DHS Sole Source FY27 Colbert Consent Decree Court Monitor

The Illinois Department of Human Services is issuing a sole source contract for Colbert Consent Decree court monitoring services under Bid Buy Number 27-444DHS-MENTH-B-51450. This procurement seeks to retain Kathryn DuPree of Crosswinds Consulting LLC as the court-appointed monitor for the Colbert v. Pritzker Consent Decree. The monitor will be responsible for reviewing and evaluating compliance data, assessing the State's adherence to the Decree, identifying areas of non-compliance, mediating disputes between parties, and submitting periodic reports and recommendations to the Court. The contract is structured as a one-time term agreement with an estimated start date of July 1, 2026, and an end date of June 30, 2027. The critical deadline for interested parties to submit written comments or request a public hearing is April 4, 2026, at 4:00 p.m., directed to Dianne Richman, Chief Procurement Officer, at Dianne.Richman@illinois.gov or 217-622-1857. A public hearing is scheduled for April 9, 2026, at 2:00 p.m., accessible via WebEx at 1-312-535-8110 US Toll (Chicago) or 1-415-655-0002 US Toll with Access Code 28661804 and password Yn632u6qRS3. The hearing will be cancelled if no interested party submits written comments or requests a public hearing by the April 4 deadline.

This procurement is designated as a sole source award, which restricts competition to the identified vendor. The justification for sole source procurement is based on Ms. DuPree's appointment by federal Judge Lefkow on May 27, 2022, and the requirement that no alternative vendor can be selected by the State without Court approval, as the final determination rests with the federal judiciary. The vendor has been engaged continuously for this purpose since October 2017, with a documented purchase history of ten prior contracts ranging from $57,881 to $320,000. The estimated contract value for the initial one-year term is $320,000, with compensation at an hourly rate of $300 per hour, inclusive of work, travel, administrative assistance, and consultant support. Funding will be provided through State Appropriated Funds. No renewal options are specified in the current sole source request, though the State reserves the right to determine future engagement based on continued Court requirements and appropriations.