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Council approves preapproved IT project-management contracts; 14 firms named
Summary
The City Council approved a list of 14 preapproved vendors for IT project management services after an explanation from the Information Technology Agency. Council members raised questions about local preference and minority-business criteria. Vote: 13–0.
The Los Angeles City Council on Feb. 4 approved a preapproved contract listing that creates a pool of vendors for project management services for city information-technology projects, the Information Technology Agency said on the floor.
Jesse Wuaros, identified in the meeting as the general manager of the Information Technology Agency, told council members that 23 firms applied to the RFP and 14 were selected after an evaluation that included staff from the CAO and ITA. "Of the 23 that applied, 14 contracts which are listed in your package, were accepted," Wuaros said.
Wuaros said the list does not obligate the city to use any firm but provides an expeditious mechanism to hire qualified project managers at competitive prices.
Council member Holden asked why some firms were out-of-state and whether the city prioritized local companies and increasing minority-business participation. "Why can't we just stick with the locals?" Holden asked, and pressed whether affirmative-action or local-preference policies were applied during selection.
Wuaros replied that the RFP was open to firms nationwide, that respondents were evaluated by the committee, and that the evaluation included minority-business/DBE criteria. "They went through a vigorous evaluation, and they had to meet a number of criteria, which includes the minority business ... criteria," Wuaros said.
The council approved the preapproved contract list on a roll call of 13 ayes. The item was presented as a services-contracts pool for the ITA's project-management program and will allow departments to call on qualified managers without separate competitive procurements in each case.
Why it matters: Creating an approved pool speeds hiring of project managers for IT projects citywide. Council members seek assurances that local firms and minority businesses receive appropriate consideration in city contracting.
Next steps: Departments will be able to engage firms from the approved list for project management services under the terms set by the contracts; council members indicated they would follow up with staff on local-hiring and contracting preferences.
