RFP_1100_MTL3006_ATT_5_v1.docx

CITY OF AUSTIN

PURCHASING OFFICE

SCOPE OF WORK

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL - TEMPORARY STAFFING SERVICES FOR THE CONTACT CENTERS

SOLICITATION NUMBER: RFP 1100 MTL3006

1. PURPOSE

Austin Energy (AE) is seeking a Contractor to provide approximately 130 to 270 temporary Contract Personnel to support two high-volume, inbound contact centers. The Contractor shall provide AE with qualified personnel, including customer service representatives, to staff the Austin 3-1-1 Contact Center and the Austin Energy Utility Contact Center (Contact Centers), both located at 4815 Mueller Blvd, Austin, TX 78723.

The Contractor shall provide qualified Contract Personnel on an on-going and as needed basis for the first year of the Contract. In accordance with Austin City Council directive, a portion of Contract Personnel may be converted to City staff over the life of the Contract. By year five of the Contract, the number of Contract Personnel is anticipated to decrease approximately to 130 Contract Personnel.

2. BACKGROUND

The Austin Energy Utility Contact Center and the Austin 3-1-1 Contact Center are both divisions of Austin Energy’s Customer Care business unit. Austin Energy is the municipally owned electric utility of the City of Austin, TX, serving over 993,588 people and delivering electricity to approximately 557,000 customers.

The Austin Energy Utility Contact Center manages all customer interactions for electric, solid waste, water, and wastewater accounts. In addition to general inquiries, processing start and stop service requests, and addressing billing questions, this Contact Center manages customer communications during service interruptions and receives an average of 94,815 contacts per month, with the highest volumes occurring from June through October. This Contact Center currently operates 7.00AM to 9.00PM.

The Austin 3-1-1 Contact Center serves as the single point of contact for information about all City services and departments and receives an average of 73,000 contacts per month, with the highest volumes occurring from May through October. Community events, Citywide responses, and weather emergencies may increase call volume. This Contact Center also handles all after-hours outage calls for the Austin Energy Utility Contact Center and any overflows during regular business hours. This Contact Center operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

In 2021, Austin City Council authorized a five-year supplemental staffing contract supporting Customer Care operations with a contract spend authority $69,800,000. This authorization covered all supplemental staffing requirements across Customer Care Contact Center functions.

During Fiscal Year 2025, Austin Energy utilized $16,294,769.16 in supplemental staffing services across all supported positions. This level of expenditure reflects the operational need to maintain adequate staffing levels to meet customer service demand, particularly in an environment of ongoing attrition among Customer Service Representative (CSR) positions.

To contextualize staffing requirements, CSR attrition levels are provided to illustrate the typical fluctuations in CSR staffing within each Contact center. These figures demonstrate the operational conditions that necessitate supplemental staffing to sustain service levels and ensure continuity of customer support.

Retention of Contract Personnel is a paramount concern in the management of this Contract. Based on Austin Energy’s highest historical attrition data, it is estimated that failure to retain Contract Personnel could cost at least $1.4 million per year in retraining, reduced efficiency (tenured versus untenured), lower overall quality of services, and in maintaining a Contact Center adequate to address the City’s ongoing needs. Longer tenured staff equates to higher customer satisfaction. Accordingly, a Retention Plan shall be required as an essential element of the Contractor’s response to this solicitation.

3. TERM OF CONTRACT

The Contract shall remain in effect for an initial term of 24 months, or the City terminates the Contract. The Contract may be extended beyond the initial term for up to three additional 12-month periods at the City’s sole option.

4. SCOPE OF WORK

4.1 When evaluating and hiring candidates to initially staff the Contract, the Contractor shall give priority to individuals currently working for the City in an equivalent or similar position who are in good standing. Good standing is defined as having no documented negative performance or behavioral issues and not being on a corrective action plan. Individuals already on assignment who apply and are selected to continue will be transitioned to Contract Personnel at the greater of the Contractor’s pay rate for that position or the individual’s current pay rate and tenure, including hours accrued toward benefits.

4.2 It is anticipated that a new Contract will be awarded in early to mid-2027. As of September 2025, the City had 233 Contract Personnel assigned to the two Contact Centers. The Contractor acknowledges that transitioning consenting Contract Personnel designated by the City as being in good standing must occur within 60 calendar days of Contract Award. All other onboarding staffing activities shall begin upon Contract Award unless otherwise approved in writing by the Austin Energy Project Manager

4.3 At the City’s sole discretion, the Contractor shall give priority consideration to candidates who are current employees of the City or Austin Energy who are in good standing and who apply for a position under the Contract. Individuals already on assignment who apply and are selected to continue shall be transitioned at the greater of the Contractor’s pay rate for that position or the individual’s current pay rate and tenure, including hours accrued toward benefits.

5. CONTRACTOR’S RESPONSIBILITIES

5.1 The Contractor shall attend a contract kick-off meeting with Austin Energy staff to discuss key matters related to the Contract implementation, including, but not limited to, implementation activities, the transition and/or onboarding of personnel from the previous contract, key deadlines, roles and responsibilities, reporting requirements, and performance evaluations.

5.4 The Contractor shall provide Contract Personnel who have successfully completed all required screening, skills assessments, and qualifications within a timeframe not to exceed 20 business days after Austin Energy submits a request to fill positions ordered. The Contractor shall forward the Pre-Assignment candidate package two business days prior to the Austin Energy interview, in accordance with Section 6, Pre-Assignment Package. All activities related to the initial interview process shall be the responsibility of the Contractor. Austin Energy facilities will not be available for this process.

5.5 Contract Personnel assigned to the Contact Centers are considered essential staff. The Contractor shall provide qualified Contract Personnel able to work any day at any time, including holidays and weekends. A list of the City’s observed holidays is at the following link: https://www.austintexas.gov/department/official-city-holidays

5.6 The Contractor shall not present candidates to one Contact Center who were previously dismissed from the other Contact Center or did not complete the required training.

5.7 The Contractor shall ensure that Contract Personnel are active and compliant with Austin Energy Utility accounts prior to the start of their assignments. If a Contract Personnel has an outstanding Austin Energy balance, the Contractor shall ensure the Contract Personnel enters into an approved payment arrangement with Austin Energy prior to performing any services.

5.7.1 If a Contract Personnel is found to be out of compliance with the utility account standing requirement at any time, the Contractor shall immediately remove such Contract Personnel from performing services under this Contract. The Contractor shall conduct an annual review of each Contract Personnel’s Austin Energy account status to confirm continued compliance or adherence to an approved payment arrangement. Documentation of the annual review shall be retained by the Contractor and provided to Austin Energy upon request. Repeated or uncorrected non-compliance may be considered a performance deficiency under this Contract and shall initiate the Escalation Procedure.

5.8 The Contractor shall not present Contract Personnel to any Contact Centers within six months of an unsuccessful interview at either Contact Center.

5.9 The Contractor shall obtain written acceptance from Austin Energy prior to presenting Contract Personnel who previously left either Contact Center in good standing and are being considered for return assignment.

5.10 The Contractor shall provide qualified bilingual Spanish-speaking Contract Personnel as required by Austin Energy’s business needs. Bilingual Spanish-speaking Contract Personnel shall comprise a minimum of 50% of each Contact Center staffing request for the Customer Service Representative labor classification.

5.11 The Contractor shall provide a comprehensive list of skill assessments to Austin Energy for approval, administer testing, and submit scores to Austin Energy prior to referring any Contract Personnel for interview. The Contractor shall submit to Austin Energy for written approval any changes to the approved assessments or testing requirements at least one business day prior to the interviews. The Contractor shall conduct an exit interview or survey upon the separation of any Contract Personnel and shall provide Austin Energy with a written copy of the results within seven calendar days of the Contract Personnel’s date of separation in a format approved by Austin Energy. The Contractor shall also provide interview or survey feedback for screened Contract Personnel candidates within seven calendar days of the interview or survey.

5.12 The Contractor shall provide an automated timekeeping and payroll system for all Contract Personnel. The system shall be accessible by Austin Energy for approving time entries and conducting payroll audits and shall support and be compatible with Austin Energy’s current telephony and timekeeping system of record, including updated versions as needed. The current system of record is Genesys Pure Engage Cloud, and Austin Energy plans to transition to Cloud CX in 2026.

5.13 The Contractor shall obtain required background checks in accordance with the City’s Terms and Conditions, section 3.10. Background checks shall be fully completed, and the results shall be available at least one business day prior to referral of any Contract Personnel to Austin Energy for interview.

5.14 The Contractor shall submit monthly invoices that are accurate, current, and complete for all Contract Personnel. Invoices shall detail the following information:

· Contract Personnel name

· Hours worked

· Hourly pay rate paid to Contract Personnel

· Overtime hours and rates, if applicable

· Performance Credits

· As outlined in Section 8, Performance Credits/Training Period Credits

· Contract Personnel start date

· Contract Personnel end date, if applicable

· Bill rate charged to Austin Energy

· Contract Personnel position/title

· Number of Contract Personnel in each position/title

· Purchase order number

· Invoice Period, including begin and end dates

· A one-page PDF summary for each work group, as defined by Austin Energy, which shall include:

· Total number of Contract Personnel by position/title

· Total Contract Personnel position/title cost

· Delivery Order (DO) number / Maximo (MAX) number

· Invoice Period

· Begin Date

· End Date

5.15 The Contractor shall reimburse Austin Energy for performance credits for all terminated Contract Personnel within one month of the Contract Personnel’s separation from the Austin Energy assignment, or upon the next invoice, whichever is sooner. The Contractor shall provide a separate Performance Credit Report supporting the credit, including the Contract Personnel’s start date and termination date.

5.16 The Contractor shall submit all requested reports and invoices to the City by established deadlines and shall ensure that all reports and invoices are accurate. The City reserves the right to prescribe the format and frequency of such reports. City reserves the right to change due dates for all reports and shall notify the Contractor within ten business days of any such change.

5.17 The Contractor shall provide, at the Contractor’s expense, business intelligence tools that support performance improvements, mitigate risk, and provide status on contract metric tracking and reporting. The business intelligence program solution shall include a secure web-based dashboard that enables Austin Energy to view and retrieve reports in accordance with Section 17, Service Level Agreement (SLA).

5.17.1 The Contractor shall provide all software necessary to support managing communications and reporting functions, including, but not limited to, staffing requests, the complete business intelligence dashboard, City audit requirements, and time sheet management.

5.17.2 The Contractor shall update the dashboard within 24 hours of invoice submittal to Austin Energy

5.18 In addition to the initial 60-day support representative described in Section 5.3, the Contractor shall provide an on-site company representative to support day-to-day operations. The Contractor shall ensure that its on-site representatives are physically present on-site to support Contract Personnel. This representative shall devote a minimum of 40 hours per week at each location where the number of Contract Personnel totals 25 or more. On-site time shall be logged in and recorded by the representative and verified by the Contact Center manager or designee.

5.18.1 The on-site company representative's duties shall include, but are not limited to, the following:

· Resolving performance issues

· Providing feedback to the Austin Energy Contact Center leadership

· Facilitating the timely submission of required reports

· Distributing Contract Personnel payroll checks

· Conducting exit interviews and transmitting results to the AE

· Performing all administrative duties related to this Contract for a minimum of six hours per week, including participation in job fairs held at Austin Energy or other City locations, or as requested by the Contact Center manager or designee

· Conducting quarterly account reviews

· Completing Corporate Social Responsibility training at the supported site

· Providing a minimum of one hour coaching session per month per Contract Personnel.

5.18.2 All changes to Contractor account management and on-site representative personnel shall be mutually agreed upon by Austin Energy and the Contractor. Any Contractor account management and on-site representative assigned to Austin Energy shall be interviewed by Austin Energy, and if accepted, shall serve a 90-day trial period in which Austin Energy will evaluate to determine suitability. Prior to the end of the trial period, Austin Energy will review the representative with the Contractor, and Austin Energy reserves the right to request reassignment of the Contractor account management and on-site representative.

5.18.3 Each Contact Center currently averages approximately 70 Contract Personnel. No on‑site Contractor representative shall manage more than 40 Contract Personnel. When the number of Contract Personnel assigned to an on‑site Contractor representative reaches 35, the Contractor shall notify Austin Energy by email and schedule a meeting with the Austin Energy management team to determine whether additional on‑site Contractor representation is needed before the number exceeds 40 and to establish an onboarding timeline for adding such representation. The email notification shall be made within 60 days of reaching 35 Contract Personnel. The cost of an additional on‑site Contractor representative shall not be a billable expense to AE. Austin Energy reserves the right to make the final determination regarding the need for additional on‑site Contractor representation.

5.18.4 The Contractor shall provide a minimum of four on-site company representatives. There are two Contact Centers, each Contact Center shall be supported by a minimum of two dedicated representatives.

5.18.5 Hours of Contractor’s on-site representatives shall align with the following core hours:

Austin Energy Utility Contact Center, 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. CST Austin 3-1-1 Contact Center, 7:00 a.m. – 12:00 a.m. CST

5.19 Upon Contract Personnel separation, the Contractor shall collect and return any work product created in support of the City and all City-issued property, including but not limited to deactivated identification badges, parking passes, headphones, monitor, computer, keyboard, and mice, within five business days of the separation date. If the Contractor fails to return City property in a fully functional state as determined by the City and within the required time period, the Contractor shall reimburse the City for the replacement cost. Replacement cost shall be established at the time of equipment issuance and documented in the Equipment Depreciation Schedule, which may be updated as equipment is replaced or upgraded. The Contractor shall reimburse Austin Energy for equipment credits by check, and these must be listed as a separate line item on the respective location's invoice. City property reimbursement must be issued to the City within three weeks of said Contract Personnel’s separation at a mutually agreed -upon cost assigned at equipment distribution.

5.20 The Contractor shall develop and submit a Recruitment and Retention Plan for the Contact Center Personnel, recognizing that experienced Contract Personnel provide greater efficiency, accountability, and customer service. The Recruitment and Retention Plan shall address, at a minimum, compensation, leave, vacation time, award and recognition programs, incentives, employee assistance programs, professional development, and other training and other benefits. The Contractor shall adhere to the mutually agreed-upon Recruitment and Retention Plan as submitted unless approved otherwise by the City.

5.21 The Contractor shall conduct a Contract Personnel satisfaction survey on a quarterly basis for the duration of the Contract and provide a written report of the results to Austin Energy within 30 days of completion. The Contractor shall develop and submit a mitigation plan to address any issues negatively impacting the Contact Centers’ ability to maintain normal operations within fifteen calendar days of delivering the survey results. The Contractor shall implement and monitor the mitigation plan and provide status updates to Austin Energy upon request.

5.22 The Contractor shall provide teleworking Contract Personnel with support, including a desk, a chair, and access to the internet. Computers shall have restricted network capabilities and necessary software, as determined by Austin Energy. Refer to Section 9, for Work Locations and Hours, and , City of Austin Telework Standards.

5.23 The Contractor shall provide, based on the pricing model accepted, telework Contract Personnel support, including: desk, chair, monitor, mouse, keyboard, docking station, and access to the internet. Computers shall have restricted network capabilities and necessary software, as determined by Austin Energy.

5.24 The Contractor shall conduct performance reviews for all Contract Personnel three times per year: at onboarding, the middle of fiscal year, and the end of the fiscal year. The Contractor shall ensure that all required performance reviews are completed and documented for each Contract Personnel within the established review cycles. Every Contract Personnel must receive the performance reviews.

5.25 The Contractor shall adhere to the requirements and processes listed below:

5.25.3 Austin Energy Data Handling Controls

5.26 The Contractor shall provide the SLA information outlined in Section 17 Service Level Agreements via a dashboard.

5.27 The Contractor shall ensure that all Contract Personnel shall complete and sign a Participation Agreement provided by AE prior to completion of the first day in the training environment.

5.28 The Contractor shall obtain written approval from the Contract Manager, the Director of Customer Care Service for the Austin Energy business unit, and the Vice President of Customer Care prior to onboarding any Contract Personnel submitting invoices for services e.g. services such as New Hire Classes.

5.29 The Contractor shall conduct meetings with assigned Austin Energy business unit leaders in accordance with the following cadence:

5.29.1 Monthly operational meetings with Austin Energy managers, attended by the Contractor’s on-site leadership.

5.29.2 Quarterly operational meetings with the Director and Contract Manager attended by the Contractor’s director-level leadership.

5.29.3 Two state-of-business meetings per fiscal year with managers, directors, Contract Manager, and the Vice President of Customer Care, attended by the Contractor’s director and vice president-level leadership.

5.30 The Contractor shall provide all Contract Personnel access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) or a comparable City of Austin-approved program to assist Contract Personnel with the impacts associated with the variety of calls received at the Contact Centers. These calls may include, but are not limited to, are for City of Austin services requests, such as the start/stop of power, bill assistance, power outages, missed garbage pickups, loose dogs, and pandemic response. These calls may also include crisis calls, such as suicide, domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, and access to life-saving services. The City finds that employees with access to EAP or similar programs are more efficient and accountable, clearly communicate when issues arise, and are in a better position to deliver outstanding customer service during periods of stress. Superior EAP programs provide better value to the City for these reasons.

5.31 The Contractor shall provide comprehensive training to Contract Personnel prior to any billable time, addressing topics to reduce the risk of co-employment perception. Training topics include, but not limited to:

· The Contractor’s leadership chain of command

· Contractor’s Contact information

· Hours of operation applicable to the assignment

· The resolution path for issues that arise while Contract Personnel are on assignment, re-assigned, or concluding an assignment

5.32 The Contractor shall reimburse Austin Energy for equipment credits associated with all Contract Personnel separated from their assignment within one month of separation, or by the next invoice period, whichever occurs sooner. Equipment credit reimbursements shall be separate from Performance Credits. The Contractor shall submit a supporting report at the time the reimbursement is submitted. The report shall identify each affected Contract Personnel’s start date and termination date and shall also serve as supporting documentation for any invoiced Performance Credit. Any reimbursement or reporting submitted outside of the required schedule shall require prior approval by Austin Energy.

5.33 The Contractor shall reimburse Austin Energy for equipment credits by check or electronic check. The reimbursement is deposited against the business unit’s cost center and shall not be part of the Performance Credits or provided as a credit on the Contractor’s invoice. All equipment reimbursements shall be deposited to the applicable business unit’s cost center and shall not be treated as Performance Credits or applied as a credit against any Contractor invoice.

5.34 The Contractor shall reduce applicable invoices by five percent (5%) for each 30-day period during which onsite management staffing falls below the minimum level required in accordance with Section 17 Service Level Agreements. Such reduction shall apply to the invoice(s) covering the period of non-compliance, as determined by Austin Energy.

5.35 The Contractor shall acknowledge training and production concerns prior to the end of the business day, or within two hours of the beginning of the next business day if the concern occurred outside contracted hours, in accordance with Section 5.18.5.

5.36 The Contractor shall address a training concern by the end of the business day or within two hours of the beginning of the next business day if the concern occurred outside contracted hours. The Contractor shall address production concerns within two business days. The Contractor shall proactively identify and address performance and compliance concerns that impact business operations. At a minimum, the Contractor shall monitor, document, and take corrective action on the following:

5.36.1 Call Avoidance

5.36.2 Unprofessional behavior

5.36.3 Telework environment not conducive

5.36.4 Attendance / Reliability

5.36.5 Failure to Inform/ Failure to Notify – No Call/ No Show

5.36.6 Violation of City or Austin Energy policies, procedures, guidelines, and work processes (GWPs), as provided to the Contract Personnel throughout the assignment.

5.36.7 Substandard Performance

5.37 The Contractor shall act in the best interest of Austin Energy by working to address concerns listed in Section 5.35 or ending the assignment in accordance with the operational guidelines provided by Austin Energy after contract execution, and revised as needed.

5.38 The Contractor shall provide reporting/dashboards inclusive of the following, at intervals and in formats determined by Austin Energy:

· Employees eligible for paid time off and/or accruing time-off benefits as of the end of the reporting period

· Over-Time hours

· Total hours worked

· Count by positions by work group

· Attrition (positive and negative)

· Recruitment activity, including key hiring activities such as sourcing, screening, and interviews conducted.

· Interview fill rate, completion rate, including no-call/no-show

· Bilingual fill rate

· Task order for Emergency command

· Hours dedicated to event

· Positions

· Employee Engagement surveys

· Report of corrective actions taken during the reporting period, in Excel spreadsheet; include date delivered to Contract Personnel, date corrective action expires, level of corrective action, reason for corrective action.

· Exit survey, with responses regarding the vendor omitted

· Invoice

· A summary of invoice credits or billing adjustments issued during the reporting period

· Equipment age reporting aligned to the depreciation schedule

5.39 The Contractor shall obtain approval from Austin Energy for any leave of absence or extended leave requested not required under the Family and Medical Leave Act or the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Contractor shall submit such request for approval at least five business days in advance of the proposed leave.

5.39.1 No leave request shall be approved for more than 30 days without the Austin Energy Director’s approval.

5.39.2 If leave is approved for more than 60 days, the Contractor is responsible for the cost of re-training time for Contract Personnel.

5.39.3 Austin Energy shall have sole discretion to determine the type, duration, and scope of any required re-training.

5.40 The Contractor shall be fully responsible, financially and otherwise, for any errors, omissions, negligent acts, or failures to perform arising from the actions or inactions of the Contract Personnel, the Contractor’s employees, agents, or subcontractors that are not the result of specific instructions, training materials, or directives provided by Austin Energy. This responsibility includes, but is not limited to, costs associated with rework, service delays, customer impacts, data inaccuracies, or corrective actions required to restore services to the expected performance standard.

5.41 The Contractor shall defend, indemnify, and hold the City of Austin, its officers, employees, and representatives harmless from and against any and all claims, damages, financial losses, penalties, costs and liabilities arising out of or resulting from this Contract, in accordance with City of Austin Terms and Conditions Section 1.18 .

6 Pre-Assignment Package

6.1 The Contractor shall provide Pre-assignment packages to Austin Energy two business days prior to presenting a candidate.

6.2 The Contractor shall provide Pre-assignment packages in a format approved by Austin Energy for each Contract Personnel recommended for Contract Personnel assignment. Each package shall include but not limited to:

· Résumé

· Application – Completed Contract Personnel employment application form as maintained by the Contractor

· All pre-employment test results as required by the Austin Energy business unit responsible for the assignment

· Bilingual designation - English/Spanish proficiency, as required for the assignment. Refer to Section 13, Bilingual Pay Program

· Documented proof that background check investigations have been completed in accordance with the City Terms and Conditions including:

· Financial background check

· Vulnerable population background check (required only for assignments under the Customer Assistance Program and other designated programs as needed)

· Attestation of criminal background check

· Documented Reference Checks performed by the Contractor from no fewer than three previous employers. Personal references shall not be accepted.

· Assessment scores from a technical assessment program approved by Austin Energy, which provides comparable or greater functionality and measurement standards than ProveIt. The assessment shall include, at a minimum, the following skill areas:

· Typing

· Internet

· Customer Service

· Etiquette

· Grammar

· The Contractor verification that candidates meet IT requirements

· The Contractor provides a speed test

· Minimum 15 bps upload / 2 bps download when teleworking

· Signed acknowledgments (as listed above) of receipt of Austin Energy Policies and Procedures and commitment to comply

6.3 Austin Energy reserves the right to require additional information as part of the pre-assignment package prior to accepting a Contract Personnel for assignment.

7 Training

7.1 All new Contract Personnel will be provided with in-person training at a City facility, and virtual training on all applicable software systems during the designated training period. The training sessions will be up to eight hours per day, aligned with business needs and hours of operation, and shall be provided by either the City or the Contractor. Training formats will include instructor-led, self-paced, computer-based training, hands-on, or a combination of these. Any operational costs incurred by the Contractor for onboarding and performance management of Contractor Personnel are the responsibility of the Contractor.

7.2 Contract Personnel shall be considered to have successfully completed the training period upon:

7.2.1 Completing all training modules.

7.2.2 Meeting the minimum daily attendance and punctuality requirements.

7.2.3 Successfully passing all required training modules, including the final training module.

7.2.4 Demonstrating the knowledge, skills, and abilities in accordance with the job descriptions in .

7.3 Contract Personnel shall attend team meetings, huddles, coaching, refresher, and safety training as required by the City to support business needs.

8 Performance Credits/Training Period Credits

8.1 The Contractor shall reimburse Austin Energy for all funds paid for any Contract Personnel who fail to complete the initial 72 calendar day training and review period, for any reason other than those listed in accordance with Section 8.2. Such reimbursement shall be assessed as a performance credit and deducted from the Contractor’s invoice in the first billing cycle following the termination of the Contract Personnel’s assignment.

8.1.1 Reimbursement shall be calculated using the sliding scale below, reimbursement shall be applied on a sliding scale through the 72 calendar day training period as set forth in the table below. Each new period begins on the calendar day immediately following the last day of the preceding period.

Sliding Scale for Performance Credits/Training Period Credits

8.2 The Contractor shall reimburse Austin Energy for costs for any Contract Personnel whose assignment is terminated during the training and review period for the following reasons. The Contractor shall document the reason for non-completion of training within the Contract Personnel’s record, including whether the Contract Personnel is eligible for future reassignment to Austin Energy, subject to Austin Energy’s approval. Other reasons may be considered at Austin Energy’s sole discretion, but not limited to:

· Attendance or Reliability issues

· Failure to Inform or Failure to Notify – No Call or No Show

· Negative Behavior:

· Call Avoidance

· Unprofessional conduct

· Violation of City of Austin or Austin Energy policies, procedures, and GWPs

· Substandard Performance

· Failure to meet Training assessment

8.3 Exceptions to the completion of the 72 calendar day training evaluation period and applicable sliding scale may be approved by Austin Energy, in its discretion, for the following reasons, provided appropriate documentation is submitted to Austin Energy:

8.3.1 Death of Contract Personnel

8.3.2 Military Assignment of Contract Personnel

8.3.3 Military Assignment of Contract Personnel’s spouse, where relocation is required.

8.3.3.1 Travel orders shall be provided for verification. Additional supporting military documentation may be required as determined by Austin Energy.

9 Work Locations and Hours

9.1 Current locations: Contract Personnel will work at the Contact Centers at approved City of Austin locations. Work locations are subject to change. All Contract Personnel must be available to telework and fulfill the position responsibilities for the duration of the assignment. Contract Personnel must also be capable of performing all position responsibilities via telework when required.

9.2 Current hours: Standard Hours of Operation - Work schedules will vary based on operational needs. The Austin Energy Utility Contact Center currently operates between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and Saturday between 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., with additional evening hours as needed to support the Contact Center’s 24-hour emergency response needs. Overtime will be paid after 40 productive hours.

9.3 The Austin 3-1-1 Contact Center currently operates 24 hours per day, seven days per week, including holidays.

9.4 Anticipated Work Hours – Contract Personnel assigned to the Austin Energy Utility Contact Center shall work a 40-hour-per- week schedule as follows:

9.4.1 Monday through Friday: five eight-hour shifts per week; or

9.4.2 Four eight-hour weekday shifts plus one four-hour weekday shift and one four-hour Saturday shift.

9.5 Contract Personnel assigned to the Austin 3-1-1 Contact Center will be scheduled according to operational needs. Shift durations and weekly hours may vary, depending upon business needs. Contract Personnel may be required to work overtime on short notice or with no notice.

9.5.1 Contract Personnel assigned to the Austin 3-1-1 Contact Center will be scheduled to work at least 40 hours per week and shall be considered full-time and subject to overtime pay. Overtime will be paid after 40 productive hours.

9.6 Contract Personnel scheduled to work fewer than 40 hours per week shall be classified by the Contractor as Part-time. Contract Personnel who exceed a total of 40 productive hours while on assignment at Austin Energy in the same work week shall be eligible for overtime pay.

9.7 Contract Personnel called to work and subsequently released from their shift due to lack of work or other reasons beyond their control, e.g., City of Austin system outages, will be paid a minimum of two hours at the normal rate. Any productive hours worked will be billed at the normal rate. This provision shall not apply to employees released from shift due to misconduct, improper attire, a failure to possess access security identification upon entry, tardiness, or other violations of performance or noncompliance with other employment provisions of the Contract.

9.8 Shift Differentials, as identified by the Contractor, may be paid upon approval by Austin Energy. The Contractor shall not charge an additional mark-up on shift-differentials above the rate negotiated for regular hours worked, while on assignment at Austin Energy.

9.9 Ancillary stipends for job-related expenses may be paid upon prior approval by Austin Energy. The Contractor shall not charge an additional mark-up on ancillary stipends above the negotiated rate for regular hours worked, while on assignment at Austin Energy.

9.10 Unless otherwise notified by Austin Energy, Contract Personnel shall report for work as required. This includes, but is not limited to, emergencies declared by the Office of Emergency Management, Incident Command Center, Business Unit or a Contact Center.

9.11 The City reserves the right to change the location of either the Contact Center or the assigned work location of the Contract Personnel with 30 calendar days’ written notice to the Contractor. The Contractor shall be responsible for notifying all affected Contract Personnel.

10 Austin Energy Call-Back and Stand-by Time

10.1 Call-Back Time is defined as an unscheduled or emergency assignment requiring Contract Personnel to return to work outside of scheduled work hours. Unless otherwise designated by Austin Energy, Call-Back Time begins from the time the Contract Personnel arrive at the designated worksite and begin work. Call-Back Time is payable to the Contract Personnel at the then-current regular rate unless over 40 productive hours. Call-Back Time shall be coded as such on all applicable time sheets, invoices, and reports.

10.2 Stand-by Time is defined as a period of time during which Contract Personnel must remain fit for duty and available to return to work, outside of scheduled work hours, holiday work time or scheduled overtime.

10.3 Contract Personnel shall be compensated for Stand-by-Time at their regular pay rate or through paid Vacation by the Contractor as designated by Austin Energy. Stand-by Time shall be considered productive time and is considered in the calculations for Over-Time pay to Contract Personnel. Unless otherwise designated by Austin Energy, Stand-by Time begins at the time the Contract Personnel are designated as being on Stand-by Time and continues until they begin working or the Stand-by designation period is cancelled.

10.4 Stand-by Time is payable to the Contractor at the then-current applicable Contractor’s Markup Percentage. Stand-by Time shall be coded as such on all applicable time sheets, invoices and reports.

10.5 Austin Energy reserves the right to establish additional payment categories as may be necessary.

11 Special Assignment Provisions

11.1 During the first six months of the Contract, the Contractor shall give priority consideration to candidates currently employed by the City of Austin or Austin Energy who are in good standing and who apply for a position with the Contractor.

12 Contractor to City Employee Conversions

12.1 After successful completion of the training program, Austin Energy may make an offer of employment for a full-time City position to any Contract Personnel successfully completing onboarding with no fee to Austin Energy or a penalty to Austin Energy. The City will notify the Contractor when the employment decision is final.

13 Bilingual Pay Program

13.1 The City has a bilingual pay program and reserves the right to approve eligible Contract Personnel for a bilingual pay allowance based upon the established criteria of the program. Pay to the Contract Personnel shall be in the form of a monthly allowance in an amount not to exceed the City's then-current bilingual pay allowance amount and shall be billed as a lump sum at the end of the month. The Contractor shall invoice each Contact Center separately for all allowances at the end of the month. Austin Energy also reserves the right to modify or discontinue the program at any time with 30 calendar days written notice.

13.2 In the event that a separation occurs before the end of the month, or the date of eligibility is not at the start of the month, the bilingual allowance billing shall be prorated based upon the number of days worked in the month. At minimum, the billing for the bilingual allowance shall include: Contract Personnel name, date of eligibility for bilingual pay, amount of monthly allowance, date of separation (if applicable), and Contractor mark-up.

13.3 Unless otherwise agreed upon by both parties, the Contractor shall contract with the City's current vendor and exam(s) to assist in determining eligibility under the bilingual pay program. Completion of the assessment is to be prior to five weeks plus one business day. The Contractor shall pay for the language proficiency exam for all Contract Personnel that have been selected to work at the Contact Centers and shall pay Contract Personnel for their time to take the test, providing that the Contract Personnel passes the exam. The Contractor shall be reimbursed by Austin Energy for the cost of the exam only if the Contract Personnel passes the exam. At minimum, the billing for the language proficiency exam shall include: Contract Personnel name, cost of exam, date of exam and documentation from the language proficiency center indicating the results of the exam. Billing for the exams shall be included on the monthly invoices for bilingual pay. The Contractor shall use Austin Energy’s provider, currently Language Testing International, for this purpose, and Austin Energy shall reimburse the Contractor for the cost of the exam, provided that the Contract Personnel passes the exam. Austin Energy will not reimburse any costs for the exam if the Contractor Personnel does not pass. If the City selects a new vendor, the Contractor shall contract with that vendor for this purpose.

13.3.1 Austin Energy shall not be liable to reimburse the Contractor for the cost of the exam in the event of Contract Personnel no-show and/or ineligibility to take the exam due to lack of identification, tardiness, cheating or failure to complete the exam.

13.3.2 The Contractor shall compensate Contract Personnel for the time used to take the exam.

14 Telework Program/Flexible Work Arrangement

14.1 Austin Energy has a telework program and reserves the right to approve eligible candidates for this program upon the established criteria of the program. Refer to City of Austin Telework Standards.

14.2 The Contractor shall supply equipment to the Contract Personnel until Austin Energy has agreed to supply Austin Energy equipment. Telework program equipment specifications include internet access, a chair, a desktop or a laptop with internet capability, a webcam, keyboard, mouse, and monitor.

14.3 Prior to beginning work through the Telework Program, Contract Personnel and the on-site representative shall sign a Telework Program and Privacy acknowledgement as required by Austin Energy. The Contractor shall be liable to reimburse Austin Energy for any costs of equipment, including but not limited to personal laptop/desktop computers, issued to the Contractor Personnel for off-site or remote work, if such equipment is not returned when required, or has been damaged. Any physical assets loaned to the Contract Personnel for remote or other offsite work will be identified and tracked prior to issuance to the Contractor by their Austin Energy IT asset inventory numbers, as shown on each piece of equipment’s Austin Energy IT asset management bar code sticker. Refer to the Equipment Depreciation Schedule.

14.4 The Contractor shall be liable to reimburse Austin Energy for any shipping costs associated with equipment (including but not limited to personal laptops/desktop computers) issued to the Contract Personnel for onsite, offsite, or remote work, including costs related to delivery, return, replacement, or reissuance of such equipment.

14.5 For this Contract, the Contractor and Contract Personnel telework locations shall be within two hours of 4815 Mueller Boulevard, Austin, Texas, or within two hours of such additional addresses as the City of Austin may designate in writing. The Contractor shall obtain written approval from the Contract Manager, Director of Customer Care Service of the business unit requesting staff, or the Vice President, Customer Care, prior to onboarding any Contract Personnel or submitting invoices for services performed from work locations exceeding the two-hour threshold.

14.6 Austin Energy reserves the right to modify or discontinue the Telework Program at any time upon 30 calendar days’ notice.

15 Working Offsite

15.1 Location of work can vary based on business needs and may differ from the main location. The activities performed while working at an offsite location may include, but are not limited to, community outreach and City department support.

15.2 Austin Energy will make every attempt to consider transportation limitations when selecting Contract Personnel to work off-site. In the event the offsite request is due to an emergency response or natural disaster, the Contract Personnel's location and distance from the alternative site may also be considered.

15.3 Austin Energy shall not be liable for, nor obligated to reimburse the Contractor for, any costs associated with travel and related incidentals.

16 Austin Energy Policy and Procedure Acknowledgements

16.1 All Contract Personnel shall comply with the Contractor’s and Austin Energy’s required policies and acknowledgements listed below, which the City will provide after contract award. All Contract Personnel shall agree to and demonstrate compliance with such acknowledgements and any subsequent updates by providing a signature on the respective Contractor Affidavit. All acknowledgements and policies shall be signed at the time of acceptance of the job offer. The following policies and acknowledgements are required:

· Customer Care Public Trust Policy (the City’s Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct)

· Confidentiality Agreement

· Telephone Monitoring and Recording Policy

· Phone Etiquette and Call Ownership

· Austin 3-1-1 Contact Center Attendance Policy

· Austin Energy Utility Contact Center Attendance Policy

· Office Attire Policy

· Internet Use Policy

· Internal Policies

· Harassment and Sexual Harassment Policies

· Multimedia interaction ownership policy

· First Responders Policy

· Austin Energy Contact Center Operating Guidelines

· Emergency Closures (Essential and Non-essential Employees Policy)

· Austin Energy will provide training on the following topics and Contract Personnel shall acknowledge completion of such training by signature:

· FACTA

· Austin Energy Customer Service Center Leave Policy

16.2 The Contractor shall provide training on the Contractor’s chain of command and complaint procedures and shall provide Austin Energy with a signed acknowledgment from each Contract Personnel evidencing completion of such training.

16.3 The above list may be updated as necessary and at any time by Austin Energy via email.

17 Service Level Agreement (SLA)

17.1 Austin Energy will assess the Contractor’s performance every three months according to attrition as defined below, using the Austin Energy system of record. The system of record will be identified after contract award. The Contractor shall reduce the invoice by 1% of the total invoice amount for each five (5% percentage points above twenty-five (25%) attrition (refer to Section 17.4 for attrition) for the previous three months. This is a separate provision and does not impact the SLA calculation.

17.2 The Contractor’s performance shall be assessed quarterly by Austin Energy management according to the criteria in, SLA Scorecard. Data will be collected during the first three months after Contract Award and implementation, and evaluated at the end of the following 90-day period. The Contractor shall timely assist in the collection and provision of data in dashboard form, as identified in Sections 5.17 and 5.37, in support of Austin Energy’s performance metrics. The Contractor shall report on performance during each quarterly management meeting. The weights assigned represent the minimum performance requirements under the terms of this Contract.

17.3 An Escalation Procedure in accordance with Section 19 Escalation Procedure shall be executed if fewer than 70 points are earned in a review period.

17.4…