220154-CONTRACT-TECH TALENT SOUTH.PDF
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SERIAL 220154-RFP MARICOPA COUNTY WORKFORCE EMPLOYER SERVICES INITIATIVE Contract - Tech Talent South DATE OF LAST REVISION: January 12, 2022 CONTRACT END DATE: July 31, 2023 CONTRACT PERIOD THROUGH JULY 31, 2023 TO: All Departments FROM: Office of Procurement Services SUBJECT: Contract for MARICOPA COUNTY WORKFORCE EMPLOYER SERVICES INITIATIVE (ESI) Attached to this letter is published an effective purchasing contract for products and/or services to be supplied to Maricopa County activities as awarded by Maricopa County on January 05, 2022 (Eff. 02/01/2022). All purchases of products and/or services listed on the attached pages of this letter are to be obtained from the vendor holding the contract. Individuals are responsible to the vendor for purchases made outside of contracts. The contract period is indicated above. JM/mm Attach Copy to: Office of Procurement Services Virginia Sturgill, Human Services CONTRACT MARICOPA COUNTY WORKFORCE EMPLOYER SERVICES INITIATIVE (ESI) 220154-RFP This contract is entered into this 1st day of February, 2022 by and between Maricopa County (“County”), a political subdivision of the State of Arizona, and Tech Talent South, an Arizona corporation (“Contractor”) to provide evidence-based and/or best practice workforce programs to employers or groups of employers (e.g. industry) that will result in sustained improvements in employee retention 1.0 CONTRACT TERM 1.1 This contract is for a term of six months and (1) year, beginning on 1st day of February, 2022 and ending the 31st day of July, 2023, with one year renewal term. 2.0 CONTRACT COMPLETION In preparation for contract completion, the Contractor shall make all reasonable efforts for an orderly transition of its duties and responsibilities to another provider and/or to the County. This may include, but is not limited to, preparation of a transition plan and cooperation with the County or other providers in the transition. The transition includes the transfer of all records and other data in the possession, custody, or control of the Contractor that are required to be provided to the County either by the terms of this agreement or as a matter of law. The provisions of this clause shall survive the expiration or termination of this agreement. 3.0 PRICE ADJUSTMENTS Any requests for reasonable price adjustments must be submitted 60 calendar days prior to contract expiration. Requests for adjustment in cost of labor and/or materials must be supported by appropriate documentation. The reasonableness of the request will be determined by comparing the request with the Consumer Price Index or by performing a market survey. If County agrees to the adjusted price terms, County shall issue written approval of the change and provide an updated version of the contract. The new change shall not be in effect until the date stipulated on the updated version of the contract. 4.0 PAYMENTS 4.1 As consideration for performance of the duties described herein, County shall pay Contractor the sum(s) stated in Exhibit A-1 – Pricing Sheet. 4.2 Payment shall be made upon the County’s receipt of a properly completed invoice. 4.3 INVOICES 4.3.1 The County will issue payment to the subrecipient on a cost-reimbursement basis for the funding provided per participant, which shall require records of expenditures and the participants to which they were tied to and the County shall reimburse the Subrecipient on a net “0” payments standard. An invoice shall be submitted no less than every thirty days unless there were no payments made within that thirty-day period. Services are funded by CFDA 21.027. SERIAL 220154-RFP 4.3.2 The subrecipient shall separately list administrative costs. 4.3.3 The Contractor shall submit one legible copy of their detailed invoice before payment(s) will be made. Incomplete invoices will not be processed. At a minimum, the invoice must provide the following information: • Company name, address, and contact information • County bill-to name and contact information • Contract serial number • County purchase order number • Unique invoice number and date • Payment terms • Date or date range of service delivery • Description of purchase (product or services) • Total amount due 4.3.4 Problems regarding billing or invoicing shall be directed to the Human Services department hsdfinance@maricopa.gov as listed on the purchase order. 4.3.5 Payment shall only be made to the Contractor by Accounts Payable through the Maricopa County Vendor Express Payment Program. This is an electronic funds transfer (EFT) process. After contract award, the Contractor shall complete the Vendor Registration Form accessible from the County Department of Finance Vendor Registration Web Site https://www.maricopa.gov/5169/Vendor- Information. 4.3.6 EFT payments to the routing and account numbers designated by the Contractor shall include the details on the specific invoices that the payment covers. The Contractor is required to discuss remittance delivery capabilities with their designated financial institution for access to those details. 4.4 APPLICABLE TAXES 4.4.1 It is the responsibility of the Contractor to determine any and all applicable taxes and include those taxes in their proposal. The legal liability to remit the tax is on the entity conducting business in Arizona. Tax is not a determining factor in contract award. 4.4.2 The County will look at the price or offer submitted and will not deduct, add, or alter pricing based on speculation or application of any taxes, nor will the County provide Contractor any advice or guidance regarding taxes. If you have questions regarding your tax liability, seek advice from a tax professional prior to submitting your bid. You may also find information at https://www.azdor.gov/Business.aspx. Once your bid is submitted, the offer is valid for the time specified in this solicitation, regardless of mistake or omission of tax liability. If the County finds overpayment of a project due to tax consideration that was not due, the Contractor will be liable to the County for that amount, and by contracting with the County agrees to remit any overpayments back to the County for miscalculations on taxes included in a bid price. 4.4.3 Tax Indemnification: Contractor and all subcontractors shall pay all Federal, State, and local taxes applicable to their operation and any persons employed by the Contractor. Contractor shall, and require all subcontractors to, hold Maricopa County harmless from any responsibility for taxes, damages, and interest, if applicable, contributions required under Federal and/or State and local laws and regulations, and any other costs including: transaction privilege taxes, unemployment compensation insurance, Social Security, and workers’ compensation. Contractor may be required to establish, to the satisfaction of SERIAL 220154-RFP County, that any and all fees and taxes due to the City or the State of Arizona for any license or transaction privilege taxes, use taxes, or similar excise taxes are currently paid (except for matters under legal protest). 5.0 AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS 5.1 The provisions of this contract relating to payment for services shall become effective when funds assigned for the purpose of compensating the Contractor as herein provided are actually available to County for disbursement. The County shall be the sole judge and authority in determining the availability of funds under this contract. County shall keep the Contractor fully informed as to the availability of funds. 5.2 If any action is taken by, any State agency, Federal department, or any other agency or instrumentality to suspend, decrease, or terminate its fiscal obligations under, or in connection with, this contract, County may amend, suspend, decrease, or terminate its obligations under, or in connection with, this contract. In the event of termination, County shall be liable for payment only for services rendered prior to the effective date of the termination, provided that such services are performed in accordance with the provisions of this contract. County shall give written notice of the effective date of any suspension, amendment, or termination under this section, at least 10 days in advance. 6.0 STRATEGIC ALLIANCE for VOLUME EXPENDITURES (SAVE) The County is a member of the SAVE cooperative purchasing group. SAVE includes the State of Arizona, many Phoenix metropolitan area municipalities, and many K-12 unified school districts. Under the SAVE Cooperative Purchasing Agreement, and with the concurrence of the successful respondent under this solicitation, a member of SAVE may access a contract resulting from a solicitation issued by the County. If contractor does not want to grant such access to a member of SAVE, state so in contractor’s bid. In the absence of a statement to the contrary, the County will assume that contractor does wish to grant access to any contract that may result from this bid. The County assumes no responsibility for any purchases by using entities. 7.0 INTERGOVERNMENTAL COOPERATIVE PURCHASING AGREEMENTS (ICPAs) County currently holds ICPAs with numerous governmental entities. These agreements allow those entities, with the approval of the Contractor, to purchase their requirements under the terms and conditions of the County contract. It is the responsibility of the non-County government entity to perform its own due diligence on the acceptability of the contract under its applicable procurement rules, processes, and procedures. Certain governmental agencies may not require an ICPA and may utilize this contract if it meets their individual requirements. Other governmental agencies may enter into a separate Statement of Work with the Contractor to meet their own requirements. The County is not a party to any uses of this contract by other governmental entities. 8.0 DUTIES 8.1 The Contractor shall perform all duties stated in Exhibit B – Scope of Work, or as otherwise directed in writing by the procurement officer. 9.0 TERMS AND CONDITIONS 9.1 INDEMNIFICATION 9.1.1 To the fullest extent permitted by law, and to the extent that claims, damages, losses, or expenses are not covered and paid by insurance purchased by the contractor, the contractor shall defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the County (as Owner), its agents, representatives, officers, directors, officials, and employees from and against all claims, damages, losses, and expenses (including, but not limited to attorneys' fees, court costs, expert witness fees, and the costs and attorneys' fees for appellate proceedings) arising out of, or alleged to have resulted SERIAL 220154-RFP from, the negligent acts, errors, omissions, or mistakes relating to the performance of this contract. 9.1.2 Contractor's duty to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the County, its agents, representatives, officers, directors, officials, and employees shall arise in connection with any claim, damage, loss, or expense that is attributable to bodily injury, sickness, disease, death, or injury to, impairment of, or destruction of tangible property, including loss of use resulting therefrom, caused by negligent acts, errors, omissions, or mistakes in the performance of this contract, but only to the extent caused by the negligent acts or omissions of the contractor, a subcontractor, anyone directly or indirectly employed by them, or anyone for whose acts they may be liable, regardless of whether or not such claim, damage, loss, or expense is caused in part by a party indemnified hereunder. 9.1.3 The amount and type of insurance coverage requirements set forth herein will in no way be construed as limiting the scope of the indemnity in this section. 9.1.4 The scope of this indemnification does not extend to the sole negligence of County. 10.3 INSURANCE 10.3.1 Contractor, at Contractor’s own expense, shall purchase and maintain, at a minimum, the herein stipulated insurance from a company or companies duly licensed by the State of Arizona and possessing an AM Best, Inc. category rating of B++. In lieu of State of Arizona licensing, the stipulated insurance may be purchased from a company or companies, which are authorized to do business in the State of Arizona, provided that said insurance companies meet the approval of County. The form of any insurance policies and forms must be acceptable to County. 10.3.2 All insurance required herein shall be maintained in full force and effect until all work or service required to be performed under the terms of the contract is satisfactorily completed and formally accepted. Failure to do so may, at the sole discretion of County, constitute a material breach of this contract. 10.3.3 In the event that the insurance required is written on a claims-made basis, Contractor warrants that any retroactive date under the policy shall precede the effective date of this contract and either continuous coverage will be maintained, or an extended discovery period will be exercised for a period of two years beginning at the time work under this contract is completed. 10.3.4 Contractor’s insurance shall be primary insurance as respects County, and any insurance or self-insurance maintained by County shall not contribute to it. 10.3.5 Any failure to comply with the claim reporting provisions of the insurance policies or any breach of an insurance policy warranty shall not affect the County’s right to coverage afforded under the insurance policies. 10.3.6 The insurance policies may provide coverage that contains deductibles or self- insured retentions. Such deductible and/or self-insured retentions shall not be applicable with respect to the coverage provided to County under such policies. Contractor shall be solely responsible for the deductible and/or self-insured retention and County, at its option, may require Contractor to secure payment of such deductibles or self-insured retentions by a surety bond or an irrevocable and unconditional letter of credit. 10.3.7 The insurance policies required by this contract, except Workers’ Compensation and Errors and Omissions, shall name County, its agents, representatives, officers, directors, officials, and employees as additional insureds. SERIAL 220154-RFP 10.3.8 The policies required hereunder, except Workers’ Compensation and Errors and Omissions, shall contain a waiver of transfer of rights of recovery (subrogation) against County, its agents, representatives, officers, directors, officials, and employees for any claims arising out of Contractor’s work or service. 10.3.9 If available, the insurance policies required by this contract may be combined with Commercial Umbrella Insurance policies to meet the minimum limit requirements. If a Commercial Umbrella insurance policy is utilized to meet insurance requirements, the Certificate of Insurance shall indicate which lines the Commercial Umbrella Insurance covers. 10.3.9.1 Commercial General Liability Commercial General Liability (CGL) insurance and, if necessary, Commercial Umbrella insurance with a limit of not less than $1,000,000 for each occurrence and $2,000,000 General Aggregate Limit. The policy shall include coverage for premises liability, bodily injury, broad form property damage, personal injury, products and completed operations and blanket contractual coverage, and shall not contain any provisions which would serve to limit third party action over claims. There shall be no endorsement or modifications of the CGL limiting the scope of coverage for liability arising from explosion, collapse, or underground property damage. 10.3.9.2 Automobile Liability Commercial/Business Automobile Liability insurance with a combined single limit for bodily injury and property damage of not less than $1,000,000 each occurrence with respect to any of the Contractor’s owned, hired, and non-owned vehicles assigned to or used in performance of the Contractor’s work or services or use or maintenance of the premises under this contract. 10.3.9.3 Workers’ Compensation 10.3.9.3.1 Workers’ compensation insurance to cover obligations imposed by Federal and State statutes having jurisdiction of Contractor’s employees engaged in the performance of the work or services under this contract; and Employer’s Liability insurance of not less than $1,000,000 for each accident, $1,000,000 disease for each employee, and $1,000,000 disease policy limit. 10.3.9.3.2 Contractor, its subcontractors, and sub-subcontractors waive all rights against this contract and its agents, officers, directors, and employees for recovery of damages to the extent these damages are covered by the workers’ compensation and Employer’s Liability or Commercial Umbrella Liability insurance obtained by Contractor, its subcontractors, and its sub-subcontractors pursuant to this contract. 10.3.9.4 Professional Liability Insurance Contractor shall maintain Professional Liability insurance which will provide coverage for any and all acts arising out of the work or services performed by the contractor under the terms of this contract, with a limit SERIAL 220154-RFP of not less than $1,000,000 for each claim, and $2,000,000 aggregate claims. 10.3.10 Certificates of Insurance 10.3.10.1 Prior to contract award, Contractor shall furnish the County with valid and complete Certificates of Insurance, or formal endorsements as required by the contract in the form provided by the County, issued by Contractor’s insurer(s), as evidence that policies providing the required coverage, conditions and limits required by this contract are in full force and effect. Such certificates shall identify this contract number and title. 10.3.10.2 In the event any insurance policy(ies) required by this contract is (are) written on a claims-made basis, coverage shall extend for two years past completion and acceptance of Contractor’s work or services and as evidenced by annual certificates of insurance. 10.3.10.3 If a policy does expire during the life of the Contract, a renewal certificate must be sent to County 15 calendar days prior to the expiration date. 10.3.10.4 Certificates of Insurance shall identify Maricopa County as the additional insured/certificate holder as follows: Maricopa County c/o Risk Management 301 W Jefferson St, Suite 910 Phoenix, AZ 85003 10.3.11 Cancellation and Expiration Notice Applicable to all insurance policies required within the insurance requirements of this contract, Contractor’s insurance shall not be permitted to expire, be suspended, be canceled, or be materially changed for any reason without 30 days prior written notice to Maricopa County. Contractor must provide to Maricopa County, within two business days of receipt, if they receive notice of a policy that has been or will be suspended, canceled, materially changed for any reason, has expired, or will be expiring. Such notice shall be sent directly to Maricopa County Office of Procurement Services and shall be mailed, or hand delivered to 160 S. 4th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85003, or emailed to the procurement officer noted in the solicitation. 10.4 FORCE MAJEURE 10.4.1 Neither party shall be liable for failure of performance, nor incur any liability to the other party on account of any loss or damage resulting from any delay or failure to perform all or any part of this contract, if such delay or failure is caused by events, occurrences, or causes beyond the reasonable control and without negligence of the parties. Such events, occurrences, or causes include, but are not limited to, acts of God/nature (including fire, flood, earthquake, storm, hurricane, or other natural disaster), war, invasion, act of foreign enemies, hostilities (whether war is declared or not), civil war, riots, rebellion, revolution, insurrection, military or usurped power or confiscation, terrorist activities, nationalization, government sanction, lockout, blockage, embargo, labor dispute, strike, and interruption or failure of electricity or telecommunication service, and pandemic. 10.4.2 Each party, as applicable, shall give the other party notice of its inability to perform and particulars in reasonable detail of the cause of the inability. Each party must use best efforts to remedy the situation and remove, as soon as practicable, the cause of its inability to perform or comply. SERIAL 220154-RFP 10.4.3 The party asserting Force Majeure as a cause for non-performance shall have the burden of proving that reasonable steps were taken to minimize delay or damages caused by foreseeable events, that all non-excused obligations were substantially fulfilled, and that the other party was timely notified of the likelihood or actual occurrence which would justify such an assertion, so that other prudent precautions could be contemplated. 10.5 ORDERING AUTHORITY Any request for purchase shall be accompanied by a valid purchase order issued by a County department or directed by a Certified Agency Procurement Aid (CAPA) with a purchase card for payment. 10.6 NO MINIMUM OR MAXIMUM PURCHASE OBLIGATION This contract does not guarantee any minimum or maximum purchases will be made. Orders will only be placed under this contract when the County identifies a need and proper authorization and documentation have been approved. 10.7 PURCHASE ORDERS 10.7.1 County reserves the right to cancel purchase orders within a reasonable period of time after issuance. Should a purchase order be canceled, the County agrees to reimburse the Contractor for actual and documentable costs incurred by the Contractor in response to the purchase order. The County will not reimburse the Contractor for any costs incurred after receipt of County notice of cancellation, or for lost profits, or for shipment of product prior to issuance of purchase order. 10.7.2 Contractor agrees to accept verbal notification of cancellation of purchase orders from the County procurement officer with written notification to follow. Contractor specifically acknowledges to be bound by this cancellation policy. 10.8 BACKGROUND CHECK Respondents may be required to pass multiple background checks (e.g. Sheriff’s Office, County Attorney's Office, Courts, as well as Maricopa County general government) to determine if the respondent is acceptable to do business with the County. This applies to, but is not limited to, the company, subcontractors, and employees, and the failure to pass these checks shall deem the respondent non-responsible. 10.9 SUSPENSION OF WORK The procurement officer may order the Contractor, in writing, to suspend, delay, or interrupt all or any part of the work of this contract for the period of time that the procurement officer determines appropriate for the convenience of the County. No adjustment shall be made under this clause for any suspension, delay, or interruption to the extent that performance would have been so suspended, delayed, or interrupted by any other cause, including the fault or negligence of the Contractor. No request for adjustment under this clause shall be granted unless the claim, in an amount stated, is asserted in writing as soon as practicable after the termination of the suspension, delay, or interruption, but not later than the date of final payment under the contract. 10.10 STOP WORK ORDER 10.10.1 The procurement officer may, at any time, by written order to the Contractor, require the Contractor to stop all, or any part, of the work called for by this contract for a period of 90 calendar days after the order is delivered to the Contractor, and for any further period to which the parties may agree. The order shall be specifically SERIAL 220154-RFP identified as a stop work order issued under this clause. Upon receipt of the order, the Contractor shall immediately comply with its terms and take all reasonable steps to minimize the incurrence of costs allocable to the work covered by the order during the period of work stoppage. Within a period of 90 calendar days after a stop work order is delivered to the Contractor, or within any extension of that period to which the parties shall have agreed, the procurement officer shall either: 10.10.1.1 cancel the stop work order; or 10.10.1.2 terminate the work covered by the order as provided in the Termination for Default or the Termination for Convenience clause of this contract. 10.10.1.3 The procurement officer may make an equitable adjustment in the delivery schedule and/or contract price, and the contract shall be modified, in writing, accordingly, if the Contractor demonstrates that the stop work order resulted in an increase in costs to the Contractor 10.11 TERMINATION FOR CONVENIENCE Maricopa County may terminate the resultant contract for convenience by providing 60 calendar days advance notice to the Contractor. 10.12 TERMINATION FOR DEFAULT 10.12.1 The County may, by written Notice of Default to the Contractor, terminate this contract in whole or in part if the Contractor fails to: 10.12.1.1 deliver the supplies or to perform the services within the time specified in this contract or any extension; 10.12.1.2 make progress, so as to endanger performance of this contract; or 10.12.1.3 perform any of the other provisions of this contract. 10.12.2 The County’s right to terminate this contract under these subparagraphs may be exercised if the Contractor does not cure such failure within 10 business days (or more if authorized in writing by the County) after receipt of a Notice to Cure from the procurement officer specifying the failure. 10.13 PERFORMANCE It shall be the Contractor’s responsibility to meet the proposed performance requirements. Maricopa County reserves the right to obtain services on the open market in the event the Contractor fails to perform, and any price differential will be charged against the Contractor. 10.14 EMPLOYEE MANAGEMENT 10.14.1 Contractor shall endeavor to maintain the personnel proposed in their proposal throughout the performance of this contract. 10.14.2 If Contractor personnel’s employment status changes, Contractor shall provide County a list of proposed replacements with equivalent or greater experience. 10.14.3 Under no circumstances shall the implementation schedule to be impacted by a personnel change on the part of the Contractor. 10.14.4 Contractor shall not reassign any key personnel identified in their proposal without the express consent of the County. SERIAL 220154-RFP 10.14.5 County reserves the right to immediately remove from its premises any Contractor personnel it determines to be a risk to County operations. 10.14.6 County reserves the right to request the replacement of any Contractor personnel at any time, for any reason. 10.15 INSPECTION OF SERVICES 10.15.1 The Contractor shall provide and maintain an inspection system acceptable to County covering the services under this contract. Complete records of all inspection work performed by the Contractor shall be maintained and made available to County during contract performance and for as long afterwards as the contract requires. 10.15.2 County has the right to inspect and test all services called for by the contract, to the extent practicable at all times and places during the term of the contract. County shall perform inspections and tests in a manner that will not unduly delay the work. 10.15.3 If any of the services do not conform to contract requirements, County may require the Contractor to perform the services again in conformity with contract requirements, at no cost to the County. When the defects in services cannot be corrected by re-performance, County may: 10.15.3.1 require the Contractor to take necessary action to ensure that future performance conforms to contract requirements; and 10.15.3.2 reduce the contract price to reflect the reduced value of the services performed. 10.15.4 If the Contractor fails to promptly perform the services again or to take the necessary action to ensure future performance in conformity with contract requirements, County may: 10.15.4.1 by contract or otherwise, perform the services and charge to the Contractor, through direct billing or through payment reduction, any cost incurred by County that is directly related to the performance of such service; or 10.15.4.2 terminate the contract for default. 10.16 USAGE REPORT The Contractor shall furnish the County a usage report, upon request, delineating the acquisition activity governed by the contract. The format of the report shall be approved by the County and shall disclose the quantity and dollar value of each contract item by individual unit of measure. 10.17 STATUTORY RIGHT OF CANCELLATION FOR CONFLICT OF INTEREST Notice is given that, pursuant to A.R.S. § 38-511, the County may cancel any contract without penalty or further obligation within three years after execution of the contract, if any person significantly involved in initiating, negotiating, securing, drafting, or creating the contract on behalf of the County is at any time, while the contract or any extension of the contract is in effect, an employee or agent of any other party to the contract in any capacity or consultant to any other party of the contract with respect to the subject matter of the contract. Additionally, pursuant to A.R.S. § 38-511, the County may recoup any fee or commission paid or due to any person significantly involved in initiating, negotiating, SERIAL 220154-RFP securing, drafting, or creating the contract on behalf of the County from any other party to the contract arising as the result of the contract. 10.18 OFFSET FOR DAMAGES In addition to all other remedies at Law or Equity, the County may offset from any money due to the Contractor any amounts Contractor owes to the County for damages resulting from breach or deficiencies in performance of the contract. 10.19 SUBCONTRACTING 10.19.1 The Contractor may not assign to another Contractor or subcontract to another party for performance of the terms and conditions hereof without the written consent of the County. All correspondence authorizing subcontracting must reference the bid serial number and identify the job or project. 10.19.2 The subcontractor’s rate for the job shall not exceed that of the prime Contractor’s rate, as bid in the pricing section, unless the prime Contractor is willing to absorb any higher rates. The subcontractor’s invoice shall be invoiced directly to the prime Contractor, who in turn shall pass-through the costs to the County, without mark- up. A copy of the subcontractor’s invoice must accompany the prime Contractor’s invoice. 10.20 AMENDMENTS All amendments to this contract shall be in writing and approved/signed by both parties. Maricopa County Office of Procurement Services shall be responsible for approving all amendments for Maricopa County. 10.21 ADDITIONS/DELETIONS OF REQUIREMENTS The County reserves the right to add and/or delete materials and services to a contract. If a service requirement is deleted, payment to the Contractor will be reduced proportionately, to the amount of service reduced in accordance with the bid price. If additional materials or services are required from a contract, prices for such additions will be negotiated between the Contractor and the County. 10.22 RIGHTS IN DATA 10.22.1 The County shall have the use of data and reports resulting from a contract without additional cost or other restriction except as may be established by law or applicable regulation. Each party shall supply to the other party, upon request, any available information that is relevant to a contract and to the performance thereunder. 10.22.2 Data, records, reports, and all other information generated for the County by a third party as the result of a contract are the property of the County and shall be provided in a format designated by the County or shall be and remain accessible to the County into perpetuity. 10.23 ACCESS TO AND RETENTION OF RECORDS FOR THE PURPOSE OF AUDIT AND/OR OTHER REVIEW 10.23.1 In accordance with Section MC1-374 of the Maricopa County Procurement Code, the Contractor agrees to retain (physical or digital copies of) all books, records, accounts, statements, reports, files, and other records and back-up documentation relevant to this contract for six years after final payment or until after the resolution of any audit questions, which could be more than six years, whichever is longest. The County, Federal or State auditors and any other persons duly authorized by SERIAL 220154-RFP the department shall have full access to and the right to examine, copy, and make use of, any and all said materials. 10.23.2 If the Contractor’s books, records, accounts, statements, reports, files, and other records and back-up documentation relevant to this contract are not sufficient to support and document that requested services were provided, the Contractor shall reimburse Maricopa County for the services not so adequately supported and documented. 10.24 AUDIT DISALLOWANCES If at any time it is determined by the County that a cost for which payment has been made is a disallowed cost, the County shall notify the Contractor in writing of the disallowance. The course of action to address the disallowance shall be at sole discretion of the County, and may include either an adjustment to future invoices, request for credit, request for a check, or a deduction from current invoices submitted by the Contractor equal to the amount of the disallowance, or to require reimbursement forthwith of the disallowed amount by the Contractor by issuing a check payable to Maricopa County. 10.25 STRICT COMPLIANCE Acceptance by County of a performance that is not in strict compliance with the terms of the contract shall not be deemed to be a waiver of strict compliance with respect to all other terms of the contract. 10.26 VALIDITY The invalidity, in whole or in part, of any provision of this contract shall not void or affect the validity of any other provision of the contract. 10.27 SEVERABILITY The removal, in whole or in part, of any provision of this contract shall not void or affect the validity of any other provision of this contract. 10.28 RELATIONSHIPS 10.28.1 In the performance of the services described herein, the Contractor shall act solely as an independent Contractor, and nothing herein or implied herein shall at any time be construed as to create the relationship of employer and employee, co- employee, partnership, principal and agent, or joint venture between the County and the Contractor. 10.28.2 The County reserves the right of final approval on proposed staff. Also, upon request by the County, the Contractor will be required to remove any employees working on County projects and substitute personnel based on the discretion of the County within two business days, unless previously approved by the County. 10.29 NON-DISCRIMINATION Contractor agrees to comply with all provisions and requirements of Arizona Executive Order 2009-09, including flow down of all provisions and requirements to any subcontractors. Executive Order 2009-09 supersedes Executive Order 99-4 and amends Executive Order 75-5 and is hereby incorporated into this contract as if set forth in full herein. During the performance of this contract, Contractor shall not discriminate against any employee, client, or any other individual in any way because of that person’s age, race, creed, color, religion, sex, disability, or national origin. (Arizona Executive Order 2009-09 can be downloaded from the Arizona Memory Project at http://azmemory.azlibrary.gov/cdm/singleitem/collection/execorders/id/680/rec/1.) SERIAL 220154-RFP 10.30 WRITTEN CERTIFICATION PURSUANT to A.R.S. § 35-393.01 If vendor engages in for-profit activity and has 10 or more employees, and if this agreement has a value of $100,000 or more, vendor certifies it is not currently engaged in, and agrees for the duration of this agreement to not engage in, a boycott of goods or services from Israel. This certification does not apply to a boycott prohibited by 50 U.S.C. § 4842 or a regulation issued pursuant to 50 U.S.C. § 4842. 10.31 CERTIFICATION REGARDING DEBARMENT AND SUSPENSION 10.31.1 The undersigned (authorized official signing on behalf of the Contractor) certifies to the best of his or her knowledge and belief that the Contractor, its current officers, and directors: 10.31.1.1 are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from being awarded any contract or grant by any United States department or agency or any state, or local jurisdiction; 10.31.1.2 have not within a three-year period preceding this contract: 10.31.1.2.1 been convicted of fraud or any criminal offense in connection with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or as the result of performing a government entity (Federal, State or local) transaction or contract; or 10.31.1.2.2 been convicted of violation of any Federal or State antitrust statutes or conviction for embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, making false statements, or receiving stolen property regarding a government entity transaction or contract; 10.31.1.3 are not presently indicted or criminally charged by a government entity (Federal, State or local) with commission of any criminal offenses in connection with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or as the result of performing a government entity public (Federal, State or local) transaction or contract; 10.31.1.4 are not presently facing any civil charges from any governmental entity regarding obtaining, attempting to obtain, or from performing any governmental entity contract or other transaction; and 10.31.1.5 have not within a three-year period preceding this contract had any public transaction (Federal, State or local) terminated for cause or default. 10.31.2 If any of the above circumstances described in the paragraph are applicable to the entity submitting a bid for this requirement, include with your bid an explanation of the matter including any final resolution. 10.31.3 The Contractor shall include, without modification, this clause in all lower tier covered transactions (i.e. transactions with subcontractors or sub-subcontractors) and in all solicitations for lower tier covered transactions related to this contract. If this clause is applicable to a subcontractor or sub-subcontractor, the Contractor shall include the information required by this clause with their bid. SERIAL 220154-RFP 10.32 VERIFICATION REGARDING COMPLIANCE WITH A.R.S. § 41-4401 AND FEDERAL IMMIGRATION LAWS AND REGULATIONS 10.32.1 By entering into the contract, the Contractor warrants compliance with the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA using E-Verify) and all other Federal immigration laws and regulations related to the immigration status of its employees and A.R.S. § 23-214(A). The Contractor shall obtain statements from its subcontractors certifying compliance and shall furnish the statements to the procurement officer upon request. These warranties shall remain in effect through the term of the contract. The Contractor and its subcontractors shall also maintain Employment Eligibility Verification forms (I-9) as required by the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, as amended from time to time, for all employees performing work under the contract and verify employee compliance using the E-Verify system and shall keep a record of the verification for the duration of the employee’s employment or at least three years, whichever is longer. I-9 forms are available for download at www.uscis.gov. 10.32.2 The County retains the legal right to inspect documents of Contractor and subcontractor employees performing work under this contract to verify compliance with paragraph 10.32.1 of this section. Contractor and subcontractor shall be given reasonable notice of the County’s intent to inspect and shall make the documents available at the time and date specified. Should the County suspect or find that the Contractor or any of its subcontractors are not in compliance, the County will consider this a material breach of the contract and may pursue any and all remedies allowed by law, including, but not limited to: suspension of work, termination of the contract for default, and suspension and/or debarment of the Contractor. All costs necessary to verify compliance are the responsibility of the Contractor. 10.33 CONTRACTOR EMPLOYEE WHISTLEBLOWER RIGHTS AND REQUIREMENT TO INFORM EMPLOYEES OF WHISTLEBLOWER RIGHTS 10.33.1 The parties agree that this contract and employees working on this contract will be subject to the Contractor employee whistleblower protections established by Title 41 U.S.C. § 4712 and Section 3.908 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation. 10.33.2 Contractor shall inform its employees in writing, in the predominant language of the workforce, of employee whistleblower rights and protections under 41 U.S.C. § 4712, as described in Section 3.908 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation. Documentation of such employee notification must be kept on file by Contractor and copies provided to County upon request. 10.33.3 Contractor shall insert the substance of this clause, including this paragraph, in all subcontracts over the simplified acquisition threshold ($250,000 as of fiscal year 2018). 10.34 CONTRACTOR LICENSE REQUIREMENT 10.34.1 The Contractor shall procure all permits, insurance, and licenses, and pay the charges and fees necessary and incidental to the lawful conduct of his/her business, and as necessary complete any requirements, by any and all governmental or non-governmental entities as mandated to maintain compliance with and remain in good standing. The Contractor shall keep fully informed of existing and future trade or industry requirements, and Federal, State, and local laws, ordinances, and regulations which in any manner affect the fulfillment of a contract and shall comply with the same. Contractor shall immediately notify both Office of Procurement Services and the department of any and all changes concerning permits, insurance, or licenses. SERIAL 220154-RFP 10.35 INFLUENCE 10.35.1 As prescribed in MC1-1203 of the Maricopa County Procurement Code, any effort to influence an employee or agent to breach the Maricopa County Ethical Code of Conduct or any ethical conduct, may be grounds for disbarment or suspension under MC1-902. 10.35.2 An attempt to influence includes, but is not limited to: 10.35.2.1 A person offering or providing a gratuity, gift, tip, present, donation, money, entertainment or educational passes or tickets, or any type of valuable contribution or subsidy that is offered or given with the intent to influence a decision, obtain a contract, garner favorable treatment, or gain favorable consideration of any kind. 10.35.3 If a person attempts to influence any employee or agent of Maricopa County, the chief procurement officer, or his designee, reserves the right to seek any remedy provided by the Maricopa County Procurement Code, any remedy in equity or in the law, or any remedy provided by this contract. 10.36 CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION 10.36.1 Any information obtained in the course of performing this contract may include information that is proprietary or confidential to the County. This provision establishes the Contractor’s obligation regarding such information. 10.36.2 The Contractor shall establish and maintain procedures and controls that are adequate to assure that no information contained in its records and/or obtained from the County or from others in carrying out its functions (services) under the contract shall be used by or disclosed by it, its agents, officers, or employees, except as required to efficiently perform duties under the contract. The Contractor’s procedures and controls, at a minimum, must be the same procedures and controls it uses to protect its own proprietary or confidential information. If, at any time during the duration of the contract, the County determines that the procedures and controls in place are not adequate, the Contractor shall institute any new and/or additional measures requested by the County within 15 business days of the written request to do so. 10.36.3 Any requests to the Contractor for County proprietary or confidential information shall be referred to the County for review and approval, prior to any dissemination. 10.37 PUBLIC RECORDS Under Arizona law, all offers submitted and opened are public records and must be retained by the County at the Maricopa County Office of Procurement Services. Offers shall be open to public inspection and copying after contract award and execution, except for such offers or sections thereof determined to contain proprietary or confidential information by the Office of Procurement Services. If an offeror believes that information in its offer or any resulting contract should not be released in response to a public record request, under Arizona law, the offeror shall indicate the specific information deemed confidential or proprietary and submit a statement with its offer detailing the reasons that the information should not be disclosed. Such reasons shall include the specific harm or prejudice which may arise from disclosure. The records manager of the Office of Procurement Services shall determine whether the identified information is confidential pursuant to the Maricopa County Procurement Code. SERIAL 220154-RFP 10.38 INTEGRATION This contract represents the entire and integrated agreement between the parties and supersedes all prior negotiations, proposals, communications, understandings, representations, or agreements, whether oral or written, expressed, or implied. 10.39 REPORTING 10.39.1 Subrecipient shall track and record performance measure data for all services performed under the contract. 10.39.2 Providers will be responsible for providing quarterly and annual performance and financial reports and backup documents to the assistant director. The assistant director may ask for additional supporting documentation as necessary. Quarterly reports are due by the 15th day of the month following the end of the quarter. (Quarters run on fiscal year basis July 1- June 30): 10.39.2.1 Quarter 1 — July 1 through September 30 10.39.2.2 Quarter 2 — October 1 through December 30 10.39.2.3 Quarter 3 — January 1 through March 30 10.39.2.4 Quarter 4 — April 1 through June 30 10.39.3 Quarterly reports will include: 10.39.3.1 A list of names and contact information of persons receiving or who have received the Subrecipient’s services who are eligible for WIOA services Subrecipients must understand WIOA program eligibility requirements as defined by the Arizona DES WIOA Policy and Procedure Manual (I-B Policy and Procedure Manual | Arizona Department of Economic Security (az.gov Title v)) and are expected to contact the assistant director in a timely manner regarding questions of eligibility. 10.39.3.2 Performance information/measures on services provided for the prior three months and must include: 10.39.3.2.1 An executive summary of activities performed. 10.39.3.2.2 Detailed performance data as required for each service type 10.39.3.2.3 For services provided to underemployed persons, the subrecipient shall provide average percentage increases in wage/salary (estimated or actual) for all persons served. 10.39.3.2.4 Summary demographic information on participants served which includes gender, race, ethnicity, and age. 10.39.3.3 Detailed financial reports showing expenditures for each program and a cost per participant. 10.39.4 Annual reports are due by the 15th of January each year. Annual reports shall include: SERIAL 220154-RFP 10.39.4.1 Summary performance measure information on all applicable performance measures services provided for the prior four quarters; 10.39.4.2 Summary, financial information on services provided including amount spent by service provided; 10.39.4.3 Projected expenditures and performance levels; 10.39.4.4 An executive summary of all work conducted during the year, barriers to providing service, plans to address those barriers, and any other information the County should be aware of; 10.39.5 Providers will be held accountable for ensuring successful outcomes/goals for the services they provide 10.39.6 All records must be maintained in an accurate and organized manner and kept in a secure location. 10.40 RECORD KEEPING 10.40.1 Records to be maintained by the subrecipient shall include: 10.40.1.1 Documentation of the services provided to the participants. 10.40.1.2 Financial records for services provided. 10.40.1.3 Notations of communications pertinent to the participant’s required services 10.41 PROGRAM MONITORING AND EVALUATION 10.41.1 County staff will monitor the provider’s compliance with, and performance under, the terms and conditions of the agreement and service referrals. 10.41.2 The provider shall make available for inspection and/or copying by the department's monitors, all records and accounts relating to the work performed or the services provided under the agreement. 10.41.3 Providers shall be monitored for fiscal, program delivery and contract compliance annually or more often as needed. 10.41.4 Monitoring shall occur during provider’s normal business hours, announced or unannounced. 10.41.5 Provider(s) found to be deficient in any area shall receive written notification of findings and required corrective actions. Providers shall provide a written response outlining corrective actions and steps to ensure findings are corrected and resolved to preclude future issues. 10.41.6 Providers shall be responsible for monitoring worksites for those participants that are engaged in WEX activities. 10.42 CONFIDENTIALITY OF CLIENT INFORMATION 10.42.1 The provider, its personnel, volunteers, interns and subcontractors unless otherwise exempt, shall adhere to all federal, state and local laws regarding confidentiality including, but not limited to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Pub. L. No. 1-4-191 (1996) and regulations promulgated there under. SERIAL 220154-RFP 10.42.2 Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is any data that could potentially identify a specific individual. Providers shall ensure information containing participants’ PII is only transmitted securely via electronic method or hard copy. 10.42.3 Prohibition: Providers, personnel, subcontractors, volunteers and interns shall not divulge or release participant information to anyone aside from the County without a court order. 10.42.4 Subpoenas: If the providers receives a subpoena requesting records relating to the contract, the providers, shall immediately notify the assistant director, and supply a copy of the subpoena before complying with the subpoena, 10.43 INCIDENT REPORTING REQUIREMENTS 10.43.1 The providers shall ensure mandatory reporting to Law Enforcement is conducted pursuant to A.R.S. § 13-3620 and shall report incidents identified as required by law, licensing regulations and agency policy (as applicable). 10.43.2 Providers shall ensure incidents involving participants served under the agreement are reported to program staff. 10.43.3 Providers to notify: 10.43.3.1 The providers shall report to the assistant director, incidents involving participants any incidents impacting the health, safety and welfare of participants. Providers shall complete incident reports and shall exclude identifying information if report is provided to agencies or individuals not funded under the County contract. 10.43.3.2 Law Enforcement: The providers shall report incidents to law enforcement as required by law and according to the provider’s policies and procedures. 10.43.3.2.1 Incident report form: All incident reports must be legible and be signed by the staff who prepared the report as well as by the staff who approved the report. The completed report must be sent to the assistant director. The provider shall maintain a file of written incident reports that are available for review by County staff: 10.43.3.2.2 The County response to incident reports or complaints: The assistant director shall take the following steps upon Vendor notification of an incident in this Paragraph: 10.43.3.2.3 Review the written information to determine if the incident requires investigation. The assistant director may direct the providers to initiate an internal review and/or request additional information and/or require specific action; 10.43.3.2.4 If the provider’s actions are such as to warrant the concern, the assistant director shall investigate further or forward the information to the appropriate authorities; 10.43.3.2.5 If the assistant director is not satisfied with the provider’s response to an incident, the assistant director may take any appropriate action. 10.44 UNIFORM ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS SERIAL 220154-RFP By entering into this contract, the Contractor agrees to comply with all applicable provisions of Title 2, Subtitle A, Chapter II, Part 200—UNIFORM ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS, COST PRINCIPLES, AND AUDIT REQUIREMENTS FOR FEDERAL AWARDS contained in Title 2 C.F.R. § 200 et seq. 10.45 GOVERNING LAW 10.46 This contract shall be governed by the laws of the State of Arizona. Venue for any actions or lawsuits involving this contract will be in Maricopa County Superior Court, Phoenix, Arizona. 10.47 ORDER OF PRECEDENCE In the event of a conflict in the provisions of this contract and Contractor’s license agreement, if applicable, the terms of this contract shall prevail. 10.48 INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS The following are to be attached to and made part of this Contract: Exhibit A – Vendor Information Exhibit A-1 Fee Schedule Exhibit B – Scope of Work 10.49 NOTICES All notices given pursuant to the terms of this contract shall be addressed to: For County: CJ Williams, Assistant Director Human Services Department Workforce Development Division OR Maricopa County Office of Procurement Services 160 S. 4th Avenue Phoenix, Arizona 85003-1647 For Contractor: 10.50 INQUIRIES Administrative telephone/email inquiries shall be addressed to: IRMA GUZMAN, PROCUREMENT OFFICER TELEPHONE: (602) 506-8715 Irma.guzman@maricopa.gov Inquiries may be submitted by telephone but must be followed up in writing. No oral communication is binding on Maricopa County. SERIAL 220154-RFP SERIAL 220154-RFP EXHIBIT A - VENDOR INFORMATION COMPANY NAME: Tech Talent South DOING BUSINESS AS (dba): MAILING ADDRESS: PO Box 9158 Charlotte, NC 28299 REMIT TO ADDRESS: PO Box 9158, Charlotte, NC 28299 TELEPHONE NUMBER: (888) 909-1542 FAX NUMBER: WWW ADDRESS: https://www.techtalentsouth.com/ REPRESENTATIVE NAME: Beth Westerman Koback REPRESENTATIVE TELEPHONE NUMBER: (301) 792-8861 REPRESENTATIVE EMAIL ADDRESS beth@techtalentsouth.com YES NO REBATE WILL ALLOW OTHER GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES TO PURCHASE FROM THIS CONTRACT: WILL ACCEPT PROCUREMENT CARD FOR PAYMENT: NET 60 DAYS 46-3444121 0875575056 FEDERAL TAX ID # DUNS # SERIAL 220154-RFP EXHIBIT A-1 - FEE SCHEDULE CONTRACT PERIOD: 2/2022 - 7/2023 NAME: Tech Talent South TOTAL Total Salary for the % Allocated Service SERVICE COUNTY Position Title Contract Period MCHSD Percentage COST COST Lead Instructor $108,000 100% $108,000.00 $0.00 Teaching Assistant $129,600 100% $129,600.00 $0.00 Technical Program Manager $112,500 67% $150,007.50 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 TOTAL: $387,607.50 $0.00 TOTAL COUNTY BASIS COST COST Based on % of contract period salary $73,645.43 $0.00 $73,645.43 $0.00 TOTAL COUNTY BASIS COST COST r needs One time per cohort $12,000.00 One time per cohort $3,000.00 oring / Record Keeping 160 hours per program $36,000.00 TOTAL: $51,000.00 $0.00 N/A - delivered remotely TOTAL COUNTY BASIS COST COST TOTAL: $0.00 $0.00 TOTAL COUNTY BASIS COST COST TOTAL: $0.00 $0.00 TOTAL COUNTY BASIS COST COST TOTAL: $0.00 $0.00 TOTAL COUNTY TITLE BASIS COST COST INCUMBENT WORKER TRAINING $512,252.93 NAVIGATION SERVICES WORK EXPERIENCE ON-THE-JOB TRAINING OTHER WORKFORCE SERVICES SUPPORT SERVICES TOTAL: $512,252.93 $0.00 TOTAL COUNTY BASIS COST COST TOTAL: $0.00 $0.00 PROFIT COST: $147,717.08 of employers and the corresponding reimbursement rate per candidate TOTAL SERVICE COST: $659,970.00 SERIAL 220154-RFP EXHIBIT B - SCOPE OF WORK At Tech Talent South, we have great depth and breadth of experience in providing the services outlined in the County’s Solicitation, as we provide training to help our corporate clients, including Lowe’s, Credit Karma, Cognizant Technology Solutions, and The Hartford with incumbent worker training or to screen new hires. We are also currently serving multiple cities and states with workforce development training in the skillsets proposed in this solicitation response. Below we address each section of Element 1: Incumbent Worker Training Section 2.4.1.1 Services that provide high-quality training, credentialing, and/or experience necessary to retain employees, avoid layoffs, and/or result in higher wages for employees. Preferably this training will be targeted to in- demand fields/industries. We propose to work with local employers to offer their incumbent workers a 20-week training program in Full-Stack Web Development that will allow incumbent workers with little or no tech background to fulfill roles in the Information Technology field. This proposal responds to Element 1: Incumbent Worker Training. This training has been developed and is updated continually to meet the needs of our current employment partners, who either hire us to train their current employees, or hire those who complete our training. We have a network of employment partners in the County, as we achieved licensure as a training provider in 2019 from the Arizona Board of Private Postsecondary Education for our Phoenix location. We propose to train 150 participants total over 10 cohorts throughout the contract’s initial period, with one class to begin each quarter. We deliberately keep cohorts small, at 15 participants per cohort. Each cohort has a lead instructor and two teaching assistants delivering live instruction virtually. The small class size maximizes our ability to train and to 3 get to know our participants so that we may better ensure their success in training and their match to appropriate openings in the employer’s organization. The set of skills detailed in the program outline below is part of the broader set of skills that we deliver routinely. For specific add-on skills that an employer needs its newly-trained worker to demonstrate, we maintain additional modules that we can either add to the curriculum generally, or deliver in a more one- on-one fashion to particular participants, depending on the employer’s needs. Here is set of the tools which we deliver through our courses and training library: The graphic below shows the range of roles for which we train routinely. These are the kinds of roles that incumbent workers could train to take on: Wage growth: Depending on the role program graduates take at the employing organization, salary following training can vary. On the low end, for example entry-level IT support for a small company, entry salary would be about $30,000, or around $15 per hour. On the higher end, salary immediately following class can be around $70,000 or around $35 per hour for roles with larger, well-funded companies. Salaries tend to increase rapidly, as these are in-demand fields with roles employers have difficulty filling because of the lack of trained talent compared to the demand for it. Section 2.4.1.2 Training may be conducted by third parties that meet the requirements of the program. Tech Talent South, which is registered in Arizona and obtained a license with the Arizona State Board of Private Postsecondary Education in 2019, will conduct the training. Section 2.4.1.3 If training is conducted by third parties the Subrecipient will be responsible for obtaining the required performance data at regular intervals. We at Tech Talent South will provide the training and collect and report the required performance data as well as success stories and additional information as requested by our partners in the County. We will SERIAL 220154-RFP ensure that we track and report any metrics the County and any particular company engaging us for this incumbent worker training would like us to track. We are experienced in tracking such metrics and reporting and discussing them at intervals that work for our workforce and corporate partners. Section 2.4.1.4 IVT requires a cost-sharing methodology. We recognize and accept the cost-sharing methodology outlined in the Solicitation. Outside of the workforce setting, this class is tuition-based, at a catalog rate of $14,750. In response to this Solicitation, we are offering to train at a price of $7,333 per participant before any sharing of costs by employers who engage us for this training. Section 2.4.1.5 If training is conducted by third parties the Subrecipient will be responsible for obtaining the required performance data at regular intervals. We at Tech Talent South will provide the training and collect and report the required performance data as well as success stories and additional information as requested by our partners in the County. Section 2.4.1.6 Minimum requirements for delivering this service include: Section 2.4.1.6.1 Training Programs must include training and or experience that is essential to allow employees to perform tasks/duties of other occupations within the organization. Completion of the training will result in the employee being fully capable of performing the duties necessary to retain employment. Given that a priority of the County in this Solicitation is that completion of the training will result in the employee being fully capable of performing the duties necessary to retain employment, we are excited that each class is more complete and longer than any class we have offered in the workforce development setting. Our workforce classes, with the exception of the WIN Program for which we are the training provider, have been 12 weeks maximum, and we believe that the proposed 20-week class allows for greater skill development, workplace readiness training, and employment placement outcomes. Completion of the proposed class is tantamount to completing two of our traditional workforce classes, Code Immersion and Advanced Java. The skills portfolio that participants will amass, which represents their work, skill, and learning, will establish their qualification for in-demand jobs in web development and related tech and tech- adjacent roles within the sponsoring employer’s organization. We delight in sharing success stories from the participants we have trained. Doing so is an integral part of our check-ins with, for example, Connecticut’s Department of Economic and Community Development under the workforce training that we do for them, so we are also experienced at obtaining the proper consents and creating slides and graphics to show success trajectory and salary delta between pre- and post-training. We will be happy to share such success stories and graphics with the County as proof of concept throughout the contract period. Section 2.4.1.6.2 Training program instructors must possess either direct experience or a combination of experience, education, and/or credentials/certifications necessary to train employees in performing necessary tasks. The instructor will have at least two years of direct industry experience in the skills being taught. Instructors hold daily office hours in addition to class time. Participants use this time to complete projects and obtain any additional help or review on concepts. Resumes of the instructors we propose to use in this training are attached. Section 2.4.1.6.3 Have experience assessing the progress of employees/students to ensure effective processes. SERIAL 220154-RFP Lectures and demonstrations delivered by the lead instructor are reinforced with hands-on (learning by doing) programming projects, including a capstone full-stack Java project, which can be tailored to the needs of the sponsoring employer. Participants are expected to complete lab assignments and multiple assessments throughout the course. Office hours are held each day to allow more in-depth practice, review of concepts, and an opportunity for questions in a more relaxed setting. Our Technical Program Manager oversees the instructor and teaching assistants, ensuring that assessments are completed and scored, and that all students are achieving satisfactory progress. Section 2.4.1.6.4 Have experience preparing lesson plans and personalized instruction. We have been providing technical training since our founding in 2013, working with our clients and hiring partners to ensure that our curriculum delivers the skills they need employees to demonstrate. The curriculum for the course is fully developed, and we are already offering it as a tuition-based class and in the workforce setting in other jurisdictions. We will work with each sponsoring employer to tailor the course content, as well as the corresponding projects and assessments, to the skills the employer needs the newly- trained employees to demonstrate. As far as personalized instruction for each training participant, our teaching assistants attend each class and are also available outside of class to answer questions submitted in the group Slack channel or to meet by phone or Zoom to assist participants with any learning obstacles. We train our teaching assistants to elicit each participant’s goals, discuss performance and any resource or learning needs, and to follow up with any participant who misses a class without an excuse. We have found that early attention to class absence can reengage participants who may feel less than confident and may need some help in terms of curriculum and content, or in terms of addressing life issues that are interfering with their participation. Section 2.4.1.7 As a result of engagement in the service, employer will: Section 2.4.1.7.1 Provide essential training to employees. This training will require enrolled employees meet performance and training requirements demonstrating readiness to do essential job duties/tasks. We are accustomed to working with clients in employer-sponsored training to tailor our training to teach the skills they need their workers to demonstrate. We also work with our clients on a regular cadence of reporting of attendance, assessment scores, and the like. That can take the form of periodic reporting or weekly meetings to ensure visibility to the participants’ performance. We discuss examples of our training for Cognizant, Credit Karma, Lowe’s, and The Hartford, among others, in our Qualification section below. Section 2.4.1.7.2 Completed training will result in the employee retaining employment within the organization. We will work with the employer sponsor to ensure that our training aligns with hiring needs within the organization, so that the participants will be able to demonstrate the skills in the job description that they will be training to fill. Section 2.4.1.7.3 Retained employees shall be provided job placement including full-time work, part-time work, apprenticeships, or pre-apprenticeships. In addition to the experiences we have providing our corporate clients with training and trained talent, we also provide training through the WIN Program, described in the Qualifications section below, which weaves apprenticeship placement through the last 10 weeks of the 20-week training program, resulting in a 90% SERIAL 220154-RFP successful completion rate and a 100% employment rate for successful graduates at the end of the 20 weeks. Section 2.4.1.7.4 Employees may be trained for higher-income positions. As noted above, depending on the role program graduates take at the employing organization, salary following training can vary. On the low end, for example entry-level IT support for a small company, entry salary would be about $30,000, or around $15 per hour. On the higher end, salary immediately following class can be around $70,000 or around $35 per hour for roles with larger, well-funded companies. Salaries tend to increase rapidly, as these are in-demand fields with roles employers have difficulty filling because of the lack of trained talent compared to the demand for it. Section 2.4.1.8 Service tasks to be performed by the vendor (The list below is not intended to be all inclusive): Section 2.4.1.8.1 Provide employers resources, training, and other support to conducted IWT We are experienced in planning training that is tailored to our employer clients’ needs, providing the training, and providing the metrics and additional information needed by our clients to ensure a fitting apprenticeship or placement for each program graduate. Section 2.4.1.8.2 Establish agreements or written assurances with employers requiring that employees provided IWT will not be laid off within one year of IWT completion because of lack of training or inability to perform essential job duties. Employees receiving IWT will meet training and performance standards prior to completion. Our counsel will draw up such written assurances and ensure that employers agree before the commencement of IWT. Successful outcomes are dear to our hearts and central to our mission to help people, especially those with little to no tech backgrounds prior to training, acquire new skills and improve their employment and economic security. Every one of our training participants, including those in our public-facing courses who pay tuition, is welcome to repeat our training free of charge as many times as they would like to review any or all concepts. Section 2.4.1.8.3 Assist employees with overcoming learning obstacles One attribute of our training that really stands out is the support we provide participants. We love what we do, and it shows in our participants’ experiences, which is why TTS is consistently voted one of the best coding schools globally. We get to know our training participants, provide extra help when needed, and celebrate their successes with them. Section 2.4.1.8.4 Provide resources, tools, and instruction to develop effective learning strategies. We have been providing this training since 2013 and we have honed our resources and approach to most effectively address the needs of learners who are new to tech. Our small cohort size (proposed as a 15- person cohort supported by a lead instructor, two teaching assistants, and a technical program manager) also helps us to personalize instruction and deliver to each participant through strategies that work for them. Section 2.4.1.8.5 Provide active learning experiences to keep employees engaged We employ various measures to increase engagement in our live online training, so that it approximates the in-person class experience. Participants have their cameras on, which keeps communication flowing and helps minimize the temptation to tune out or multi-task. SERIAL 220154-RFP Instructors ask questions and gauge participants’ expressions and performance on in-class assignments to ensure that no one is being left behind. We consistently employ live break-out rooms and group work, which is important practice in any case because much of tech work is group work. Section 2.4.1.8.6 Monitor individual employee learning progress Participants’ progress is tracked and addressed through a robust series of assessments throughout the course. Examples are available upon request, and are generally agreed-upon ahead of time with our employer clients. Section 2.4.1.9 Performance Measures Section 2.4.1.9.1 Number of employees retained because of IWT by industry/sector We will track and report these metrics for our training engagements. Section 2.4.1.9.2 Percentage of employees per company/organization that were retained because of incumbent worker training. We will share information with our employer sponsors to allow them to compile and report this information. Our proposed training is in Full-Stack Web Development, as it provides the foundation for training participants to take on a variety of roles in an employer’s organization. Full-Stack Web Development Program Objectives: Our proposed Full Stack Web Development program combines our Code Immersion and Advanced Java programs into one 20-week course. In the first 10 weeks, students will take a deep dive into our Code Immersion program which will develop software engineers ready to succeed in today's digital workforce. Training participants can expect to be proficient in the concepts listed below and more specifically, have a strong foundational base in Java. In the second 10 weeks, participants will be introduced to key skills in Java Applications Development necessary to succeed as mid-level Java developers. Specifically, they will learn full-stack Spring-based Java development using the Spring Tools for Eclipse. Lectures and demonstrations delivered by the lead instructor are reinforced with hands-on (learning by doing) programming projects, including a capstone full-stack Java project. Participants are expected to complete lab assignments and multiple assessments throughout the course. Office hours are held each day to allow more in-depth practice, review of concepts, and an opportunity for questions in a more relaxed setting. Exceptions to the Solicitation Response: Tech Talent South has reviewed the Solicitation and does not take exception or propose any alternatives to the County’s requirements as outlined therein. SERIAL 220154-RFP TECH TALENT SOUTH LLC, PO BOX 9158, CHARLOTTE, NC 28299 PRICING SHEET: NIGP CODE 95238 Terms: Vendor Number: Certificates of Insurance Contract Period: NET 60 VS0000006742 Required To cover the period ending July 31, 2023.