COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder

DATE:

February 10, 2003

BOARD MEETING DATE:

February 25, 2003

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

FROM:

Warren Slocum, Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder

SUBJECT:

Waiver of RFP and Agreement with Deloitte & Touche, LLP ($160,000)

Recommendation

Approve a waiver of the Request for Proposal Process and authorize the execution of a consulting agreement with Deloitte & Touche, LLP, for a period commencing February 4, 2003 and ending upon completion, on or about June 30, 2003, in an amount not to exceed $160,000.

Background

Beginning in February 2001, Deloitte & Touche, LLP (Deloitte) has very ably assisted this Department by developing an electronic document management strategy and implementing a successful electronic recording pilot project. We are now preparing to move forward on several fronts to expand and enhance our e-government processes for internal and external customers. ISD has developed certain e-government infrastructure and security standards and acquired various enterprise-wide technology tools that we can leverage to great effect in this effort.

Discussion

The proposed agreement specifies seven targeted e-government development tasks to which Deloitte will lend assistance: (1) expansion of electronic recording services to additional government customers; (2) implementation of our new SouthTech document management system; (3) assessment of optimal integration of GIS technology with Assessor's mapping and change-in-ownership processes; (4) assessment of optimal integration of ISD's e-government assets; (5) assessment of available voting systems; (6) assessment of best practices for compliance with new laws regarding confidentiality of vital records; and (7) implementation plan for our e-document strategy in the Assessor Division, including e-filing tools.

To ensure conformity with County technology policies and standards, Information Services Department has reviewed this agreement and approved it without reservation. We will continue to confer with ISD throughout the course of performance.

We have provided for flexibility throughout the term of the agreement regarding the tasks to be targeted at any given time, based on regularly scheduled meetings that will identify current priorities and issues. Deloitte will assign the same highly expert and dedicated project leaders with whom we have collaborated so effectively in the past. They know our systems and processes and our unique blueprint for e-government development.

We believe a waiver of the Request for Proposal process would be in County's best interest because Deloitte is well qualified to undertake these projects and is quite familiar with County policies and standards, having performed a number of projects for various departments in the past eleven years. In 2001, Deloitte completed a detailed, enterprise-wide study of our document handling processes and developed a plan for converting to and managing electronic documents. In 2002, Deloitte was a vital player in our successful development and implementation of an electronic recording system and related statewide technical standards. The proposed agreement calls for further development in these two areas, as well as assessment, strategic planning and/or implementation support of integrated enhancements to core business systems and processes. In short, Deloitte's technical and project management expertise and operational understanding of our business and security requirements uniquely qualifies them to provide these vital services at less cost and greater efficiency than other potential vendors.

The County Manager has approved the modification of the standard enforcement provisions of the agreement's non-discrimination clauses, limiting the reporting/disclosure requirement to violations occurring within California. Deloitte has declared itself to be in compliance with the equal benefits ordinance.

Standard agreement language has also been supplemented with Deloitte's custom provisions to protect its intellectual property rights and with County's ordinary provision limiting certain damages. This agreement has been reviewed and approved by County Counsel.

Vision Alignment

This agreement keeps County's commitment of "responsive, effective and collaborative government" and serves County's goal of making "government decisions based on careful consideration of future impact rather than rather than temporary relief." These high-yield investments will go far to meet the present and future needs of our stakeholders.

Fiscal Impact

There will be no Net County Cost. Funds have been transferred (ATR Reso. 065742, January 7, 2003) from the Recorder's Modernization Trust Fund.

cc: Chris Flatmoe, Information Services Department