EAST PALO ALTO
CITY COUNCIL
STAFF REPORT
DATE: September 5, 2023
TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
VIA: Melvin E. Gaines, City Manager
BY: Ana Maria Torres, Human Resources Manager
Greg Henry, Senior Management Analyst
SUBJECT: Award Agreements with Regional Government Services (RGS), Muchmore than Consulting, LLC, and CPS HR Consulting for Human Resources Support Recommendation
Adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager to award, negotiate, and execute agreements with Regional Government Services (RGS), Muchmore than Consulting, LLC, and CPS HR Consulting for as-needed Human Resources Support, in a form approved by the City Attorney, for all three (3) vendors sharing a total not-to-exceed amount of $200,000 and a term through June 30, 2024, with two annual extensions at the City Manager’s discretion.
Alignment with City Council Strategic Plan
This recommendation is primarily aligned with:
· Ensure our financial and organizational health
Background
HR is running multiple programs that exceed the current staffing capacity in terms of scope and expertise. Hiring HR support services allows the City to quickly boost capacity to run such programs. It also presents a compelling opportunity to significantly enhance operational efficiency within our City. By delegating specialized HR tasks to external experts, we open the door to a vast pool of knowledge and experience, all without straining our internal resources dedicated to core business functions. This strategic approach ensures careful handling of crucial HR activities which will potentially minimize the chances of errors and costly delays.
Moreover, the decision to outsource HR services provides us with access to cutting-edge technology and streamlined processes, translating to quicker task completion and stronger data management. Adopting this approach empowers our City to focus on strategic initiatives and core strengths, fostering an environment of heightened efficiency and improved productivity.
The City’s Human Resource Division support services currently identified are:
Leveraging the complex skill sets, knowledge domains, and the ever-evolving availability of our existing and prospective HR personnel, it is clear that bridging potential gaps requires the engagement of specialized contracted experts. In pursuit of this strategy, the City's vision culminates in the curation of a select pool of firms, not to exceed $200,000 annually. This approach aims to proactively address staffing exigencies through a diversified network of contracted entities, ensuring an immediate fulfillment of any support requisites that may arise.
On August 3, 2023, the City took a decisive step forward by issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the provision of HR support services. This step underscores the City's unwavering commitment to optimizing its operational agility.
Proposals were due August 18, 2023. The City received three proposals, all of which met the minimum conditions for review.
Analysis
Staff is proposing all three of the following firms for Council approval: Regional Government Services (RGS), Muchmore than Consulting, LLC, and CPS HR Consulting.
Given the overarching capacity of all three firms to adequately address the comprehensive needs of the City, it became evident that an integrated approach was needed, which took into consideration each firm’s capacity and strengths at time of project assignment. To ensure seamless access and swift fulfillment of these services, the strategy allows HR to submit work requests to all three firms. This dynamic arrangement permits the distribution of tasks across the firms on a per-project basis, a practice that aligns perfectly with the fluid requirements of the City.
Fiscal Impact
For this Fiscal Year, this item does not require additional appropriation as it was included in the HR budget.
Public Notice
The public was provided notice by making the agenda and report available on the City’s website and on a bulletin board located at City Hall: 2415 University Avenue, East Palo Alto.
Environmental
The proposed action does not constitute a “project” with the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines sections 15378(b)(4) and (5) in that it is a governmental fiscal, organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect changes in the environment.
Attachments
1. reso Award HR Support Contracts