1 STAFF REPORT
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
DEPARTMENT
DATE: July 30, 2024
TO: Justin Hess, City Manager
FROM: Kevin Gray, Chief Information Officer
BY: DeAnna Tovar, Senior Administrative Analyst
SUBJECT: Approval of a Three-Year Service and Membership Agreement with Info- Tech Research Group
RECOMMENDATION
Approve a three- year service and membership agreement with Info-Tech Research Group (ITRG) in the amount of $ 208,982.73, to be paid annually in the amount of $69,660.91 per year, effective July 29, 2024 through July 29, 2027 (Attachment 1).
BACKGROUND
ITRG is an information technology research, advisory, and professional services firm.
They provide a wide range of information technology research, advisory, and consulting solutions that provide the City of Burbank with unbiased and highly relevant information, recommendations, and tools. Since 2021, IT has found immense value in partnering with ITRG and utilizing their membership services to optimize processes, increase overall capability and drive strategic technology initiatives for the City.
Some of the key resources and benefits provided by ITRG include:
• IT Research and Advisory Services: ITRG offers a wide range of information technology resources and advisory services, including insights into emerging technologies, industry trends, and best practices.
• Technology-Based Business Research: Access to research databases and industry-specific reporting helps IT stay informed about the latest developments and trends in technology and business.
• Contract Negotiation and Review Services: This service ensures that IT secures favorable terms and conditions when engaging with vendors and partners.
• Internal Benchmark Surveys: Benchmarking against industry standards helps in assessing IT’s performance and identifying areas for improvement.
2 • Training and Workshops: Training programs and workshops provided by ITRG help in developing the skills and capabilities of the IT leadership team. • Executive Counselor Debriefs: These debriefs provide valuable insights and recommendations tailored to the needs of the IT Leadership Team, helping IT make informed decisions.
Overall, ITRG's comprehensive suite of services has been instrumental in helping IT continuously improve stay aligned with current industry standards and best practices, and achieve the Department’s mission to serve as trusted partners and advisors for technology and process improvement across City departments . Specific e xamples include the following:
• Training and Workshops – ITRG provided training and workshops to assist IT with the implementation of modern approaches to technology, including solutions such as Our Burbank 311 and online permit processing . Over the past year, Our Burbank 311 has seen usage growth over 105% and online permit processing has collected over $13 million in permitting fees, saved over 4,000 hours of staff effort, and added significant convenience for the community.
• Strategy and Governance Consulting – utilizing this service led to the development of the Project Charter and formation of the Information Systems Steering Committee (ISSC). The ISSC has been an effective method for governing City technology as it provides for input from department heads around significant technology investment decisions, while maintaining a cohesive strategy and eliminating redundancy in technology solutions.
• Workforce Planning Toolkit – assisted the IT Leadership Team with establishing and executing well designed employee development plans. • Contract Review and Advisory Service – this service helped IT decrease past project costs by providing benchmarking data in contract negotiations. The cost of Burbank’s Oracle ERP 12.2 upgrade of Fiscal Year 2021/22 was reduced by more than $100,000 with the help of benchmark data provided by ITRG that was used in contract negotiations.
Additional ITRG services that IT will use going forward include:
• Cost Benchmarking Services - to ensure City technology costs are optimized and in-line or better than industry benchmarks.
• Cybersecurity Workforce Development - to ensure staff remain properly skilled and knowledgeable to protect against growing and changing cyber threats.
DISCUSSION
ITRG membership options provide services tailored for each role and member, ensuring clients pay only for services they are using. Pricing structure is based on membership type and duration. To date, IT has renewed the Executive Counselor and Team membership annually, which is subject to a 6-10% increase each year (Attachment 2).
Recently, ITRG partnered with the US General Services Administration (GSA) and has an existing three-year agreement, offering members a fixed multi-year rate. 3 The Executive Counselor Membership provides personalized debriefs for the IT Leadership Team, offering valuable insights and recommendations tailored t o the Department’s needs. The Team Membership includes access for additional members of IT to ITRG's services, such as research databases, contract negotiation/review services, benchmark surveys, and leadership trainings.
In Fiscal Year (FY) 2022-23, IT’s annual membership renewal with ITRG was $63,365.23 (Attachment 3). In FY 2023-24, the renewal increased 10% to $69,682.62 (Attachment 4). For FY 2024-25, a one-year renewal would cost approximately 74,107.35. By opting for the multi-year renewal, ITRG will provide the City with a fixed rate of $69,660.91 per year for three years. With this option, IT will avoid uplift costs of over 20% over multiple years, while ensuring continuity of access to ITRG's resources and support. This approach aligns with the goal of implementing strategic efficiencies within IT that benefit the organization as a whole.
The agreement with ITRG meets the Competitive Bidding requirements pursuant to Burbank Municipal Code (BMC) § 2-2- 111. This code states that competitive bidding includes the use of cooperative purchases, where goods or services can be purchased in cooperation with other public agencies, associations, or when goods or services can be purchased from a vendor offering the same prices, terms, and conditions as in a previous award from the City or another public agency either by competitive bid or through a negotiated process and, in the opinion of the Purchasing Manager, it is to the City’s advantage to do so. By utilizing ITRG’s approved Federal GSA negotiated contract for this agreement, the aforementioned BMC requirements are satisfied.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This a pproval has no potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, and as such, is not a “project” subject to the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) 14 Cal. Code Regs § 15378.
FISCAL IMPACT
The fiscal impact of renewing the ITRG Executive Counselor Membership is $69,660.91 per year to be paid annually over the three -year term, totaling $208,982.73. Utilizing the multi-year option will result in cost savings of approximately 20% over three years. Funds for this subscription have been budgeted in the Internal Service Fund 537.
CONCLUSION
Staff recommends Council approv e the renewal of IT’s Executive Counselor and Team membership with ITRG in the amount of $208,982.73 for a three-year term effective July 29, 2024, through July 29, 2027.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 – Membership Renewal 3 Year and GSA Pricelist Attachment 2 – Membership Renewal 1 Year
Attachment 3 – Membership Renewal FY 22/23
Attachment 4 – Membership Renewal FY 23/24