1-RFQ 26-01 - Leadership and Communication Training Coordination.pdf

Request for Qualifications

#26-01

For Leadership and Communication

Training Coordination for the

Monterey-Salinas Transit District

RFQ #26-01 Schedule

Issue Date: Friday, October 3, 2025

Question Submission Deadline: Friday, October 17, 2025 by 12:00 P.M.

Deadline to Submit Statement of Qualifications: Friday, November 7, 2025 by 2:00 P.M.

Interviews: Week of November 17, 2025

Monterey-Salinas Transit

19 Upper Ragsdale Drive, Suite 200

Monterey, CA 93940

Request for Qualifications For

Leadership and Communication

Training Coordination for the

Monterey-Salinas Transit District

Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST) is seeking statements of qualifications from consultants to provide in-person team building training for the MST Executive Leadership Team and managers group.

Consultants will be evaluated and added to a list of qualified firms that will receive a Request for

Quotations (RFQ) to provide such training as described in the Scope of Services and Deliverables herein.

Statements of qualifications must be received by MST NO LATER THAN 2:00 PM, Pacific Time on

Friday, November 7, 2025. Any submissions received past this deadline will be considered non-responsive and will not be accepted. Statements of qualifications must be submitted through Monterey-

Salinas Transit District’s Bonfire eProcurement portal. If you are not already registered, please do so at www.mst.org/procurement and select “Become a Vendor.”

If you have any questions regarding this solicitation, please submit them via MST’s Bonfire Portal no later than 12:00 PM on Friday, October 17, 2025. An addendum to this RFQ will be issued answering any questions received by the deadline.

If you have any questions related to the procurement process, please contact:

Monterey-Salinas Transit

19 Upper Ragsdale Drive, Suite 200

Monterey, CA 93940

Attention: Steven Bruno

Purchasing Agent

Phone: 831-264-5884

Email: sbruno@mst.org

History and Overview of MST

The Monterey-Salinas Transit District (MST) was created by state law AB644 and formed on

July 1, 2010. The District succeeds the Monterey-Salinas Transit Joint Powers Agency formed in

1981 when the City of Salinas joined the Monterey Peninsula Transit Joint Powers Agency which was formed in 1972.

Current members of the district are the Cities of Carmel, Del Rey Oaks, Gonzales, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Salinas, Sand City, Seaside, Soledad, and the http://www.mst.org/procurement mailto:sbruno@mst.org

County of Monterey. A board of directors with a representative from each member jurisdiction governs the agency and appoints the general manager.

MST serves a 159-square-mile area of Monterey County, Northern San Luis Obispo, Southern

Santa Cruz, and Southern Santa Clara Counties. MST’s 37 routes serve an estimated 406,400 population (2020 US Census) within ¾ mile of a bus stop in Monterey County.

For more information about MST, log onto http://www.mst.org/.

SCOPE OF SERVICES

The selected consultant will provide in-person team building training for the MST Executive Leadership

Team and managers group. The objective of the training is to do the following:

1. Build a culture of team alignment and shared responsibility.

2. Build interdepartmental rapport and build interpersonal communications skills to effectively navigate difficult personalities and issues.

3. Create a collaborative working environment to break down barriers between departments.

4. Build effective communication skills to help repair strained relationships including active listening and conflict resolution skills.

5. Build a culture of psychological safety and shared accountability.

DELIVERABLES

1. Needs Assessment Report o Surveys and/or interviews with individuals to identify current team dynamics and communication gaps.

o Summary report with findings of the surveys and/or interviews.

2. Workshop Series o One day training workshop for the Executive Team and one for the Managers group o Topics should be tailored in response to the Needs Assessment in Deliverable 1. and may include:

▪ Dealing with and managing change

▪ Trust-building exercise

▪ Communication styles and preferences

▪ Giving and receiving feedback

▪ Conflict resolution strategies http://www.mst.org/

▪ Collaborative problem-solving

3. Communication Toolkit o Templates, guides, and best practices for meetings, feedback, and digital communication.

4. Follow-Up Coaching Sessions o One-on-one or small group coaching to reinforce learning and address challenges, as needed and as budget allows.

SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS

Statements of qualifications shall include the information below to be considered complete. This information should be confined to no more than 20 Pages, excluding resumes of staff members. Please submit One (1) electronic version of your statement of qualifications:

Consultant’s Qualifications

Provide a concise narrative of the firm’s qualifications, size of firm, number of staff, and capabilities specific to implementation of the Scope of Services and Deliverables described herein. Attach resumes of staff with experience relevant to the Scope of Services described in this RFQ. Identify tasks that may be subcontracted and list potential subcontractors. Indicate any previous experience with similar projects, specifically those completed with other transit.

Example Projects and References

Provide a brief summary of three example projects your firm has completed that have similar components to the Scope of Services described in this RFQ. In addition to the summary of each project, include the project name, location, project owner/client, approximate value, and date of implementation. Also include name, phone number, and e-mail address of a reference contact for each project.

EVALUATION AND SELECTION PROCEDURE

An evaluation team will review all statements of qualifications. Those firms determined to meet MST objectives will be invited to participate in an oral interview, if deemed appropriate. These interviews are expected to take place during the week of November 17. After the evaluation team completes the review of statements of qualifications, the consultants that are deemed qualified to complete the work will be added to a list of qualified firms. Those on the list of qualified firms will receive a Request for

Quotations (RFQ) for implementation of the training.

As part of the selection process, consultants may be requested to provide information concerning client representation for evaluation by MST. If, at the discretion of MST, a conflict of interest, real or apparent, exists or may exist, then MST reserves the right disqualify the consultant, regardless of the qualifications of that consultant or the ranking of the consultant as provided below.

This RFQ is a solicitation for statement of qualifications packages only, and is neither intended, nor to be construed as an offer to enter into an agreement or engage in any formal competitive bidding or negotiation.

The following criteria will be used to evaluate proposals:

1. Qualifications of the Firm: Technical experience in performing work of a closely similar nature; experience working with transportation organizations or other public agencies;

record of completing work on schedule; strength and stability of the firm; technical experience and strength and stability of proposed sub-consultants, if any; and assessments by client references. (35 points)

2. Staffing and Project Organization: Qualifications of project staff, particularly key personnel, especially the project manager; key personnel’s level of involvement in performing related work; logic of project organization; adequacy of labor commitment; concurrence in the restrictions on changes in key personnel. (30 points)

3. Demonstrated understanding of the project requirements and potential problem areas; project approach, work plan, and quality assurance program. (35 points)

4. Proposing firms must have prior experience working with public transit agencies. Please describe your prior experience working with public transit agencies. (Pass/Fail)

RIGHTS OF MST

This RFQ does not commit MST to enter into a Contract, nor does it obligate MST to pay for any costs incurred in preparation and submission of proposals or in anticipation of a contract.

MST 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 RFQ.

MST reserves the right to:

1. Reject any or all statements of qualifications.

2. Issue subsequent Requests for Qualifications.

3. Postpone opening for its own convenience.

4. Remedy technical errors in the Request for Qualifications process.

5. Approve or disapprove the use of particular sub-consultants.

6. Add any, all, or none of the proposers to the list of qualified firms.

The proposals received become the exclusive property of MONTEREY-SALINAS TRANSIT

DISTRICT. At such time as a contract award is made by MST, all proposals submitted in response to this RFQ and the RFP to follow shall become a matter of public record and shall be regarded as public records, with the exception of those elements of each proposal which are trade secrets as the term is defined in California Government Code 6254.7 and which are so marked as “TRADE SECRET,”

“CONFIDENTIAL,” OR “PROPRIETARY.” MONTEREY-SALINAS TRANSIT DISTRICT shall not in any way be liable or responsible for the disclosure of any such records or portions thereof, including, without limitation, those so marked if disclosure is deemed required by law or by an order of a court.

Proposals that indiscriminately identify all or most of the proposal as exempt from disclosure without justification may be found technically unacceptable.