Sole Source Public Review - Subscription Membership Agreement and Faculty Development Training QM

City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) is conducting a sole source procurement for a systemwide subscription and faculty development training with Quality Matters (QM), a specialized online education quality assurance organization. The procurement covers a district-wide subscription for multiple colleges, including Harold Washington, Olive-Harvey, Malcolm X, Harry S. Truman, Kennedy-King, Richard J. Daley, and Wilbur Wright Colleges. The primary deliverables include access to three mandatory online teaching courses: QM Teaching Online (TOL), Applying the Quality Matters Rubric (APPQMR), and Teaching Asynchronous Courses in Brightspace. The contract period runs from October 1, 2025, to September 30, 2026, with a public hearing scheduled for October 6, 2025, via Zoom Teleconference. Key objectives include providing faculty with online teaching credentials, maintaining compliance with current CCC credential guidelines, and ensuring quality standards in online and blended course designs. The procurement requires faculty to complete specific professional development training using QM's proprietary course review management system and copyrighted rubrics.

The sole source procurement appears to have no specific set-aside designations or restrictions on responding organizations. Quality Matters is positioned as the exclusive provider, being the "gold standard" for online education quality assurance with unique, copyrighted materials accessible only to registered members. The total contract value is $59,325, comprised of a $14,005 systemwide subscription and $45,320 for prepaid training seats across different colleges. Funding sources include PBI Grant, PATH Grant, and Perkins Grant. The procurement includes 216 total training seats distributed across participating colleges: 90 seats for Harold Washington and Olive-Harvey, 20 for Malcolm X, and 16 for Harry S. Truman. The contract represents a continuation of an existing relationship, with CCC having selected QM in 2019 as a more cost-effective and time-efficient professional development solution. The procurement provides a standardized online teaching credential pathway and supports the growing demand for online course offerings.