Background:

The City issued an RFP for road program management consulting services. The consultant would focus initially on Project DeRenne but also assist on the Gwinnett Street and DeLesseps Avenue projects. The scope of work includes project management planning, budget and schedule forecasting, coordinating all phases (preliminary design, R-O-W acquisition, federal and state permits, utility relocations, design, construction and bidding according to GDOT’s PDP procedure, construction management and close-out); and qualifying the City as GDOT-certified to accept federal and state highway funding. Three city staff evaluated proposals and awarded points based on criteria: Qualifications/ Experience: 50 points; Technical Capabilities, 30 points; References, 10 points; DBE Participation, 10 points; Local Vendor, 5 points.

Facts & Findings:

1. The City received three responses. Based on scoring, the evaluation committee ranked firms, as follows: AECOM, 87 points; Thunderbolt Consulting, 79.3 points; Roberts Engineering, 62 points. Although the RFP said the fee would be negotiated, staff discussed fee ranges from the top two firms because of significant differences in staffing as presented for the needed services. A large firm, AECOM, presented a corporate plan to provide the required services, with an assessment period and then assignment of up to 4 FTE staff at an annual cost of up to $1 million. Thunderbolt Consulting, a sole proprietor, presented a small-business plan consulting plan at a cost of $15,000 monthly.

2. Including pricing, Thunderbolt Consulting provided the best overall response despite finishing second in points. The point differential was not considered significant (Thunderbolt Consulting is a new firm, and while a local firm, the company did not receive local points because the business license must be at least a year old). The company, headed by former County Engineer Leon Davenport, is well experienced with more than $300 million in capital project experience and the technical proficiency of working on GDOT and FHwA-funded projects.

Policy Analysis:

Under Georgia law and City purchasing policy, professional service contracts can be weighted according to experience/qualifications, technical expertise and cost. In this instance, substantial cost differences versus small differences in qualitative scoring made the recommendation simpler.

Alternatives:

1. Award a professional services contract to Thunderbolt Consulting for road program management consulting services based on the overall consideration of qualifications/experience and fee of $15,000 monthly
2. Award a professional services to AECOM for road program management consulting services based on the overall consideration of qualifications/experience but negotiate a fee substantially less than $1 million annually
3. Take no action

Staff Recommends that Council adopt Alternative 1 to Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Professional Services Contract to Thunderbolt Consulting for Road Program Management Services