S-10000-00014332 Sole Source.pdf

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SOLE-SOURCE DETERMINATION MEMO

FOR SUPPLIES AND SERVICES

Date: July 11, 2025 Sole source number: S-10000-00014332 (6151)

To: Kirk N. Rhoades, Designated Procurement Officer ODHS Office of Contracts & Procurement

Requestor: Billy Cordero (CA) and Jamie Carpenter (Requestor) Agency/division: ODHS – Child Welfare, herein after referred to as “Agency” Program/office: Foster Care Program Contract specialist:

Agency Sole source rule: Sole source authority:

DHS OAR 125-247-0275 OAR 125-246-0170(2)

DAS Delegation 649-11, as amended

Estimated total contract value: $3,600,000

Description of goods or services: Statewide retention and recruitment support for resource families, to include tangible goods, marketing and outreach, gap analysis for targeted recruitment efforts, and customer service support from inquiry through certification

• Foster Care Marketing and Communications + Grass Roots Recruitment

• Foster Inquiry Customer Service (i.e. Community Experience )

• Supporting Technology

• Resource Parent Peer Mentoring

• Evaluate and Strengthen My NeighbOR for Statewide Impact

• Scale My Community

1. Background: This sole source justification applies to the purchase of:

The Contractor’s “Every Child Oregon” (“ECO”) program, (originally named Embrace Oregon) has been collaborating with ODHS Child Welfare since 2012, and directly supported by ODHS with grant funding since 2017, with a mission to support children and families impacted by foster care in Oregon. ECO has assisted ODHS by addressing Oregon’s shortage of resource families through various initiatives aimed at recruiting

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November 2016 marked the launch of ECO’s statewide expansion to mobilize Oregonians with financial assistance from ODHS. Over the last nine years, more than 13,000 individuals and families have responded to ECO’s outreach and marketing for resource and adoptive parents and certified respite providers statewide. ECO provides support to local affiliate organizations and seeks to expand to all 36 counties in Oregon through community asset mapping and community partner engagement. ECO has worked cooperatively with ODHS to develop a clear data exchange process through an Application Programming Interface (“API”) exchange wherein the data is used for gap analysis to support targeted recruitment, customer service for inquirers, and a collective impact approach. There have been notable strides in the provision of meaningful support services designed to strengthen and retain resource families, as evidenced by the initial outcomes within ECO’s Resource Parent Peer Mentor program, as well as My NeighbOR and My Community programs, both under Contingent’s umbrella of services.

ODHS, through its Office of Child Welfare Program, is seeking this sole source procurement because the ECO and the ECO Resource Parent Peer Mentor program, along with the My NeighbOR and My Community programs, are programs created and provided exclusively by the Contractor; and the uniqueness and range of the Contractor’s ongoing programs and demonstrating a high level of competence and effectiveness providing these services for over a decade in Oregon.

After extensive market research, they are the only organization that can provide these services on this scope and scale to reach the entire state of Oregon. Recruitment and retention of resource parents is a critical need in Oregon and there are currently established API data exchanges that occur between ECO and ODHS in support of these efforts. A different procurement method to allow for the creation of a new program and establish new data exchange processes would result in a lapse in critical support for resource parents.

2. Prospective contractor/vendor:

Legal entity name: The Contingent

DBA:

Address: 809 North Russel Street Suite 203 Portland, OR 97227 Contact person: Ben Sand

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Phone: 503-209-3485 Email: b.sand@thecontingent.org

Protests are due by 3:00 PM within seven calendar days after the first date the notice is posted on OregonBuys. Protests must be sent via mail, fax, email, or hand carried to the following address: Protests via telephone will not be accepted.

Oregon Department of Human Services Office of Contracts and Procurement ATTN: Louie Thomas, Contracts and Procurement Specialist Address: 500 Summer Street NE E03, Salem, Oregon 97301 Phone: (971) 283-4755 (prefer email) Fax: (503) 378-4324 Email: louie.thomas@odhs.oregon.gov

ODHS reserves the right to purchase additional goods and services , and to extend for additional time and dollars, as the program expands, and based on the complexity of the Work being produced and unexpected or unresolved issues discovered during the production of the Work product.

3. Written findings of fact (market research):

The findings below must include factual information supporting the determination that meet the sole source requirement in statute.

Pursuant to ORS 279B.075, Agency must conduct market research that supports the assertion that there is only one source that can provide the goods or services. Market research includes utilization of the internet, trade journals, agency vendor lists, professional organizations, studies, catalogs/industrial periodicals, vendor sources, yellow pages, etc.

For information technology contracts, any ownership or proprietary issues should be fully addressed with written documentation to support facts.

Agency must select at least one of the findings and prepare the determination as it specifically relates to the good or service being procured. More than one finding can be addressed. The findings are as follows:

Pursuant to ORS 279B.075 (2)(c): Provide findings supporting the determination that the goods or services are for use in a pilot or an experimental project.

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An experimental resource parent peer mentoring program is currently being conducted in Oregon by ECO, supported by funding from ODHS, and the proposed contract will include peer mentoring as a deliverable that will be used to inform the pilot for statewide implementation and scaling.

Pursuant to ORS 279B.075 (2)(d): Any other findings that support the conclusion that the goods or services are available from only one source.

Market research in the form of an internet search supports that the services provided by ECO do not currently exist with another agency in the state of Oregon.

There is currently an API data exchange that occurs from ECO’s Customer Relationship Management program (“CRM”) and a data use agreement in place with ODHS which allows for seamless data transfer from ECO to ODHS and vice versa. This is a unique contract that requires expertise regarding resource parent recruitment and retention, as well as a clear understanding of the policies and procedures within ODHS with relation to resource parent certification processes. As there are no current programs that provide this service in the state of Oregon, it would take substantial time to bring another agency to the current expertise that is held by ECO.

APPROVED:

By:

Signed by DPO electronically via OregonBuys Kirk N. Rhoades or acting DPO