To: Board of Directors, Sonoma County Water Agency
Department or Agency Name(s): Sonoma County Water Agency
Staff Name and Phone Number: Steven Hancock 707-292-1195
Vote Requirement: 4/5th
Supervisorial District(s): Countywide
Title:
Title
Projectmates Software and Implementation Services for Project Management
End
Recommended Action:
Recommended action
A) Authorize Sonoma County Water Agency’s General Manager to execute an agreement with Systemates, Inc., in substantially the form as the draft presented to this Board, for Projectmates software and implementation services through January 31, 2027, in the not-to-exceed amount of $225,720.
B) Authorize Sonoma County Water Agency’s General Manager to amend the agreement, if required, to extend the term two additional years, at an additional cost to Sonoma County Water Agency not more than $196,133.
C) Adopt a Resolution authorizing adjustment to the Board Adopted Budget for Fiscal Year 2024-2025 for the Sonoma County Water Agency General Fund in the amount of $119,063 for the SCWA Project Management Software Agreement.
(4/5th Vote Required)
end
Executive Summary:
Sonoma County Water Agency (Sonoma Water) manages approximately 100-150 projects and programs annually, spanning across multiple sections, including capital projects, design, construction management, operations and maintenance, environmental, information technology, and other divisions. Historically, Sonoma Water has operated under multiple, distinct project management systems and methodologies, resulting in a siloed and fragmented project management environment, with only one section (Construction Management) utilizing a formal project management platform, which lacks the necessary functionality and scalability to support the broader needs of Sonoma Water.
Discussion:
HISTORY OF ITEM/BACKGROUND
Need for a New Platform:
Sonoma Water’s current project management software, used by the Construction Management section, has not be available since December 31, 2024. Sonoma Water wants to take advantage of the need for new project management software for the Construction Management section to implement project management software that can more broadly be used by other sections within Sonoma Water.
As a secure, cloud-based platform, Systemates’ project management software, Projectmates, is scalable and accessible from anywhere, providing flexibility for growing project demands and geographically dispersed teams. This is especially beneficial for Sonoma Water to manage both small- and large-scale endeavors, offering scalability as needs evolve over time. The platform also includes tools to help sections comply with government regulations, such as permitting, environmental assessments, and construction codes.
Projectmates is a ‘software as a service’ product (SaaS). While SaaS provides many benefits, housing critical data off-site in data centers that Sonoma Water has little knowledge of or control over involves a variety of risks that are not present with on-site hosting. Appropriate consideration has been given to the cloud provider and risk mitigation. Sonoma Water’s Information Technology department (IT) was consulted to assist with assessing the security controls in place for the technology and cloud environment. IT provided a risk assessment tool that the vendor completed. Upon completion of the assessment, IT determined that while it is impossible to completely eliminate all risks, the SaaS provider demonstrated that they have strong controls in place that follow best practices for securing both the technology and the cloud environment. IT recommend the use of Single Sign-On (SSO), which will be implemented, but otherwise, all other risk concerns have been mitigated by the controls that the provider has in place. IT staff will be available to assist, as needed, but the project team has not identified any specific needs that will require anything beyond baseline support.
Key Benefits and Features:
1. Unified Project Oversight: Projectmates offers a single source of truth architecture for project-related data, managing capital projects, studies, maintenance, technology upgrades, and more.
2. Enhanced Collaboration: Projectmates supports collaboration across Sonoma Water’s various sections, providing visibility into project progress and shared workflows.
3. Improved Efficiency: Integration with existing systems and the standardization of processes across sections will minimize duplicative efforts and improve tracking of resources, schedules, and budgets.
4. Scheduling and Planning: Advanced tools for managing timelines, tasks, and milestones ensure Sonoma Water can plan and adjust project schedules effectively.
5. Task and Budget Management: Efficient tracking of tasks and expenses, offering real-time updates for enhanced financial oversight.
6. Document and Resource Management: Secure document storage, easy collaboration, and optimized allocation of resources across multiple projects.
7. User Experience and Support: Intuitive design minimizes training needs, while ongoing support ensures the platform evolves with Sonoma Water’s needs.
8. Key Functionalities: The new platform includes key features such as dashboards, milestone tracking, document collaboration, communication logs, reporting tools, and ticket systems for task management, as well as a seamless records management process.
Current Agreement:
Sonoma Water’s current project management software, exclusive to the Construction Management section, has not be available since December 31, 2024. Sonoma Water has contracted to implement Projectmates for the Construction Management Section due to the end-of-year deadline. The proposed agreement will roll out Projectmates to the remaining sections of Sonoma Water.
SELECTION PROCESS
Systemates, Inc., (Service Provider) was selected after a competitive selection process due to its proven track record of delivering high-quality project management solutions tailored to complex organizations. Projectmates has the ability to streamline workflows across divisions, enabling better collaboration, more effective cost-accounting, and overall increased efficiency and transparency for projects. Attached is a memo that explains the competitive selection process.
Sonoma Water may seek to amend or enter into subsequent agreement(s) with Board approval if required, relying upon this competitive selection process, after the preliminary or initial work is completed.
SERVICES TO BE PERFORMED
Under the agreement, Service Provider will roll-out Projectmates to the remaining Sonoma Water sections and provide training, customization, and software licenses for two years.
The cost of services will not exceed $225,720; the term end date is January 31, 2027.
Under the agreement, the General Manager shall have the ability to extend the term of the agreement for up to two additional years by providing written notice to the other party thirty days in advance of the expiration date. The extension shall be formalized in an amended agreement or amendment signed by the parties.
County of Sonoma Strategic Plan Alignment
This item directly supports Sonoma County’s Five-year Strategic Plan and is aligned with the following pillar, goal, and objective.
Sonoma Water Strategic Plan Alignment
Goal: 1. Organizational Excellence - Strengthen the organization and workforce to perform our core functions and responsibilities.
Strategy: 1.2 Implement organizational development practices to enhance internal communications, decision-making, resource alignment, and project management processes.
Action: 1.2.2 Improve communication and internal business processes to enhance transparency and internal coordination.
By providing a robust system for reviewing, vetting, implementing, and tracking projects across Sonoma Water, this item directly supports Sonoma Water’s Five-year Strategic Plan.
Racial Equity:
Was this item identified as an opportunity to apply the Racial Equity Toolkit?
No
Prior Board Actions:
None.
Fiscal Summary
|
Expenditures |
FY24-25 Adopted |
FY25-26 Projected |
FY26-27 Projected |
|
Budgeted Expenses |
$11,907 |
$94,750 |
|
|
Additional Appropriation Requested |
$119,063 |
|
|
|
Total Expenditures |
$130,970 |
$94,750 |
|
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Funding Sources |
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General Fund/WA GF |
$11,907 |
$94,750 |
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State/Federal |
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Fees/Other |
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Use of Fund Balance |
$119,063 |
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General Fund Contingencies |
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Total Sources |
$130,970 |
$94,750 |
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Narrative Explanation of Fiscal Impacts:
Budgeted amount of $11,907 is available from FY 2024/2025 appropriations for the Sonoma Water General fund. With Board approval of the attached budgetary resolution, FY 2024/2025 appropriations of $119,063 will be made in the Sonoma Water General fund. FY 2025/2026 appropriations will be made in that fiscal year.
A budgetary resolution has been submitted with this item.
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Staffing Impacts: |
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Position Title (Payroll Classification) |
Monthly Salary Range (A-I Step) |
Additions (Number) |
Deletions (Number) |
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Narrative Explanation of Staffing Impacts (If Required):
N/A
Attachments:
Attachment 1: Agreement with Systemates, Inc.
Attachment 2: Budget Resolution
Attachment 3: Competitive Selection Process Memo
Related Items “On File” with the Clerk of the Board:
None.