DEPARTMENT: Health
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Dawn Emerick, Ed.D, Director
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
Approving an agreement with Jonathan Luke Meyer for evaluation services related to the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District’s Healthy Start Program in an amount not to exceed $99,996.00, inclusive of three one-year renewals, with an initial term ending March 31, 2021 in an amount not to exceed $24,999.00. Funding for the agreement is provided by the Healthy Start Program Grant.
SUMMARY:
An ordinance authorizing the execution of a professional services an agreement with Jonathan Meyer for the provision of grant evaluation services for the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District’s Healthy Start Program. This agreement is for a total amount not to exceed $99,996.00, inclusive of three one-year renewals, with an initial term ending March 31, 2021 in an amount not to exceed $24,999.00. The term of the proposed agreement begins beginning April 1, 2020 and ending March 31, 2021.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
A Request for Proposal was issued January 22, 2020 to select a contractor to provide program evaluation services related to program performance measures and quality improvement for the San Antonio Healthy Start Program. Program evaluation services are a requirement of the Program funder. Metropolitan Health District’s Healthy Start Program is funded through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Healthy Start Program. The program’s purpose is to engage communities in an effort to reduce infant mortality where rates are over one and a half times the national average through several foundational strategic approaches. These approaches are: to improve women’s health before, during, and after pregnancy, promote quality services, strengthen family resilience, achieve collective impact, and increase accountability through quality improvement, performance monitoring, and evaluation. To conduct quality improvement, performance monitoring and evaluation with the utmost integrity, it is typical for Healthy Start programs to utilize external evaluators to meet the HRSA strategic approach of increasing accountability. The RFP was advertised in the San Antonio Express-News, TVSA channel, the City’s Bidding & Contracting Opportunities website, and an email notification was released to a list of potential Respondents. Responses were due on February 20, 2020 and a total of three (3) firms responded to the RFP and were deemed eligible for review.
On March 20, 2020, the proposals were reviewed by the selection committee which included representatives from the Metropolitan Health District. Proposals were evaluated and score based on Experience, Background, and Qualifications (35 points); Proposed Plan (30 points); Price (20 points); the Emerging Small and Minority/ Women-Owned Business Enterprise Prime Contract Programs (10 points); and the Veteran-Owned Small Business (VOSB) Preference Program (5 points).
Historically, Metro Health contracted with external evaluators, including Jonathan Meyer, to fulfill requirements related to the strategic approach of increasing accountability. Healthy Start is required to report on its performance twice annually, through a quantitative performance report and a narrative progress report where the work of external evaluators is an essential component. The HRSA Healthy Start Grant is funded through March 31, 2024 and requires Metro Health to secure these continued services to meet grant requirements through the end of the grant period. Through an agreement with Jonathan Meyer, Metro Health’s Healthy Start Program will be able to satisfy HRSA’s strategic approaches and continue its efforts in reducing infant and maternal mortality rates in the San Antonio and Bexar County area.
Through the agreement for evaluation services, the vendor will be expected to do the following: assist with creation of and conduct analysis of Healthy Families Network member survey, assist with creation of and conduct analysis of Healthy Start Participant survey, conduct and analyze key informant interviews with maternal-child health stakeholders, participate in workgroup meetings and activities as a member of the Healthy Families Network data workgroup, and participate in meetings and Quality Improvement projects as a member of the Healthy Start Quality Improvement (QI) workgroup.
ISSUE:
Metro Health is requesting approval of the agreement with Jonathan Meyer to provide evaluation, monitoring and quality improvement services for the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District’s Healthy Start Program. The HRSA Healthy Start Program’s quality improvement, performance monitoring and evaluation strategy improves the accountability and integrity of Metro Health’s Healthy Start program by contracting with external evaluators.
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 Emerging Small and Minority/ Women-Owned Business Enterprise Prime Contract Program with 10 evaluation preference points. Jonathan Meyer did not receive preference points.
Due to federal regulations, the recommended award is an exception to the Local Preference Program. The Veteran-Owned Small Business Preference Program was applied in the evaluation of responses received for this contract; however, the top ranked firm is not a veteran-owned small business.
ALTERNATIVES:
Should this agreement not be authorized, Metro Health will not be able to meet the evaluation requirements of the HRSA Healthy Start Program Grant funding. The Healthy Start Program would need to identify other professionals in the community that can provide similar services to the Healthy Start Program.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This ordinance authorizes an agreement with Jonathan Luke Meyer for evaluation services related to the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District’s Healthy Start Program in an amount not to exceed $24,999.00 for a period ending March 31, 2021, with the option to renew for three, one year terms for a total amount of $99,996.00 inclusive of renewals. Funding for the agreement is provided by the Healthy Start Program Grant.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of the ordinance to execute an agreement with Jonathan Meyer to provide evaluation, monitoring and quality improvement services for the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District’s Healthy Start Program. Authorization of this ordinance will allow Metro Health to move forward with meeting the requirements set forth by the HRSA Healthy Start Program Grant for one (1) year term with three (3) one year renewal terms.
This contract was procured by means of a Request of Proposals and a Contract Disclosure Form is attached.