Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Michelle Kuka, Interim Human Resources Director
Subject: Agreement with OpenSesame, Inc. to Provide E-Learning Content Subscription Services
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution authorizing an agreement with OpenSesame, Inc. to provide e-learning content subscription services integrated with the County’s Workday platform, for the term of April 1, 2026 through June 30, 2031, in an amount not to exceed $684,600.
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BACKGROUND:
The Human Resources Department (HR) is engaged in strategic efforts to enhance the employee experience. Foundational to these efforts is centralizing HR information systems in Workday. On September 23, 2025, the Board approved Resolution No. 081417, authorizing a new Order Form Agreement with Workday, Inc.
As part of the County’s expanded Workday presence, HR will release the Workday Learning and Peakon Employee Voice modules to employees on July 1, 2026.
To support the Workday Learning implementation, HR identified the need for an e-learning content provider that integrates directly with Workday, ensuring the County’s approximately 7,000 employees have on-demand learning access.
On October 14, 2025, HR released Request for Proposal (RFP) #2026-RFP-00121, seeking proposals for an e-learning content subscription service. Six (6) qualified proposals meeting the minimum requirements were received and evaluated by a cross-department review panel. OpenSesame was identified as the highest-scoring proposer.
DISCUSSION:
Providing employees with easily accessible, on-demand training is essential to supporting professional development and building a skilled, engaged workforce.
OpenSesame is a recognized leader in the e-learning industry, offering a catalog of more than 50,000 curated courses from over 100 publishers. Course content areas span business skills, technology, leadership, professional development, safety, and compliance. OpenSesame integrates directly with Workday Learning, enabling seamless course delivery, automated content updates, and real-time learner progress tracking within the County’s existing Workday ecosystem.
HR conducted reference calls with public agencies currently using OpenSesame, including Marin County, all of whom recommended the content. Notably, Workday itself uses OpenSesame as its corporate e-learning content provider, underscoring the strength and reliability of the integration between the two platforms.
This agreement provides enterprise licensing covering all County staff, eliminating the need to manage license counts and ensuring equitable access across departments.
HR secured three additional months of implementation support at no additional cost, representing a value of approximately $34,230, 5% of the agreement total. The total agreement amount of $684,600 reflects the five-year price submitted through the competitive RFP process, including a 20% savings for a 5-year contract, with the three-month implementation period provided as additional value negotiated on behalf of the County.
The RFP included a cooperative procurement clause, allowing other public agencies to adopt OpenSesame’s submitted terms, further extending the value of the County’s competitive procurement process.
The County Attorney’s Office has reviewed and approved the Resolution and Agreement as to form.
This resolution contains the County’s standard provisions allowing amendment of the County’s fiscal obligations by a maximum of $25,000 (in aggregate).
PERFORMANCE MEASURE:
|
Measure |
Measurement Factor |
FY 2026-27 Target |
|
eLearning Application |
Availability |
99.5% |
|
Account Management |
Response Time |
Next Business Day |
|
Customer Support: Live Chat |
Response Time during Support Hours |
15 seconds |
|
Customer Support: Email |
Response Time during Support Hours |
15 minutes |
|
Customer Support: Phone |
Response Time during Support Hours |
3 rings |
COMMUNITY IMPACT:
Investing in employee professional development strengthens the County’s ability to deliver effective, responsive public services. Enterprise e-learning access ensures training opportunities are available to employees on-demand, supporting the County’s commitment to creating a remarkable experience for all residents.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The term of this agreement is from April 1, 2026 through June 30, 2031, with an annual amount of $136,920 and a total not-to-exceed amount of $684,600. Funding for this agreement is included in HR’s FY 2026-27 Adopted Budget and will be included in future budgets. There is no new Net County Cost associated with this item.