Los Angeles County Awards JOC Consultant Contract

Los Angeles County has awarded a $1 million a year consultant contract to RS Means to help manage the County's Job Order Contracting program. At the sole discretion of the County, the contract is subject to four one-year renewals.   Click here to read the award recommendation to the County Board of Supervisors.

Transition Period:  The contract with RS Means has not yet been executed and their work will not actually begin until sometime in October, when the current contract with The Gordian Group expires.

Only 2 Responses:  The County issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to 38 firms on October 8, 2009.  Two firms responded:  RS Means and The Gordian Group.

Scope of Work for RS Means:  RS Means will assist the County with "conducting market research to determine local prevailing costs for construction equipment, materials, and labor for vertical construction, horizontal construction, general work, and demolition; preparing and updating detailed construction cost catalogs that include unit prices and technical specifications; maintaining project control and estimating software; and providing technical support as needed."

Los Angeles vs. Washington State Thresholds:  Los Angeles County may issue work orders under the Job Order Contract program for up to $4.2 million each.  That is contrasted with the State of Washington, where RCW 39.10.450 authorizes that each work order may be up to $300,000.  Other states and the federal government have different thresholds and requirements.

Implementation of JOC in Washington State:  In Washington State, public agencies that have chosen to use Job Order Contracting have generally used the RS Means estimating guide as their price book.  To my knowledge, RS Means has not previously competed directly against The Gordian Group for JOC consultant services.  Only one agency in Washington State has issued an RFP for JOC consulting services.  The City of Bellevue, Washington this year awarded a consultant contract to The Gordian Group to help them establish a JOC program. 

More Information:For more information about Job Order Contracting, you can visit the JOC subject index on my blog for other entries about Job Order Contracting.