Item 6j Memo
PORT OF SEATTLE MEMORANDUM COMMISSION AGENDA Item No. 6j Date of Meeting June 2, 2009 DATE: May 18, 2009 TO: Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer FROM: Jane Kilburn, Director, Public Affairs Nancy Blanton, Manager, Corporate Communications SUBJECT: New Procurement for Graphic Design Services ACTION REQUESTED: Authorization for the CEO (Chief Executive Officer) to conduct Category III procurement processes for IDIQ (Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity) contract, and execute all contracts, service directives and amendments for graphic design services to maintain the Port's graphic identity, support brand standards and messages, and support customer marketing and communications strategies, internal communications and signage needs for a period of up to three years, for an approximate value of $366,000 per year, for a total estimated procurement amount of up to $1,200,000. BACKGROUND Professional graphic design is a critical element of successful, targeted communication and public information programs, because it helps the viewer navigate efficiently through information to find what they need. It promotes clarity and accessibility and assists in achieving revenues within each business unit through compelling visual marketing. It also, at a glance, communicates the identity and significance of an organization. In recent years, the Port's Public Affairs Department has managed annual contracts for ongoing and special project graphic design needs, such as printed materials, signage and electronic graphics. The Port produces a wide variety of informational and promotional material every year to support the Port's goals of increasing and maintaining the transparency of Port business, supporting our business lines and their customer requirements, and enhancing accessible information for public understanding of the Port's role in the community. Public Affairs does not have a graphic designer on staff, but typically has awarded several contracts each year to local small businesses. Public Affairs manages the Port's graphic design contracts as a means of protecting and expanding our brand identity and maintaining the high quality of our marketing materials, communications and public information products. Given the breadth of the Port's activities, there are a number of graphic design projects underway at any time. In 2008, for example, contract designers produced advertisements for the Seaport and COMMISSION AGENDA Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer May 18, 2009 Page 2 of 3 Airport, trade booth exhibits, marketing materials, fact sheets, event banners, the annual report, brochures about our environmental programs and economic impact, maps to help people navigate our facilities, and more. So far in 2009, contract designers have produced the new Green Gateway logo and map, the Smith Cove Cruise Terminal logo, Seaport maps showing the new cargo and cruise terminals; cruise, cargo and airport ads for community and industry publications, and new marketing material for the Airport Conference Center. Contract designers also have produced materials that support the Port's efforts to recruit small businesses to compete for Port contracts. PROJECT DESCRIPTION Under the new Central Procurement Office procedures, and as the result of several planning sessions with CPO staff, Public Affairs was encouraged to centralize all graphic design needs for the Port under one procurement process, and then award contracts to design firms based on specific capabilities that align with the scopes of work. Under this procurement, we intend to advertise three Requests for Proposal, focusing scopes of work on particular areas of design expertise, and estimated dollar values as follows: Contract A: Scope: Graphic design services for marketing, advertisements and other related public information projects Approximate value: $200,000 to $250,000 per year Contract B: Scope: Graphic design services for community relations and outreach related projects. Approximate value: $60,000 per year Contract C: Scope: Graphic design services for electronic communications and products Approximate value: $65,000 to $70,000 per year We will competitively award contracts with those firms that best meet our defined criteria in the specific areas. Each contract will be for one year, with the option of extending for up to two additional years. Contracts will include our small business initiative goals where appropriate. Public Affairs will manage and oversee all design approvals, schedules and work processes. To define our scopes of work and contract values, Public Affairs surveyed Port users of graphic design services about the kinds of design needs they could anticipate for the coming year, and the dollar amounts they would budget for them. We combined all anticipated design needs Port-wide into an annual sum except for the graphic design requirements for the Airport Concessions Marketing Tenant Program which will be procured separately. There is also the understanding that COMMISSION AGENDA Tay Yoshitani, Chief Executive Officer May 18, 2009 Page 3 of 3 communication programs and budgets may change, and each department would use graphic design services only at the level approved in their final annual budget. We used the sum and specific departmental needs to create scopes of work for an Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Procurement, as recommended by CPO. IDIQ contracts provide the Port with the flexibility to meet business requirements as they arise by issuing individual Service Directives to accomplish tasks within a general, pre-defined Scope of Work on an as-needed basis for a fixed period of time and a maximum contract amount. Competitively bid IDIQ contracts are a widely used public sector contracting tool, consistent with the Port's Resolution No. 3605 and governed by CPO-1 policy. ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED / RECOMMENDED ACTION 1. Prepare separate procurements each year for graphic design contract services. This option would not be the most efficient use of Port resources because it would result in multiple contracts for similar services, and increase the Port's costs for management and administration. 2. Prepare one Category III procurement for each specialized service. This alternative ensures a competitive process, encourages small business participation and provides staff with the ability to respond in a timely manner to needs as they arise. This is the recommended alternative. PROJECT SCHEDULE For the three scopes of work, RFPs are being issued in May 2009. With Commission authorization, the first year contracts would begin in August 2009 and, if renewed for the two year options, expire in August 2012. Each Service Directive will specify a schedule associated with tasks involved. SOURCE OF FUNDS The procurement amount is based on actual work completed in 2008 and projected out for three years. Each department requesting design services would cover the expense from its own approved annual budget each year.
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