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2 Key State Agencies Seek IT Consultant to Assess Systems

The state Employment Development Department, in collaboration with the Labor and Workforce Development Agency, seeks a contractor to assess business systems and recommend a future-leaning “technology platform.”

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Two go-to state entities for residents with employment questions during the COVID-19 pandemic are seeking an IT consultant to examine their systems.

In a Request for Offer (RFO) released Monday, the Employment Development Department (EDD) in collaboration with the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency (LWDA) — its umbrella agency — seeks “the professional services of a technical contractor to assess current business systems supporting specific workforce programs within the LWDA and to make recommendations on a future platform that can span the various LWDA organizations.” Further, EDD’s Information Technology Branch (ITB) “seeks a team with experience and knowledge of the process” to perform assorted tasks and deliverables. Among the takeaways:

  • Respondents must have a current IT Consulting Services California Multiple Award Schedule (CMAS) contract from the California Department of General Services (DGS). Suggested CMAS services resource classifications for this initiative are two principle analysis/project coordinators. An award will be made based on the “best value” evaluation method — but this RFO doesn’t represent a commitment from EDD to make an award. For this RFO, Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE) Participation requirements are waived.
  • With this RFO, LWDA “intends to assess the current technology systems and the associated business processes supporting specific workforce programs” at the agency. The consultants hired shall do “activities and tasks” linked to “assessment of the business systems for the EDD Workforce Services Branch, the Department of Industrial Relations’ (DIR) Division of Apprenticeship Standards, the Employment Training Panel (ETP), and the California Workforce Development Board (CWDB).” The consultants shall also do an assessment and recommendations on how the local workforce services board “will leverage the system to submit state and federal required data and conduct local business,” including expanding its services to “related organizations.” The successful candidate will work under the direction of LWDA’s Agency Information Officer George Okamoto and its Deputy Secretary for Future of Work Abby Snay along with other state managers and staffers.
  • The RFO’s objective is “to advance the alignment of technology and data systems across programs to enhance service delivery to state and local partners, job seekers, and employers.” Its focus will be developing recommendations for “a technical platform that can support a range of applications and business functions,” and leveraging “common database structures.” That new platform needs to be “dynamic” and “easily maintained,” officials wrote, noting: “The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected the employment opportunities for individuals and companies, emphasizing the need for a technology solution that is easily adaptable to the ever-changing and complex issues impacting California’s citizens and business, and state and local agencies.”
  • The consultant will oversee a team of state staff and management from various organizations. Deliverables will include an assessment of “existing environments, applications and database structures by business entity”; an assessment and recommendation on “a technology platform that can support incremental rollout and long-term currency of technology”; an enterprise database structure capable of scanning LWDA’s organizations; a road map for the future and a phase-in approach to migrate “the workforce organization to the recommended platform”; and supporting California Department of Technology (CDT) Project Approval Lifecycle (PAL) submittals for Stage 1 and 2.
    “The vision is to move toward a enterprise platform that can be procured on a state leverage procurement vehicle,” the RFO said. “Integration services that will be needed to configure the platform and incrementally roll out the applications will also be acquired via a leveraged procurement(s).” If direction changes during this assessment, a Request for Proposal (RFP) “will be pursued but will be beyond the scope of this effort.”
  • The “anticipated funding limit” for the contract, based upon market research and including any amendments, is $550,000. The one-year contract is expected to start Feb. 15 or on final approval. The state has the option to extend it once for up to one year “for the purposes of completing all deliverables listed in the original contract.” Questions are due by 2 p.m. Jan. 11, and EDD’s response will come Jan. 15. Offers are due by 2 p.m. Jan. 22 and will be evaluated Jan. 25-27. Interviews are likely to happen Feb. 5, with the contract award announced Feb. 12.
Theo Douglas is Assistant Managing Editor of Industry Insider — California.