Sole Source Project Management Office for Child Support Automation and Innovation for Modernization

The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS), Child Support Services is pursuing a sole source procurement with Maximus Human Services, Inc. to provide project management office (PMO) services for the Child Support Automation and Innovation for Modernization (CS AIM) project. The procurement involves comprehensive project support, including SAP technical assistance, reporting, documentation support, and assistance in planning and management processes through federal certification. The contract will span two years, from January 27, 2026, to January 26, 2028, with a staffing complement of 10-12 personnel including project managers, technical analysts, functional experts, schedulers, and support staff. Key deliverables include federal documentation development, business process change management, organizational change management, and technical support for the SAP S/4 HANA upgrade. The procurement is time-sensitive, with a critical deadline for public hearing comments by November 14, 2025, at 4 p.m. Maximus will be responsible for maintaining project continuity, stakeholder coordination, and supporting the transition to the new EPIC system.

The sole source justification is predicated on three primary factors: the critical nature of changes requiring the current contractor, unique vendor capabilities, and the potential loss of approximately $42 million in Federal Financial Participation (FFP) funding if federal certification is not achieved by spring 2027. The contract is funded through a combination of state appropriated and federal funds, with a total estimated value of $4,920,000 and a 6% rate increase from previous contract periods. No specific set-aside designations or disadvantaged enterprise requirements are mentioned in the documentation. Maximus has been the incumbent vendor since the original 2016 RFP award and has consistently delivered services without rate increases through the previous contract period, which was valued at $12,815,100. The procurement represents a continuation of an existing relationship, with Maximus selected originally as the most responsive and responsible vendor at the lowest proposed rates. The sole source contract was approved by the State Purchasing Officer on November 4, 2025.