Temporary Staffing Services for Austin 311 and AE Utility

CITY OF AUSTIN
PURCHASING OFFICE
SCOPE OF WORK
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL - TEMPORARY STAFFING SERVICES FOR THE CONTACT CENTERS
SOLICITATION NUMBER: RFP 1100 MTL3006 v2
1. PURPOSE
Austin Energy (AE) is seeking a Contractor to provide approximately 130 to 270 temporary Contract
Personnel to support two high-volume, inbound contact centers. The Contractor shall provide AE with
qualified personnel, including customer service representatives, to staff the Austin 3-1-1 Contact
Center and the Austin Energy Utility Contact Center (Contact Centers), both located at 4815 Mueller
Blvd, Austin, TX 78723.
The Contractor shall provide qualified Contract Personnel on an on-going and as needed basis for the
first year of the Contract. In accordance with Austin City Council directive, a portion of Contract
Personnel may be converted to City staff over the life of the Contract. By year five of the Contract, the
number of Contract Personnel is anticipated to decrease approximately to 130 Contract Personnel.
2. BACKGROUND
The Austin Energy Utility Contact Center and the Austin 3-1-1 Contact Center are both divisions of Austin
Energy's Customer Care business unit. Austin Energy is the municipally owned electric utility of the City
of Austin, TX, serving over 993,588 people and delivering electricity to approximately 557,000
customers.
The Austin Energy Utility Contact Center manages all customer interactions for electric, solid waste,
water, and wastewater accounts. In addition to general inquiries, processing start and stop service
requests, and addressing billing questions, this Contact Center manages customer communications
during service interruptions and receives an average of 94,815 contacts per month, with the highest
volumes occurring from June through October. This Contact Center currently operates 7.00AM to
9.00PM.
The Austin 3-1-1 Contact Center serves as the single point of contact for information about all City
services and departments and receives an average of 73,000 contacts per month, with the highest
volumes occurring from May through October. Community events, Citywide responses, and weather
emergencies may increase call volume. This Contact Center also handles all after-hours outage calls
for the Austin Energy Utility Contact Center and any overflows during regular business hours. This
Contact Center operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
In 2021, Austin City Council authorized a five-year supplemental staffing contract supporting Customer
Care operations with a contract spend authority $69,800,000. This authorization covered all
supplemental staffing requirements across Customer Care Contact Center functions.
Page 1 of 29

CITY OF AUSTIN
PURCHASING OFFICE
SCOPE OF WORK
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL - TEMPORARY STAFFING SERVICES FOR THE CONTACT CENTERS
SOLICITATION NUMBER: RFP 1100 MTL3006 v2
During Fiscal Year 2025, Austin Energy utilized $16,294,769.16 in supplemental staffing services across
all supported positions. This level of expenditure reflects the operational need to maintain adequate
staffing levels to meet customer service demand, particularly in an environment of ongoing attrition
among Customer Service Representative (CSR) positions.
To contextualize staffing requirements, CSR attrition levels are provided to illustrate the typical
fluctuations in CSR staffing within each Contact center. These figures demonstrate the operational
conditions that necessitate supplemental staffing to sustain service levels and ensure continuity of
customer support.
Dept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep
Austin 0.91 0.92 1.85 10.0 5.25 5.13 6.58 2.27 3.53 0.00 1.19 1.21
3-1-1 % % % 8% % % % % % % % %
AE 4.65 3.11 2.17 2.12 5.59 2.84 12.7 3.33 4.90 1.41 2.96 6.30
Utility % % % % % % 4% % % % % %
Retention of Contract Personnel is a paramount concern in the management of this Contract. Based on
Austin Energy's highest historical attrition data, it is estimated that failure to retain Contract Personnel
could cost at least $1.4 million per year in retraining, reduced efficiency (tenured versus untenured),
lower overall quality of services, and in maintaining a Contact Center adequate to address the City's
ongoing needs. Longer tenured staff equates to higher customer satisfaction. Accordingly, a Retention
Plan shall be required as an essential element of the Contractor's response to this solicitation.
3. TERM OF CONTRACT
The Contract shall remain in effect for an initial term of 24 months, or the City terminates the
Contract. The Contract may be extended beyond the initial term for up to three additional 12-
month periods at the City's sole option.
4. SCOPE OF WORK
4.1 When evaluating and hiring candidates to initially staff the Contract, the Contractor shall give
priority to individuals currently working for the City in an equivalent or similar position who
are in good standing. Good standing is defined as having no documented negative
performance or behavioral issues and not being on a corrective action plan. Individuals
already on assignment who apply and are selected to continue will be transitioned to
Contract Personnel at the greater of the Contractor's pay rate for that position or the
individual's current pay rate and tenure, including hours accrued toward benefits.
4.2 It is anticipated that a new Contract will be awarded in early to mid-2027. As of September
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CITY OF AUSTIN
PURCHASING OFFICE
SCOPE OF WORK
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL - TEMPORARY STAFFING SERVICES FOR THE CONTACT CENTERS
SOLICITATION NUMBER: RFP 1100 MTL3006 v2
2025, the City had 233 Contract Personnel assigned to the two Contact Centers. The
Contractor acknowledges that transitioning consenting Contract Personnel designated by
the City as being in good standing must occur within 60 calendar days of Contract Award. All
other onboarding staffing activities shall begin upon Contract Award unless otherwise
approved in writing by the Austin Energy Project Manager
4.3 At the City's sole discretion, the Contractor shall give priority consideration to candidates
who are current employees of the City or Austin Energy who are in good standing and who
apply for a position under the Contract. Individuals already on assignment who apply and are
selected to continue shall be transitioned at the greater of the Contractor's pay rate for that
position or the individual's current pay rate and tenure, including hours accrued toward
benefits.
5. CONTRACTOR'S RESPONSIBILITIES
5.1 The Contractor shall attend a contract kick-off meeting with Austin Energy staff to
discuss key matters related to the Contract implementation, including, but not
limited to, implementation activities, the transition and/or onboarding of personnel
from the previous contract, key deadlines, roles and responsibilities, reporting
requirements, and performance evaluations.
5.2 The Contractor shall assign a dedicated Account Manager to serve as the primary point of
contact and to oversee, lead, and support the overall contractual relationship.
5.3 The Contractor shall provide dedicated on-site staffing management and the Contractor's
Project Manager to support transition, implementation, and training within 30 calendar days
of Contract Award. This additional on-site support shall be maintained for a minimum of 60
calendar days unless otherwise approved in writing by the Austin Energy Contract Manager.
The Contractor shall propose work hours and workdays for approval by the Austin Energy
Contract Manager. The Contractor shall align proposed schedules with operational
schedules of the Contract Personnel. The Contractor shall pay for all additional on-site
Contractor representatives. These expenditures will not be considered billable activities to
the City.
5.3.1 Upon award, the Contractor's Project Manager assigned to the City will support
transition and implementation. Attrition details will include, but not limited to, reason
categories, tenure bands, training status, rate of pay, days on assignment, Job title,
bilingual, and supporting Business Unit.
5.4 The Contractor shall provide Contract Personnel who have successfully completed all
required screening, skills assessments, and qualifications within a timeframe not to exceed
20 business days after Austin Energy submits a request to fill positions ordered. The
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CITY OF AUSTIN
PURCHASING OFFICE
SCOPE OF WORK
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL - TEMPORARY STAFFING SERVICES FOR THE CONTACT CENTERS
SOLICITATION NUMBER: RFP 1100 MTL3006 v2
Contractor shall forward the Pre-Assignment candidate package two business days prior to
the Austin Energy interview, in accordance with Section 6, Pre-Assignment Package. All
activities related to the initial interview process shall be the responsibility of the Contractor.
Austin Energy facilities will not be available for this process.
5.5 Contract Personnel assigned to the Contact Centers are considered essential staff. The
Contractor shall provide qualified Contract Personnel able to work any day at any time,
including holidays and weekends. A list of the City's observed holidays is at the following link:
https://www.austintexas.gov/department/official-city-holidays
5.6 The Contractor shall not present candidates to one Contact Center who were previously
dismissed from the other Contact Center or did not complete the required training.
5.7 The Contractor shall ensure that Contract Personnel are active and compliant with Austin
Energy Utility accounts prior to the start of their assignments. If a Contract Personnel has an
outstanding Austin Energy balance, the Contractor shall ensure the Contract Personnel
enters into an approved payment arrangement with Austin Energy prior to performing any
services.
5.7.1 If a Contract Personnel is found to be out of compliance with the utility account
standing requirement at any time, the Contractor shall immediately remove such
Contract Personnel from performing services under this Contract. The Contractor
shall conduct an annual review of each Contract Personnel's Austin Energy account
status to confirm continued compliance or adherence to an approved payment
arrangement. Documentation of the annual review shall be retained by the
Contractor and provided to Austin Energy upon request. Repeated or uncorrected
non-compliance may be considered a performance deficiency under this Contract
and shall initiate the Escalation Procedure.
5.8 The Contractor shall not present Contract Personnel to any Contact Centers within six
months of an unsuccessful interview at either Contact Center.
5.9 The Contractor shall obtain written acceptance from Austin Energy prior to presenting
Contract Personnel who previously left either Contact Center in good standing and are being
considered for return assignment.
5.10 The Contractor shall provide qualified bilingual Spanish-speaking Contract Personnel as
required by Austin Energy's business needs. Bilingual Spanish-speaking Contract Personnel
shall comprise a minimum of 50% of each Contact Center staffing request for the Customer
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CITY OF AUSTIN
PURCHASING OFFICE
SCOPE OF WORK
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL - TEMPORARY STAFFING SERVICES FOR THE CONTACT CENTERS
SOLICITATION NUMBER: RFP 1100 MTL3006 v2
Service Representative labor classification.
5.11 The Contractor shall provide a comprehensive list of skill assessments to Austin Energy for
approval, administer testing, and submit scores to Austin Energy prior to referring any
Contract Personnel for interview. The Contractor shall submit to Austin Energy for written
approval any changes to the approved assessments or testing requirements at least one
business day prior to the interviews. The Contractor shall conduct an exit interview or survey
upon the separation of any Contract Personnel and shall provide Austin Energy with a written
copy of the results within seven calendar days of the Contract Personnel's date of separation
in a format approved by Austin Energy. The Contractor shall also provide interview or survey
feedback for screened Contract Personnel candidates within seven calendar days of the
interview or survey.
5.12 The Contractor shall provide an automated timekeeping and payroll system for all Contract
Personnel. The system shall be accessible by Austin Energy for approving time entries and
conducting payroll audits and shall support and be compatible with Austin Energy's current
telephony and timekeeping system of record, including updated versions as needed. The
current system of record is Genesys Pure Engage Cloud, and Austin Energy plans to
transition to Cloud CX in 2026.
5.13 The Contractor shall obtain required background checks in accordance with the City's Terms
and Conditions, section 3.10. Background checks shall be fully completed, and the results
shall be available at least one business day prior to referral of any Contract Personnel to
Austin Energy for interview.
5.14 The Contractor shall submit monthly invoices that are accurate, current, and complete for
all Contract Personnel. Invoices shall detail the following information:
* Contract Personnel name
* Hours worked
* Hourly pay rate paid to Contract Personnel
* Overtime hours and rates, if applicable
* Performance Credits
* As outlined in Section 8, Performance Credits/Training Period Credits
* Contract Personnel start date
* Contract Personnel end date, if applicable
* Bill rate charged to Austin Energy
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CITY OF AUSTIN
PURCHASING OFFICE
SCOPE OF WORK
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL - TEMPORARY STAFFING SERVICES FOR THE CONTACT CENTERS
SOLICITATION NUMBER: RFP 1100 MTL3006 v2
* Contract Personnel position/title
* Number of Contract Personnel in each position/title
* Purchase order number
* Invoice Period, including begin and end dates
* A one-page PDF summary for each work group, as defined by Austin Energy, which
shall include:
Total number of Contract Personnel by position/title
o
Total Contract Personnel position/title cost
o
Delivery Order (DO) number / Maximo (MAX) number
o
Invoice Period
o
Begin Date
o
End Date
o
5.15 The Contractor shall reimburse Austin Energy for performance credits for all terminated
Contract Personnel within one month of the Contract Personnel's separation from the Austin
Energy assignment, or upon the next invoice, whichever is sooner. The Contractor shall
provide a separate Performance Credit Report supporting the credit, including the Contract
Personnel's start date and termination date.
5.16 The Contractor shall submit all requested reports and invoices to the City by established
deadlines and shall ensure that all reports and invoices are accurate. The City reserves the
right to prescribe the format and frequency of such reports. City reserves the right to change
due dates for all reports and shall notify the Contractor within ten business days of any such
change.
5.17 The Contractor shall provide, at the Contractor's expense, business intelligence tools that
support performance improvements, mitigate risk, and provide status on contract metric
tracking and reporting. The business intelligence program solution shall include a secure
web-based dashboard that enables Austin Energy to view and retrieve reports in accordance
with Section 17, Service Level Agreement (SLA).
5.17.1 The Contractor shall provide all software necessary to support managing
communications and reporting functions, including, but not limited to,
staffing requests, the complete business intelligence dashboard, City audit
requirements, and time sheet management.
5.17.2 The Contractor shall update the dashboard within 24 hours of invoice
submittal to Austin Energy
5.18 In addition to the initial 60-day support representative described in Section 5.3, the
Contractor shall provide at its own expense onsite company representatives to support day-
to-day operations. The Contractor shall ensure that its on-site representatives are physically
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CITY OF AUSTIN
PURCHASING OFFICE
SCOPE OF WORK
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL - TEMPORARY STAFFING SERVICES FOR THE CONTACT CENTERS
SOLICITATION NUMBER: RFP 1100 MTL3006 v2
present on-site to support Contract Personnel. This representative shall devote a minimum
of 40 hours per week at each location where the number of Contract Personnel totals 25 or
more. On-site time shall be logged in and recorded by the representative and verified by the
Contact Center manager or designee.
5.18.1 The on-site company representative's duties shall include, but are not
limited to, the following:
* Resolving performance issues
* Providing feedback to the Austin Energy Contact Center leadership
* Facilitating the timely submission of required reports
* Distributing Contract Personnel payroll checks
* Conducting exit interviews and transmitting results to the AE
* Performing all administrative duties related to this Contract for a minimum of six
hours per week, including participation in job fairs held at Austin Energy or other
City locations, or as requested by the Contact Center manager or designee
* Conducting quarterly account reviews
* Completing Corporate Social Responsibility training at the supported site
* Providing a minimum of one hour coaching session per month per Contract
Personnel.
5.18.2 All changes to Contractor account management and on-site representative
personnel shall be mutually agreed upon by Austin Energy and the
Contractor. Any Contractor account management and on-site
representative assigned to Austin Energy shall be interviewed by Austin
Energy, and if accepted, shall serve a 90-day trial period in which Austin
Energy will evaluate to determine suitability. Prior to the end of the trial
period, Austin Energy will review the representative with the Contractor, and
Austin Energy reserves the right to request reassignment of the Contractor
account management and on-site representative.
5.18.3 Each Contact Center currently averages approximately 70 Contract
Personnel. No on-site Contractor representative shall manage more than 40
Contract Personnel. When the number of Contract Personnel assigned to an
on-site Contractor representative reaches 35, the Contractor shall notify
Austin Energy by email and schedule a meeting with the Austin Energy
management team to determine whether additional on-site Contractor
representation is needed before the number exceeds 40 and to establish an
onboarding timeline for adding such representation. The email notification
shall be made within 60 days of reaching 35 Contract Personnel. The cost of
an additional on-site Contractor representative shall not be a billable
expense to AE. Austin Energy reserves the right to make the final
determination regarding the need for additional on-site Contractor
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CITY OF AUSTIN
PURCHASING OFFICE
SCOPE OF WORK
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL - TEMPORARY STAFFING SERVICES FOR THE CONTACT CENTERS
SOLICITATION NUMBER: RFP 1100 MTL3006 v2
representation.
5.18.4 The Contractor shall provide a minimum of four on-site company
representatives. There are two Contact Centers, each Contact Center shall
be supported by a minimum of two dedicated representatives.
5.18.5 Hours of Contractor's on-site representatives shall align with the following
core hours:
Austin Energy Utility Contact Center, 7:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. CST
Austin 3-1-1 Contact Center, 7:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m. CST
5.19 Upon Contract Personnel separation, the Contractor shall collect and return any work
product created in support of the City and all City-issued property, including but not limited
to deactivated identification badges, parking passes, headphones, monitor, computer,
keyboard, and mice, within five business days of the separation date. If the Contractor fails
to return City property in a fully functional state as determined by the City and within the
required time period, the Contractor shall reimburse the City for the replacement cost.
Replacement cost shall be established at the time of equipment issuance and documented
in the Equipment Depreciation Schedule, which may be updated as equipment is replaced
or upgraded. The Contractor shall reimburse Austin Energy for equipment credits by check,
and these must be listed as a separate line item on the respective location's invoice. City
property reimbursement must be issued to the City within three weeks of said Contract
Personnel's separation at a mutually agreed -upon cost assigned at equipment distribution.
5.20 The Contractor shall develop and submit a Recruitment and Retention Plan for the Contact
Center Personnel, recognizing that experienced Contract Personnel provide greater
efficiency, accountability, and customer service. The Recruitment and Retention Plan shall
address, at a minimum, compensation, leave, vacation time, award and recognition
programs, incentives, employee assistance programs, professional development, and other
training and other benefits. The Contractor shall adhere to the mutually agreed-upon
Recruitment and Retention Plan as submitted unless approved otherwise by the City.
5.21 The Contractor shall conduct a Contract Personnel satisfaction survey on a quarterly basis
for the duration of the Contract and provide a written report of the results to Austin Energy
within 30 days of completion. The Contractor shall develop and submit a mitigation plan to
address any issues negatively impacting the Contact Centers' ability to maintain normal
operations within fifteen calendar days of delivering the survey results. The Contractor shall
implement and monitor the mitigation plan and provide status updates to Austin Energy upon
request.
5.22 The Contractor shall provide teleworking Contract Personnel with support, including a desk,
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CITY OF AUSTIN
PURCHASING OFFICE
SCOPE OF WORK
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL - TEMPORARY STAFFING SERVICES FOR THE CONTACT CENTERS
SOLICITATION NUMBER: RFP 1100 MTL3006 v2
a chair, and access to the internet. Computers shall have restricted network capabilities and
necessary software, as determined by Austin Energy. Refer to Section 9, for Work Locations
and Hours, and , City of Austin Telework Standards.
5.23 The Contractor shall provide, based on the price sheet accepted, telework Contract
Personnel support, including: desk, chair, monitor, mouse, keyboard, docking station, and
access to the internet. Computers shall have restricted network capabilities and necessary
software, as determined by Austin Energy.
5.24 The Contractor shall conduct performance reviews for all Contract Personnel three times per
year: at onboarding, the middle of fiscal year, and the end of the fiscal year. The Contractor
shall ensure that all required performance reviews are completed and documented for each
Contract Personnel within the established review cycles. Every Contract Personnel must
receive the performance reviews.
5.25 The Contractor shall adhere to the requirements and processes listed below:
5.25.1 Affidavit of Compliance for Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act (FACTA),
5.25.2 International Organization for Standardization for Quality Management (ISO
9001), or the most current standard
5.25.3 Austin Energy Data Handling Controls
5.26 The Contractor shall provide the SLA information outlined in Section 17 Service Level
Agreements via a dashboard.
5.27 The Contractor shall ensure that all Contract Personnel shall complete and sign a
Participation Agreement provided by AE prior to completion of the first day in the training
environment.
5.28 The Contractor shall obtain written approval from the Contract Manager, the Director of
Customer Care Service for the Austin Energy business unit, and the Vice President of
Customer Care prior to onboarding any Contract Personnel submitting invoices for services
e.g. services such as New Hire Classes.
5.29 The Contractor shall conduct meetings with assigned Austin Energy business unit leaders in
accordance with the following cadence:
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CITY OF AUSTIN
PURCHASING OFFICE
SCOPE OF WORK
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL - TEMPORARY STAFFING SERVICES FOR THE CONTACT CENTERS
SOLICITATION NUMBER: RFP 1100 MTL3006 v2
5.29.1 Monthly operational meetings with Austin Energy managers, attended by the
Contractor's on-site leadership.
5.29.2 Quarterly operational meetings with the Director and Contract Manager
attended by the Contractor's director-level leadership.
5.29.3 Two state-of-business meetings per fiscal year with managers, directors,
Contract Manager, and the Vice President of Customer Care, attended by the
Contractor's director and vice president-level leadership.
5.30 The Contractor shall provide all Contract Personnel access to an Employee Assistance
Program (EAP) or a comparable City of Austin-approved program to assist Contract
Personnel with the impacts associated with the variety of calls received at the Contact
Centers. These calls may include, but are not limited to, are for City of Austin services
requests, such as the start/stop of power, bill assistance, power outages, missed garbage
pickups, loose dogs, and pandemic response. These calls may also include crisis calls, such
as suicide, domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, and access to life-saving
services. The City finds that employees with access to EAP or similar programs are more
efficient and accountable, clearly communicate when issues arise, and are in a better
position to deliver outstanding customer service during periods of stress. Superior EAP
programs provide better value to the City for these reasons.
5.31 The Contractor shall provide comprehensive training to Contract Personnel prior to any
billable time, addressing topics to reduce the risk of co-employment perception. Training
topics include, but not limited to:
* The Contractor's leadership chain of command
* Contractor's Contact information
* Hours of operation applicable to the assignment
* The resolution path for issues that arise while Contract Personnel are on
assignment, re-assigned, or concluding an assignment
5.32 The Contractor shall reimburse Austin Energy for equipment credits associated with all
Contract Personnel separated from their assignment within one month of separation, or by
the next invoice period, whichever occurs sooner. Equipment credit reimbursements shall
be separate from Performance Credits. The Contractor shall submit a supporting report at
the time the reimbursement is submitted. The report shall identify each affected Contract
Personnel's start date and termination date and shall also serve as supporting
documentation for any invoiced Performance Credit. Any reimbursement or reporting
submitted outside of the required schedule shall require prior approval by Austin Energy.
5.33 The Contractor shall reimburse Austin Energy for equipment credits by check or electronic
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