Authorize Purchase Agreements for Software Upgrade to Socrata Connected Government Cloud and Internal Data Sharing and Related Services with Carahsoft Technology Corporation Using a Cooperative Agreement for an Amount Up to $297,280.04 for the First Year and Authorize Four One-Year Options to Renew at an Annual Cost Not-To-Exceed $170,000.04 for the Information Technology Solutions Department (ALL COUNCIL DISTRICTS)

It is recommended that the City Council authorize Purchase Agreements with Carahsoft Technology Corporation for the software upgrade to Socrata Connected Government Cloud and Internal Data Sharing and related services for the Information Technology Solutions Department using cooperative agreement U.S. General Services Administration Schedule No. GS-35F-0119Y for an amount up to $297,280.04 for the first year with four additional options to renew at $170,000.04 per year.

The City of Fort Worth (City) has licenses to utilize the Open Data Platform hosted by Socrata, Inc. The current functionality allows the City to provide datasets from many of the services provided by the City, including but not limited to, Permits, Certificates of Occupancy, Police Accidents and Police Crime Data, to the citizens of Fort Worth as well as external companies using the City's data for their products.

This Mayor and Council Communication (M&C) is to request authorization to expand the City's licenses and services with Socrata to an enterprise license and related services using Socrata Connected Government Cloud. Included in the enterprise license are the Performance Optimization Cloud, Financial Insights Cloud and the Operational Intelligence platforms on top of the existing agreement for the Open Data Portal.

Socrata Operational Intelligence Cloud provides data discovery, visualization, analysis, reporting tools and applications for data like budget, expenditures, crime, permits and business records. Socrata Financial Insights Cloud allows government leaders, financial analysts and local citizens to view relevant financial data to understand how government is collecting and spending tax revenues. Socrata Performance Optimization Cloud gives performance leaders the ability to map strategic goals to meaningful indicators that can be measured, tracked and shared.

The City will work with Socrata and Carahsoft Technology Corporation to set up all three of these platforms. Financial Insights and Performance Optimization platforms will be for later use as the initial focus will be with the Operational Intelligence platform. The initial platform will allow the City to share data among different areas with the City, as well as provide dashboards across datasets. The first prototype will be a Police dashboard and visualizations. Using the Operational Intelligence platform, the City can share data internally then identify what data fields to share externally to the public.

The Financial Insights and Performance Optimization platforms are scheduled to be rolled out during Fiscal Year 2020, providing citizens with more information on City services and where tax dollars are being spent.

COOPERATIVE PURCHASE: State Law provides that a local government purchasing an item under a Cooperative Purchasing Agreement satisfies state laws requiring that the local government seek competitive bids for purchase of the item. U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) contract schedules have been competitively bid to increase and simplify the purchasing power of government entities across the United States.

PRICE ANALYSIS: The GSA Schedule contract offers fixed discounts. Staff reviewed pricing and determined it to be fair and reasonable.

M/WBE: A MBE/SBE goal is not assigned when purchasing from an approved purchasing cooperative or public entity.

SUCCESSOR CONTRACTS:  To facilitate planning and budgeting, Staff would prefer to have annual Agreements that align with the Fiscal Year. However, the GSA contract is out of alignment with the City's Fiscal Year. The current terms of the contracts are:

Terms are as follows:

        Year 1 - April 16, 2019 - December 19, 2019

        Year 2 - December 20, 2019 - December 19, 2020

        Year 3 - December 20, 2020 - December 19, 2021

In order for this Agreement to align with the City's Fiscal Year, adoption of this M& C technically authorizes (i) a series of Purchase Agreements, each of which will align to a term of the GSA Schedule contract to ensure legal authority exists for the contract, and (ii) an annual spend amount, future years of which would be subject to City Council appropriation. In the event that a Cooperative Agreement is not renewed, staff would cease purchasing at the end of the last Purchase Agreement coinciding with the valid Cooperative Agreement. If the City Council were to not appropriate funds for a future year, staff would stop making purchases when the last appropriation expires, regardless of whether the then-current Purchase Agreement has expired.

The City will initially use GSA Schedule No. GS-35F-0119Y to make purchases authorized by this M& C. As noted, GSA Schedule GS-35F-0119Y expires December 19, 2021. If the GSA Schedule is extended, this M& C authorizes the City to purchase similar products and services under the extended contract. If the GSA Schedule is not extended, but GSA executes a new cooperative agreement with Carahsoft Technology Corporation with substantially similar terms as GSA Schedule GS-35F-0119Y, this M& C authorizes the City to purchase the products and services under the new GSA Schedule contract.

ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGE ORDER: An administrative change order or increase may be made by the City Manager in the amount up to $75,000.00 and does not require specific City Council approval as long as sufficient funds have been appropriated.

AGREEMENT TERM: The initial term of this Agreement shall commence upon City Council's approval and shall expire December 19, 2019.

RENEWAL OPTIONS:   This Agreement may be renewed for additional terms according to the cooperative agreement at the City's option, up to a maximum of four annual options to renew. This action does not require specific City Council approval provided that the City Council has appropriated sufficient funds to satisfy the City's obligations during the renewal term.