[Opds-contracts] 7/30/20 OPDS Provider Call - Legal services contracts policies and procedures

[Kaysea R. Dahlstrom]

OPDS will be hosting a call on Thursday, July 30th at noon, to solicit input from public defense providers on our policies and procedures related to legal services contracts. More specifically, we would like to hear from providers about how we can improve our procedures for issuing and responding to Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for legal services, and how we can create more transparent and equitable policies for evaluating proposals and offering contracts.

All public defense providers are welcome to join this conversation, including consortia contract administrators and members, non-profit leadership and employees, law firm leadership and employees, and individual attorneys who contract with OPDS.
We will be hosting a virtual meeting to listen to your feedback and suggestions on Thursday, July 30th from noon to 2pm on Microsoft Teams.
You may attend on Teams by clicking this link: Join Microsoft Teams Meeting<https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/ap/t-59584e83/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fteams.microsoft.com%2Fl%2Fmeetup-join%2F19%253ameeting_YzI3MzM2M2MtNjU5YS00NzdkLWExYTUtN2U4Mzk5MWMyNjc3%2540thread.v2%2F0%3Fcontext%3D%257b%2522Tid%2522%253a%25229b3a1822-c6e0-47c7-a089-fb98da7887be%2522%252c%2522Oid%2522%253a%25229189081a-c0f1-41c0-9a5d-834712084431%2522%257d&data=02%7C01%7CKaysea.R.Dahlstrom%40opds.state.or.us%7C58225cdd6f4a40643dd408d829d795c2%7C9b3a1822c6e047c7a089fb98da7887be%7C0%7C0%7C637305353194021195&sdata=E6KWq4HQ4%2F%2FWleS1xPNASMU%2BmU33EMbbrpjs6fsrX%2BE%3D&reserved=0>
If you would prefer to join by phone, dial (469) 208-1516 and enter Conference ID: 931 985 075#
We may schedule a follow-up meeting, depending on whether we are able to cover enough ground in the July 30th meeting.
We could use your help building the agenda for this call.
If you have suggested items for discussion, please email them to kimberly.l.mccullough at opds.state.or.us<mailto:kimberly.l.mccullough at opds.state.or.us> by Friday, July 24th.
We also encourage you to provide us with written feedback.
Please provide us with written feedback (a) if you are unable to attend the July 30th meeting, and/or (b) if you have a few minutes to send your thoughts now. We would like the conversation at the meeting to be productive, so anything you would like to suggest or share ahead of time will help us with that.
Please go to this survey to provide us with feedback: https://s.surveyplanet.com/Z-BF9UHGR<https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fs.surveyplanet.com%2FZ-BF9UHGR&data=02%7C01%7CKaysea.R.Dahlstrom%40opds.state.or.us%7C58225cdd6f4a40643dd408d829d795c2%7C9b3a1822c6e047c7a089fb98da7887be%7C0%7C0%7C637305353194021195&sdata=vLrOX1Q62ZNEsBlSkfFqgJ4c9CtxXJ6EC%2FjqEyNBKWM%3D&reserved=0>
Feel free to answer as many or as few of the questions on the survey as you would like. The questions provided are intended to be helpful prompts, but you may only want to answer a few, or you may have different topics that you would like to discuss.
How we will utilize your input:
Input we receive from public defense providers will be valuable to OPDS and the Public Defense Services Commission (PDSC) as we engage in discussions about legal services contracts over the next several months. In addition to internal conversations at OPDS, the PDSC will be holding a retreat on Thursday, August 20th. One of the main topics of conversation at the retreat will be how we can improve our contracting policies and procedures, including a discussion of how our allocation of compensation to providers can be more equitable and transparent.
We previously explained our intent to engage in these conversations with stakeholders and the PDSC when we extended current contracts until the end of the year. You can view that communication here<https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.oregon.gov%2Fopds%2Fprovider%2FDocuments%2FLtrProvidersContracts06012020.pdf&data=02%7C01%7CKaysea.R.Dahlstrom%40opds.state.or.us%7C58225cdd6f4a40643dd408d829d795c2%7C9b3a1822c6e047c7a089fb98da7887be%7C0%7C0%7C637305353194031153&sdata=jtfgz%2FSbnNQzE5ub47K3Z%2FNbL%2FxqYYpfP5xnyfGLXBA%3D&reserved=0>.
Ultimately, OPDS and the PDSC will be evaluating and offering providers new legal services contracts, which will go into effect on January 1, 2021. Although we know that we cannot address all of the challenges that our public defense system faces without additional funding and legislative action, we intend to do everything we can at this time to improve our contracting process; along with making a plan for how we can continue to improve moving forward. Your feedback is crucial to our ability to make these improvements.
In addition, although OPDS will not issue a new RFP for the upcoming legal services contracts (and providers will not be required to submit new proposals), your suggestions and insights will help OPDS and the PDSC improve our RFP procedures for the next time around. Any questions can be sent to the email address identified below.
Thank you!
Kimberly Lynn McCullough, J.D.
Legislative Director
Office of Public Defense Services
503-378-2478 (office)
503-779-7329 (cell)
kimberly.l.mccullough at opds.state.or.us<mailto:kimberly.l.mccullough at opds.state.or.us>
198 Commercial St. SE Ste. 205, Salem, OR 97301

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