DATE: September 27, 2022
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: City Manager
SUBJECT: Adopt a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Execute an Amendment to the Agreement with Federal Engineering For an Additional $74,500 to Include the Hiring of Subject Matter Expert(s) and Additional Support Staff to Implement Pilot Project Recommendations Not-To-Exceed $187,222
RECOMMENDATION
That Council adopts a resolution (Attachment II) authorizing the City Manager to execute an amendment to the existing professional services agreement with Federal Engineering to expand the scope of work to include ongoing implementation support related to dispatcher hiring and recruitment to support the Hayward Evaluation and Response Team Program and to increase the contract amount by $74,500, not-to-exceed $187,222.
SUMMARY
On May 18, 2021, Council received the recommendations of the Public Safety Policy Innovation Workshop for nine pilot projects, authorized a budget allocation to support the projects, and directed staff to begin implementing the pilot projects in FY 2022. One of the nine projects was the creation of the Hayward Evaluation and Response Teams (HEART) program to address more appropriate response models for calls related to behavioral health (including substance abuse, mental illness, and homelessness).
One significant project identified was to complete a Dispatch Needs Assessment and Capacity Improvement Plan to support new public safety projects and initiatives. In October 2021, the City entered into agreement with Federal Engineering to conduct a Communications Center Needs Assessment and develop a five-year strategic plan. Following the final report from the Federal Engineering consultants (which will be presented to Council in November), staff initiated an analysis of dispatcher hiring and recruitment processes and requested additional subject matter expert support.
Staff recommends Council authorize an amendment to the existing agreement with Federal Engineering for a total amount not to exceed $187,222 to include ongoing pre-implementation support. The proposed amendment will broaden the scope of Federal Engineering’s work to include ongoing process improvement and change management support. The amendment is for time and materials in the interim to continue moving the project forward pending the final presentation of FE’s recommendations. The project’s scope of work is based on time and materials up to $74,500 to be appropriated from the General Fund.
BACKGROUND
On May 18, 2021, recommendations from the Public Safety Policy Innovation Workshop were presented to the City Council. The recommendations proposed nine pilot projects, including a Dispatch Needs Assessment & Capacity Improvement Plan and the creation of the Hayward Evaluation and Response Teams (HEART) program—a pilot program to develop alternative response models for calls related to behavioral health (including substance abuse, mental illness, and homelessness). At the May 18 meeting, Council allocated funding to support the projects, and directed staff to begin implementing the pilot projects in FY 2022.
In October 2021, the City entered into an agreement for $65,000 with Federal Engineering to conduct the Dispatch Needs Assessment and develop a five-year strategic plan. This assessment is complete, and staff will be bringing the recommendations to Council in November.
In addition to the Dispatch Needs Assessment, staff began to identify further barriers in the City’s public safety data systems and data sharing processes as staff worked to roll out the HEART project. These barriers were making it challenging to collect and track data on the HEART pilot. To address these challenges, staff returned to Council on April 19, 2022, to seek approval to expand Federal Engineering’s scope of services to include research and recommendations related to HEART-specific data systems and processes. At that meeting, Council authorized an additional $47,800 to expand Federal Engineering’s work scope, for a total not-to-exceed amount of $112,722.
DISCUSSION
The Dispatch Needs Assessment & Capacity Improvement Plan pilot project, and the HEART program pilot project, are two of the nine proposed pilot projects recommended to the City Council following the Public Safety Policy Innovation Workshop, held in 2021. On May 18, 2021, Council allocated funding to support implementation of these projects, and directed staff to begin implementing the pilot projects in FY 2022.
Before beginning the Dispatch Needs Assessment & Capacity Improvement Plan pilot project, staff used part of the funding allocated by Council, to enter into an Agreement with Federal Engineering, a public safety communications consulting firm, to conduct the Assessment and provide recommendations following the conclusion of the assessment. The contract between the City of Hayward and Federal Engineering was initially for $65,000 and the parties entered into the Agreement in October of 2021.
In the meantime, staff also began working on the HEART program pilot project, which, as noted above, was developed in order to create alternative response models for calls related to behavioral health (including substance abuse, mental illness, and homelessness). As staff at the Hayward Communications Center (HCC) worked to implement the HEART Program, HCC staff noticed barriers in the City’s public safety data systems and data sharing processes, which had not been identified before. These barriers were making it challenging for HCC staff to collect and track data on the HEART pilot. To address these challenges, staff returned to Council on April 19, 2022, to seek approval to expand Federal Engineering’s scope of services (under the already existing contract, signed in October of 2021) to include that Federal Engineering conduct research and provide recommendations related to HEART specific data systems and processes. At that meeting, Council authorized an additional $47,800 to expand Federal Engineering’s scope, for a total not-to-exceed amount of $112,722.
Federal Engineering completed its research and recommendations related to the Dispatch Needs Assessment & Capacity Improvement Plan project and the HEART program project during the summer of 2022. Now that staff has begun to implement Federal Engineering’s recommendations, staff has identified further barriers to staff’s ability to implement the recommendations, including a lack of staff expertise in the use of the integrated data systems and a general lack of staff to assist with implementation, as more specifically detailed below. As such, staff is now returning to Council to request that the contract with Federal Engineering be amended a second time, to expand the scope of Federal Engineering’s work with the City to include the hiring of implementation team support from Federal Engineering, to assist with the implementation of the recommendations. Staff is requesting an additional $74,500 to support those efforts, bringing the total amount of the contract not to exceed $187,222.
Based on the above, staff is proposing an expanded scope of work for Federal Engineering, which would include onsite and remote support to implement immediate changes in the recruitment, vetting, testing, and hiring process and to plan for long-term staffing strategies for the HCC. New industry standards use technology to improve evaluation methods for candidates, setting testing standards, initial hiring, and retention.
In addition to support with recruiting and hiring for the HCC, the proposed expanded scope of work includes the hiring of subject matter expert(s) to help staff evaluate the cost and feasibility of the recommendations from the Dispatch Needs Assessment & Capacity Improvement Plan pilot project. The recommendations require time-intensive process improvements, and the impacted departments do not have the staff capacity to evaluate or implement these improvements without outside support. Federal Engineering has identified subject matter experts and coordinated a team that will assist with dispatch operations and the HEART pilot program.
As such, staff is requesting an additional $74,500 to expand Federal Engineering’s scope, which would increase the total not-to-exceed amount for the contract to $187,222 to include ongoing pre-implementation support. This funding would be appropriated from the General Fund.
Staff will return to Council in November 2022 to present recommendations from the completed Dispatch Needs Assessment and Capacity Improvement Plan.
Additional funds may be requested from Council to support the recommendations from Federal Engineering’s report.
STRATEGIC ROADMAP
This agenda item supports the Strategic Priority of Support Quality of Life. Specifically, this item relates to the development and implementation of the following projects:
Project Q5, Part 5.c: Community Safety Public Engagement and Policy Innovation Workshop Pilots/Projects; Implement Dispatch Needs Assessment and Capacity
FISCAL IMPACT
The current estimated costs for the Communications/Dispatch Needs Assessment and Capacity Improvement Project are as follows:
Federal Engineering Scope of Work
Amount
Initial Dispatch Needs Assessment Services
$64,922
HEART Program Data Workflow Planning
$47,800
Pre-Implementation Support
$74,500
Total Amended Agreement (recommended)
$187,222
The proposed amendment to the professional services agreement with Federal Engineering will increase the contract amount by $74,500. An increase in budget appropriation from General Fund reserves is required to amend the existing contract with Federal Engineering. The actual recommendations stemming from the report will also require additional funding and this will be presented to Council in November 2022.
NEXT STEPS
If this item is approved, staff will amend the professional services agreement and increase the contract amount by $74,500, for a total not-to-exceed $187,222. Staff will return to Council in November 2022 to present recommendations from the completed Dispatch Needs Assessment and Capacity Improvement Plan.
Prepared by: Shanalee Gallagher, Management Analyst
Approved by:
_________________________________
Kelly McAdoo, City Manager
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