Strategic Consulting

The North Dakota University System is soliciting alternative proposals to a noncompetitive sole-source award for a system-wide strategic consulting assessment of administrative services, with responses due November 12, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. CST. The NDUS intends to engage CliftonLarsonAllen LLP (CLA) directly, and interested parties may submit alternative proposals to Procurement Officer Sharon Schwartzbauer through the NDBuys system.

The assessment covers administrative services across eleven NDUS campuses. It will evaluate administrative functions, organizational structures, governance models, staffing arrangements, business processes, technology dependencies, and opportunities for expanded shared services, and it will generate recommendations to improve operational efficiency and service delivery. Responses must include company information, contact details, detailed specifications showing how the proposed solution meets requirements, value-added features, and cost information.

The estimated contract value is $70,000 to $80,000. The NDUS justifies the noncompetitive approach on cost avoidance and continuity. CLA conducted a compliance investigation at Dickinson State University from December 2025 through September 2026, and the NDUS states that a new consultant would need to repeat that discovery work, raising costs and extending timelines. The NDUS also cites CLA's quoted price as substantially below market, referencing approximately $400,000 paid by Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education and $500,000 paid by the Arkansas State University System for comparable engagements.

The source document is a Notice of Intent to Make a Noncompetitive Purchase, posted November 5, 2026.