that the response is submitted. Certification applications may be obtained by calling HRCat (415) 252-2500. The rating discount applies at each phase of the selection process. The

application of the rating discount is as follows:

(1) A 5% discount to a joint venture with a DBE participation that equals orexceeds 35%, but is under 40%; or

(2). A 7.5% discount to a joint venture with DBE participation that equals orexceeds40%.

(3) A 10% discount to:

A DBE; or

A joint venture between or among DBEs.

c. HRC Forms to be Submitted with Response

(1) All responses submitted must include Human Rights Commission (HRC) Form1 (included in Appendix A) whether or not a rating discount is applied for.

(2) HRC Forms2A and 2B, 3, 4, 5, and 6(also included in Appendix A) are to besubmitted with the response. If these forms are not returned with the response, the response maybe determined to be nonresponsive and rejected. HRC Schedule A must be submitted ifapplicable.

(3) Please submit only one copy of the above forms with your response. The formsshould be submitted in a separate, sealed envelope addressed to:

Selormey Dzikunu, the HRC Contract Compliance Officer

(4) If applying for a rating discount as a joint venture: The DBE must be an activepartner in the joint venture and perform work, manage the job and take financial risks inproportion to the required level of participation stated in the response, and must be responsiblefor a clearly defined portion of the work to be performed and share in the ownership, control,management responsibilities, risks, and profits of the joint venture. The portion of the DBE jointventures work shall be set forth in detail separately from the work to be performed by the non-DBE joint venture partner. The DBE joint ventures portion of the contract must be assigned a

commercially reasonable dollar value.

If you have any questions concerning the HRC Forms, you may call SelormeyDzikunu, the Human Rights Commission Contract Compliance Officer forthe ControllersOffice at 415-274-0511.

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VII. City Contract Requirements

A. Standard Contract ProvisionsPre-qualified respondents, if selected for a contract, will be required to enter into such contractsubstantially in the form of the Agreement for Professional Services, attached hereto asAppendix C. Failure to timely execute the contract, or to furnish any and all certificates, bonds

or other materials required in the contract, shall be deemed an abandonment of a contract offer.The City, in its sole discretion, may select another firm and may proceed against the originalselectee for damages.

Respondents are urged to pay special attention to the requirements of the MinimumCompensation Ordinance (43in the Agreement), the Health Care Accountability Ordinance(44in the Agreement), and the First Source Hiring Program (45 in the Agreement), as set forthin paragraphs B, C and D below.

B. Minimum Compensation Ordinance (MCO)

Pre-qualified respondents, if selected for a contract, will be required to agree to comply fully

with and be bound by the provisions of the Minimum Compensation Ordinance (MCO), as setforth in S.F. Administrative Code Chapter 12P. Generally, this Ordinance requires contractors toprovide employees covered by the Ordinance who do work funded under the contract withhourly gross compensation and paid and unpaid time off that meet certain minimumrequirements. For the contractual requirements of the MCO, see 43in the Agreement

Note that the gross hourly compensation for covered employees increases to $10.00 for For-Profit entities on January 1, 2002, and increases 2.5% annually thereafter for 3 years.

The MCO rate for non-profit corporations and government entities shall remain at $9.00,because the Joint Report referred to in the MCO found that, according to the financial analysis

specified in the MCO, sufficient funds were not available to raise the wage to $10.00 per hour.However, as a result of concerns for parity and fairness, the Mayors Office and the Board ofSupervisors were able to allocate funds in the Fiscal Year 01-02 budget to pay non-profitcorporations $10.00 per hour for hours worked by employees covered by MCO. Because the$10.00 rate is not mandated by the MCO, the 2.5% per year adjustment described in the MCO isnot applicable.

Additional information regarding the MCO is available on the web athttp://www.sfgov.org/oca/lwlh.htm.

C. Health Care Accountability Ordinance (HCAO)

Pre-qualified respondents, if selected for a contract, will be required to agree to comply fullywith and be bound by the provisions of the Health Care Accountability Ordinance (HCAO), asset forth in S.F. Administrative Code Chapter 12Q. Contractors should consult the SanFrancisco Administrative Code to determine their compliance obligations under this chapter.Additional information regarding the HCAO is available on the web athttp://www.sfgov.org/oca/lwlh.htm.

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D. First Source Hiring Program (FSHP)If the contract is for more than $200,000, the successful respondent will be required to agree tocomply fully with and be bound by the provisions of the First Source Hiring Program ordinance,as set forth in S.F. Administrative Code Chapter 83. Generally, this ordinance requirescontractors to notify the First Source Hiring Program of available entry level jobs and providethe Workforce Development System with the first opportunity to refer qualified individuals for

employment.

Contractors should consult the San Francisco Administrative Code to determine their complianceobligations under this chapter. Additional information regarding the FSHP is available on theweb at www.sfgov.org/moed/fshp.htm.

VIII. Protest Procedures

A. Protest of Non-Responsiveness DeterminationWithin five (5) working days of the City's issuance of a notice of non-responsiveness, any firm

that has submitted a response and believes that the City has incorrectly determined that itsresponse is non-responsive may submit a written notice of protest. Such notice of protest mustbe received by the City on or before the fifth (5

th) working day following the City's issuance of

the notice of non-responsiveness. The notice of protest must include a written statementspecifying in detail each and every one of the grounds asserted for the protest. The protest mustbe signed by an individual authorized to represent the respondent, and must cite the law, rule,local ordinance, procedure or RFQ provision on which the protest is based. In addition, theprotestor must specify facts and evidence sufficient for the City to determine the validity of theprotest.

B. Protest of Establishment of Pre-Qualified Consultant List

Within five (5) working days of the City's issuance of a notice of intent to establish a pre-qualified consultant list, any firm that has submitted a responsive response and believes that theCity has incorrectly selected another respondent for pre-qualification may submit a writtennotice of protest. Such notice of protest must be received by the City on or before the fifth (5th)working day after the City's issuance of the notice of intent to establish a pre-qualified consultantlist.

The notice of protest must include a written statement specifying in detail each and every one ofthe grounds asserted for the protest. The protest must be signed by an individual authorized torepresent the respondent, and must cite the law, rule, local ordinance, procedure or RFQprovision on which the protest is based. In addition, the protestor must specify facts and

evidence sufficient for the City to determine the validity of the protest.

C. Delivery of Protests

All protests must be received by the due date. If a protest is mailed, the protestor bears the riskof non-delivery within the deadlines specified herein. Protests should be transmitted by a meansthat will objectively establish the date the City received the protest. Protests or notice of protestsmade orally (e.g., by telephone) will not be considered. Protests must be delivered to:

Esther Reyes - Office of the Controller

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City Hall, Room 4771 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett PlaceSan Francisco, CA 94103-0948Fax: (415) 554-7568Email: [email protected]
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]

san francisco city government controller - csa dph consultant services rfq 100804

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