REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
June 14, 2022
FROM
JOSHUA DUGAS, Director, Department of Public Health
SUBJECT
Title
Revenue Contract with StateFoodSafety.com for Online Food Handler Training and Assessment Program
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Approve revenue contract with StateFoodSafety.com to provide an online food handler training and assessment program for San Bernardino County residents to obtain food handler certifications, for the period of July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2025.
(Presenter: Joshua Dugas, Director, 387-9146)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Provide for the Safety, Health and Social Service Needs of County Residents.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
This item has no impact on Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). A portion of the fees collected will be returned to the County. Based on the estimated number of customers who will participate in the online training, this contract will generate approximately $1,255,770 in revenue for 2022-23. Adequate appropriation and revenue will be included in the Department of Public Health’s (DPH) 2022-23 recommended budget and in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
DPH, through Environmental Health Services (EHS), has offered and administered an accredited food safety certification training program for over 30 years. To comply with Senate Bill 602 (effective in January 2011), EHS elected to offer this program online to make it more accessible to San Bernardino County residents and to keep pace with evolving industry standards and related technology. A food handler card is required by Section 33.0409 of the San Bernardino County Code of Ordinances for all employees in food service industries. The purpose of the training is to prepare food handlers to enter the workforce by providing the required food safety information as specified by local and state regulations. A food handler card/certification is provided to individuals who successfully complete the training. Under the terms and conditions of the recommended revenue contract with StateFoodSafety.com, DPH will provide San Bernardino County residents with the ability to obtain food handler certification through an online training and assessment program. DPH anticipates approximately 71,550 residents will utilize the online training and assessment program.
PROCUREMENT
On October 25, 2021, the County Administrative Office approved and authorized for release a Request for Proposal (RFP) to solicit proposals from qualified agencies to provide an online food handler training and assessment program. The RFP was posted on the County’s Electronic Procurement Network (ePro) and mailed to prospective vendors. Four proposals were received by the established deadline in response to the RFP.
|
Agency |
Proposed Fee Retained |
|
360training.com, Inc. dba Learn2Serve.com |
$4.75 per customer |
|
SafeWay Certifications dba Responsible Training |
$8.00 per customer |
|
StateFoodSafety.com |
$8.00 per customer |
|
Training Achievement Program Series |
$2.75 per customer |
An evaluation team that included representatives from DPH (EHS, Information Technology, and Finance) and the Performance, Education, and Resource Center completed an evaluation of the proposals. Proposals were evaluated on the following criteria: proposed training, experience, security/fraud prevention, costs (fee being retained by Contractor), and ability to meet the County’s needs.
Based on the evaluation, StateFoodSafety.com is recommended for award as their proposal was ranked highest and most qualified to meet the County’s needs. The StateFoodSafety.com course content is presented using mixed media including on-screen text, video, illustrations, interactivity, and question and answer. The course and test are available in several languages (including American Sign Language) to serve the County’s diverse population. StateFoodSafety.com has been delivering an online food handler training and assessment program for the past 11 years and provides outstanding client and customer service. The unsuccessful agencies were notified by letter that they may protest the recommendation by submitting a formal protest letter.
Human Services (HS) Contracts received a written protest letter from 360training.com, Inc. dba Learn2Serve.com. A protest panel, comprised of representatives from the Purchasing Department, Human Services Program Development Division, and Children and Family Services, was convened in accordance with the provisions stated in the RFP. After a comprehensive review of the submitted protest and corresponding documentation, the panel determined the protest was without merit as the County followed the selection procedures in adherence to the requirements specified in the RFP.
Under the recommended contract, StateFoodSafety.com will directly charge the customer the amount indicated per County Fee Ordinance Section 16.0213B(b)(13), for utilizing the online program, of which $8 will be retained by StateFoodSafety.com, and the remaining amount will be remitted to the County. The revenue collected will be used to support DPH’s Food Safety Health Education Liaison Program (HELP) and the Liaison Education and Risk Network (LEARN) Program within EHS. These programs provide tailored onsite and in-class food safety training to individual food facilities to improve food safety and reduce the risks of foodborne illness.
StateFoodSafety.com’s performance will be monitored by review of monthly reports to ensure compliance with the administrative, program, and fiscal terms and conditions of the contract. Contractor will cooperate with the County in the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of this contract and will comply with all reporting requirements established by the contract. DPH EHS Fiscal Unit will review invoices, monthly reports, and attachments remitted by StateFoodSafety.com. The County reserves the right to request additional information and/or fiscal reports to facilitate this monthly review. The contract may be terminated without cause by the County upon 30 days written notice.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by Human Services Contracts (Patty Steven, Contracts Manager, 388-0241) on May 4, 2022; County Counsel (Adam Ebright, Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on May 4, 2022; Purchasing (Bruce Cole, Supervising Buyer, 387-2148) on May 5, 2022; Finance (Paul Garcia, Administrative Analyst, 386-8392) on May 6, 2022; and County Finance and Administration (Cheryl Adams, Deputy Executive Officer, 388-0238) on May 16, 2022.