REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY
AND RECORD OF ACTION
December 17, 2024
FROM
LYNN FYHRLUND, Chief Information Officer, Innovation and Technology Department
SUBJECT
Title
Amendments to Agreements for Mainframe Managed Contractor Services with International Business Machines Corporation and Vicom Infinity, Inc.
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Approve Amendment No. 1 to Agreement No. 23-1391, with International Business Machines Corporation, to modify terms and conditions related to the background checks for the mainframe managed contractor services personnel, with no change to the not-to-exceed amount of $3,652,000 and the contract period of December 19, 2023, through December 18, 2026, with the option to extend for two additional one-year periods.
2. Approve Amendment No. 1 to Agreement No. 23-1392, with Vicom Infinity, Inc., to modify terms and conditions related to the background checks for the mainframe managed contractor services personnel, with no change to the not-to-exceed amount of $1,965,440 and the contract period of December 19, 2023, through December 18, 2026, with the option to extend for two additional one-year periods.
(Presenter: Lynn Fyhrlund, Chief Information Officer, 388-5501)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item will not result in the use of Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). The Innovation and Technology Department’s (ITD) operating costs are recovered via service rates approved annually by the Board of Supervisors (Board). The costs associated with International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) and Vicom Infinity, Inc. (Vicom) mainframe managed contractor services are unchanged and will continue to be incurred on a fee-for-service basis for work performed for the County’s enterprise server mainframe operating system (Mainframe). The estimated annual cost is $627,000 for IBM and $337,440 for Vicom. The remaining not-to-exceed amount of $3,025,000 for IBM and $1,628,000 for Vicom will allow ITD to purchase additional Mainframe managed contractor services, as needed, during the term of the agreements. Sufficient appropriation is included in ITD’s Computer Operations 2024-25 budget and will be included in future recommended budgets.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
ITD’s Enterprise Infrastructure Division manages the County’s Mainframe, which runs countywide departmental applications, such as the Jail Information Management System, the Juvenile Network, the Property Information Management System, the Tax Collector System, and the Treasurer System. Due to the complexity of the Mainframe and the introduction of new technologies, it has become increasingly difficult to recruit and retain staff who are qualified to maintain the Mainframe environment. Without the necessary staff to support the Mainframe environment, these essential departmental applications could be at risk. IBM and Vicom are qualified and capable to provide skilled staff including day-to-day support, maintenance, and monitoring of the Mainframe operation.
On December 19, 2023 (Item No.47), the Board approved Agreement No. 23-1391 including non-standard terms, with IBM for mainframe managed contractor services related to the County’s Mainframe, third-party software, and database platforms, on an as-needed, fee-for-service basis, in a not-to-exceed amount of $3,652,000 for the period of December 19, 2023, through December 18, 2026, with the option to extend for two additional one-year periods.
On December 19, 2023 (Item No. 47), the Board also approved Agreement No. 23-1392 including non-standard terms, with Vicom for mainframe managed contractor services related to the County’s Mainframe, third party software, and database platforms, on an as-needed, fee-for-service basis, in a not-to-exceed amount of $1,965,440 for the period of December 19, 2023, through December 18, 2026, with the option to extend for two additional one-year periods.
Currently, there are several County departments that utilize the Mainframe technology, such as the Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector, the Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk, Human Services, and the Sheriff/Coroner/Public Administrator. Efforts to recruit for positions to support the Mainframe environment have been unsuccessful for years, which prompted ITD to proceed with a Request for Proposal (RFP) in 2023 to provide mainframe managed contractor staffing support for the mainframe environment. County Policy 11-04 allows for the use of outside service providers when there is a need for specialized skillset.
Amendment No. 1 to Agreement No. 23-1391 and Amendment No. 1 to Agreement No. 23-1392 are designed to clarify the background process and responsibilities for the County, IBM, and Vicom, respectively. The Amendments add similar changes to both contracts which will allow ITD the option to seek reimbursement for the cost for the California Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigations background checks performed by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department from the various contracting agencies, as well as clarify that all travel costs incurred by prospective contractor candidates for completing the background check process will be the sole responsibility of the respective contracting agencies.
On February 8, 2023, ITD released Request for Proposal No. ISD123-ADM-4859 via the County’s Electronic Procurement Network (ePro) for vendors to provide managed Mainframe contractor services to assist in managing the County’s Mainframe for a period of five years. IBM and Vicom were the two bidders that met the specifications of the RFP based on their qualifications, technical experience, and expertise with the Mainframe.
ITD recommends approval of Amendment No.1 to Agreement No. 23-1391 and Amendment No. 1 to Agreement No. 23-1392, to modify terms and conditions for the managed contractor services related to the background checks for contractor personnel. These Amendments will continue to enable the County to receive qualified, skilled staff with expertise in the Mainframe, ensuring day-to-day support, maintenance, and monitoring of the Mainframe operations.
PROCUREMENT
Not Applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Bonnie Uphold, Supervising Deputy County Counsel, 387-5455) on November 21, 2024; Purchasing (Jessica Barajas, Supervising Buyer, 387-2060) on November 8, 2024; Risk Management (Gregory Ustaszewski, Staff Analyst II, 386-9008) on November 6, 2024; Finance (Iliana Rodriguez, Administrative Analyst, 387-4205) on November 26, 2024; and County Finance and Administration (Paloma Hernandez-Barker, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on December 2, 2024.