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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRFP - Equity and Inclusion PlanPage 1 of 17 REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) EQUITY & INCLUSION PLAN CITY OF BOZEMAN Bozeman, MT City of Bozeman PO Box 1230 Bozeman, MT 59771-1230 June 2022 NOTICE IS HEREBY given that the City of Bozeman (City) is seeking proposals from firms to develop the city’s first equity & inclusion plan. Copies of the Request for Proposals are available on the City’s website at https://www.bozeman.net/government/city-clerk/bids-rfps-rfqs. All proposals must be provided as a single, searchable PDF document file and be submitted digitally as an email attachment to the RFP Recipient email address below. Respondents are advised that Recipient’s email attachment size limit is 25MB and that only one PDF file will be allowed per response. The subject line of the transmittal email shall clearly identify the RFP title, company name and due date/time. File sizes greater than 25MB in size may be uploaded to bzncloud.bozeman.net upon special arrangement of the Recipient; however, it is the respondent’s sole responsibility to ensure the file upload is completed, and that the Recipient is separately notified via email of same, prior to the given deadline. Deliver RFPs via email to the City Clerk by July 22nd at 4pm MST. It is the sole responsibility of the proposing party to ensure that proposals are received prior to the closing time as late submittals will not be accepted and will be returned unopened. The email address for submission is: agenda@bozeman.net NON-DISCRIMINATION AND EQUAL PAY The City of Bozeman is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Discrimination in the performance of any agreement awarded under this RFQ on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, marital status, national origin, or actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity or disability is prohibited. This prohibition shall apply to the hiring and treatment of the awarded entity’s employees and to all subcontracts. As such, each entity submitting under this notice shall include a provision wherein the submitting entity, or entities, affirms in writing it will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, marital status, national origin, or because of actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity or disability and which also recognizes the eventual contract will contain a provision prohibiting discrimination as described above and that this prohibition on discrimination shall apply to the hiring and treatment of the submitting entity’s employees and to all subcontracts. In addition, pursuant to City Commission Resolution 5169, the entity awarded a contract under this RFQ and any subcontractors must abide by the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and Section 39-3-104, MCA (the Montana Equal Pay Act), and affirm it will abide by the above and that it has visited the State of Montana Equal Pay for Equal Work “best practices” website, https://equalpay.mt.gov/BestPractices/Employers, or equivalent “best practices publication and has read the material. Any administrative questions regarding proposal procedures should be directed to: Mike Maas, City Clerk (406) 582-2321, agenda@bozeman.net. Questions relating to the RFP should be directed to: Dani Hess, Community Engagement Coordinator, dhess@bozeman.net. DATED at Bozeman, Montana, this June 22, 2022 Mike Maas City Clerk City of Bozeman For publication on: Sunday, June 26, 2022 Sunday, July 10, 2022 I. INTRODUCTION The City of Bozeman (Owner), is seeking proposals from firms to undertake the development of an Equity and Inclusion Plan to ensure that all residents, visitors, and City of Bozeman employees can thrive regardless of their race, identity, or life circumstance. Consultants will help guide the work of the Belonging in Bozeman Core Team, facilitate community engagement with partner organizations and community groups, and develop recommendations for policies, programs, and practices. The plan will be guided by the City’s Equity Indicators Project that identified inequities in the community and at the organization through data collection and community engagement. The Owner intends to enter into a contract with the selected firm or team of consultants to develop an Equity & Inclusion plan. Work will take place over the next 16 months (July 2022 to October 2023). An overview of the expectations and project objectives is provided below: Project Objectives: • Equity & Inclusion Plan: o Develop a narrative that tells Bozeman’s history as it relates to diversity, equity, and inclusion o Develop a logic model that summarizes the vision, outcomes, equity indicators, actions, resources needed, and who is accountable (internal departments and external partners) o Review, assess, and build on existing equity & inclusion efforts at the City including the Inclusive City Report & Recommendations (May 2022 Update), the Equity Indicators Report, and Engage Bozeman framework o Develop an equity analysis tool to apply to future City programs, policies, practices • Community Engagement: o Engage internal staff, directors, leadership, Economic Vitality Board, and City Commission o Engage external partner organizations, agencies, and community members through accessible, inclusive, and innovative means o Foster community support for ongoing equity action planning and implementation o Develop a recognizable identity or brand for the City’s ongoing equity action planning efforts • Implementation: o Help the City build internal capacity and strengthen external partnerships to implement the plan o Develop decision making tools for City departments and local partners to use as they evaluate equity impacts of policies, programs, practices o Promote county-wide and regional diversity, equity, and inclusion interactions and growth amongst various stakeholders This RFP shall not commit the Owner to enter into an agreement, to pay any expenses incurred in preparation of any response to this request, or to procure or contract for any supplies, goods or services. The Owner reserves the right to accept or reject all responses received as a result of this RFP if it is in the Owner’s best interest to do so. This procurement is governed by the laws of the State of Montana and venue for all legal proceedings shall be in the 18th Judicial District Court, Gallatin County. By offering to perform services under this RFP, all Submitters agree to be bound by the laws of the State of Montana and of the Owner, including, but not limited to, applicable wage rates, payments, gross receipts taxes, building codes, equal opportunity employment practices, safety, non-discrimination, etc. II. PROJECT BACKGROUND AND DESCRIPTION In June of 2020, City staff conducted an internal review of existing policies, procedures, training protocols, and hiring practices as they relate to diversity of the City’s current workforce (Inclusive City Report July 2020). The review resulted in 24 recommendations to further diversity and representation of the community in its workforce, anti-discrimination in its policies and practices, and continual improvement in the delivery of equitable services. A key recommendation from the review is to develop a City Equity & Inclusion Plan to guide efforts that ensure all persons in Bozeman thrive regardless of race, ethnicity, gender identity, ability, or socioeconomic status. In February-July 2021, a data collection effort engaged community members and local agencies to identify and characterize inequities in our community through the Equity Indicators Project in 2021. The City of Bozeman hired Thomas P. Miller & Associates (TPMA), an Indianapolis-based consulting firm, to measure equity and access to resources in the City. The development of the indicators and gaps analysis relied on input from the community through a survey, facilitated conversations in focus groups, virtual one-on-one interviews, and two community forums. Data from the census and from local community needs assessments and other programmatic documents were also reviewed. Fifty seven recommended indicators were developed with data from the City of Bozeman, Census, American Community Survey, and local organizations in healthcare, education, housing, childcare, and crisis response. These indicators will guide the development of the Equity & Inclusion Plan to track progress in addressing inequities and gaps and provided transparency and accountability to the public. In October 2021, the Community Roundtable on Equity & Inclusion was hosted in partnership with the Montana State University Office of Diversity & Inclusion, Montana Racial Equity Project, Bozeman School District, and Bozeman Health. The 2.5 hour virtual event was attended by over 120 community members and leaders of local organizations. The event covered the data with a presentation of equity indicators, made space for the voices of three local storytellers who shared their lived experiences, and sparked discussion among attendees about how we can all contribute to closing the gaps in our community and partner in the process of developing a city-wide Equity & Inclusion Plan. In April 2022, The Belonging in Bozeman Core Team was developed through a recruitment and application process that resulted in a diverse team of 20 City staff. All City departments are represented on this team with individuals from varying levels of leadership, work areas, ages, racial, ethnic, and gender identities. The Belonging in Bozeman team will guide and conduct the Equity & Inclusion planning process. Over the next 16 months (July 2022-October 2023), the City will develop and adopt a community-wide Equity & Inclusion Plan to close the gaps characterized in the Equity Indicators Project. The City of Bozeman is seeking a consultant team who has technical expertise in analyzing, facilitating, and implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts for governmental institutions and municipalities. A successful consultant team shall demonstrate experience in writing plans related to equity and inclusion, assessing public and private stakeholders through various methodologies of engagement, analyzing existing diversity, equity, and inclusion plans, documents, and assessments, developing goals, objectives, and policies for equity and inclusion, and fostering implementation of various equity and inclusion initiatives on a local, county, and regional level. The successful consultant team will understand the history of governmental-led equity and inclusion efforts within the United States with emphasis on the unique history of Montana, Gallatin County, and the City of Bozeman. The consultant team must also demonstrate equity and inclusion expertise to advise the Belonging in Bozeman Core Team, Economic Vitality Board, City Commission, and other community members, on the intersection of these efforts, existing inequities, and the City’s vision and role in filling these gaps. They will have the competency to suggest, analyze and create an Equity and Inclusion Plan. Demonstrated knowledge of diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts across organizations in the Bozeman community and understanding of local issues is beneficial. III. SCOPE OF SERVICES Task 1. Finalize the project approach, scope, and schedule with the City of Bozeman project leads. This will include an outline of City and Consultant responsibilities as related to project management: • Primary points of contact for City team and Consultant team; • Project schedule/milestones; • Meeting cadence, responsibility for meeting facilitation, developing agendas, taking and distributing notes and action steps • Final deliverables for the Equity & Inclusion Plan: 1. Copy of the Equity & Inclusion Plan document in word and final pdf format, including a logic model outlining vision, outcomes, actions, timeframe, accountability, and performance measures 2. Copy of branded slide deck for communicating the plan’s development, contents, and implementation for use internally and in the community 3. Equity impact and decision making tools or worksheets 4. Summary of community engagement efforts, tools and techniques used, and list of community groups involved 5. Recommendations for implementation of the plan Task 1 a) Background research and review of example plans • Review the City of Bozeman’s existing planning documents and equity & inclusion efforts including the Inclusive City Report & Recommendations (May 2022 Update), the Equity Indicators Report, and Engage Bozeman framework. • Review example plans and resources from: o GARE o Boulder, CO o National League of Cities repository of Racial Equity Policies and Decisions Task 2. Create an Equity & Inclusion Plan. The Equity & Inclusion Planning process will include facilitation and leadership of working groups within the Belonging in Bozeman team, City departments, and among groups of external partners through the engagement process. These working groups will help create the vision for the plan, desired outcomes, and research recommended actions. Groups will use equity indicators and recommendations from the Equity Indicators Project to identify ways in which relevant services, practices, policies, or programs can help close the gaps and address gaps & inequities. Root cause analyses, racial equity tools, or other assessments of impacts in policy and decision making may be used in this process. The plan will follow the Government Alliance on Race & Equity (GARE) model for results- based accountabilty in equity planning. It will include: • Vision, outcomes and/or results we hope to achieve in the organization and community • Equity indicators needed to measure success • Actions to achieve the outcome (ie: new or changes to programs, policy, practices, procedures, resource allocation) • Timeframe, resources needed, and who/which department or community partner is accountable • Progress indicators to track and report action steps Task 2 a) Community Engagement Community engagement is also a focus of the City’s equity and inclusion efforts which is an essential component of the Equity and Inclusion Planning Process. The consultant team will work with staff and Belonging in Bozeman team members to develop and implement a community engagement plan. The community engagement plan will follow the principles outlined in the City’s Engage Bozeman framework. It will include: • Opportunities for all to participate • Intitatives to build and strengthen existing and new relationships, and foster trust • Increased capacity to engage with leaders and individuals in marginalized communties • Interactions with internal staff, leadership, Economic Vitality Board, City Commission • Local & regional agencies and organizations • Interactions with external partners, the broader community, and members of underrepresented groups (ex: BIPOC, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities) • Emphasis on relationships with community groups and partner organizations through the development and implementation of the Equity & Inclusion Plan. Engagement efforts may include transactional approaches (community provides information, input, feedback for the city to use), and emphasize relational approaches (mutually beneficial and aiding in efforts to reach the goals of community partners and individuals). Task 2 b) Recommendations for implementation Provide a recommended approach or framework for coordinating efforts across internal City Departments as well as across external partners and organizations to facilitate continued collaboration and progress. IV. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS Consultant teams interested in providing the services described above are requested to submit the following information. Responses to each item should appear in the same order as in this RFP and should identify the item to which the responses applies. a. Title Page The title page shall include the name of the firm(s), address(es), contact(s), telephone number(s) and email address(es) to contact for information regarding the proposal. b. Executive Summary This section shall provide an overview of the proposal and the Respondent’s understanding of the City’s needs. The summary should also include any experience the Respondent wishes to highlight, as well as any relevant conditions or restrictions. c. Firm and Team Member Profile(s) Provide information about firm(s), including: • Location, number of employees, and ownership. • Describe the firm’s history. Include information on how many years the firm has worked in this topic area. Identify the firm’s annual volume of business, and speak to the firm’s current workload. • Brief resumes shall be provided for each key project individual (no longer than one page). Any proposed subcontractors should be clearly identified and their profiles described. • Primary contact information for each firm including contact name(s) and title(s), mailing address(s), phone number(s), and email address(s). d. Scope of Project Provide a detailed narrative of the services proposed if awarded the contract per the Scope of Services outlined in Section III. • Provide a statement of your understanding of the services needed and a high- level general description of your proposed approach to tasks outlined in the scope of services. • Provide detailed work plan outlining each required task necessary for completion of the consulting services described. This should include a general project schedule that identifies all tasks, activities, deliverables, and milestones Respondent proposes to carry out for the project and a time of completion (measured from project start date) for each. • In addition to the specific service proposals specified above, identify and/or recommend any additional or innovative services and products provided by your firm that may be related to or helpful to a comprehensive Equity & Inclusion Plan of this nature. If there is a better way for the City to package or define the services that it has requested herein in order to obtain better pricing and/or service by making it easier for the selected contractor, please explain what modifications would be necessary to achieve such better pricing and/or service. e. Related Experience with Projects Similar to the Scope of Services If more than one firm is included in the response, specify which firm brings the relevant experience as requested in scope of services. If all firms have relevant experience in a given item, each firm may provide a response. • Describe firm’s experience working with public agencies and/or larger organizations (over 300 employees) to develop equity action plans. • Describe firm’s approach to organizational change as it relates to equity & inclusion. What frameworks, theories, or models will the firm draw from? • Describe firm’s approach to conducting inclusive public engagement and building trust with underrepresented populations. What skills, assets, tools or techniques does the firm have experience using successfully? • Describe how the firm exemplifies the principles of equity, inclusion, and belonging in their organization. • Describe firm’s experience crafting engaging and visual representations of data, processes, and branded identities for projects or initiatives. Please include relevant visual examples in the proposal. f. References Please provide name and contact information for three references for similar projects completed in the last two years. g. Budget The budget for this proposal is not to exceed $50,000, therefore applicants are invited to submit proposals with the tasks prioritized to aid the City in working together with the selected firm to identify and implement core tasks within the budget available for this project. In your response to this proposal, please provide the following: • Estimated Hours by Task: Provide estimated hours for each proposed task by job title and employee name, firm, including the time required for meetings, conference calls, etc. • Cost by Task: Provide the cost of each task identified in the Scope of Proposal section detailed by employee/job position and number of hours. Provide a total not to exceed figure for the Scope of Proposal. Price all additional services/deliverables separately. • Schedule of Rates: Provide a schedule of billing rates by category of employee and job title to be used during the term of the Agreement. This fee schedule will be firm for at least one (1) year from the date of the Agreement. The fee schedule will be used as a basis for determining fees should additional services be necessary. A fee schedule for sub-consultants, if used, shall be included. h. Affirmation of Nondiscrimination (see Appendix A) Non-completion of the Affirmation of Nondiscrimination is cause for disqualification of firms. Non-completion of the Affirmation of Nondiscrimination is cause for disqualification of firms. V. TIMELINES, DELIVERY DEADLINE, AND INSTRUCTIONS EVENT DATE/TIME Publication dates of RFP Sunday, June 26th Sunday, July 10th Deadline for receipt of proposals Friday, July 22nd Evaluation of proposals July 25-29 Interviews (if necessary) and Selection of consultants TBD With the exception of the advertising dates and advertised due date, the City reserves the right to modify the above timeline. Deliver RFPs via email to the City Clerk (agenda@bozeman.net) by Friday, July 22nd at 4pm MST. It is the sole responsibility of the proposing party to ensure that proposals are received prior to the closing time as late submittals will not be accepted and will be returned unopened. All proposals must be provided as a single, searchable PDF document file and be submitted digitally as an email attachment to the RFP Recipient email address agenda@bozeman.net. Respondents are advised that Recipient’s email attachment size limit is 25MB and that only one PDF file will be allowed per response. The subject line of the transmittal email shall clearly identify the RFP title, company name and due date/time. File sizes greater than 25MB in size may be uploaded to bzncloud.bozeman.net upon special arrangement of the Recipient; however, it is the respondent’s sole responsibility to ensure the file upload is completed, and that the Recipient is separately notified via email of same, prior to the given deadline. VI. AMENDMENTS TO SOLICITATION Any interpretation or correction of this request will be published on the City’s webpage. The deadline for questions related to this document is 5:00PM MST on Wednesday, July 13. VII. CONTACT INFORMATION Any administrative questions regarding proposal procedures should be directed to: Mike Maas, City Clerk, (406) 582-2321, agenda@bozeman.net Questions relating to scope of services should be directed to: Dani Hess, Community Engagement Coordinator, dhess@bozeman.net, 406-582-2274. VIII. SELECTION PROCEDURE A review committee will evaluate all responses to the RFP that meet the submittal requirements and deadline. Submittals that do not meet the requirement or deadline will not be considered. The review committee will rank the proposals and may arrange interviews with the finalist(s) prior to selection. Selection may be made directly based on the written RFP submission. If interviews occur, the selection of finalists to be interviewed will be made by a selection committee representing the City of Bozeman. The selection of interview candidates will be based on an evaluation of the written responses to the RFPs. All submitted proposals must be complete and contain the information required as stated in the "Request for Proposals.” IX. SELECTION CRITERIA Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria: • [10 points] Executive Summary • [50 points] Qualifications of the Firm and team members, Proposed work plan as per Scope of Services; Budget • [40 points] Related Experience with Projects Similar to the Scope of Services; References • [10 points] Completeness of Proposal Requirements X. FORM OF AGREEMENT The Contractor will be required to enter into a contract with the City in substantially the same form as the professional services agreement attached as Attachment B. XI. CITY RESERVATION OF RIGHTS / LIABILITY WAIVER All proposals submitted in response to this RFP become the property of the City and public records and, as such, may be subject to public review. A SUBMISSION IN RESPONSE TO THIS REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS CONFERS NO RIGHTS UPON ANY RESPONDENTS AND SHALL NOT OBLIGATE THE CITY IN ANY MANNER WHATSOEVER. THE CITY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MAKE NO AWARD AND TO SOLICIT ADDITIONAL REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS AT A LATER DATE. A. This RFP may be canceled or any or all responses may be rejected in whole or in part, as specified herein, when it is in the best interests of the City. If the City cancels or revises this RFP, all Respondents who submitted will be notified using email. B. The City reserves the right to accept or reject any and all proposals; to add or delete items and/or quantities; to amend the RFP; to waive any minor irregularities, informalities, or failure to conform to the RFP; to extend the deadline for submitting proposals; to postpone award for up to 60 days; to award one or more contracts, by item or task, or groups of items or tasks, if so provided in the RFP and if multiple awards or phases are determined by the City to be in the public interest. C. The City of Bozeman reserves the right to reject the proposal of any person/firm who previously failed to perform properly to the satisfaction of the City of Bozeman, or complete on time agreements of similar nature, or to reject the proposal of any person/firm who is not in a position to perform such an agreement satisfactorily as determined by the City of Bozeman. D. The City of Bozeman reserves the right to determine the best qualified Contractor and negotiate a final scope of service and cost, negotiate a contract with another Contractor if an agreement cannot be reached with the first selected Contractor, or reject all proposals. E. The professional services contract between the City of Bozeman and the successful Contractor will incorporate the Contractor's scope of service and work schedule as part of the agreement (see Appendix B for form of professional services agreement. The professional services agreement presented to the Contractor may differ from this form as appropriate for the scope of services). F. This RFP does not commit the City to award a contract. The City assumes no liability or responsibility for costs incurred by firms in responding to this request for proposals or request for interviews, additional data, or other information with respect to the selection process, prior to the issuance of an agreement, contract or purchase order. The Contractor, by submitting a response to this RFP, waives all right to protest or seek any legal remedies whatsoever regarding any aspect of this RFP. G. The City reserves the right to cancel, in part or in its entirety, this RFP including, but not limited to: selection procedures, submittal date, and submittal requirements. If the City cancels or revises this RFP, all Contractors who submitted proposals will be notified using email. H. Projects under any contract are subject to the availability of funds. XII. NONDISCRIMINATION AND EQUAL PAY POLICY The City of Bozeman requires each entity submitting under this notice shall affirm, on a separate form provided, that it will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, marital status, national origin, or because of actual or perceived sexual orientation, sexual preference, gender identity, or disability in fulfillment of a contract entered into for the services identified herein and that this prohibition on discrimination shall apply to the hiring and treatment of the submitting entity’s employees and to all subcontracts it enters into in the fulfillment of the services identified herein. Failure to comply with this requirement shall be cause for the submittal to be deemed nonresponsive. The City also requires each entity submitting under this notice shall affirm it will abide by the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and Section 39-3-104, MCA (the Montana Equal Pay Act), and has visited the State of Montana Equal Pay for Equal Work “best practices” website, https://equalpay.mt.gov/BestPractices/Employers, or equivalent “best practices publication and has read the material. XIII. MISCELLANEOUS A. No Oral Agreements. No conversations or oral agreements with any officer, employee, or agent of the City shall affect or modify any term of this solicitation. Oral communications or any written/email communication between any person and City officer, employee or agent shall not be considered binding. B. No Partnership/Business Organization. Nothing in this solicitation or in any subsequent agreement, or any other contract entered into as a result of this solicitation, shall constitute, create, give rise to or otherwise be recognized as a partnership or formal business organization of any kind between or among the respondent and the City. C. Employment Restriction and Indemnity. No person who is an owner, officer, employee, contractor, or consultant of a respondent shall be an officer or employee of the City. No rights of the City’s retirement or personnel rules accrue to a respondent, its officers, employees, contractors, or consultants. Respondents shall have the responsibility of all salaries, wages, bonuses, retirement, withholdings, worker’s compensation and occupational disease compensation, insurance, unemployment compensation other benefits and taxes and premiums appurtenant thereto concerning its officers, employees, contractors, and consultants. Each Respondent shall save and hold the City harmless with respect to any and all claims for payment, compensation, salary, wages, bonuses, retirement, withholdings, worker’s compensation and occupational disease compensation, insurance, unemployment compensation other benefits and taxes and premiums in any way related to each respondent’s officers, employees, contractors and consultants. D. Accessibility. Upon reasonable notice, the City will provide assistance for those persons with sensory impairments. For further information please contact the ADA Coordinator Mike Gray at 406-582-3232 or the City’s TTY line at 406-582-2301. E. Procurement. When discrepancies occur between words and figures in this solicitation, the words shall govern. No responsibility shall attach to a City employee for the premature opening of an RFP not properly addressed and identified in accordance with these documents. F. Governing Law. This solicitation and any disputes arising hereunder or under any future agreement shall be governed and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Montana, without reference to principles of choice or conflicts of laws. XIV. ATTACHMENTS The following exhibits are incorporated in this RFP: Appendix A: Non-Discrimination Affirmation Appendix B: Form of Professional Services Agreement END OF RFP Attachment A NONDISCRIMINATION AND EQUAL PAY AFFIRMATION ____________________________________(name of entity submitting) hereby affirms it will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, sex, age, marital status, national origin, or because of actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity or disability and acknowledges and understands the eventual contract will contain a provision prohibiting discrimination as described above and this prohibition on discrimination shall apply to the hiring and treatments or proposer’s employees and to all subcontracts. In addition, ____________________________________(name of entity submitting) hereby affirms it will abide by the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and Section 39-3-104, MCA (the Montana Equal Pay Act), and has visited the State of Montana Equal Pay for Equal Work “best practices” website, https://equalpay.mt.gov/BestPractices/Employers, or equivalent “best practices publication and has read the material. ______________________________________ Name and title of person authorized to sign on behalf of submitter