CITY OF SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO
Request for Proposals for
Facilitation Services for Community Discussions of Decommissioned City Facilities
Date released: Tuesday, May 28, 2024
Deadline for Submission: Friday, June 28, 2024 at 5:00PM PT, electronically via OpenGov Procurement
Issued by:
Economic and Community Development Department
City of South San Francisco
400 Grand Avenue
South San Francisco, CA 94080
650-877-8535
Contents
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 3 Project Background................................................................................................................................. 3 Facilitation Objectives ............................................................................................................................ 3 Scope of Services ................................................................................................................................... 4 Project Timeline...................................................................................................................................... 6 Budget ................................................................................................................................................... 6 Proposal Requirements........................................................................................................................... 6 Timeline ................................................................................................................................................. 8 Questions............................................................................................................................................... 8 Submittal Instructions ............................................................................................................................ 8 Attachments........................................................................................................................................... 9
Introduction
The City of South San Francisco (City) is seeking proposals from qualified consultants, nonprofits, or organizations to provide facilitation services. The purpose of the facilitation services is to identify community priorities leading to recommendations that can inform the City’s strategy and planning for decommissioned city-owned properties / facilities, specifically the Municipal Services Building and the West Orange Library.
The City is interested in engaging a consultant with experience in traditional and innovative facilitation and outreach methods and working with community members and groups. The selected consultant will have experience leading community workshops or similar sessions, and facilitating an inclusive, equitable, and diverse public engagement process that will generate valuable feedback and consolidate qualitative data into useable reporting formats and insights for the City Council’s consideration.
Project Background
In 1978, the City purchased the building now known as the Municipal Services Building (MSB), located at 33 Arroyo Drive. Originally built in 1960, the City remodeled the building to house the Police Department (formerly located at the City Hall Annex on Maple Avenue), the Parks and Recreation Department (formerly located at the vacant El Rancho Elementary School), and Fire Station 63 (formerly located at what is now 1155 Del Paso Drive).
In 2023, the City opened a new Library | Parks & Recreation Center (L|PR) at 901 Civic Campus Way, across El Camino Real from the MSB. City offices and services that were formerly housed at the MSB and at the West Orange Library (the City’s Main Library located at 840 W. Orange Avenue) moved to the L|PR, with the exception of the Police Department and Fire Station 63. The Police Department moved into a newlyconstructed facility across from the L|PR at 1 Chestnut Avenue. The City purchased 71 Camaritas Avenue, across from the MSB, to relocate Fire Station 63. Both the MSB and West Orange Library facilities have been decommissioned and are mostly vacant, with the exception of Fire Station 63 and temporary construction / project management offices at the MSB.
The City does not currently have plans to redevelop either the MSB or the West Orange Library sites. The MSB site is within the T5-C zoning district, which permits high-density, multi-family, mixed-use development. The site is also included in the City’s Housing Element as a housing opportunity site. The former West Orange Library site is within the Public / Quasi-Public zoning district, which is intended for civic uses.
Since the MSB closed in 2023, several community members have indicated via public comment at City Council meetings and through email communications that they would like to see a continuation of community services offered at this location, as well as new services. For the West Orange Library site, in March 2024, the City released a Request for Proposals for a lessee to operate and provide preschool and/or community services at the site. No responses were received by the deadline of May 9, 2024.
Facilitation Objectives
The City is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a consultant, nonprofit, or organization to provide meaningful community engagement and facilitation services to hold a series of community discussions around potential future uses of the MSB and West Orange Library. The successful proposal will include a consultant team with the community engagement expertise necessary to deliver community outreach and meeting facilitation that is:
1. Wide-ranging. Connect with a large and diverse population in a discussion about the future uses of these two City-owned properties.
2. Accommodating. Incorporate a variety of formats and techniques to ensure that community members with varying communication comfort levels, availability, and needs are able to participate.
3. Engaging. Be engaging, fun, and dynamic.
4. Multi-faceted. Use both traditional, in-person, and online communication methods.
5. Inclusive and Respectful. Ensure that all engagement activities and events are managed so that organizers and participants are respectful of all points of view.
6. Meaningful. Result in productive and actionable outcomes that the City can use for future decision-making purposes.
Scope of Services
When responding to this RFP, the City requests that respondents share their approach to each of the following tasks. The City also invites respondents to provide suggestions for streamlining or improving the Scope of Work, and to identify additional or optional tasks that could benefit and improve this effort.
Task 1. Project Kick-off & Management
Anticipated Timeline: Mid-July – Late November 2024
The consultant will participate in a project kickoff meeting with City staff. During this meeting, the consultant team and staff will discuss the project goals, key issues, expectations, project milestones/timeline, anticipated community engagement strategy, and deliverables.
The consultant team will also schedule and facilitate regular virtual check-in meetings with the City project team and submit monthly progress reports and invoices.
Anticipated Deliverables
• Kick-off meeting participation
• Regular check-in meetings, including agenda preparation and facilitation • Monthly progress report and invoice
Task 2. Community Engagement Workplan
Anticipated Timeline: Mid-July to mid-August 2024
City staff anticipates that the community engagement events for this project will include:
• Community Open Houses (2) – in-person
• Hosted Tours of the Municipal Services Building and the West Orange Library – to be organized by City staff (2 each) – in-person
• Additional meetings as needed (up to 4) – in-person or virtual The consultant team will develop a community engagement workplan which outlines the strategy for organizing, advertising, and facilitating these community engagement events. The workplan should include:
• Methodology for facilitating in-person and virtual conversations • Strategies for publicizing community open houses
• Strategies for online engagement
• Process for recording and organizing all input received, both specific comments and general themes
Anticipated Deliverables
• Community Engagement Workplan – draft and final
Task 3. Develop Outreach Materials
Anticipated Timeline: Late-July to mid-August 2024
The consultant team will develop outreach materials to publicize the community open houses and to gather input during the open houses. The consultant team will also develop materials to solicit online engagement and gather feedback.
Outreach materials should include:
• Package of announcement materials publicizing the open houses in electronic formats to include media release, e-blast notice, City newsletter, talking points, and social media postings for the City’s and partner organizations’ platforms. The City will be responsible for posting the materials. • Online engagement materials (survey / questionnaires) that are mobile friendly.
Outreach graphics should also be developed in Simplified Chinese, Tagalog, and Spanish.
Anticipated Deliverables
• Outreach materials – draft and final
• Translated graphics
Task 4. Organize and Facilitate Community Conversations Anticipated Timeline: Late August 2024
Task 4.1. Community Open Houses
The consultant team will design and lead two open houses to hear from community members about the future use of the Municipal Services Building and the West Orange Library. Both open houses have the same purpose, meeting format, meeting materials, and agenda. One open house will be held in the morning and another in the evening of the same week to give as many community members as possible an opportunity to participate. The open house format will be highly interactive and participatory in ways that are accessible and welcoming to people of all backgrounds and interests. The consultant team will design and produce all meeting materials, including handouts and presentations.
The consultant will serve as lead facilitator for the open houses and will provide staff to support facilitation, meeting recording, and facilitating small group discussions (as needed). The consultant will also be responsible for coordinating childcare for both open houses, catering for a light meal, and translation services (Simplified Chinese, Tagalog, and Spanish) of the materials, and in-person translation, as requested.
City staff will be responsible for reserving the meeting location and will set-up and break-down the room.
The consultant team will be responsible for providing room set-up information, including audio and visual requirements.
Task 4.2. Hosted Tours of the Municipal Services Building and the West Orange Library The City will organize two tours each of the Municipal Services Building and the West Orange Library. City staff anticipates that these may be scheduled for the same day as the open houses.
Task 4.3. Additional Meetings
The consultant team should budget for up to four additional meetings, if needed. These meetings could take place in-person or virtually and would be approximately 1-1.5 hours.
Anticipated Deliverables
• Organization and facilitation of Community Open Houses (2) and additional meetings (up to 4) • Preparation of materials for community meetings
• Translation services during the meetings, if requested – Fees for translation services can be included as an “add-on” in the proposer’s budget.
Task 5. Community Engagement Summary Report
Anticipated Timeline: Late November 2024
The consultant team will summarize all community input and feedback gathered as part of this effort and will produce a comprehensive summary report. The report will summarize major themes heard during the outreach effort and will also include a record of all comments received as an appendix to the report.
The consultant team will prepare a presentation that highlights the key themes and comments from the summary report. The consultant team will present this presentation during a City Council meeting.
Anticipated Deliverables
• Community Engagement Summary Report – initial outline of the report, draft report, and final report • Presentation of Key Themes and Comments – draft and final • Presentation to City Council (1)
Project Timeline
City staff anticipates that this work will begin in mid-July 2024 and conclude in late November 2024. The community meetings will be held in late August 2024.
Budget
The City estimates a budget of $20,000 – $40,000 for this project. If your team recommends allocating additional budget for certain tasks not included in this RFP, please include this in your response.
Proposal Requirements
In developing a response to this Request for Proposals, proposers should be concise and limit responses to the specific questions and requirements set forth herein. All materials (proposal and any attachments) must be submitted electronically. No paper copies will be accepted.
The proposal should respond to each question or requirement below in consecutive order, as follows:
A. Transmittal Letter
The Proposal must include a Transmittal Letter signed by a person within the firm who is authorized to bind the firm, preferably a Lead Consultant. RFP responses with unsigned Transmittal Letters will be rejected. The Transmittal Letter must include a representation by the Proposer that, except as disclosed in the Proposal, no officer or employee of the Proposer is directly or indirectly a party to or in any other manner interested financially or otherwise in this RFP. The letter shall include the name of the proposing Consultant, the principal address where the relationship is managed, the name, title, email address, and phone number of the of the primary contact for the proposal.
B. Executive Summary, Understanding of Required Services, and Approach to Scope of Work An overview of the proposal (including the firm’s relevant experience), a summary of the Proposer’s understanding about the requested scope of work, and its approach to providing the tasks outlined in the Scope of Work section of this RFP.
C. Description of Proposer’s Firm
1. A brief description of your firm’s background, size, office locations in California, and history as it may be relevant to the services required.
2. Describe your experience providing similar services for other public agencies and authorities, with an emphasis on California jurisdictions and agencies, and federal authorities, any related projects, or studies.
D. Proposer’s Staff Team
1. List all the professional staff you intend to assign to this project and the area(s) of specialization for each person. Describe the role of each person who will be assigned to the project.
2. Identify the Lead Consultant who will be the primary contact in providing services to the City, and who will be listed as a “key person” in any agreement with the City.
3. Include professional biographies for all professionals and subconsultants who will be assigned to provide services in your proposal.
E. Fees and Charges
1. Provide your fees for the proposed services. Fee quotes should be detailed by service.
2. Outline billing and payment expectations, including timing and method of payment.
3. Describe any remaining fees not already detailed above. Present a specific “not to exceed” fixed fee including associated fees (i.e., printing costs, attendance at meetings, travel).
Translation services for in-person meetings can be listed as an “add-on” fee in the proposer’s budget.
F. References
Please provide at least three (3) client references for whom your firm has performed similar work to that requested in this RFP during the past five years. For each client, please provide the name, street address, telephone number, and email address.
G. Completed Reports & Presentations (optional)
If desired, provide digital links to up to three (3) completed summary reports or presentations that your firm has previously developed for cities, counties, or local government agencies that are comparable to the Community Engagement Summary Report and/or presentation outlined in this RFP.
Timeline
The following table outlines the City’s proposed schedule for this Request for Proposals process. The City reserves the right to amend the schedule as necessary.
Activity Date
City releases RFP Tuesday, May 28, 2024
Last date for submission of written questions from proposers Friday, June 7, 2024 City issues addendum (as needed) Friday, June 14, 2024
Proposal submission deadline Friday, June 28, 2024
Potential interviews with proposers Week of July 8, 2024 Contract award date Week of July 8, 2024
Project commencement Week of July 15, 2024
Project completion End of November 2024
Proposer Questions
The City will accept questions until Friday, June 7, 2024 at 5:00PM PT. All inquiries related to this RFP should be submitted through OpenGov Procurement.
The City will issue an addendum to respond to proposers’ questions, if necessary, by Friday, June 14, 2024 at 5:00PM PT. This addendum will be posted on the City’s website at www.ssf.net/services/rfps-and-bids and on the OpenGov Procurement’s website.
Submittal Instructions
The Proposal and any attachments must be received no later than Friday, June 28, 2024, 5:00PM PST. Only electronic submissions will be accepted. Submissions that are not actually received by the City by the submittal deadline will not be considered.
To submit the proposal, respondents must create a free account with Open Gov Procurement’s ProcureNow by signing up at https://secure.procurenow.com/signup. Once you have completed account registration, browse back to this page, click on "Submit Response," and follow the instructions to submit the electronic bid.
Attachments
1. City’s Consulting Services Agreement