City of Richmond CCRP RFP Page 1 of 22
Request for Proposals (RFP)
for
Community Crisis Response Project (CCRP)
For the
City of Richmond
Release Date:
Friday, April 15, 2022
Closing Date and Time:
Friday, May 20, 2022, at 12:00pm
Contact:
LaShonda White, Interim Director of Community Services
[email protected]
510.620.6828
Submittal Location:
BidsOnline - Electronic Proposals Only Via the City’s Secured Online Bidding System
Interested parties may download copies of the above-mentioned proposal by visiting the City's web site (www.ci.richmond.ca.us/bids). To download the RFP, new vendors will be required to register. Once the vendor downloads any documents relative to a solicitation, that vendor's name will appear on the Prospective Bidders list for that project and will receive any addenda or notifications relating to the RFP.
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Table of Contents
Introduction ................................ ................................ ................................ .............................. 3 City of Richmond Background ................................ ................................ ................................ 4 Scope of Services ................................ ................................ ................................ .................... 5 Qualifications of Applicants ................................ ................................ ................................ ...10 Consultant Responsiveness ................................ ................................ ................................ ..10 RFP Schedule ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........................11 Proposal Format Guidelines ................................ ................................ ................................ ..11 Proposal Elements and Format Requirements ................................ ................................ .....12 Submittal Instructions, Questions and Correspondence ................................ .....................14 Evaluation ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ 15 Pre-Award Negotiations ................................ ................................ ................................ .........18 Award ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .......18 General City Requirements ................................ ................................ ................................ ....18
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Introduction
The proposed Community Crisis Response Program (CCRP) intends to provide a community response that is non-law enforcement to address non-violent/non-felony mental health crises in Richmond. CCRP was modeled in part on Crisis Assistance Helping Out on The Streets (CAHOOTS), developed in Eugene, Oregon and tailored to meet the needs of Richmond residents through a nine-month feasibility process that engaged community and government partners with relevant expertise. The city’s goal of supporting community safety and addressing community trauma through community-based alternatives aligns with the proposed model of crisis response for mental health.
CCRP provides an opportunity to improve access to mental health and other community services in Richmond. CCRP provides a diversion model to reduce reliance on police and attendant jail and criminal justice responses by offering a public health response, which also reduces the burden on, and high costs of, the emergency medical care system.
CCRP seeks to provide a community-based crisis response that is efficient and effective for medically vulnerable and socially marginalized people in Richmond, most especially for people with mental illness, substance use disorders, or people in crisis who are experiencing homelessness and requiring community-based services, the majority of whom are Black, Indigenous, People of Color. The pilot program would also navigate people to the right services at the right time by utilizing community responders with strong ties and connections to Richmond that can respond in a respectful and non-stigmatizing manner. Dispatching the police to intervene in situations where their presence is not necessary is particularly damaging for communities of color. Successful models across the country, similar to CCRP, have reduced the unnecessary use of law enforcement resources or overuse of costly hospital emergency departments.
Given the scale of revenue and its potential to bring forth a more equitable recovery for Richmond residents and businesses, the City of Richmond wants to hear from the Richmond community (elected officials, City staff, residents, businesses, CBOs, faith community, etc.) to ensure that the funds are spent in a way that best meets the current and future needs of the community. This work must focus on public input, equity, transparency, and accountability.
This RFP describes the project, required scope of services, consultant selection process, minimum information that must be included in the proposal, and submittal processes. By responding to this RFP, the consultant agrees to read and understand all information contained within this entire proposal package.
The words “organization”, “firm”, “consultant”, “respondent”, “offeror” and “proposer” are used City of Richmond CCRP RFP Page 4 of 22
interchangeably throughout this RFP to refer to the organization, firm, institution, team, or partnership that would act as the City’s consultant throughout the development of the plans detailed above.
City of Richmond Background
The City of Richmond is a charter city located in Contra Costa County, part of the San Francisco Bay Area with a population of 110,175 residents. Richmond is one of the region’s most diverse communities. The four largest demographic groups are Hispanic or Latino (39.7%), Asian (19.7%), non-Hispanic or Latino Caucasians (19.2%), and Black and African American (16.1%).
Richmond is home to a multi-modal transit hub that includes BART and Amtrak, marinas, shopping, recreational and cultural amenities, and 32 miles of shoreline. This all contributes to making Richmond among the most desirable communities in California. The total adopted City budget for FY 2021-22 is $362.8 million (revenue), of which $188.5 million (revenue) comprises the General Fund.
The City of Richmond provides a full range of municipal services including police and fire protection; construction and maintenance of streets and infrastructure; library services; storm water and municipal sewer systems; rent program that administers rent control and just cause for eviction; operation of a port and wastewater treatment facility; and the administration of recreational activities and cultural events. Richmond is home to the Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park, 36 miles of the San Francisco Bay Bicycle and Pedestrian Trail, and the 23-acre Point Isabel Regional Shoreline Park.
The City has shown leadership in addressing equity and sustainability by adopting a Health in All Policies (HiAP) Ordinance and Strategy, Climate Action Plan (CAP), and Economic Development Action Plan (EDAP), as well as focused work surrounding Race, Equity and Inclusion. The City of Richmond also launched its Open Data and Performance Reporting System, Transparent Richmond (www.transparentrichmond.org). This platform allows members of the public and city staff members to access important data about the city including Major Developments, Open Finance, Capital Projects, and more.
COVID-19 Impacts
Richmond’s diverse working-class residents have suffered greatly due to COVID-19 in terms of employment, health impacts, and financial instability. The pandemic has exasperated existing racial, workforce, and economic disparities in Richmond.
Data from the California Employment Development Department illustrates the negative impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had and continues to have on the City of Richmond’s workforce.
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COVID-19 caused a surge in unemployment in Richmond with a peak of 3,412 weekly unemployment claims in late March 2020. Since then, weekly unemployment claims have significantly decreased and stayed below 500 per week. Job losses due to COVID-19 did not impact all Richmond residents equally, and low-income workers living in Richmond were disproportionately impacted. Richmond’s recovery has been slower than both Contra Costa County and statewide unemployment. Furthermore, the unemployment rate is being exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic as the unemployment rate in Richmond has not exceeded 4.5 percent since August 2017.
The COVID-19 public health emergency will have lasting negative effects on economic outcomes, particularly in exacerbating inequities that existed prior to the pandemic. Given the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on low-income households, there is a risk that the current pandemic-induced recession could further increase concentrated poverty and cause long-term damage to economic prospects in neighborhoods of concentrated poverty. The City of Richmond wants to ensure that long-term and equitable decisions guide the way out of the pandemic, beyond immediate relief, and into an equitable recovery.
Scope of Services
The City is currently seeking proposals from highly qualified firms to conduct the following tasks. All tasks should include a robust community engagement process and use effective engagement techniques that will reach Richmond’s diverse populations to allow for opportunities for input and information sharing.:
1. Engage Richmond residents and community stakeholders in a comprehensive and responsive Community Engagement process to better understand experiences with the current public safety and non-public safety public health systems and aspirations for new response strategies
2. Develop and present an Analysis of Program Options that will evaluate current resources, determine community needs and articulate how each option best responds to those needs. Complete a Data Needs Analysis to both inform the program design and structure the effort for future evaluation of impacts and improvement.
3. Develop a Proposed Program Plan for the City Council that includes a proposed decision-making structure, reliable data collection process, reporting practices, and metrics. The Program Plan should be based on the results from the community engagement and analysis of program options. This report should articulate the process methodology that was used for option analysis, explain community assessment and what was learned, and give a definite recommendation to City Council on what program option to select.
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4. Design an Implementation Plan, in collaboration with City staff and stakeholders, based on the decision of the City Council. A component of this work may include the development of a Request for Qualifications/Proposal, in collaboration with City of Richmond staff, to select organization(s) that can support the implementation of Richmond’s Community Crisis Response Program.
The following is a preliminary scope of work to be utilized when submitting a response and is not meant to be prescriptive. Respondents are encouraged to include any other items relevant to the stated objective of this RFP for the City’s consideration. It is expected that the firm or individual will have experience with public sector projects of similar nature and scope. Proposals may be submitted from a solo organization who qualifies to carry out all of the required services within one agency, or from a collaborative of organizations that identifies a lead agency and includes partnering organizations to carry out different aspects of the required services.
Items of work to be included under the contract anticipated to be awarded pursuant to this RFP will be negotiated with the successful respondent. In some cases, the City may elect to assign only specific portions of a proposal, or in other cases, the entire program to the selected contractor, including auxiliary associated work.
Community Engagement
Community engagement is essential to the development of the program plan and implementation. Information collected from our community should directly inform reports and recommendations presented to the community and City Council. The consultant will be responsible for conducting the following engagement activities:
● Managing, facilitating, and collaborating with diverse groups of stakeholders (i.e., elected officials, city and county staff, residents, community-based organizations, youth, small and large businesses, faith-based community, etc.) across race and ethnicity, language, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, gender presentation, age, etc. ● Utilizing various modern engagement practices and tools that; (1) yield high levels of participation, (2) produce accurate data that speaks accurately to public opinion, and (3) aim to mitigate barriers for participation (language, literacy abilities, childcare, physical accommodations, etc.).
● Conducting a minimum of three (3) city-wide engagement sessions. ● Conduct interviews with key community stakeholders (i.e., elected officials, city and county staff, residents, community-based organizations, youth, small and large businesses, faith-based community, etc.)
● Survey community residents focusing on most impacted residents ● Communicating back to the public and disseminating learnings after community engagement activities.
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● Transcribing all data and taking detailed notes gathered from meetings to provide to the Project Manager within five (5) business days of each meeting in a format that may be easily uploaded to the City’s website.
● Designing and conducting robust methodologies for providing notice of engagement sessions a minimum of 14 calendar days before each meeting unless a valid exception is requested to publicize in less time.
● Providing project information for a project website to be hosted by the City. ● Providing multilingual outreach material to the City for publication on the City’s website, social media channels, as well as in key City facilities.
Analysis of Program Options
The applicant will be required to conduct an analysis of potential program options in tandem with the community needs assessment and community engagement to determine which option is optimum for the program and the community. The consultant will be responsible for conducting the following analysis activities:
● Analysis of previously conducted research and program design planning by Reimagining Public Safety Task Force Implementation Subcommittee focused on developing a Community Crisis Response Program.
● Analysis of three (3) potential program options that are all City of Richmond programs:
(1) a City of Richmond in-house program where all staff are hired and managed by the City of Richmond and the City implements the program, (2) a program where the City of Richmond collaborates with one or more community-based organizations (CBOs) to implement the program and the majority of staff are hired and managed by the CBO, and (3) a program where the City of Richmond collaborates with the Contra Costa County A3 (Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime) program for program implementation and/or staffing. The analysis could include but is not limited to the following:
- Variations of the possible program models listed above - Identification of program referral sources
- Identification of opportunities for county and regional municipalities collaboration and coordination
- Identification of public and private funding prospects ● Identify program model best practices and identify alternative and recommended program model options.
● Analysis of present resources and identification of resources that are functional and can be utilized in the program.
● Analysis of fire department and emergency services and how they will factor into the program.
● Analysis of community needs assessments that were previously conducted by the Richmond Department of Children and Youth and other internal and external entities.
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● Coordination with fellow contractors working on City of Richmond RFPs for 911 data analysis and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Community Needs Assessment to share findings and learn from their work.
● Drafting of analysis and conclusions to be incorporated in staff reports and attachments for City Council consideration.
Proposed Program Plan
Applicants will be required to present a comprehensive program plan recommendation to City Council for approval and subsequent implementation following the direction of city council. This program design must be constructed around the option that applicants consider most fitting in response to community needs assessment, community resource analysis and program options analysis. The program should also be developed through a lens of health and race equity, cultural competence and trauma-informed care. The consultant will be responsible for conducting the following program development activities:
● Writing out the program in comprehensive and concise language. ● Developing the entirety of the program plan with regard to the resources and implementation options that seemed best fit from the analysis stage. ● Developing a comprehensive budget and expense projections for the program. ● Developing a comprehensive and rollout/timeline of the program and outlining how this timeline intends to be followed.
● If hiring is needed, creating job classifications, and outlining requirements for each classification.
● Conducting community engagement to see if the proposed program aligns with the goals of the city of Richmond while fulfilling all the needs of the community that were outlined in the community engagement stage.
Implementation Plan
This RFP is seeking applicants to design an implementation plan for the program. The City anticipates that CCRP field teams will initially respond to 911 calls related to nonviolent, non- life threatening situations involving people in crisis with mental illness, substance use disorders, or people who are unsheltered and requiring community-based services.
Applicants should plan to design a plan that covers the following program requirements:
● Based on the proposed plan approved by City Council, the CCRP teams may be composed of community response field teams with peer support specialists, and Crisis Support Specialists. CCRP field teams will be supported by project administration and an on-call Behavioral Health Clinician to provide therapeutic consultation and clinical supervision and support for staff.
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● Provide sufficient staffing to cover all times/days that CCRP teams are operational, including a system that ensures back-up staffing in the event of sickness or staff vacation. ● Develop and support a training plan that ensures all CCRP team members have sufficient baseline and ongoing training in key skill areas related to their staff function including any required certifications
● Provide regular trauma-informed supervision, debriefing and support for all CCRP team members.
● Engage in ongoing communication and coordination with Richmond Police Department dispatch to receive calls based on the developed protocol. ● Facilitate a crisis assessment that includes medical, behavioral health, and other basic life needs (such as shelter, food, and clothing);
● Utilize trauma-informed crisis intervention, de-escalation, and harm reduction techniques to stabilize crisis situation.
● Provide basic life support level of care such as CPR, first aid, and wound management as needed.
● Determine the best disposition option for the person in crisis (disposition may include stabilization on site, referrals to community-based organizations, psychiatric emergency services (PES), crisis stabilization unit (CSU), sobering center, emergency department, or other voluntary dispositions such as a self- identified safe places. ● Provide transport for the person to the determined disposition option. ● Identify and provide information and referrals for community resources as needed for the person in crisis and for their family or other members of their support system who may be present at time of crisis.
● Facilitate at least one follow-up contact to ensure resolution of crisis, provide welfare check, and provide additional community resources and referrals for services as needed. ● Develop collaborative relationships including the clear designation of staff who will meet or communicate regularly with the Mobile Crisis Response Units operating in Oakland and other key governmental partners including Richmond Police Department (RPD), and Richmond Fire Department (RFD).
● Build a positive and collaborative presence in communities served by CCRP teams. ● Provide monthly reports to the City of Richmond and other key stakeholders as requested to track progress and allow for continuous quality improvements. ● Participate in a monthly CCRP Coordination Team meetings to ensure coordination across stakeholder groups, review data, and address unforeseen issues immediately. ● Participate in community and stakeholder meetings as requested by the City Council; and ● Participate in all required data collection activities to support the CCRP pilot evaluation and to inform potential shifts in implementation strategies. ● Incorporate key data to the City’s Transparent Richmond website.
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Qualifications of Applicants
Qualified organizations will have demonstrated experience and expertise in:
● Effective community engagement, specifically with diverse groups ● Knowledge of ARPA and ARPA-eligible uses if federal funding is available for community crisis response program
● Knowledge of the Richmond community
● Conducting neighborhood-level and city-wide community needs assessments and asset mapping through various community engagement methods
● Developing expenditure plans, accessing and analyzing existing data sources, and conducting and incorporating research and analysis
● Proven ability to gather, analyze and share data in innovative ways including preparation of a community profile; conducting relevant gap analysis; and experience creating tools to measure and display progress
● Experience working within tight deadlines and budgets ● Have strong connections to local community resources and services within the communities served by the city
● Demonstrated experience collaborating and having connections with other local and government service providers to link people to a wide range of services and resources Proposers are allowed to include subcontractors, including community-based organizations, as appropriate for specific activities associated with the elements described in the Scope of Services.
Consultant Responsiveness
● Firms with or without subcontractors are encouraged to submit proposals which can be validated based upon prior work experience, utilizing methodology that ensures proper governance and process integrity.
● Proposers are welcome to include other professional recommendations to maximize outreach and engagement efforts that align with the intent of this RFP. ● The consultant services relative to this process must be administered in an independent, thorough, unimpaired, and unbiased manner.
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RFP Schedule
The proposed implementation timeline for the project is below. Applicants will be notified of any changes to the schedule via the City’s BidsOnline system.
Item Date
Request for Proposals (RFP) Released Friday, April 15, 2022 Pre-Bidder’s Conference (not mandatory) Thursday, April 28, 2022 All Questions Due via BidsOnline Wednesday, May 4, 2022 Response to Questions Submitted by Proposers
Posted via BidsOnline
Friday, May 6, 2022
Proposals Due Friday, May 20, 2022 at 12:00pm
Interviews* June 2-3, 2022
City Council Approval of Contract June 2022
Project Term June 2022 – June 30, 2024
* The City may, at its discretion, request interviews from one or more respondents. No respondent shall be entitled to or otherwise guaranteed an interview with the City.
The final design and timeline for all tasks will be agreed upon after final selection of the consultant(s). The City aims to have the consultant selected and contract approved by City Council before June 30, 2022, with a plan for the preliminary results from the analysis of proposed program options, including data analysis and community engagement, and the recommendation for a proposed option to be brought before City Council before the end of December 2022.
Proposal Format Guidelines
The Proposals should:
● Be concise, well-organized, and demonstrate the proposer’s experience applicable to the program.
● Be limited to 15 pages (8.5 inches X 11 inches and 12-point font). This page limit is inclusive of graphics, forms, pictures, photographs, and dividers. Résumés, required City of Richmond CCRP RFP Page 12 of 22
forms, certifications, front and back covers will not counted toward the proposals 15-page limit.
● Adhere to the “Proposal Elements and Format Requirements” order and content descriptions within each section.
● Be straightforward and provide “layman” explanations of technical terms that are used.
Proposal Elements and Format Requirements
1. Transmittal Letter
● Address letter to LaShonda White, Interim Director Community Services. ● Ensure an officer of the lead agency signs the letter. ● Include name, title, phone number, and email address for main staff contact for all communications regarding your proposal submission.
● Provide a very brief introduction to your organization, your motivation for seeking this project, and an overview of the skills and experiences your organization would contribute to this project. Also, describe your understanding of the scope of services to be done, and the objectives to be accomplished.
● Include a statement regarding the firm’s ability to comply with the RFP and/or standard provisions of the City of Richmond’s Standard Services Agreement including insurance requirements (See Attachments 1 and 2).
● Provide responses to the following items under the section entitled “General City Requirements”: Item #4 (Previous Contracts with the City of Richmond), Item #5 (Exceptions to this Request for Proposals), and #6 (Statement of Impartiality and Disclosure).
● Include a stipulation that the proposal price will be valid for a period of at least 180 days.
2. Implementation and Methodology
Please describe in detail how you will address the project components as outlined in the Scope of Services section of the RFP. This section should include at a minimum:
● Provide a detailed description of the approach and methodology to be used to accomplish the scope of services specified in this RFP.
● An implementation plan that describes in detail (i) how the proposer plans to approach and complete each project task, (ii) listed deliverables that should be incorporated into the proposer’s approach, (iii) and any other project management or implementation strategies or techniques that the respondent intends to employ in carrying out the work. ● Value Added Services - Please provide any additional services of benefit not specifically required herein, which the proposer offers to provide.
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3. Experience and References
The information requested in this section should describe the experience of the firm, key staff and sub‐contractors performing projects within the past ten years (preferably within the past 2-5 years) that are similar in size and scope to demonstrate competence to perform these services.
Information shall include:
• Firm’s Experience - A summary of your firm’s demonstrated capability, including length of time that your firm has provided the services being requested in this Request for Proposal
• Team Experience - Names of key staff that participated on named projects and their specific responsibilities with respect to these qualifications and scope of service. Include resumes of key individuals that would perform services under this contract with descriptions of education, experience, certifications, licensure and any professional designations. If applying in collaboration with other organizations, describe the roles and responsibilities of the collaborating organization and staffing model of each collaborating organization.
If subcontractors will be used in addition to a lead organization, the subcontracted positions and duties shall be clearly identified and the resumes of proposed staff provided. If consultant intends to subcontract any portion of the resulting contract, they must describe their process for selecting such subcontractor(s) and the quality control measures that the consultant will employ to ensure that any subcontractor complies with the provisions of consultant’s contract with the City.
• References - Provide a list of 3-5 references, including the scope of work performed and contact information (contact name(s), company, address, telephone number(s), and email address(es)). Place emphasis on projects and services delivered to cities and communities that received similar services from your firm. Also include description of services provided including contract amount and project start and end dates. The City of Richmond reserves the right to contact any of the organizations or individuals listed.
• Availability – Identify the window of time indicating availability to start the program.
4. Proposed Budget and Costs
Provide a detailed budget spreadsheet, including a not-to-exceed total budget amount, indicating the cost of each major element identified in the Scope of Services and including all direct and indirect project costs associated with the budget narrative and Scope of Services. • The budget narrative should detail the costs for the projected budget as tied to the deliverables outlined in Scope of Services.
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• Include line items for each staff to be assigned to the project, total projected hours, and hourly rate. Hourly rates shall be all-inclusive (i.e., base salary, fringe benefits, overhead, etc.).
• Include costs associated with facilitating effective community engagement activities, including materials or reproduction costs, community outreach and engagement incentives, interpretation and translation, as well as subcontractor services and costs, if needed.
Please note: Proposers will be paid at the same rates set forth in their cost proposal and no additional funds will be paid above and beyond the original quote given by the selected Proposer unless further negotiated in writing and agreed to by the City of Richmond. These rates will also be used to negotiate other mutually agreed upon tasks that may be assigned. This is a negotiated procurement and as such, awards may not necessarily be made to the consultant submitting the lowest priced proposal. Awards will be made to the consultant submitting the best responsive proposal satisfying the Department’s criteria, including consideration of price and other indicated factors.
Submittal Instructions, Questions and Correspondence
Utilizing the City’s BidsOnline System
Interested parties may download copies of the above-mentioned proposal by visiting the City's web site (www.ci.richmond.ca.us/bids). To download the RFP, new vendors will be required to register. Once the vendor downloads any documents relative to a solicitation, that vendor's name will appear on the Prospective Bidders list for that project and will receive any addenda or notifications relating to the RFP.
Process for Submitting Proposals
Electronic Proposals shall be submitted via the City’s secure online bidding system, BidsOnline.
All required sections of the proposal must be submitted via the website. The Contractor is solely responsible for “on time” submission of their electronic proposal. The Bid Management System will not accept late proposals and no exceptions shall be made. Contractors will receive an e-bid confirmation number with a time stamp from the Bid Management System indicating that their bid was submitted successfully. The City will only accept those proposals that were transmitted successfully.
The proposal must be received no later than 12:00 PM PST, on Friday, May 20, 2022.
Proposals submitted by facsimile or e-mail are not acceptable and will not be considered. The proposal and any required certifications shall be signed by an individual or individuals authorized to execute legal documents on behalf of the proposer.
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The City of Richmond is not obligated but reserves the right to waive inconsequential irregularities.
Any party submitting a proposal shall not contact or lobby any City Council member, City official, employee (except those specified for contact) or agent regarding the RFP. Any party attempting to influence or circumvent the RFP, bid submittal, and review process may have their proposal rejected for violating this provision of the RFP.
Questions & Answers
All questions must be submitted via the electronic BidsOnline system on the Q&A tab by 5:00 PM PST, Wednesday, May 4, 2022. Notification of answers to questions received by that date will be provided via BidsOnline by Friday, May 6, 2022.
Addendums
If the City finds it necessary to issue an addendum, prospective proposers will receive email notification of addendum. However, it is the proposer’s responsibility to periodically check the BidsOnline website www.ci.richmond.ca.us/bids for any possible addendums to the RFP that may have been posted.
Evaluation
The selection committee, comprised of City of Richmond personnel, shall first review submittals to verify that the proposer has met the minimum requirements. Proposals that have not complied with requirements, do not meet minimum content and quality standards, or take unacceptable exceptions to the General Terms and Conditions of the Service Agreement, will be eliminated from further consideration.
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Criteria upon which the evaluation of the proposals will be based include, but are not limited to, the following:
Category Score
Percentage
Description
Quality,
Completeness &
Attention to
Requirements
5 • Proposal exhibits clarity, organization, detail, and responsiveness overall
• Transmittal Letter is included and meets all
requirements.
• All submittal requirements are met and required
information is provided in the format specified
Implementation
and
Methodology
40 • Demonstrated understanding and knowledge of the
work required and ability to provide services as
outlined in the RFP
• Approach and proposed methodology to project scope
is clear, well thought out, feasible, developed through a lens of health and race equity
• Cultural competency, trauma-informed care and equity
are included
• Innovative approaches and internal measures for
services requested
• Potential problems and suggestions of possible
solutions are shared
• Ability to effectively manage multiple community
engagement activities throughout the duration of the
planning process is demonstrated
• Timeline provides sufficient detail for reviewers to
analyze feasibility of scope of work, robustness of
activities and approach, and demonstrates Respondent’s
clear understanding of the requested scope of work
• Special resources the team offers that are relevant to the successful completion of the project
Experiences and
References
30 • Firm’s experience in performing similar work, years in business, past and current client references are relevant, and technical expertise and professional competence in
areas directly related to this RFP
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• Prior experience and capacity of firm in leading
community engagement in diverse communities,
community needs assessments, strategic planning,
public funding allocation, or similarly relevant
environments is described
• Unique qualifications of key personnel and successful involvement with projects of similar scope and
magnitude
• Professional background and qualifications of all team members comprising the team are clearly demonstrated
• Availability of staff to conduct tasks within required timeframe
• Résumés included and organizational structure makes
sense
Proposed Budget
and Costs
25 • Budget is sufficiently detailed, clear, and includes all specified requirements such as pricing for staff,
including direct and indirect labor expenses
• Proposed Budget and Costs includes narrative and line- item budgets
TOTAL 100
Upon request of the City of Richmond, short-listed vendors may be requested to participate in an interview/ presentation/demonstration on the vendor’s proposal, which would include a detailed analysis of how the RFP requirements would be addressed should Offeror receive the award. A virtual presentation shall be conducted via Zoom. The presentation shall be conducted at no cost to the City. Vendors may be eliminated from consideration based solely on inability to meet minimal requirements and/or review of written proposals.
Scores, responses and information received from both the interview and the written proposal combined shall be used to determine the top candidate(s). The selection committee may then consider references and responsibility before selecting the finalist. The selection committee shall select the Proposer that is evaluated to be most competitive, and whose response is deemed to be in the best interest of this requirement.
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Pre-Award Negotiations
After the proposals are opened, but prior to award, the City may elect to conduct negotiations with the highest ranked proposer for purposes of:
● Resolving minor differences and information
● Clarifying necessary details and responsibilities
● Emphasizing important issues and points
● Receiving assurances from proposers
● Clarifying cost/budget
If the City cannot successfully negotiate a contract with the highest ranked proposer, the City may begin negotiations with the second highest ranked proposer.
Selection may be made without further discussion, negotiations, or proposer’s presentations; therefore, proposer shall offer the most favorable terms in response to this RFP. Proposer must demonstrate an understanding of the Scope of Service to be provided and the ability to accomplish the tasks set forth. Proposer shall include information that will enable the City to determine the proposer’s overall qualifications. The City reserves the right to request additional information or clarification on any matter included in the proposal response, to enable the City to arrive at the final award decision.
The City reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, or to make no award. The City also reserves the right to require modifications follow‐up with requests for additional information, including, but not limited to, follow‐up interviews. The City may request Best and Final offers based upon improved understanding of the offers or changed Scope of Service. The City will negotiate with that vendor to determine final pricing, and contract form. Because this proposal is negotiable, all pricing data will remain confidential until after award is made, and there will be no public opening and reading of proposals.
Award
When the selection committee has completed its work, Department staff will then recommend a firm to the City Manager and City Council for approval. The services provided by the successful bidder shall be governed by a Standard Services Agreement (Attachment 1).
General City Requirements
1. General Information
This RFP does not commit the City of Richmond to award a contract, to defray any costs incurred in the preparation of a proposal pursuant to this RFP, or to procure or contract for work.
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The City of Richmond may reject a proposal without providing the reason(s) underlying the declination. A failure to award a contract to the proposer with the lowest cost proposal shall not constitute a valid cause of action against the City of Richmond. The City shall not be responsible for work done, even in good faith, prior to final approval of the proposed contract. The City may investigate the qualifications of any proposer under consideration, require confirmation of information furnished by the proposer, and require additional evidence or qualifications to perform the Services described in this RFP.
The City reserves the right to:
1. Reject any or all proposals, or to make no award without providing the reason(s) underlying the declination.
2. Issue subsequent Requests for Proposals.
3. Postpone opening for its own convenience.
4. Remedy technical errors in the Request for Proposal process.
5. Negotiate with any, all, or none of the Respondents.
6. Solicit best and final offers from all or some of the Respondents.
7. Select one or more Respondents.
8. Accept other than the lowest proposed fees.
9. Waive informalities and irregularities in proposals.
10. Request additional information, including, but not limited to, follow‐up interviews.
2. Public Records
All proposals submitted in response to this RFP become the property of the City of Richmond and public records and, as such, may be subject to public review. Documents protected by law from public disclosure will not be disclosed by the City of Richmond if clearly marked with the word "confidential" on each applicable page. Trade secrets may be marked as confidential only to the extent they meet the requirements of California Government Code section 6254.7. Only information claimed to be a trade secret at the time of submittal to the City of Richmond and marked as "confidential" will be treated as a trade secret.
3. Contractor Assignment of Sub-Contract
The resulting contract shall not be assigned, transferred, or sublet, in whole or in part, without the prior written approval of the City of Richmond. If proposers intend to subcontract any portion of the resulting contract, they must describe their process for selecting such subcontractor(s) and the quality control measures that the proposer will employ to ensure that any subcontractor complies with the provisions of proposer’s contract with the City.
4. Previous Contracts with the City of Richmond
The proposer shall submit a list which indicates all prime contracts and/or amendments awarded to the proposer by the City of Richmond for the last three (3) years. The list shall include a short City of Richmond CCRP RFP Page 20 of 22
description of the Project, the Project scope of work, award date, completion date, name of City of Richmond’s assigned Project Manager, and contract value.
5. Exceptions to this Request for Proposals
The proposer shall state whether or not it takes exception(s) to this RFP, including but not limited to the City of Richmond’s Standard Services Agreement – RFP (Attachment 1). If the proposer does take exception(s) to any portion of the RFP or contract, the specific portion to which exception(s) is taken must be identified by section number and explained. Requests for changes or additions to sections of City of Richmond’s Standard Services Agreement must be shown by requesting deletion of specific words and/or by providing new requested contract language. Requests for complete replacement of the City of Richmond’s Standard Services Agreement for another contract will not be granted. Failure to make exceptions to the RFP or Standard Services Agreement within the proposal will be deemed a waiver of any objection.
Exceptions will be considered during the proposal evaluation process.
6. Statement of Impartiality and Disclosure
The nature of this Project requires an impartial unbiased approach on the part of the proposer’s team. This proposal shall include a statement declaring that the proposer’s and sub-consultants are not currently, and will not, during the performance of these services, participate in any other similar work involving a third-party with interests currently in conflict or likely to be in conflict with City of Richmond’s interests. Additionally, proposer is required to disclose any pending or active investigations or litigation that may affect the reputation or ability of the proposer to carry out the Project.
7. Insurance Requirements
The City of Richmond requires consultants doing business with it to obtain insurance, as shown in RFP Attachment 2. The required insurance certificates must comply with all requirements of the standards as shown and must be provided within fifteen (15) days of issuance of the Notice of Intent to Award and prior to the commencement of any work on the Project.
8. Business Licenses
Proposer, at its sole expense, and all subcontractors shall obtain and maintain during the term of any agreement, all appropriate permits, certificates and licenses including, but not limited to, a City of Richmond Business License, which will be required in connection with the performance of services hereunder.
9. Compliance with City Ordinances
The contractor and all subcontractors shall comply with the City of Richmond Nondiscrimination Clauses in City Contracts Ordinance (Richmond Municipal Code (RMC) Chapter 2.28), Business Opportunity Ordinance (RMC Chapter 2.50), Local Employment Program Ordinance City of Richmond CCRP RFP Page 21 of 22
(RMC Chapter 2.56), Living Wage Ordinance (RMC Chapter 2.60) and Ordinance Banning the Requirement to Provide Information of Prior Criminal Convictions on all Employment Applications (“Ban the Box”) (RMC Chapter 2.65), which are incorporated into the Contract Documents by this reference.
10. Collusion
By submitting a proposal, each proposer represents and warrants that its proposal is genuine and not false or collusive or made in the interest of, or on behalf of any person not named therein; that the proposer has not directly or indirectly induced or solicited any other person to submit a false proposal, or any other person to refrain from submitting a proposal; and that the proposer has not, in any manner, sought collusion to secure any improper advantage over any other person submitting a proposal.
11. Withdrawal of Proposals
A proposer may withdraw their proposal before the expiration of the time for submission of proposals by delivering to the City Manager’s Office a written request for withdrawal signed by, or on behalf of, the proposer.
12. Ownership of Documents
All reports, studies, information, data, statistics, forms, designs, plans, procedures, systems, and any other materials produced for the Project shall be the sole and exclusive property of the City.
No such materials or properties produced in whole or in part for the Project shall be subject to private use, copyrights or patent rights by proposer in the United States or in any other country without the express written consent of the City. The City shall have unrestricted authority to publish, disclose (except as may be limited by the provisions of the Public Records Act), distribute, and otherwise use, copyright or patent, in whole or in part, any such reports, studies, data, statistics, forms or other materials or properties produced for this Project.
13. Sanctuary City Contracting Ordinance
The Richmond Sanctuary City Contracting Ordinance No. 12-18 prohibits the City from granting and or retaining contracts with any person or entity that provides Data Broker or Extreme Vetting services to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division of the United States Department of Homeland Security (“ICE”) (Attachment 4). Bidders/Proposers must submit the attached Sanctuary City Compliance Statement with their Bid or Proposal (Attachment 3).
14. Limited Liability Companies Disclosure Statement (LLCS) Resolution No. 86-21, approved by City Council on July 6, 2021, requires disclosure of the identities of beneficial & responsible owners of Limited Liability Corporations (LLC) (Attachment 5). Bidders/Proposers must submit the attached Disclosure Statement of Limited Liability Companies Form with their Bid or Proposal (Attachment 6).
City of Richmond CCRP RFP Page 22 of 22
15. Rejections
All proposals will be reviewed to determine conformance with the RFP requirements. Failure to meet the requirements may be cause for rejection of the proposal. Any proposal which is incomplete, conditional or contains irregularities may also be rejected.
The City of Richmond reserves the right to:
A. Select any proposal as a basis for written or oral communication with any or all of the companies or individuals when such action is considered to be in the best interest of the City of Richmond.
B. Exercise discretion and apply its judgment with respect to selection of any proposals submitted.
C. Reject all proposal
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