DEPARTMENT: Human Services
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Melody Woosley
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
The University of Texas at San Antonio Interlocal Agreement and the Head Start Policy Council Bylaws and Impasse Procedure
SUMMARY:
The Department of Human Services (DHS) requests approval of the following:
a) Authorization to execute an Interlocal Agreement with The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) to provide a comprehensive community assessment with four annual updates for the City of San Antonio Head Start Program. The contract will commence on February 1, 2020 and terminate January 31, 2025, for a total contract value not to exceed $69,132.00; and
b) Updates to the Head Start Policy Council (HSPC) Bylaws and the Program Impasse Procedures.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The City of San Antonio Head Start Program (Program) is a federally-funded program administered by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The Program is comprised of the Department of Human Services Head Start (DHS Head Start) and the Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership (DHS EHS-CCP) programs and focuses on the organization and development of the next generation of leaders in our inner city communities and it encourages our future leaders to advance throughout their educational careers. The Program serves children at or below the federal poverty line and prioritizes the most vulnerable children, including those with disabilities, experiencing homelessness, and in the foster care system. The Program’s mission is to prepare children and engage families for school readiness and lifelong success. A comprehensive services approach positively impacts families and holistically addresses the needs of children, therefore, the Program contracts with the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District for dental services, and University of the Incarnate Word for health services
DHS Head Start provides early childhood education, family support, and comprehensive support services to eligible children between the ages of six weeks and five years, and their families. DHS Head Start is unique in that the collaboration between the City of San Antonio, San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD) and Edgewood Independent School District (EISD) was developed with the intent of targeting inner city school systems that provide a window into the future of our state and nation. DHS Head Start serves a total of 3,020 children: 777 children in the EISD and 2,243 children in the SAISD, and contracts with EISD and SAISD for the provision of educational and disability services.
DHS EHS-CCP provides early childhood education and development for low-income families with infants and toddlers (ages 6 weeks to 35 months). DHS EHS-CCP partners with six non-profit child care centers located in the SAISD and EISD areas to expand access to high-quality comprehensive services for over 200 low-income infants and toddlers and their families
The City of San Antonio’s commitment to early childhood education is clear as the community has made an investment to young children and their families through local funding of the PreK4SA initiative. The Program is at the fore front of initiatives to remove barriers to equity and plays a vital role in this discussion as City Council governs the Program alongside the parent-run Policy Council.
Under Federal grant requirements 45 CFR 1302.11, all Head Start and EHS-CCP programs are required to conduct a community assessment at least once within the five year project period. Head Start and EHS-CCP programs must annually review and update the community assessment to reflect any significant changes in the community.
As a result, the City’s Head Start Division published a Request for Proposal (RFP) for organizations with community assessment expertise to conduct and complete a comprehensive assessment with four annual updates. An RFP for the Program Community Assessment Report was issued on June 28, 2019, and responses were due on July 29, 2019. The RFP was advertised in the San Antonio Express-News, TVSA channel, San Antonio e-Procurement System, and an email notification was released to a list of potential Respondents identified by DHS-Head Start Division. Additionally, the RFP was posted to the City’s Bidding and Contracting Opportunities website. Two proposal responses were received and both were deemed eligible for review.
The proposals were reviewed by the Evaluation Committee which included representatives from the City’s Department of Human Services, AVANCE, San Antonio Independent School District, San Antonio Metro Health District, and SA2020 Commission on Education. The evaluation committee met on September 11, 2019 to evaluate the two proposals received. Proposals were evaluated and scored based on the published evaluation criteria in the RFP, which included: (30) points for Experience, Background, and Qualifications, (25) points for Proposed Plan and (20) points for Price, (10) points for the Small Business Enterprise Prime Contract Program, (10) points for the Minority/Women Business Enterprise Prime Contract Program, and (5) preference points for the Veteran-Owned Small Business Preference Program.
After all discussions and scoring were completed by the evaluation committee, the highest ranked firm, UTSA was selected award recommendation to provide a full comprehensive community assessment with four annual updates.
The term of the agreement, once approved by Council, will begin on February 1, 2020 through January 31, 2025 for a total contract value not to exceed $69,132.00.
The Head Start Act outlines the requirements the responsibility for the City Council as the governing body. The Program updated the Policy Council Bylaws and the Impasse Procedures to be compliant with the recently-updated Head Start Program Performance Standards. Attached are redline copies to provide information on the changes made. The Head Start Policy Council approved the updated Bylaws and Impasse Procedures on November 19, 2019
ISSUE:
This Ordinance authorizes the execution of an Interlocal Agreement with UTSA to conduct and provide a full comprehensive community assessment with four annual updates for the Head Start and EHS-CCP Program with a total contract value not to exceed $69,132.00.
Selection of the recommended contractor, UTSA, will fulfill the City of San Antonio’s obligation as a Head Start Program Grantee to ensure that the City is in compliance with Federal Head Start grant requirements.
This contract will be awarded in compliance with the Small Business Economic Development Advocacy (SBEDA) Program, which requires contracts be reviewed by a Goal Setting Committee to establish a requirement and/or incentive unique to the particular contract in an effort to maximize the amount of small, minority, and women-owned business participation on the contract. The Goal Setting Committee applied the Small and Minority/ Women-Owned Business Enterprise Prime Contract Program with twenty (20) evaluation preference points. No points awarded to the Prime Contractor.
The Local Preference Program (LPP) was not applicable for this solicitation. The Veteran-Owned Small Business Preference Program was applied in the evaluation of responses received for this contract; however, the highest ranked firm is not a veteran-owned small business.
This Ordinance also approves amendments to the Program’s Policy Council Bylaws and the Program’s Impasse Procedures.
ALTERNATIVES:
Should this Interlocal Agreement not be approved, the Department of Human Services will need to identify another vendor for these services which would result in delaying the community assessment putting the program out of compliance with Federal Head Start grant requirements. Should the Head Start Policy Council Bylaws and Impasse Procedure not be approved, DHS Head Start would be out of compliance with the current Head Start Program Performance Standards.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This ordinance authorizes the execution of an Interlocal Agreement with UTSA for a period of five (5) years commencing February 1, 2020 thru January 31, 2025 for a total contract value not to exceed $69,132.00. Funding is available in the Head Start and EHS-CCP Grant.
There is no fiscal impact to the General Fund.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of an Interlocal Agreement with The University of Texas at San Antonio to conduct and provide a full comprehensive community assessment with four annual updates. Staff also recommends the approval of the updated 2019 DHS Head Start Policy Council Bylaws and Impasse Procedure.
This contract is procured by means of Request for Proposals. The Contract Disclosure Form is attached.