3-Attachment E - Integrity Conflict of Interest Guidelines.docx

ATTACHMENT E

PROCUREMENT AND CONTRACT PROCESS INTEGRITY AND CONFLICT OF INTEREST GUIDELINES

ATTACHMENT E

PROCUREMENT AND CONTRACT PROCESS INTEGRITY AND CONFLICT OF INTEREST GUIDELINES

PURPOSE

1.1 The purpose of these Guidelines is to ensure integrity in the Stadium Manager’s procurement and contract processes, to educate Stadium Manager employees, consultants, uncompensated outside parties and any person involved in the decision to award a contract about potential Conflicts of Interest, and to establish guidelines for procedural screening of Conflicts of Interest.

1.2 The Stadium Manager desires to provide a fair opportunity to participants in competitive processes for the award of Stadium Manager contracts by promulgating integrity and removal of Conflicts of Interest in all competitive solicitations.

DEFINITIONS

1.3 PURCHASING MANAGER

“Purchasing Manager” is the Stadium Manager employee designated by the Stadium Manager to be responsible for the Stadium Manager’s procurement process.

1.4 ELECTED OFFICIAL

"Elected Official" means the City of Santa Clara Mayor, Council Members, City Clerk, and Chief of Police.

1.5 COUNCIL APPOINTEES

"Council Appointees" means the City Manager, City Attorney, and City Auditor.

1.6 SOLICITATION

"Solicitation" means, but is not limited to, specification development, preparation and issuance of requests for proposals, quotes, qualifications or bids, evaluation of responses and submissions, and other evaluations which lead to an award of a Stadium Manager contract.

2 GENERAL PROVISIONS

2.1 COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL

2.1.1 Prior to Issuance of Solicitations: Prior to the issuance of Solicitations, contact between prospective respondents and Stadium Manager staff, elected officials or consultants is permissible.

Attachment E Page 3 of 4 Process Integrity and Conflict of Interest Guidelines

RFSOQ# FY26-0094

2.1.2 After Issuance of Solicitations and prior to Submission deadline for Solicitations: After issuance of Solicitations, all contact between prospective respondents and the Stadium Manager with regard to the Solicitation must be directed to the procurement contact designated in the Solicitation. Stadium Manager staff, elected officials and consultants will refer all inquiries with regard to the Solicitation to the procurement contact. All requests for clarification, objections to the structure, content, or distribution of a Solicitation, or other inquiries must be made in writing and the Stadium Manager shall answer to these clarifications, objections, and inquiries in writing via addenda to the Solicitation.

2.1.3 After Submission Deadline of Solicitations and prior to Issuance of a Notice of Intended Award: After the submission deadline of Solicitations, all contact regarding the procurement between respondents and the Stadium Manager and participants in the evaluation process, who are not Stadium Manager employees, must be directed to the procurement contact designated in the Solicitation. Stadium Manager staff, elected officials and consultants will refer all inquiries to the procurement contact identified in the Solicitation document.

2.1.4 After Issuance of a Notice of Intended Award: The Stadium Manager will issue a notice of intended award to all respondents including the basis for selection and instructions for filing a protest. All respondents shall follow the procedures for protest as indicated in the Solicitation document. During the protest period, Stadium Manager staff, elected officials and consultants will refer all inquiries to the procurement contact identified in the Solicitation document.

2.1.5 After Completion of Protest Period: After completion of the protest period contact between prospective respondents and Stadium Manager staff, elected officials, or consultants is permissible.

RESPONDENT'S CODE OF CONDUCT

By submitting a response to a Stadium Manager Solicitation, respondents are individually and solely responsible for ensuring compliance with these Guidelines on behalf of the respondent's employees, agents, consultants, lobbyists, or other parties or individuals engaged for purposes of developing or supporting a response. In addition to adhering to these Guidelines, respondents may not collude, directly or indirectly among themselves in regard to the amount, terms or conditions of a Solicitation, influence any Stadium Manager staff member or evaluation team member throughout the solicitation process, including the development of specifications, submit incorrect information in the response to a Solicitation or misrepresent, or fail to disclose material facts during the evaluation process. Any evidence that indicates that a respondent has failed to adhere with any section of these Guidelines may result in the respondent's disqualification from the procurement as well as possible debarment.

3 CONFIDENTIALITY DURING EVALUATION PROCESS

3.1 Stadium Manager staff, consultants, and outside evaluators who are participants in the evaluation process are required to sign a confidentiality agreement which binds the participants not to share any information about responses received and the evaluation process until the Stadium Manager issues a notice of intended award.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

3.2 Elected officials, appointed officials, their staffs, and Stadium Manager employees are expected to avoid any conflicts of interest. Further, employees should avoid the appearance of conflicts of interest in order to ensure that Stadium Manager decisions are made in an independent and impartial manner. In general, procurement contact, in consultation with the Stadium Manager’s Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”) shall take measures to ensure that the Stadium Manager avoid any conflict of interests in procurement processes of Stadium Manager contracts. Specifically, these measures include that:

3.2.1 Persons who may not be regularly involved in Stadium Manager procurements review this Exhibit and other ethical standards and elicit such information from them to enable the Stadium Manager to determine if the person's participation would create a conflict of interest. Such persons shall include, but are not limited to:

· authors of specifications

· paid and unpaid evaluators

· paid and unpaid consultants who assist in the procurement process

3.2.2 The CFO shall discuss any potential conflict of interest identified with Stadium Manager’s legal department and document the resulting determination, and take appropriate action including, but not limited to, removal of an employee, consultant, or outside uncompensated party from the procurement activity or cancellation of a Solicitation.

ALLEGATIONS OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST

3.2.3 Prior to the Solicitation release, up to award of contract, any allegations of conflict of interest by a Stadium Manager employee, consultant, or other participant in the pre- Solicitation and Solicitation process shall be reported to the CFO. The CFO shall investigate the alleged conflict of interest in consultation with the Stadium Manager’s legal department and document the resulting determination.

ALLEGATIONS OF MISCONDUCT

3.2.4 At any time during a Solicitation process, any misconduct by a Stadium Manager employee, consultant, or other participant in the pre-Solicitation and Solicitation process, shall be reported to the CFO. The CFO shall investigate the alleged misconduct, in consultation with the procurement contact, and others, as appropriate. Nothing in these guidelines is intended to prohibit anyone from communicating with the CFO or legal department about any alleged misconduct.

Attachment E Page 4 of 4 Process Integrity and Conflict of Interest Guidelines