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Staff Report
City Council
Item No. 7.C
Meeting Date: August 24, 2022
From: Tami Scott, Administrative Services Director
Title: IT Assessment and Master Plan
City Council
RECOMMENDATION:
Approve a Professional Services Agreement with Client Firs t Technology Consulting to develop and provide a Comprehensive Information Technology (IT) Assessment and IT Master Plan in the amount of $78,880 plus a 10% contingency of $7,888 for a total budget amendment not to exceed $86,768.
BACKGROUND:
As part of the City Council goal setting held earlier this year, and the City's 5 -year strategic plan initiative, the IT Dept was tasked with developing an IT Strategic Master Plan. To accomplish this, a comprehensive IT assessment to review and evaluate our current infrastructure, policies, business practices, and risks related to Information Technology would also need to be incorporated into the process. The assessment will then be used to develop a 5 -year IT Master plan to be incorporated with the City’s strategic planning.
DISCUSSION:
To meet the current and future information technology needs of staff and community, the IT department developed an RFP in search of consultants with prior working experience with municipalities to conduct a comprehensive IT assessm ent. This IT assessment will be measured against current industry standards and internal needs.
The assessment not only will review our hardware infrastructure but in addition will analyze the current applications in use and assess the staff’s abilities to meet the demands of internal and external customers. The final product of this assessment will be a strategic IT Master Plan that, when fully implemented, will improve data security, bring our infrastructure, applications, and staffing resources in line to meet the current and future needs to better serve the community. The IT Master plan will be a working document with set goals, parameters, and defined dates for implementation based on priority of need and budget constraints. The plan will be updated an nually and reviewed biannually to monitor progress and address any changes in technology that could impact its outcome and success. Additionally, the IT Master Plan is a living document and can be used on an annual basis as an input to the budget process. Finally, the plan
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will outline a series of applicable Best Practices that the city can utilize moving forward to improve the way applications and IT functions are managed.
The city must address ongoing technological advancements and the ever -increasing demand for technological services from City staff and the public. As various departments’ activities and tools have been expanded, the complexities of systems being implemented and managed by the IT Department are similarly expanding to meet these needs.
The production of the IT Master Plan will take approximately six to nine months to complete. The planning process includes these major steps: project initiation and information gathering, assessment workshops with all departments and divisions, research and preliminary plan development, prioritization workshops, and the development and issuing of a final report.
On March 7, 2022, staff issued an RFP to do an IT Assessment and develop an IT Master plan. Upon the due date, proposals were received from the following firms:
Consultant Location
Blackline Toronto, Canada
Client First California/Illinois/Texas/North Carolina
Berry Dunn Portland, Maine
SDI Los Angeles, California
Third Wave Los Angeles, California
GTG Turlock, California
Moss Adams Irvine, California
Avero Scottsdale, Arizona/ Maryville, Tennessee
The proposals were reviewed and evaluated by IT and Administrative Services Director.
We evaluated each vendor based on methodology, experience, and ability to respond to issues followed by price.
The top three ranking proposals are below:
Consultant Ranking (1 Highest) Service Cost
Client First 1 $ 78,880
SDI 2 $ 99,160
Berry Dunn 3 $ 90,960
Staff ranked Client First as the highest rank. Client First's RFP documentation was thorough and very impressive. Client First is adept at educating and building consensus among staff members, departmental leadership, senior management, and elected officials. They are certified in multiple technologies and have been assisting local governments with innovative technology solutions for 18 years. Their approach is to assess the current environment, review alternatives, and provide the city with specific recommendations and supporting documentation regrading strategy and tactical implementation. Client First's focus is local government and municipal organizations.
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Their experience includes over 3,000 projects for more than 500 local government agencies. In the Coachella Valley, they provided consulting services for City of Palm Desert and City of Rancho Mirage.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Approving the contract to Client First Technology Consulting will require a General Fund Budget Amendment in the amount of $ $86,768.
ATTACHMENTS:
Cathedral City Form Services Agreement - Client First
Client First Proposal