TITLE
Recommendation to receive and file Contract No. 35791, with Akido Labs, Inc., of Los Angeles, CA, to design, build, test, deploy, host, and maintain an Integrated System of Care solution for the Department of Health and Human Services, in the amount of $463,540, for a term ending December 27, 2021, made pursuant to Chapters 2.69 and 2.85 of the Long Beach Municipal Code (LBMC) and in response to the proclaimed emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and
Authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute all documents necessary to amend Contract No. 35791 with Akido Labs, Inc., of Los Angeles, CA, to design, build, test, deploy, host, and maintain an Integrated System of Care solution and provide associated electronic devices for the Department of Health and Human Services, to increase the contract amount by $98,602, for a revised contract amount not to exceed $562,142. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
City Council approval is requested to amend Contract No. 35791 with Akido Labs, Inc. (Akido), to increase the contract amount by $98,602, for a new contract amount of $562.142, to design, build, test, deploy, host, and maintain an Integrated System of Care solution (ISC solution) for the Department of Health and Human Services (Health), and to expand the scope to include the purchase and management of associated electronic devices.
The ISC solution is a technology platform and work process that will support Health’s efforts to reduce its response times and more reliably connect individuals with supportive services within Health, based on public health, social, and economic demographic information. Additionally, the ISC strengthens Health’s COVID-19 response. Akido is in the process of designing, customizing, testing, deploying, hosting, and maintaining an ISC solution, in collaboration with Health and Technology and Innovation Departments staff. The ISC solution will standardize and streamline the intake process across Health programs, facilitate information sharing within Health, increase program utilization via referrals, interface with internal and external databases as needed, and enable aggregated reporting at a department-wide level. The ISC solution will include standardized intake, electronic health risk assessment/screening survey to determine an individual’s need for services and vulnerability related to the risk of COVID-19; program eligibility determination based on a participant’s intake and screening responses; referrals; and case management.
Additional funding is needed to purchase and manage electronic devices that allow clients to complete intake, program-specific questions, and health screening surveys themselves, instead of requiring Health staff to discuss and record client responses. These devices and their maintenance were not included in the original proposal; however, intake and health screening is a core functionality of the ISC solution, and by removing the dependency on staff members, the adoption and quality of data can be increased in the ISC.
On March 10, 2020, the City Council recognized that an emergency existed and unanimously passed a Resolution ratifying the City Manager's Proclamation of a Local Emergency and the Public Health Officer's Declaration of Local Health Emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pursuant to LBMC Chapter 2.69 and 2.85, the City Manager has the authority to approve purchases of up to $1,000,000 for goods or services related to a proclaimed emergency. On July 14, 2020, the City Council designated the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, to be considered as a part of the proclaimed emergency with respect to requests for procurement and contracting. This project is funded in part by CARES Act resources and an appropriate expedited procurement process, RFP HE20-065, was completed to select and award a contract to Akido. The initial contract in the amount of $463,540, was awarded within the City Manager’s authority, per LBMC Chapter 2.85.
The original Request for Proposals (RFP) was advertised in the Long Beach Press-Telegram on July 28, 2020, and 648 potential proposers specializing in Integrated System of Care IT Projects were notified of the RFP opportunity. Of those proposers, 77 downloaded the RFP via the City’s electronic bid system. The RFP document was made available from the Purchasing Division, located on the sixth floor of City Hall, and the Division’s website at www.longbeach.gov/purchasing. An RFP announcement was also included in the Purchasing Division’s weekly update of Open Bid Opportunities, which is sent to 35 local, minority-owned, and women-owned business groups. There were 22 proposals received on September 11, 2020. Of those 22 proposers, 1 was Minority-owned Business Enterprise (MBE), none were Women-owned Business Enterprises (WBEs), 2 were certified Small Business Enterprises (SBEs), and none were Long Beach vendors (Local). The selection committee determined that Akido Labs, Inc., of Los Angeles, CA (SBE), was the most qualified firm to provide the services.
Local Business Outreach
To align with the City’s outreach goal, Long Beach businesses are encouraged to submit proposals for City contracts. The Purchasing Division also assists businesses with registering on the PlanetBids database to download RFP specifications. Through outreach, 13 Long Beach vendors were notified to submit proposals, of which none downloaded or submitted a proposal. The Purchasing Division is committed to continuing to perform outreach to local vendors to expand the bidder pool.
This matter was reviewed by Deputy City Attorney Erin Weesner-McKinely on June 24, 2021, Business Services Bureau Manager Tara Mortensen on June 9, 2021, by and Budget Analysis Officer Gregory Sorensen on June 22, 2021.
EQUITY STATEMENT
The Integrated System of Care (ICS) incorporates recommended strategies from the City’s Equity Toolkit, as directed by the City Council on April 21, 2020. The program will allow for consideration of the diverse needs of the community by integrating services for greater support of those populations that are harder to reach, and will also enable the Health Department to address the disproportionate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic with culturally relevant approaches and services. The ICS will identify gaps and inequities in the City’s current services, and will use the demographic data collected to help understand barriers to health care. The new software platform will allow staff to review the level of access to services/benefits, any barriers to participation, reasons for unequal access, and approaches to address inequities, as well as evaluating the level of consistency and quality of existing services.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
City Council action to amend Contract No. 35791 is requested on July 13, 2021, to ensure that devices can be purchased expeditiously so the ISC can be fully implemented in a timely manner.
FISCAL IMPACT
The requested action increases the contract amount by $98,602, for a new revised total not to exceed $562,142. The increase will be funded by the new COVID-19 Health Disparities Grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The amount is currently budgeted in the Health Fund Group in the Health and Human Services Department. This recommendation has minimal staffing impact beyond the normal budgeted scope of duties for staff currently working on COVID-19 response and is consistent with existing City Council priorities. There is no local job impact associated with this recommendation.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
KELLY COLOPY
DIRECTOR
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
APPROVED:
THOMAS B. MODICA
CITY MANAGER