Chair Lee on procurement reform and provider feedback

Great.

Actually, I wanted to just piggyback off the speaker's questions on the procurement because I love talking about this topic.

But have you also looked at, because I know it's a separate system than what MOX has with Passport and all of that, right?

And have you gotten feedback from providers and different folks who maybe perhaps use both systems, right, who can then look at it and say, here are some best practices from either or that would actually help us to streamline things so that we're not spending so much time working on this?

I think that would be helpful to maybe go back to the community groups that use the system and try to get.

Their feedback.

If you're in the preliminary stages, I'm just wondering what the input is from that side.

We haven't gotten to that stage.

Okay.

I mean, so right now, we're really invested in trying to find a replacement system.

Got it.

The way that Passport is configured to date, it's not really functional for our use.

Oh, no, yeah, nor would I suggest you use it.

No offense.

So we're engaged in conversations with City Hall's innovation team and the Mayor's Office of Contract Services to develop a plan or a pathway for replacing our procurement system, because I think that that's one of the

biggest challenges, and it's one of the reasons why we don't have as much transparency and visibility as we would like.

Right.

And, yeah, the only reason why I suggest that is because I know that oftentimes the providers are using both systems, and so I'd be curious to see what overlap there could be to streamline things.

And then also on that note.

Because I think you had mentioned, if I heard you correctly, that at some point in terms of the RFP process, the PEP needs to vote for it.

But before it gets to that point where they have to vote on it, I'm assuming, and correct me if I'm wrong, that they've already gotten a download and have been prepped beforehand of the different groups that are part of it.

So in other words, they're part of the process so that it's not a surprise, right?

Correct.

So we do hold briefings at least one week prior to the actual panel session, and the actual agenda is posted publicly.

10 days before the actual meeting.

So it gives them time to read through the proposals and ask as many questions.

And after we have the briefings, we often follow up with additional responses to questions that may arise during those meetings.

Okay, so one week before actually seems kind of a short time period before.

And the only reason why I'm saying that is because it seems like you all on your end have to go through all these arduous steps before you get to that point.

And so I'm just wondering if there could be that input beforehand, because then the last thing is, like, you have to go through this entire thing, and then what if they don't?

Like the final bidders or whoever.

I completely understand what you're saying, but it takes about a year for us to even get to the point where we can present it to panel, and we're generally scrambling.

But again, we're looking at ways to streamline our processes, and maybe there's something that we could incorporate that would allow us to do it, but I can't make that promise right now.

No, I get it.

And why does it take so much longer versus other city agencies?

I mean, just to simply ask it that way.

Well, the end-to-end procurement process is relatively long, right?

You know, releasing bids, awarding them, and then, you know, oftentimes when we release a bid, we're awarding contracts to multiple vendors, and that in itself can take some time.

So you have to ensure that once, you know, we award a contract, we've got to do, we have to do negotiation on pricing.

We also have to do background checks.

That can come.

be pretty extensive and then we have and even and if something comes up in that background check process we have to do our due diligence

by going back and doing some investigation to ensure that when we deem a vendor responsible and responsive

that we've done all of the necessary taken all of the necessary steps that to take that we were required to take to ensure that these vendors can actually work with our students and in our schools right

and and i will say i think in terms of this plus the purchasing power that DOE has and the procurement process.

I wonder if this is an area where AI technology can maybe play a part.

Understanding that legally, I get that there are certain mandated steps you need to take, but then maybe truncating the amount of time that it takes in between each step would be great to look at.

We would love to be able to leverage it, but we would have to make sure we're leveraging it responsibly.

Right, of course.

Chair, Chair Lee, may I, first of all, General Counsel Vladek, I swear to tell the truth on all the things.

And I just thank you for letting me add to this because my office has actually, for a variety of reasons, been pretty deeply engaged in our procurement processes and

school and district level purchasing over the last few years.

We've actually been doing kind of a health assessment, so to speak, to see how strong and robust our practices are in terms of protecting against fraud.

But not only for that purpose, also for the purposes that you're identifying, which is to help communities.

Unities understand better how our procurement process works.

To level the playing field for vendors so that we're expanding opportunities for businesses around the city

and organizations around the city to work with us to make sure that bad actor vendors who we may be able to identify but wouldn't necessarily be visible to a school are

identified, referred where appropriate.

And so all of the things that you and the speaker are pointing to are elements of this very complex and vibrant ecosystem.

And I think

I think I have a certain amount of pride in the core soundness of the apparatus, given the size and scale of what we're doing.

It is so complex.

But at the same time, just to echo the Chancellor's point about trying to find that balance between

efficiencies, oversight, central visibility, consistency across the system versus schools and districts knowing their individualized needs better than anyone else.

That is a balancing that requires constant adjustment.

And so all of the reforms and oversight that you and the speaker and Alicia have referred to are all part of that.

Great, thank you.

And also, sorry, we've been joined by Councilmember Epstein, who I forgot to mention you earlier, sorry about that, as well as Councilmember Gutierrez and Marte.