November 7, 2023
Community Development
DATE: November 7, 2023
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Lina Velasco, Director of Community Development
Jesus M. Morales, Housing Manager
Subject:
Contract with Hatchuel Tabernik and Associates to
provide Program Evaluation Services
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The costs associated with this service will be paid for using the City’s $4.8 million Encampment Resolution
Funding Round 1; therefore, this contract will not have an impact on the City’s General Fund. Account string:
15061219-400201-16G07.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
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STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The City of Richmond (the “City”) received an
Encampment Resolution Funding Round 1 (ERF-1)
award totaling $4.8 M to resolve the Castro Vehicle
Encampment using a Housing First approach and restore
the site to its original use. The City’s Housing Division is seeking a third-party evaluator to document the project’s implementation and assess its performance vis-à-vis the goals and objectives outlined in its grant application.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
APPROVE a contract with Hatchuel Tabernik and
Associates (HTA) in the amount of $40,000, to provide
evaluation services for the City’s Encampment
Resolution Funding Round 1 project, for a term from
November 7, 2023, through December 31, 2025, with an
option to increase the contract by an additional $40,000 upon evaluation of year 1 work and outcomes –
Community Development Department (Lina
Velasco/Jesus Morales 510-620-6649).
AGENDA
REPORT
November 7, 2023
DISCUSSION:
The City of Richmond (the “City”) received an Encampment Resolution Funding Round 1 (ERF-R-1) award totaling approximately $4.8 million. The City Housing Division proposed to leverage the funds to improve the living conditions of roughly 100 residents at the Castro Encampment by implementing a targeted, stepped approach to successfully transitioning residents to stable housing, which will allow the site to be resolved and restored to its intended purpose. The City seeks an evaluator to document the project’s implementation and assess its performance vis-à-vis the goals and objectives in the grant application.
Therefore, Community Development staff is seeking City Council approval of a $40,000 contract with Hatchuel Tabernik and Associates (HTA) to provide evaluation services for the City’s Encampment Resolution Funding Round 1 project, with a $40,000 option to evaluate year 2 work and outcomes. The evaluation report will be used to share lessons learned and inform future services to the unhoused population.
Procurement Process
On September 7, 2023, the Housing Division issued a focused solicitation by releasing a Request for Proposals (RFP), via email, to six firms. Proposals were due on September 21, 2023. One proposal was received. The one proposal was reviewed and evaluated to meet the qualifications specified in the RFP. Community Development staff is recommending HTA for contracting.
HTA’s Experience
HTA is well poised to assist the City in this regard as it is aware of the City’s stated objectives for the ERF project and will assist in documenting lessons learned and also providing recommendations for improvement of service delivery. HTA has helped many agencies design strategic and evaluation plans that enhance their clients’ capacity to deliver effective services and support to community members in a collaborative, systematic, and intentional way.
As part of the evaluation services, HTA will develop a framework for assessing the first year of implementation by producing focus group and key informant interview protocols to solicit feedback from community resident board members (via focus group), direct service providers, City partners, County health department staff, City staff, and business representatives (via interviews), and a plan for collecting archival service and program data and written summary grant documents. The framework will include a focused literature review on metrics and measures for homelessness programs, as needed.
These evaluation reports will assist in summarizing program outcomes, sharing lessons learned, and providing recommendations for improvements.
November 7, 2023
HTA has been designing and conducting program evaluations since 1996. In the past five years alone, HTA has provided evaluation services to over 65 agencies and planned and conducted over 110 distinct evaluations. Their clients for evaluation projects have included scores of Bay Area school districts, Community Colleges, County Offices of Education, city and county agencies, cross-agency collaboratives, community-based organizations, universities, and private foundations.
CONCLUSION:
HTA has over 20 years of success in writing government, foundation, and corporate grant proposals and contracts – yielding their clients over $800 million in funding since 1997. In addition, their service and knowledge of social services has helped the City obtain two successful ERF applications. Their knowledge of the City’s ERF-R-1 proposal and their ability to evaluate the City’s work will assist the City in sharing its lessons learned and recommendations for improving service delivery.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – Standard Contract
Attachment 2 – Request for Proposal