REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Approve Sole Source Contracts for Adult and Youth Workforce Development Services in San Mateo County
Report
BACKGROUND
NOVA contracts out adult and youth workforce development services in San Mateo County, under the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). It currently contracts with the Central Labor Council Partnership (CLCP) for adult services and with JobTrain for youth services. NOVA has been approved by the State to directly provide adult and youth services at the Sunnyvale Job Center.
CLCP provides career services to adult job seekers at the San Mateo Job Center. Services include assessment, career advising and individualized employment planning, training, online job board and career navigation workshops that support a customer-driven model. JobTrain provides youth services at its Menlo Park center to primarily out-of-school youth, ages 16 to 24. Services include assessment and case management, guidance toward secondary school diploma or equivalent, preparation for postsecondary education and training, and connections with prospective employers.
The adult and youth services in San Mateo County are competitively procured and were last procured in 2017. At that time, contracts were awarded to CLCP and the San Mateo County Community College District (SMCCCD) for adult services and to JobTrain for youth services. The City Council approved the adult and youth services contracts at its June 20, 2017 meeting (RTC No. 17-0536 for adult services, RTC No. 17-0507 for youth services). Contracts were for one year with the option to renew up to three additional years. Renewal was dependent upon successful performance and available funding. In 2018, the SMCCCD contract was not renewed through mutual agreement due to challenges with launching the program. The CLCP and JobTrain contracts were extended for the allowable three additional years and will expire June 30, 2021.
Pursuant to federal law (29 USCA Section 3122), the City Council is the “chief elected official”, and the “local grant recipient” and “fiscal agent” for NOVA and the Local Workforce Development Board. In filling these functions, City Council’s past practice for contracts exceeding $100,000 has been to approve the award of the contract and authorize the City Manager to execute the contract.
EXISTING POLICY
Council Policy 5.1.1: Socio-Economic - Goals and Policies: Education and Training Goal 5.1F: Provide job training and employment services, within constraints of operative Federal regulations and available Federal funding, to address the locally-determined employment and training needs of economically disadvantaged residents and others with special needs.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a “project” within the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(5) in that it is a governmental, organizational or administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect changes in the environment.
DISCUSSION
In response to COVID-19, NOVA has provided remote services to its customers, capitalizing on technology through videoconferencing and other methods. In addition, workshops were reconfigured for more condensed, streamlined sessions conducive to distance learning. New curriculum was also introduced tailored to job search in a virtual world. This experience has offered new and perhaps better ways of delivering programs that optimize accessibility and greater efficiencies.
As NOVA prepares for in-person services, it will reevaluate its service system to determine the best approach, utilizing lessons learned. This may include a hybrid method of both in-person and virtual services. In addition, the changing customer demographics in a post-COVID-19 economy will need to be considered. This appraisal will take place over the next year and entail experimenting with innovative approaches for operating programs.
The current contracts with CLCP and JobTrain will expire June 30, 2021. Given the time required to reassess future services needed, a competitive procurement cannot be conducted before the current contracts expire. As such, it is recommended that the competitive procurement be postponed for one year. To minimize service disruption, sole source contracts with CLCP and JobTrain will be executed for one year, July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022. There will be no option for renewal. Contract funding will remain the same as previously and include up to $750,000 for CLCP and up to $378,000 for JobTrain. Both providers performed successfully last year and will be required to continue to meet WIOA performance measures. The California Employment Development Department, City Manager and City Attorney have approved this sole source procurement due to public exigency.
At the April 21, 2021 meeting, NOVA Board Executive Committee, on behalf of the full Board, approved sole source procurement of CLCP for adult services. It also approved sole source procurement of JobTrain for youth services.
The CLCP and JobTrain contracts have been attached.
FISCAL IMPACT
The source of funds for the services is WIOA funds. Funds are obligated to programs based only upon appropriations dedicated to NOVA. As such, sufficient WIOA funds will exist to cover all anticipated obligations of day-to-day program operations. If funding is cut, then program services will be accordingly reduced.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made by posting the Council agenda on the City's official-notice bulletin board outside City Hall, Sunnyvale Public Library and Department of Public Safety. In addition, the agenda and report are available at the Office of the City Clerk and on the City's website.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Approve sole source contracts for adult and youth workforce development services and authorized the City Manager to execute agreements with the Central Labor Council Partnership for an amount not to exceed $750,000 and with JobTrain for an amount not to exceed $378,000, both with a term of July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022.
Staff
Prepared by: Eileen Stanly, Analyst
Reviewed by: Kris Stadelman, Director, NOVA Workforce Services
Reviewed by: Jaqui Guzmán, Deputy City Manager
Approved by: Kent Steffens, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. CLCP Contract for Adult Services
2. JobTrain Contract for Youth Services