Request for Proposals - Audit Consulting Services for the Internal Audit Division For The City Manager's Office

Proposer must possess and provide one of the specified certifications: CIA, CPA, CGAP, CFE, or CGFM to be deemed qualified.

Proposals must be submitted electronically through the City of Pasadena's eProcurement Portal no later than 2:00 pm on Tuesday, July 7, 2026.

The entire proposal must be formatted on standard-size 8½”x11” pages in 12 point font only.

The 'Technical Proposal,' 'Additional Data,' and 'Statement of Qualifications' can be no more than 50 grand total pages combined.

Proposal must be prepared in two separate parts: a Technical Proposal and a Price Proposal, each complete in itself so evaluations can be conducted separately.

No pricing shall be included in the Technical Proposal.

Price Proposal must include all costs associated with the Technical Proposal, including lump-sum price covering all designs, equipment, materials, labor, insurance, overhead, profit, taxes, and other costs.

Vendor's RFP response must be inclusive of all costs and expenses associated with travel, lodging, and any other incidental costs; the City will not separately reimburse costs not included in the proposal.

Any additional fees outside the scope of the agreement must be approved in writing before commencing services for said fees.

Proposer must maintain availability of service as set forth in its proposal for at least four months after date for opening proposals.

Proposer must provide experience with governmental agencies for three projects/contracts of similar scope, size, complexity and subject matter within the past five (5) years and submit the Relevant Experience Form.

Each Proposer shall include in the price bid any patent fees, royalties and charges on any patented article or process to be furnished or used in the Work.

Price increases at contract year renewals shall not exceed the CPI 'All items in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, all urban consumers, not seasonally adjusted' for the preceding 12-month period.

Any additional work outside the original Scope of Services must be recorded as a Change Order and approved by the City Project Manager in writing before work is started.

Contractor must comply with Pasadena Taxpayer Protection Act (TPA), complete TPA forms, and submit a copy of the completed TPA form to the City Clerk's Office if the contract is to be awarded by the City Council.

Proposer shall disclose any financial, business or other relationship with the City of Pasadena that may impact the outcome of the contract, and complete/submit the Conflict of Interest Statement form.

Proposers must comply with the Levine Act (Government Code Section 84308) regarding political contributions exceeding $500 from officers of a local government agency.

Prime Contractor shall be solely responsible for timely and full payment of all subcontractors, suppliers, laborers, in accordance with California Public Contract Code §§ 10262 and 10262.5 and Labor Code § 218.7.

Prime Contractor shall include in all subcontracts a provision requiring subcontractors to pay their lower-tier subcontractors and suppliers in a timely manner.

Contractor expressly agrees to comply with the City's Equal Employment Opportunity ordinances and regulations (Chapter 4.08 of the Pasadena Municipal Code).

Each bidder or proposer must submit a completed Form AA-1. Failure to submit this form will result in automatic disqualification unless proposer has an approved Form on file with the City.

Each bidder or proposer must execute and submit the Declaration of Non-Collusion with the Proposal (applies to formal solicitations $75,000 or more).

Contractor agrees to recruit Pasadena residents initially and to give them preference, if all other factors are equal, for any new positions resulting from performance of this contract.

Awarded bidder or proposer may be required to obtain and pay for any required Pasadena business license under Title 5 of the Pasadena Municipal Code.

Contract totaling $25,000 or more for services is subject to the Pasadena Living Wage Ordinance (PMC Chapter 4.11); selected contractor must submit payroll records evidencing compliance.

Vendor providing labor must comply with the City of Pasadena Minimum Wage as set forth in Chapter 5.02 of the Pasadena Municipal Code.

Price bid or Price Proposals shall include all federal, state, local and other taxes.

Proof of insurance will be required prior to the City's award of the contract per Insurance Requirements section.

Winning proposal may be required to submit a completed and signed IRS Form W-9; failure to submit may result in non-responsive determination.

Bidders shall provide goods/services without monetary limitations on liability; any exceptions must be expressly stated in detail as a separate line item and not part of form documents.

Contractor must ensure all services, programs, activities, and facilities comply with ADA Title II, Section 504 of Rehabilitation Act, CBC, CCR Title 24, and other applicable accessibility laws.

All digital deliverables shall conform to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA, and Section 508 where applicable; testing and VPAT/ACR documentation required.

Contractor shall correct any noncompliant work or deliverables identified by the City or any enforcement agency at no additional cost.

Contractor shall indemnify and hold harmless the City from claims, damages, or liabilities arising from noncompliance with applicable accessibility laws.

By submitting a proposal, Contractor certifies compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local accessibility laws including ADA, CBC, Title 24, and PROWAG, and will ensure all subcontractors do the same.

Respondents are invited (encouraged) to disclose any current contracts, subcontracts, or agreements with U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including data-sharing arrangements.

Consultant shall conduct performance audits in accordance with GAGAS (Yellow Book) or IIA (Red Book) standards.

All audit plans must be reviewed and approved by the City's Internal Audit Manager prior to fieldwork.

Consultant shall maintain complete and organized audit workpapers that support all findings and conclusions.

Consultant shall provide bi-weekly status updates to Internal Audit, either verbally or through reporting.

Consultant must be able to travel for an in-person meeting to present results to Finance/Audit Committee or City Council if requested by Internal Audit.

All reports must meet GAGAS or IIA reporting standards.

Consultant must demonstrate experience conducting GAGAS or IIA-compliant performance audits for public agencies.

Consultant must demonstrate knowledge of municipal operations, budgeting, procurement, and internal controls.

Professional certifications such as CIA, CPA, CGAP, CFE, or CGFM are preferred.

Audit plan shall be delivered within 1 month of project kickoff.

Draft report shall be delivered within a maximum of 6 months of completing fieldwork.

Final report shall be delivered within 30 business days of receiving City comments.

Consultant must maintain strict confidentiality of all City information and comply with all applicable data-security requirements, including secure storage and transmission.

Consultant shall comply with GAGAS/IIA standards, City policies, applicable federal/state/local laws, and conflict-of-interest and ethics requirements.

Initial contract term is one year with two optional one-year extension periods subject to City Manager approval.

Price Proposal shall specify at a minimum the level of effort and hourly rate for Proposer's key personnel/project position with detailed breakdown of fees for each sub-consultant.

Price Proposal shall include a line item for Annual Hours quantity 450 hours.

Proposals may be submitted questions via the City's eProcurement Portal Q&A function; deadline for questions is Tuesday, June 23, 2026 prior to 2:00 pm.

Proposers must not contact any City employee or official regarding this solicitation.

Vendor's failure to address the requirements of any and all addenda may result in the response not being considered.

Proposal must include a Cover Letter (maximum one page) with name/address of organization, entity type, and contact person information.

Technical Proposal must include Key Personnel section describing project team, roles/responsibilities, resumes, qualifications, licenses, and certifications.

Technical Proposal must include Qualifications section with firm history, core practice areas, and summary of relevant experience within the past five (5) years.

Technical Proposal must provide a minimum of three (3) references for clients with comparable services within the past five (5) years.

Technical Proposal must include a Project Work Plan describing understanding of required services, proposed approach, methodology, and project management plan.

Proposed team members should be available for ninety (90) days from the proposal due date; the City must be promptly notified of any changes in key personnel prior to award.

Technical Proposal must include a proposed work schedule indicating duration, completion dates, deliverables/milestones, and time estimates for City Staff engagement.

Proposer must upload a copy of the CIA, CPA, CGAP, CFE, or CGFM certification/license.

Proposer must submit the Disclosure of Contracts with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) form.

Proposer must submit Forms AA-1, AA-2 (if labor/services exceed $25,000), Signature & Legal Status, and Declaration of Non-Collusion.

Form AA-3 is optional.

Proposer must complete and submit the Taxpayer Protection Amendment Disclosure form.

Proposer must complete and submit the Conflict of Interest form.

Proposer must complete and submit the Relevant Experience Form with bid.

Proposer must complete and submit the Designated Representative form.

Proposer must complete and submit the Disqualification Disclosure form.

Proposer must confirm Proposer Certification acknowledging review of solicitation documents under penalty of perjury.

Mandatory Content of proposal includes Cover Letter, Table of Contents, Required Certifications and Forms, Technical Proposal, Price Proposal, Statement of Qualifications/Experience, and Additional Data (if required).

Selected vendor must provide W-9, Pasadena Business License (if required), any Required Licenses/Certifications, and Insurance within 10 calendar days of notification.

To be awarded a 5-point Local Pasadena Business preference, the proposer must have an official business address within the City of Pasadena at the time the RFP is posted.

To be awarded a 5-point Small/Micro-Business preference, the proposer must be certified by the State of California as a small or micro-business.

Evaluation will be based on weighted criteria: Qualifications and Experience (30), Proposed Approach and Methodology (25), Key Personnel (10), Past Performance & References (10), Cost Proposal (15), Local Pasadena Business (5), Small/Micro-Business (5).

City of Pasadena background: approximately 142,017 people; ninth-largest city in Los Angeles County; covers approximately 22.5 square miles.

Proposals received after the Proposal Deadline may not be accepted by the City.

Proposers must acknowledge each addenda released via the City's eProcurement Portal in the Addenda Confirmation section.

If addenda is issued after response submission, Proposer must acknowledge the new addenda AND resubmit the bid; failure to do both will invalidate the offer.

All vendors providing paper products shall provide products containing no less than 30% minimum recycled content and recyclability (applies only when buying paper products under SB 1383).