12-Specifications.pdf

SPECIFICATIONS

SCOPE

Harris County is seeking proposals from qualified vendors for early childhood portfolio evaluation services for the Harris County Department of Economic Equity and Opportunity (DEEO). The term shall begin on or about August 1, 2025, and ending twelve (12) months thereafter or until all services ordered prior to the expiration date have been satisfactorily delivered and accepted or performed satisfactorily for the using department.

PRE-PREPROPOSAL CONFERENCE

A pre-proposal conference will be held Monday, August 4, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. CST. CST via Microsoft Teams Conference ID: 247 243 575 670 0, password wW942db7, or call in (audio only) +1 281-985- 1862,,399554298#. Attendance is not mandatory; however, all vendor(s) are encouraged to attend in order to have a better understanding of the requirements of this RFP.

Join the meeting now Meeting ID: 247 243 575 670 0 Passcode: wW942db7

Or call in (audio only) +1 281-985-1862,,399554298# United States, Aldine Phone conference ID: 399 554 298#

It is the responsibility of each vendor to examine the entire Request for Proposal (RFP) package, seek clarification in writing, and review their offer for accuracy before submitting. Questions relating to this RFP must be submitted in writing through Bonfire. The deadline for submission of questions relating to this RFP is listed on the Event schedule within Bonfire of this project. All questions submitted in writing prior to the deadline will be compiled and answered in writing. A copy of all questions and answers will be released as a Public Notice within Bonfire to all firms. The County will not be bound be any information conveyed verbally.

BACKGROUND

The Early Childhood Initiatives (ECI) Division was established by the Harris County Commissioners Court in 2022 as a priority focus area for American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. These funds are utilized to support populations who were disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The state of Texas has lost twenty-one percent (21%) of childcare providers since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the lack of supply combined with the high cost of childcare present a challenge to low-income families who are seeking care. While the Child Care Services program (administered by the Texas Workforce Commission) provides childcare scholarships to qualifying low-income families, tens of thousands of eligible families remain on the waitlist each year.

Additionally, low-income families in Texas lack access to high-quality childcare – as of 2021, ninety-three percent (93%) of low-income children in Harris County lived in a high-quality childcare provider desert.

In light of these barriers and other needs of the targeted populations, the ECI Division strategically works with community partners to support programming that addresses the five (5) focus areas listed below:

1. High quality affordable childcare via access to programming.

Early Childhood Initiative Portfolio Evaluation Services for the Harris County Department of Economic Equity and Opportunity

2. A thriving early childhood educator workforce through work and professional development opportunities.

3. Vulnerable populations afforded equitable opportunities.

4. Parent education through utilization of programs and practices that promote healthy early childhood development.

5. Data and analysis via utilization of resources and opportunities to inform early childhood stakeholders of critical information.

The following resources provide further information on the ECI Portfolio, early childhood landscape in Harris County, and the utilization of ARPA funds:

ECI Portfolio

ECI Division Background and Portfolio Overview Families with young children in Harris County, Texas, are struggling to meet basic needs — RAPID

Survey How States can utilize American Rescue Plan Act Funds for Evidence-Based Policymaking v2

DESCRIPTION

The DEEO seeks proposals from organizations with proven expertise in early childhood portfolio evaluation services within a government context. The selected Offeror(s) shall conduct a comprehensive strategic assessment of the DEEO Early Childhood Initiatives (ECI) Portfolio, evaluate its impact, and provide strategic research and advisory analysis. The final deliverables shall serve as a roadmap for future program development and decision-making. The Offeror(s) shall:

Assess and synthesize multiple phases of the ECI Portfolio implementation, ensuring that it aligns with Harris County’s Strategic Plan.

Collaborate with existing partners, including contracted evaluators, to integrate findings and meet key deliverable milestones.

Provide strategic insights to guide policy and funding decisions.

SCOPE OF WORK

The selected vendor shall be required to conduct a thorough review of existing ECI programs within the County including implementation, reach, and effectiveness. This review shall involve evaluating the impact of current ECI programs on early childhood development outcomes in the County, and surrounding areas. The assessment shall include an analysis of program data, stakeholder interviews, and on-site observations to gather a comprehensive understanding of the current state of ECI programs.

A key deliverable of this project shall be the development of a comprehensive roadmap for future ECI program development and decision-making, tailored specifically to the unique needs and demographics of the County. This roadmap shall outline goals for the ECI Portfolio, along with actionable strategies for achieving these objectives. It shall also include recommendations for measuring and tracking the long-term impact of ECI programs in the County, ensuring that progress can be effectively monitored and evaluated over time. The vendor shall provide information related to the following:

1. Develop Strategic Assessment Reports The vendor shall work closely with DEEO staff and ECI intermediaries to produce research-based reports aligned with key deliverable milestones.

2. Conduct Data Collection & Analysis

The vendor shall collect qualitative and quantitative data from all ECI Portfolio partners and implement a research design that evaluates program impact and informs policy development.

3. Produce Public-Facing Summaries The vendor shall provide accessible reports in multiple formats (e.g., policy briefs, videos, and other creative mediums). Ensure all materials are available in English and Spanish, at minimum.

4. Present Findings to Key Stakeholders.

The vendor shall provide research results to Harris County officials and relevant stakeholders as requested.

5. Ensure Alignment with County Objectives The vendor shall maintain compliance with Harris County’s commitment to equity, transparency, and data-driven decision-making.

The ECI Division seeks proposals that address the following key areas, ranked in order of priority:

1. Overall Economic Impact and Effectiveness of ECI Portfolio Investment

2. The Harris County Early Childhood Ecosystem

3. Financial Wellbeing of ECI Portfolio Participants

4. Inclusiveness of ECI Portfolio Investment

5. Community Feedback of ECI Portfolio Implementation

Deliverables The selected Offeror(s) shall develop and publish a series of impact reports, structured in four (4) phases:

Phase 1: Historic Need of Target Populations o Landscape assessment of early childhood needs and resources in Harris County prior to establishing the ECI Portfolio o Comprehensive narrative and policy analysis o Geographic assessment of childcare needs in Harris County

Phase 2: Historic Opportunity through ECI Programs o Post and current implementation of the ECI Portfolio o Comprehensive data analysis and synthesis o Detailed program implementation plans o Geographic assessment of needs met through ECI Portfolio

Phase 3: Impact of ECI Programs o Comparative analysis of ECI Portfolio with other ARPA-funded early childhood programs across the country o Integration of findings with national early childhood economic indicators and partnership networks

Phase 4: Recommendations for Future Work o Recommendations for sustaining and enhancing the ECI portfolio post-2026 o Key lessons learned to inform future policy and programmatic decisions

The Offeror(s) shall be responsible for engaging with relevant stakeholders, adhering to the project timeline, and ensuring the final report provides a data-driven, policy-informed framework for future early childhood initiatives.

Vendor Resources:

Vendor warrants it shall provide qualified personnel who will perform in a professional manner. “Professional manner” means the personnel performing shall possess the skill, license(s) and competence consistent with the prevailing business standards within the State of Texas. Vendor shall provide Harris County with a Staffing Plan that identifies the staffing levels, types and any applicable certifications required to meet the technical requirements of this RFP.

Vendor shall dedicate a Project Lead to act as the vendor’s representative for all communications and activities with Harris County. The Project Lead shall be the prime point of contact for Harris County for project matters. The Project Lead shall develop a Project Management Plan that provides guidance and direction for the project development and shall maintain a detailed and accurate project schedule at all times.

Project Lead shall possess the following minimum qualifications:

Certified Project Manager with ten (10) years of project management experience with organizational structure and management reviews Five (5) years managing large, multi-discipline projects within the public sector.

Demonstrated experience creating detailed dependency-driven schedules tasks required to implement recommended changes.

Demonstrated experience facilitating and supporting formal review sessions with executive stakeholders.

Vendor shall provide resumes for all Key Personnel for Harris County to review and approve including all management and executive level staff to be assigned to the contract resulting from this RFP with Staffing Levels Competency. Key Personnel is defined as all Subject-Matter-Experts (SME)s to be utilized in functional and technical areas of the project. The resumes shall indicate the Key Personnel knowledge and experience specific to requirements, background, years of experience and skill sets to ensure project success. Changes to Key Personnel, anticipated or unforeseen, shall be immediately relayed to Harris County.

Key Personnel shall be fully dedicated to the Project as necessary during the appropriate Project phases for those resources to perform their assigned or specified Project duties. Vendor(s) shall not arbitrarily reassign Key Personnel to other projects, or terminate (except for cause), without providing Harris County with appropriate notification.

Vendor may not replace any management or executive level staff nor Key Personnel (except for cause) without the prior written consent of Harris County. In the event of an anticipated or unforeseen change to Key Personnel; vendor shall notify Harris County immediately for its consideration and approval of replacement of Key Personnel, which shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. All key personnel shall be identified with percentage of time to be dedicated to this project. If personnel must be shared with other projects, indicated exactly how much time will be devoted to other projects. If a subcontractor will be utilized to provide any portion of services, clearly indicate qualifications of subcontractor, describe the role, duties and percentage of work to be performed by said subcontractor as well as previous experience working together.

At no time shall vendor permit or allow vendor personnel or subcontractors to have present at any Harris County worksite alcohol, controlled substances, or firearms. Smoking is not permitted in any area of any facility which is enclosed or in the finish-out stage of construction.

Any person employed by vendor or any subcontractor who, in the reasonable opinion of a Harris County Project Manager, does not perform in a professional or skillful manner, or is disrespectful, intemperate, disorderly or otherwise objectionable, shall, at the written request of Harris County, be removed from the jobsite by the Vendor or any subcontractor employing such person. Any such person who is removed shall not be assigned again to any Harris County facility without the prior written consent of Harris County.

Should vendor fail to remove such person(s), Harris County may withhold all monies which are, or may become, due that are allocable to the portion of the services on which such person(s) is working, or may suspend that portion of the services. Upon suspension, vendor shall provide an acceptable substitute. Such person shall perform the services in the manner prescribed herein at no additional cost to Harris County.