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Travel (Mileage) Reimbursement (January 2022)

Starting January 1, 2022, the standard IRS mileage rate for business use of a personal vehicle is INCREASING to .585 (cents) per mile. This new rate should be used for all contracts and consultant billing from January 1, 2022 forward.

Insurance Certificates

In an effort to cut down the amount of paper received in the office, Consultant Services is encouraging the electronic submittal of insurance certificates. Please email the insurance certificates (identifying the MnDOT Contract Number) to: professionaltechnicalcontractforms.dot@state.mn.us (copy the State’s Authorized Representative). When submitting electronically, hard copies are not necessary.

COVID-19 Proof of Vaccination and Testing

MMB Policy 1446 (“Vaccine or Testing Mandate”) - Applicability to Construction Contractors and Consultants - Frequently Asked Questions

MMB recently released guidance on COVID-19 Proof of Vaccination and Testing (mn.gov) This guidance is effective September 8, 2021. This policy applies to all employees, contractors, vendors, volunteers and interns of executive branch agencies (as defined in Minnesota Statutes, section 43A.02, subds. 2 & 22), Minnesota State Retirement System, Public Employees Retirement Association, Teacher’s Retirement Association, and Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system, who are assigned to work at the workplace (rather than at-home telework), who wish to access the workplace for more than 10 minutes, or who otherwise provide agency services outside of their home. Please review and distribute as appropriate.

The policy does not apply to: outdoors construction, maintenance, or service contracts; Indoors work in unoccupied spaces (including, for example, work on a floor not concurrently occupied by employees or the public);  service performed during non-standard business hours; and services where the provider will be on-site fewer than 10 minutes.  Most MnDOT projects fall into that category and are, therefore, exempt.  But some MnDOT contracts will still be covered. The situations covered by the policy are generally those where indoor work is being performed in a space occupied by state employees or the public.

New Solicitation Forms Packet

In an effort to reduce the amount of data entry on the forms submitted with a solicitation, we've created a Solicitation Forms Packet in Adobe Forms. The packet is a compilation of the forms that may be required for a solicitation. The Adobe form will auto populate data entered, throughout the packet so it only needs to be entered once. The forms must be signed individually to acknowledge that each form was reviewed. This can also be found on the Contract Documents page. The posted solicitation will still include a regular .pdf of the forms if you would like to continue to use those.

PDF FILLABLE SOLICITATION FORMS

Changes to Audit Related Processes

Effective March 15, 2021

Due to internal process changes within MnDOT's Office of Audit, Consultant Services will act as the liaison between customers and MnDOT Audit. A new email has been established to manage any correspondence related to Professional/Technical pre-award audits, annual overhead rate audits and general Professional/ Technical contract audit related questions: ProfessionalTechnicalAudits.dot@state.mn.us

Communication from MnDOT's Office of Audit

Effective March 15, 2021, to comply with federal audit requirements, the MnDOT Office of Audit will request any additional information needed from consultants for audits through the Office of Project Management and Technical Support – Consultant Service Section. Any questions from the consultant regarding audits performed should be made directly to the Office of Project Management and Technical Support – Consultant Service Section.  The MnDOT Office of Audit will assist the Office of Project Management and Technical Support – Consultant Service Section in addressing any questions/issues that may arise.  

Information pertaining to the Federal Audit Standards (Yellow Book) requirements for auditor independence are outlined below:

Independence Requirements:

  1. The Federal Government Audit Standards (Yellow Book 3.19, 3.21) requires that auditors must be independent and should avoid situations that could lead reasonable and informed third parties to conclude that the auditors and audit organization are not independent and thus are not capable of exercising objective and impartial judgment on all issues associated with conducting the engagement and reporting on the work. Independence comprises the following:
    1. Independence of mind – the state of mind that permits the conduct of an engagement without being affected by influences that compromise professional judgment, thereby allowing an individual to act with integrity and exercise objectivity and professional skepticism.
    2. Independence in appearance – the absence of circumstances that would cause a reasonable and informed third party to reasonably conclude that the integrity, objectivity, or professional skepticism of an audit organization or member of the engagement team had been compromised.

Direct auditor interaction with consultants compromises our independence both in appearance and of mind. All direct consultant interaction must be discontinued to preserve independence and ensure compliance with federal audit standards. All questions/inquiries auditors receive from a consultant must be re-directed to the Office of Project Management and Technical Support – Consultant Services Section.

Consultant Services Help Line

You can now email questions to our Help Line at PTConsultantServicesHelpLine.DOT@state.mn.us.

Contracts

Pre-Qualification Program

Disclaimer:  Any outside entity relying on MnDOT’s Pre-Qualification Program lists to determine whether a firm is ‘qualified’ to perform that entity’s work should perform its own due diligence to determine and confirm the qualifications of any listed firm.

Potential Projects

Related Guidance

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