Welcome to the DPAC Press: the newsletter for the Caltrans Division of Procurement and Contracts! Thank you for reading! Chief's Corner General Fund Freeze Architectural and Engineering CAL-Card and Non-IT Procurement FAQs and News IT Procurement and Contracts Non-IT Service Contracts Communications Training and Web Plan Update DPAC Press: Q3 Fiscal Year 2023-24

DPAC New Hires and Promotions Submission Deadlines and Expiration Dates Share Your Feedback!

A Message from DPAC Division Chief David Prizmich Hello all and thank you for reading this edition of the DPAC Press. As always, I hope this message reaches you and yours safe and well. As the Fiscal Year continues, the calendar inches toward DPAC’s busiest time of year. As noted in our last communication, many of DPAC’s contract deadlines have now passed for Fiscal Year 2023/24. For reference, please see this Fiscal Year's Deadline Memo. DPAC Division Chief David Prizmich As you may know, each year DPAC focuses working on timely submittals from March through June. Upon receiving submittals beyond our deadlines, we process them in the order Article 1 of 10 Chief's Corner

in which they are received; however, DPAC cannot guarantee they are executed prior to Fiscal Year end (June 30th). This supports the need for customers to try their absolute best to plan for contract needs in line with Fiscal Year end. Also, DPAC has begun to transmit informational emails to our statewide customers in line with communicating high level information in the cases of Live Events and Emergency Contracting needs. Live Events Calendar: DPAC intends to send out frequent statewide communications in line with our Events Calendar. This information will alert our customers to both live and virtual events (training, round table sessions, etc.). Please visit DPAC's Events Calendar for more information on our upcoming events. Emergency Contracting Needs: DPAC has gathered information on how customers can best prepare if and when declared emergencies occur, and how to execute emergency contracts. As you can imagine, many needs arise when emergencies occur (Non-IT contracts, Public Works, EFA/ELB, CAL-Card adjustments), and some flexibility is afforded during declared events. DPAC will continue to send out reminders during emergency events, though you can always find pertinent information on our Emergency Resources Intranet page. Lastly, on February 20, 2024, DPAC launched our new contract tracking system (Con-Track). This new tracking system is available to all Caltrans staff and will assist to provide pertinent information surrounding your contract submittals. Information such as contract manager, contract analyst, submittal date, various processes along the way, and execution dates are readily available. This tracking system stems from a current DPAC system and is enhanced through our Caltrans IT partners. With your help, DPAC can work to make this new tracking system successful in effort to provide transparency to contracting processes. To use the database, visit our Contract Tracking System (Con-Track) Intranet page.

- David Prizmich “Thank you for your time and please enjoy this edition of the DPAC Press!”

On December 12, 2023, the Department of Finance issued Budget Letter (BL) 23-27 mandating a current year expenditure freeze on General Fund expenditures, regardless of the funding source. The following changes apply: New Goods and Service Contracts - Departments may not enter into any new service contracts or agreements or make changes to an existing contract or PO if the change increases costs, except time-sensitive or critical needs. IT Equipment - All discretionary and non-essential IT purchases shall be halted, unless for critical IT security or mission-critical needs. Fleet Vehicles - Only mission-critical or emergency-related vehicles shall be purchased. Office Supplies - Minimal office supplies shall be ordered. New purchases shall be heavily scrutinized by the Department’s purchasing managers. All Department operations shall be evaluated and scrutinized to decrease costs including, but not limited to, subscription renewals, training costs, or furniture purchases. An Exemption Request Form, ADM-0042 (ERF), is required and may be authorized for the following limited instances: Addressing a declared emergency Providing 24-hour medical care Avoiding a significant revenue loss Article 2 of 10 General Fund Freeze

Achieving significant net cost savings Mission Critical and Safety related procurements The ERF must be signed by the Deputy Director Level or above in the Districts, the Division Chief level or above at Headquarters, or any member of the Executive Board. An Exemption Request Form, ADM-0042 (ERF), is NOT required for the following contract requests: Architectural and Engineering (A&E) contracts Emergency Force Account (EFA) & Emergency Limited Bid (ELB) Director's Order contracts Minor B contracts Highway Maintenance (HM) project contracts Public Works contract requests (not requiring DGS’ review/approval) Please Note: A completed ERF must be retained in the procurement/contract file in case of an audit. If an EFR is complete and approved by an appropriate approver, as listed in the DPAC PB 24- 01-R1, DPAC will process the associated purchase request. If the validity of a purchase is questioned by any internal or external partners or agencies (such as Audits, SCO, DGS, DOF, etc.), it will be the responsibility of the purchasing Program and the Officer who approved the ERF to justify said purchase. For more information, please contact DPAC Policy Branch or view the links below: Department of Finance Budget Letter 23-27 Department of General Services Broadcast Bulletin P-05-23

DPAC Contract/Procurement Exemption Request Form (ADM-0042) Frequently Asked Questions

The A&E Branch held the 2024 Mini Summit for CSU Chiefs and Contract Managers (CM) both new and experienced. The mini summit was held over three days to allow staff flexibility to attend. The topics of the summit included: CM Checklist, Procurement Request Package ADM 360, Scope of Work Development, and Contract Overview, to name a few. Guest speakers also attended and provided information on DBE Goal Setting (OCR), DBE Compliance on Contracts (OCR), as well as Labor Compliance (Construction). The summit was well received and attended by 100 employees over the three days. The A&E Team added one new team member in January. Vanessa Usanmaz is an Associate Governmental Program Analyst and this is her first state position. We are thrilled to have Vanessa on our team and look forward to working alongside her. Article 3 of 10 Architectural and Engineering

Question: How can I become a CAL-Card Holder? Answer: To become a CAL-Card Holder, the applicant must have a permanent civil service status and be assigned to a CAL-Card Manager. A Caltrans employee whose duties include acquiring goods or services on behalf of the Department can apply for a CAL-Card as a payment method for those acquisitions that are justifiable and provide critical mission essential services and functions. Training is required before the account can be established. Employees must complete the online CAL-Card training course via the DPAC website prior to submitting the CAL-Card Holder Application form (ADM-2006). All CAL-Card forms are available on Caltrans Electronic Forms System (CEFS) Intranet site. Visit our CAL-Card FAQ page for more helpful information, and remember the CAL-Card Submittal inbox is your first stop for all CAL-Card questions. Non-IT Goods Procurement is welcoming Robert Jacoby as the new SSM I Branch Chief for Non-IT Goods Branch B. Robert is an enthusiastic, positive, and motivated individual. He has been employed by the State of California/Department of Transportation since 2018 and has held a Permanent Associate Governmental Program Analyst position with the Division of Procurement and Contracts. Robert’s work experience, knowledge, and communication skills, as well as his attitude are the assets needed to be an effective Staff Services Manager I for the Non-IT Procurement Branch. Article 4 of 10 CAL-Card and Non-IT Procurement FAQs and News

The DPAC Non-IT goods team held their monthly Questions and Answers Webinar on February 29, 2023. This months’ topic was Leveraged Procurement Agreements (LPA) and best practices to follow when using them. Over 140 Caltrans employees attended the hour- long session. Keep your eyes open for the reminders for the next session so you can mark your calendars.

DPAC IT Procurements and Contracts Office has been working to update a lot of information for Caltrans! Our goal is to help streamline and make processes easier for all our requestors. Website - https://dpac.onramp.dot.ca.gov/it-procurement-and-contracts. IT Procurement solicitations documents IT Procurement Submittal Checklist IT Services Submittal Checklist Please note, per SCM Vol. 2, all informal competitive IT Goods over $50,000 must be solicitated on Cal eProcure by DPAC IT Office Staff. If using this procurement method, please reach out to DPAC IT first. The following IT submittal deadlines are quickly approaching: IT Procurement (Goods) Informal Competitive over $50,000.00 (DPAC Solicits); LPAs: April 1, 2024 Informal Competitive under $50,000.00 (Requestor solicits): May 1, 2024 SB Option/DVBE Option; Proprietary Software/Maintenance; Fair & Reasonable: May 1, 2024 Article 5 of 10 IT Procurement and Contracts

IT Contracts (Services) 23/24 Fiscal Year-End deadlines have all passed. Requests can still be submitted but will not be guaranteed to be processed this FY. Requests submitted after Fiscal Year-End deadlines will go in DPAC IT “late queue.” For all IT Procurement and Contract questions, please reach out to the DPAC IT Office Supervisors: Gabriel Cronan | IT Office Chief | (916) 926-7454 Rachel Lopez | IT Procurements Branch Chief | (279) 234-2295 Cynthia Plascencia | IT Contracts Branch Chief | (279) 234-2375

Q&A Forum– Emergency Contracts On February 22, 2024, the Non-IT Service Contract team held a Q&A Forum regarding emergency contracts. There were approximately 145 participants who joined the forum to get vital information about when an emergency contract would be allowed and would not be allowed per the Public Contract Code (PCC) 1102. PCC 1102 defines and emergency as “a sudden, unexpected occurrence that poses a clear and imminent danger, requiring immediate action to prevent or mitigate the loss or impairment of life, health, property, or essential public services.” All elements of this code must be met to qualify as an emergency. There are a plethora of training and resources on the DPAC intranet page including the new emergency checklist. If you have any questions regarding emergency contracts, please contact: Jeshpreet Grewal | Maintenance Division: Tamara Jones | All Other Programs and Divisions Q&A Forum– Contract Amendments On April 16, 2024, the Non-IT Service Contract team will hold a Q&A Forum regarding contract amendments. The forum will focus on when you can and can’t amend a contract for time Article 6 of 10 Non-IT Service Contracts

and/or money. Time amendments are permitted to complete performance, not to exceed one year. Time amendments are not allowed on on-call contracts. Money amendments are permitted to increase the contract amount by 30% (not to exceed $250,000) of the original contract. A detailed justification for the amendment is required, in addition, to an updated cost proposal (for money amendments). Please plan on joining us next month and bring all your questions regarding contract amendments. We will not be discussing amendments for Request for Proposals, Interagency Agreements, UC/CSU, A&E, or IT contracts.

Training Redesign Plan The Communications Branch initiated the DPAC Training Plan in November of 2022, which calls for the development and/or redesign of 27 trainings. An overarching goal of the Training Redesign Plan is to bring our training efforts up to speed with how customers learn and retain the information needed to succeed in their roles. Our other goals are to streamline training content, improve navigation, increase engagement and level-up our customers' learning experiences. Streamlined Trainings We've streamlined our on-demand trainings by focusing on essential information customers need to know and using a new, easy-to-read learning platform. The new learning platform Article 7 of 10 Communications Training and Web Plan Update In fall of 2022, the DPAC Communications Branch began work on our Training and Web Redesign Plans, a component of DPAC's Strategic Plan. Our team is excited to share highlights on their progress to date.

provides a more user-friendly learning experience on all devices and improves the ease with which customers can access and navigate our trainings. Scenarios and Practice Activities Another Training Plan goal is to make our on-demand trainings more engaging and interactive by creating scenarios and practice activities. The following screenshots depict example scenarios from DPAC's Buyer Responsibilities Training.

How-To Resources An additional goal is to create more how-to materials such as webpages, videos, and guides to help customers complete tasks on the job. For some training content, improving our customers' learning experiences means changing how information is delivered. For example, if a training provides step-by-step information on how to complete a task, this can be turned into web pages or guides customers can easily click through while completing the task.

Completed Projects and Next Steps To date, Communications Branch staff have redesigned 11 existing training projects and created five new trainings requested by offices in our division. Select the links to review our recently completed training projects: ADM-0360AE Guide for an A&E Contract Amendment ADM-0360AE Guide for an A&E Contract Request ADM-0360 Guide to Understanding the Service Contract Request Form Applying the SB Preference and DVBE Incentive During Bid Evaluations A&E Contract Manager Training Buyer Responsibilities Training Labor Compliance for Contract Managers (Division of Construction CM Resources) Minor B Guide Property Control Forms and Processes (How- to web pages) Property Control Overview Training Property Survey Board Member Training Public Works Project Registration (PWC-100) Training

CAL-Card Holder Training (now combined with CAL-Card Liaison Training) DPAC New Employee Orientation (NEO) Training Service Agreements Under $10,000 (U10) Training Tag or No Tag (Property Control) The Training Redesign Plan is now entering the home stretch, as there are 11 training projects remaining and six of those are currently underway! Intranet Redesign Plan Starting in October 2022, the Communications team has been working to cleanup and improve the DPAC Intranet. This project has become a focal point for the DPAC Strategic Plan, as the team is hard at work to elevate how our Intranet serves its customers. The Strategic Plan Project was split into two phases. Phase 1 was to ensure the existing content on our Intranet is updated and accurate. This stage of the project has been completed, as each branch has had the chance to work with the Webmaster to submit new content, leading to the addition of over 50 new content pages, and over 100 updates to existing pages. Phase 2 of the project focuses on design, navigation, and user experience. This stage of the project is still in progress, but once completed will deliver an updated look for the home page, new features for Onramp, as well as improvements to already existing functionality. Keep an eye out in next quarter's newsletter for full details on the Web Redesign Plan completion! Communications would like to thank all branches of DPAC for the collaborative work done to streamline our Intranet and trainings.

- Communications Team

Join us in welcoming and congratulating DPAC's new hires and promotions this quarter! DPAC New Hires Nancy Hauser, Clean California Analyst Gisela Everhard, Branch Chief Vanessa Usanmaz, Contracts Analyst Robin Guidera, Clean California Analyst Ikenna Obiagwu, Fi$Cal Analyst Shari Shackelford, Property Control Analyst Natalie Mier, Property Control Analyst DPAC Promotions Article 8 of 10 DPAC New Hires and Promotions

Robert Jacoby, Branch Chief Justen Lockling, Office Chief

To ensure current fiscal year requests are completed by June 30th, DPAC sets annual submission deadlines. View the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023/24 Submission Deadlines Memorandum. A comprehensive list of expiring contracts can also be found on the DPAC intranet. View Expiring Contracts Article 9 of 10 Submission Deadlines and Expiration Dates

Thank you for reading this quarter's issue! DPAC appreciates your valuable contributions! Please continue to share your questions, innovative ideas, and experiences with us. Contact DPAC Have a question for DPAC? Visit the contact page to find experts to help you with your question. OPEN PAGE DPAC Suggestion Program Have a suggestion for a way DPAC can improve its processes and services? Complete this form to share your ideas! OPEN FORM Article 10 of 10 Share Your Feedback!

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