Agency Revenue Dept

Contractor Gartner Inc.

SWIFT Contract Number 231355

Project Name Gartner for Chief Financial Officers

Project Number (if applicable) {Empty}

Summarize purpose of the contract, including why it was necessary: The purpose of the Gartner subscription service for CFOs was for Revenue's CFO to gain access to strategic finance research, benchmarking data, and direct analyst support. It was to support more informed decision-making around our finance function, help us find ways to enhance our financial planning capabilities, and provide guidance on best practices for enterprise finance transformation. It was necessary to bring external insights into how the state (and DOR specifically) manages the finance function.

Project Duration

Start Date Sat, 07/01/2023 - 00:00

Original end date Sun, 06/30/2024 - 00:00

Actual end date Mon, 06/30/2025 - 00:00

Did project finish on time? Yes

Total billable hours utilized (if applicable) {Empty}

Contract Amounts

Original contract: $118482

Amendments $123241

Contract total $241723

Did project finish within budget? Yes

What was the funding source? 1000 - State

Is this a sole source contract? No

If this was a single source contract, explain why the agency determined there was only a single source for the services (if applicable) {Empty}

Evaluator Name Maggie Rittenhouse

Evaluator Email Address maggie.rittenhouse@state.mn.us

Evaluate the contractor's timeliness Gartner was timely in responding to inquiries, scheduling analyst calls, and delivering research updates. Their responsiveness to ad-hoc questions and ability to schedule discussions on short notice was a strength.

Evaluate the contractor's quality The quality of research and analyst support was high. Gartner provided well-researched content and actionable insights, and the analysts were knowledgeable and helpful. However, using the research required a significant time commitment for review, analysis and application – with limited time to dig in outside of the analyst calls and no implementation support from Gartner (they don’t do or implement). Because of this we didn’t get the full benefit of the service. Significant time must be dedicated to using the research actively and if you don’t have the time, it becomes less valuable.

Evaluate the contractor's cost The service is premium-priced but reasonably aligned with the market for high-level strategic advisory services. However, the ROI was somewhat diluted due to the limited internal bandwidth to fully utilize all available features and content.

Monthly payments would have been preferable to allow for more flexibility to cancel or reduce the services during the year. This is an annual subscription that is pre-paid with no option for refund if the services are terminated during the subscription period.

Evaluate the contractor's overall performance Overall performance was strong in terms of responsiveness, quality of insight, and the relevance of research materials. However, the effectiveness of the service was constrained by the significant time required to derive and implement value from the content.

Would you engage the contractor's services again? Yes

Describe any negative action taken during the duration of this contract (i.e., termination, pursuit of suspension, etc.): No formal negative actions were taken during the contract term. However, underutilization due to time constraints was an ongoing challenge. We would engage the contractor's services again with the caveat that internal capacity and prioritization of time would need to improve to maximize value.

Please rate the overall experience with the contractor 4 - satisfied