PURPOSE
The purpose of this procedure is to establish the difference between Project Specific contracts and Pre-Qualified On-Call contracts and when it is appropriate to use each type.
REFERENCES
N/A
RESPONSIBILITIES
Project Manager (PM): The PM is responsible for making a recommendation to the Program Manager to use a Project Specific contract or an existing Pre-Qualified On-Call (PQOC) Consultant List.
Program Manager: The Program Manager will consider the PM’s recommendation and secure the City Engineer’s approval.
Project Award and Control Division (PAC): This group is responsible for maintaining the PQOC Consultant Lists on the Bureau’s Internet through Task Order input to the Personal Services Computer System (PSCS).
PROCEDURE
In some instances, a consulting contract will be procured and negotiated to provide a specific set of services on a specific, pre-identified project. This form of contract, known as Project Specific, is used with the traditional way that services are procured. The contracts are structured accordingly.
However, over the past several years, the most common method of procuring services and structuring contracts is known as the Pre-Qualified On-Call (PQOC) contracting method. In this situation, multiple firms are chosen as being pre-qualified to do a certain type of work and "stand-by" contracts are put in place with each of them. When a PQOC contract is executed, one or more of the pre-qualified firms are issued a "Task Order" for a specific project.
Project-Specific Contracts
Generally, this type of contract is used when the project:
Is identified in advance
Has a sufficiently long schedule to allow the Consultant procurement to go through the Request for Proposals (RFP) process
Is not a part of a large number of similar projects to be completed around the same time
Is a large project that requires procurement based on the specific details of that project
In the past, most completed projects in the Bureau have been on this type of contract. The RFP is prepared which describes the specific project and scope of services. A single firm is selected and negotiations and contract form are then based on the specific, pre-identified project and scope of services. It is time consuming, taking from 12 to 18 months to complete (see Procedure 6.4). A standard RFP can be obtained from PAC.
PQOC Contracts
Generally, this type of contract is used when the project:
Fits within the scope of work that can be executed through an existing PQOC Consultants List
Is a smaller project that does not warrant the effort of specific contract procurement
Is of great urgency (although it may be large) and fits within the technical scope of an existing PQOC Consultants List
Is a part of a large program with many similar projects and the time it takes to put a special PQOC Consultant List in place is justified because it is then much quicker to assign Task Orders to firms and have them start their work
Today, much of the Bureau's contracting activity is on projects that fit this description, and therefore, PQOC contracts are used for much of the Bureau's consulting services. The advantage of PQOC contracts is that once the list has been established after going through the RFQ process, it is comparatively quick and easy to negotiate the specific scope, schedule and compensation terms of a Task Order with a firm from the established list.
On large programs with repetitive types of projects (such as the Fire Facilities and Animal Shelter Bond), this type of contract is generally preferred because it reduces the overall length of time and effort that it takes to hire the needed consulting firms.
In the case of smaller projects and services, it is the current policy of the Bureau to maintain the availability of PQOC Consultant Lists to serve as "back-up" to City staff when projects quickly arise and existing staff is already fully allocated to other projects. When the Mayor and Council fund a project for rapid delivery, the Bureau should not have to stop work on other scheduled funded projects because the necessary resources are not available. It is the Bureau's goal to always be able to say we'll do the project, either with the Bureau’s forces or through the use of an existing PQOC Consultant managed by the Bureau. Currently, active contracts are all listed in the PSCS monthly report (City Staff only) and a complete list of PQOC Consultants is maintained by the PAC and is available on the Bureau's Internet site.
As of the publishing date of this Procedure, PQOC Consultant Lists exist for the following types of services:
Geotechnical, Engineering Geology and Environmental Exploration Services, including Hazardous Material Studies and Environmental Site Assessments
Environmental Documentation Services (EIRs, negative declarations, etc.) and Special Studies (archaeology, paleontology, historic preservation, etc.)
Real Estate Services including Appraisals and Right-of-Ways
Civil Design Services, including Street and Storm Drain Design and Development Services
Bridge Design Services
Wastewater Design Services
Architectural Design Services, including Landscape, Structural, Mechanical and Electrical
Fire Station Design Services (Bond Program)
Animal Shelter Design Services (Bond Program)
Police and related Public Safety Design Services (Bond Program)
The Use of the Pre-Qualified On-Call (PQOC) Consultant Lists Procedures (Attachment 6.2-1) details the procedures to be followed in order to use these lists. In simplified terms, a Task Order Solicitation (TOS) Approval / Revision Form must be approved by the Program Manager, Administration Division, Deputy City Engineer and the City Engineer. For emergency situations where the estimated cost of the Task Order exceeds $100,000, the Bureau's Liaison Board Commissioner must be briefed prior to the distribution of the TOS to the firms on the PQOC list. Task Order proposals are received from the PQOC Consultants; the proposals are evaluated; and a PQOC Consultant is selected who will be able to provide the proposed services for the best value to the City. Finally, if the TOS exceeds $100,000, a Board Report is prepared and the Board of Public Works must authorize the City Engineer to issue the Notice to Proceed after selection and negotiation. The forms necessary to document the selection and negotiation process for issuing a Task must be recorded using the Record of Selection and Negotiations package (City Staff only) available from the Forms Library. This procedure is discussed in more detail in Procedure 6.13 – Using the Pre-Qualified OnCall Consultant Lists.
RELATED PROCEDURES
LINKS
Pre-Qualified On-Call (PQOC) Consultant Lists (City Staff only) – Lists of the active PQOC Consultant Contracts are available on the BOE website. Also, copies of existing personal services contracts are available from the Contracts Section of PAC
Personal Services Contract System (PSCS) – Information on the existing personal services contracts is contained in the PSCS report published regularly by PAC. The most recent copy of the PSCS report is available on the Bureau’s Intranet at: https://eng.insidela.org/pscs2/intranet_reports.cfm (City Staff only)
Record of Selection and Negotiations package (City Staff only)
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