Audit Services RFP 3-28-2014
COUNTY OF HARNETT
FINANCE/PURCHASING
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
CONTRACT COMPLIANCE PERFORMANCE AUDIT SERVICE
FOR SELECTED CONTRACTS DURING THE PERIOD OF
JU LY 1, 2010 THROUGH JUNE 30,
2013
DUE DATE: NO LATER THAN 2:00 PM E.D.T, MARCH 28, 2014
QUESTIONS: KIMBERLY HONEYCUTT, FINANCE OFFICER
KHONEYCUTT@HARNETT.ORG
PHONE: 910-814-6093
FAXES OR E-MAILS ARE NOT ACCEPTED
FOR THIS PROPOSAL
COUNTY OF HARNETT RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REJECT ANY OR ALL PROPOSALS RECEIVED, OR TO SELECT THE PROPOSAL WHICH, IN OUR OPINION, IS IN THE BEST OVERALL INTEREST OF THE
COUNTY.
MAIL OR DELIVER PROPOSALS IN A SEALED ENVELOPE IDENTIFIED “PROPOSAL ENCLOSED HCF-03282014”, YOUR FIRM NAME, AND THE DELIVER BY DATE ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE ENVELOPE
TO: Renea
Warren-Ford
Purchasing Specialist
102 E. Front Street
P.O. Box 760
Lillington, N.C. 27546
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
Title: Contract Compliance Performance Audit
Issue Date: February 25, 2014
Due Date/Time: March 28, 2014, 2:00 p.m. E.D.T.
Issuing Agency: County of Harnett
c/o Harnett County Finance Office
102 E Front Street
PO Box 760
Lillington, NC 27546
County of Harnett hereby solicits sealed
proposals from qualified and reputable firms who have experience in conducting contract compliance performance audits on behalf of North Carolina local governments, as more particularly
described in the attached specifications. All proposals shall be sealed indicating “Proposals Enclosed, HCF-03282014”, your firm name, and deliver by date displayed prominently on the
front of each sealed proposal envelope or package. Electronically submitted (e-mail/fax) proposals will not be accepted. Sealed proposals will be accepted until 2:00 p.m. E.D.T., May
28, 2014.
The Contract Compliance Performance Audit Proposal form, Reference Sheet to be used by the proposers, and the specifications of the services to be performed are attached.
COUNTY OF HARNETT
LILLINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA
SPECIFIED TERMS AND CONDITIONS
FOR
CONTRACT COMPLIANCE PERFORMANCE AUDIT
PART I – GENERAL INFORMATION
INTRODUCTION
County of Harnett,
a North Carolina body politic and corporate, is issuing this Request for Proposal (“RFP”) to invite responses (“Proposals”) from qualified and reputable firms who have experience in
conducting contract compliance performance audits on construction and repair contracts and purchase contracts in the formal bidding range on behalf of North Carolina local governments
(“Potential Contractors”) to provide contract compliance performance auditing services for County of Harnett. This RFP is issued pursuant to the direction of the Harnett County Board
of Commissioners to determine whether appropriate value and results have been obtained for the monies expended for major contracts falling within the North Carolina formal bidding range
pursuant to N.C.G.S. §143-129. This agreement for services will encompass a review of selected construction and repair contracts and purchase contracts of Harnett County in the formal
bidding range for the time period July 1, 2010 and ending June 30, 2013.
County of Harnett experiences annual financial audits conducted by an independent financial firm pursuant to
N.C.G.S. §159-34 and regular reviews conducted by the County’s internal finance staff. Previous audit reports may be available to the Potential Contractors upon request. As the Local
Government Finance Act requires separate audits based upon different focus, the County does not intend to combine these audits with the contract compliance performance audit. Therefore,
Potential Contractors should avoid duplicating any work already covered by these other audits.
The purpose of the RFP is to acquire the services of an independent, qualified, reputable
firm to review and analyze construction and repair contracts and purchase contracts in the formal bidding range to determine if the County received what was contracted for in the agreements.
The objectives of the audit are to:
Determine that the contractor has complied with the terms of the contract;
Determine that the payments that have been made have been earned, properly
authorized, and justified according to the terms of the contract; and
Determine that the procurement procedures were followed.
The anticipated benefits of the contract performance compliance
audit include improvement in service delivery, cost savings and additional revenues, and improved accountability to ensure that taxpayer and ratepayer dollars are spent in ways that
achieve the objectives and goals of the Harnett County Board of Commissioners in the most efficient and effective manner.
PROPOSALS SUBJECT TO PUBLIC RECORDS LAWS
All Proposals, data, materials and documentation originated, prepared and submitted to the County pursuant to this RFP shall belong exclusively
to the County and may become available to the public in accordance with the North Carolina Public Records Act as provided in N.C.G.S. §132-1 et. seq. County will make reasonable attempts
to maintain, in accordance with the Public Records Laws and the Act, the confidentiality of any trade secrets or confidential information that meets the requirements of N.C.G.S. §132-1.2
of the Public Records Laws if such Potential Contractors properly and conspicuously identify the particular data or other materials which are Confidential Information in accordance with
the Public Records Laws.
REJECTION OF PROPOSALS AND CANCELLATION OF RFP; REISSUE OF RFP
Issuance of this RFP does not constitute a commitment on the part of the County to award or
execute a Contract. The County retains the right, in its sole discretion, at any time to reject any or all Proposals, in whole or in part, and to cancel or cancel and reissue this RFP,
before or after receipt and opening of Proposals in response thereto, or take any other actions, if it considers it to be in the best interests of the County.
PROPOSAL VALIDITY; INCURRED
EXPENSES
All Proposals shall remain valid for 180 calendar days (the “Proposal Offer Period”) after 2:00 p.m. E.D.T. March 28, 2014 (the “Proposal Deadline”). A Proposal constitutes
an offer by the Potential Contractor to contract with the County in accordance with the terms of the Proposal and this RFP, which offer is irrevocable for the duration of the Proposal
Offer Period and may not be withdrawn or amended during the Proposal Offer Period without the written consent of the County. The County shall not be liable or responsible for any costs,
expenses, reimbursements or fees incurred by a Potential Contractor in preparing and submitting a Proposal or in performing any other action in connection with this procurement.
RIGHT
TO USE INFORMATION IN THE PROPOSAL
Upon submission, all materials submitted to the County by Potential Contractors shall become the County’s property and may be used as the County deems
appropriate.
PART II – THE PROPOSAL
2.1 SUMMARY OF KEY DATES
The County reserves the right to change any dates and scheduled contained in this RFP, including those shown below. If
changes are made, the changes will be communicated on the County’s Website.
February 25, 2014 RFP Issuance Date
March 28, 2014 Deadline for submission of Proposals 2:00 p.m. E.D.T.
April
10 and 11, 2014 Finalist Contractor Presentations (Upon Request by County)
April 21, 2014 Target date for Decision of Successful Contractor, followed by Contract Execution, subject to Board approval
2.2 CONTACT PERSON AND INQUIRIES
The point of contact for
this RFP is Kimberly Honeycutt, Finance Officer (“Contact Person”). All questions and correspondence should be directed to Kimberly Honeycutt, Finance Officer at khoneycutt@harnett.org.
All inquiries regarding this RFP must be submitted in writing in the form of questions or requests for clarification. The County’s responses to the questions will be posted on the
County’s website.
2.3 PROPOSAL SUBMISSION AND FORMAT
Proposals must be received by the Contact Person no later than the Proposal Deadline in sealed envelopes or containers. A Potential
Contractor should submit a signed original and three (3) complete copies of its Proposal. Proposals must be received by the County by 2:00 p.m. E.D.T. March 28, 2014. Late Proposals
will not be accepted. Postmarks and/or shipping receipts will not be considered as proof of timely submissions. Potential Contractors must provide responses for all items contained
herein that request or call for a response or information, and responses and signatures are required for any attachments to this RFP that are due with the Proposal. Proposals shall
be complete and must convey all of the information requested by the County. Also, the Proposal must designate a single authorized official from one of the entities to serve as the sole
contact between the County and the Potential Contractor.
2.4 PROPOSAL EVALUATION
A variety of factors shall be considered by the County in determining the Successful Potential Contractor
it believes provides the overall Proposal at a fair and reasonable price and consistent with the goals and objectives of the County. No one factor can or will be so paramount that the
most favorable bidder in that category automatically is the Successful Potential Contractor. While price and total cost are both important factors, as is a price/value analysis, the
Potential Contractor’s proposed methodologies and work plan as requested in the Scope of Work is also critical. Track record, experience, and proven excellence are also critical needs
and requirements. Thus, while Potential Contractors are strongly encouraged to offer the lowest price and total cost and highest value possible, the Potential Contractor offering the
lowest price and total cost may not be selected as the Successful Potential Contractor. It is the intent of the evaluation procedure established by the Harnett County Manager to determine
whether each Proposal meets the needs of the County, as outlined in this RFP, and then to determine which Proposal best suits those needs.
2.5 SCOPE OF SERVICES
The Successful Contractor
is required to evaluate and analyze contract compliance performance on construction and repair contracts and purchase contracts in the formal bidding range as defined by N.G.G.S. §143-129,
with emphasis on determining if the County received what was contracted for in the agreements This agreement for services will encompass a review of selected County construction and
repair contracts and purchase contracts in the formal bidding range for the time period July 1, 2010 and ending June 30, 2013. There are approximately 18 construction and repair contracts
and 5 purchase contracts which will be subject to the review.
The Successful Contractor will:
Determine that the contractor has complied with the terms of the contract;
Determine that the payments that have been made have been earned, properly
authorized, and justified according to the terms of the contract; and
Determine that the procurement procedures were followed.
The Successful Contractor may also be required to present
and explain the performance audit report before the Board of County Commissioners.
The Successful Contractor will contact the County Manager of irregularities or discrepancies noted.
If an irregularity or discrepancy of the contract exists, then the audit scope may be expanded subject to agreement by the County and Successful Contractor.
In the event that circumstances
arise during the audit that require work to be performed in excess of the original estimates, any additional cost will be negotiated prior to commencement of the work and an amended
contract will be approved by the governing board.
The County of Harnett agrees to make contracts available for inspection and to work to facilitate the audit process.
PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS
Identif
y the form of organization submitting the Proposal. Explain why your firm is qualified to perform these services. The name, mailing address, electronic mail address, facsimile number,
and telephone number of the Potential Contractor’s authorized agent with authority to bind the firm and answer official questions concerning the Potential Contractor’s Proposal must
be clearly stated.
The Successful Contractor’s firm shall employ at is expense professionals properly licensed and skilled in the execution of the functions required for performing
a contract compliance performance audit for a North Carolina local government. Identify the personnel you would assign to this project for any part of the work, including their roles.
Describe for each his or her experience with local government contract auditing, identifying all projects for the past five years. List all applicable license numbers and dates. The
County desires that each team have a certified public accountant and professional engineer, both of which have experience in local government contracting.
Provide a detailed description
of the scope of work and services you would perform for this project. The scope must include the objectives identified in 2.5 above. Provide a detailed description of the project approach,
methodology, and auditing standards, including a project schedule and detailed approach to complete this project, task lists, and deliverables you would provide as the Successful Contractor.
Identify any unique issues related to the project and the approach you would provide as the Successful Contractor.
Provide a Cost and Price Summary. Potential Contractors are requested
to submit a not to exceed fixed audit rate for conducting the performance audit services. Potential Contractors are reminded that the cost quotation should cover all of the services
and other times covered and required by this RFP, as well as other services deemed necessary by the Contractor, to be provided by the Successful Contractor
during the entire term of the Contract. Specifically the Successful Contractor shall be responsible for all charges incidental to the routine conduct of business including, but not
limited to any and all travel expenses including mileage, meals, telephone calls, facsimile, copying, color copies, postage and delivery charges from the Successful Contractor to the
County. County is interested in receiving proposals which incorporate compensation to the Successful Contractor based upon savings, credits, refunds, or additional revenues identified
in the contract compliance performance review and savings as a result of full implementation of recommendations.
E. References.
1. Provide three (3) references for whom you have
provided contract performance auditing services.
2. Indicate what type of and the scope of service provided for each reference.
The final decision of the selection of the firm
to conduct the audit will be made by the Harnett County Manager, in his sole discretion.
2.7 NEGOTIATION AND EXECUTION OF CONTRACT
A Successful Potential Contractor under this RFP
shall negotiate and execute a Contract containing such terms and conditions as shall be satisfactory to the County. The occurrence of negotiations with any Potential Contractor conveys
no right or status on such Potential Contractor. By submitting a Proposal, each Potential Contractor acknowledges and agrees that the County may negotiate with one or more Potential
Contractors, under such circumstances, at such times and in such a manner as it determines to be in the best interest of the County.
2.8 NONEXCLUSIVE RIGHTS
Nothing in this RFP or
any Contract resulting from this RFP shall preclude the County from acquiring any audit or related services from other Potential Contractors, individuals or entities as the County, in
its sole discretion, shall determine.
PART III – GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS
3.1 GOVERNING LAW
This Procurement and any Contract resulting from this RFP shall be governed by and
constructed in accordance with the laws of the State of North Carolina. Any and all claims or disputes arising under or in connection with this RFP or the Contract shall be exclusively
governed by the laws of the State of North Carolina, and venue shall be exclusively within Harnett County, North Carolina.
3.2 INDEMNITY AND INSURANCE
Contractors will indemnify and
hold harmless the County, its officers, agents, and employees from and against all loss, cost, damages, expense and liability caused by accident or other occurrence resulting in bodily
injury, including death and disease to any person, or damage or destruction to property, real or personal, arising directly or indirectly from operations, products, or services rendered
or purchased under the contract.
Where Firms are required to enter or to go onto County property to perform work, the auditor, at his/her sole expense, will purchase and maintain the insurance listed below as A, B,
& C.
Where Firms will be required to enter or go onto County property and will only provide supplies, materials, or equipment, the Contractor, at his sole expense, will purchase and
maintain insurance coverage designated below as B.
Automobile-Automobile bodily injury and property damage liability insurance when the services to be performed require the
use of motor vehicles. Auto liability limits shall not be less than $1,000,00.00 combined per occurrence/aggregate.
B. Commercial General Liability-Bodily injury and property damage
liability as
will protect the contractor from claims of bodily injury or property damages
which arise from operations of this contract. The amounts of such insurance
shall
not be less than $1,000,000.00 bodily injury and property damage- combined single limit per occurrence and $3,000,000.00 aggregate. This insurance shall include coverage for product/completed
operations, personal injury liability and contractual liability.
C. Worker’s Compensation and employers’ liability meeting the statutory
requirements of the State of North Carolina.
Employer Liability limits shall not be less than $1,000,000.00.
The successful bidder shall provide the County with a certificate of such insurance
and shall contain the provision that the County will be given thirty (30) days written notice of any intent to amend or terminate by either the insured or the insuring company.
However, a ten (10) day notice is sufficient for cancellation due to non-payment of premium. The County of Harnett will be added as an additional insured on this certificate
of insurance.
3.3 TRANSFER, ASSIGNMENT, OR SUBCONTRACT
The covenants and agreements contained within the awarded proposal are specifically binding and the County will not allow the
awarded proposal to be transferred, assigned or subcontracted to any other party or parties without the express written consent from the County.
3.4 CERTIFICATION OF INDEPENDENT PRICE
DETERMINATION
By submission of this Proposal, the Potential Contractor certifies and, in the case of a joint Proposal, each party thereto certifies as to its own organization, that
in connection with this Procurement:
The price in this Proposal has been arrived at independently, without consultation, communication, or agreement for the purpose of restricting competition
as to any matter relating to such prices with any other Potential Contractor or with any competitor;
Unless otherwise required by law, the prices which have been quoted in this Proposal
have not and will not be knowingly disclosed by the Potential Contractor prior to the Proposal opening, directly or indirectly, to any other Potential Contractor or to any competition;
and
No attempt has been made or will be made by the Potential Contractor to induce any other person or firm to submit or not to submit a Proposal for the purpose of restricting competition.
3.5 E-VERIF
Y COMPLIANCE
By submission of this Proposal, the Potential Contractor certifies that it and any subcontractors complies with the requirements of Article 2 of Chapter 64 of the North
Carolina General Statutes.
3.6 EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
County is an equal employment opportunity employer. The County is a federal contractor, and therefore the provisions and
affirmative action obligations of 41 CFR §601.4(a), 41 CFR 60-741.5(a), and 41 CFR 60-250.4 are incorporated herein by reference, where applicable.
EXECUTION OF PROPOSAL PAGE
CONTRACT COMPLIANCE PERFORMANCE AUDIT SERVICE
Date:
By submitting this proposal, the Firm certifies the following:
An authorized
representative of the firm has signed this proposal.
It can obtain insurance certificates as required within 10 calendar days after notice of award.
The Firm has determined the cost
and availability of all equipment, materials and supplies associated with performing the services outlined herein.
All labor costs, direct and indirect, have been determined and included
in the proposed cost.
If required, the Firm has attended the pre-proposal conference and is aware of the prevailing conditions associated with performing this contract.
The Firm agrees
to complete the scope of work for this project with no exceptions.
Therefore, in compliance with the foregoing Request for Proposal, and subject to all terms and conditions thereof,
the undersigned offers and agrees, if this proposal is accepted within (180) days from the date of the opening, to furnish the services for the prices quoted.
Firm:
Mailing Address:
City, State, Zip Code:
Telephone Number:
Principal Place of Business if different from above
By
Title:
(Type or Print Name)
HARNETT COUNTY
LILLINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA
REFERENCES
Proposal Number
DATE
HCF-03282014
March 28, 2014
(In Accordance with Section 2.6(e) “References” under Specified
Terms and Conditions)
Potential Contractor must demonstrate that it has a successful record of experience in the type of service specified. Otherwise, the proposal may not be considered.
The
Request for Proposals is for a contract compliance performance audit service agreement. Therefore, list below at least three (3) references for whom you have provided this service.
CLIENT
TYPE OF
SERVICE and SCOPE OF SERVICE PROVIDED
PERSON TO
CONTACT
PHONE
NUMBER