256104 Supplement Letter 2.pdf

CITY OF SALEM

FINANCE DEPARTMENT

CONTRACTS & PROCUREMENT DIVISION

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION LETTER #2

February 23, 2026

RFP NO. 256104

FOR: Professional and Technical Services for Comprehensive Park

System Planning

CLOSING DATE: February 27, 2026 at 4:00 PM (LOCAL TIME)

The following are questions submitted by Proposers and answers from the City:

1. Q) The RFP suggests that subconsultants should not be included in proposals.

However, it also notes: If a sub-consultant is necessary to perform any of these services, then the sub-consultant qualifications shall be made a part of the proposal submitted with each project assignment. Does this second sentence refer to subsequent project proposals, after the COR are selected? Or do you prefer we list potential subconsultants in this proposal for specific or specialized services that may be needed, if the primary firm doesn't have them in-house?

A) The intent of RFP #256104 is that proposers should not include subconsultant qualifications in their proposal.

The language referencing subconsultants applies after the COR are established, when the City requests a project assignment–specific proposal from one or more selected

COR firms. At that time, if specialized services are needed that are not available in-house, the proposing COR firm may identify proposed subconsultants and include their qualifications as part of that specific project proposal.

For the current RFP response, firms should focus on their core team and in-house capabilities only.

2. Q) If all three categories are submitted within a single PDF, does the 20 page limit apply to the entire document, or would it be 20 pages per category max plus any content not included in the page count?

A) Yes – the 20-page limit applies to the full proposal, so all three categories combined must fit within that limit.

3. Q) Section 1.3 Qualification Based Selection, states: “The City, via this competitive

RFP process, intends to select up to five (5) Proposers to be named as the

Consultants of Record (COR).”

Question: We are wondering whether this is 5 Consultants of Record in total for this RFP, or 5 for each category?

A) The City of Salem is seeking to establish approximately 5 Consultants of Record in total.

4. Q) Question: We are a public involvement specialty firm, planning to propose on

Category B Community Engagement & Survey Research. We wanted to confirm that a public involvement specialty firm would be able to be competitive for this contract, and that the City didn’t have a preference for parks planning firms who provide these services as part of their offering?

A) The City is seeking to establish a pool of qualified firms through this solicitation to support the Parks for All of Us initiative, as well as potentially other park planning– related efforts. Public participation is foundational to this work, and meaningful, well-designed engagement will be critical to its success.

The RFP has been intentionally structured using service categories to create discrete opportunities for firms with specialized expertise — including firms whose primary focus is public involvement. Category B was specifically crafted to allow firms such as yours to compete based on demonstrated strength in community engagement, public participation strategy, and data-driven outreach.

That said, because this work is embedded within broader park planning and community planning initiatives, firms with direct parks planning or related community planning experience may have a competitive advantage over an otherwise comparably qualified firm that lacks specific experience in parks and planning contexts. This advantage is not confined to a single service category; rather, it reflects the integrated and interdisciplinary nature of the overall program.

We encourage firms with strong public involvement expertise to propose and clearly articulate how their experience, approach, and understanding of park and community planning contexts position them to support this work effectively.

5. Q) 4.2.2 Qualifications and Experience of Firm, states: “The selection committee will consider the professional qualifications and capacity of the firm to provide services in support of the preparation and update of a long-range, comprehensive park system improvement plan and other related parks planning works. The firms with the best qualifications and experience that directly relate to the work required herein will obtain higher points than other firms.

Question: Related to evaluation criteria 4.2.2., we are proposing on Category B, and wanted to confirm if you would also value and award equal points for

Community Engagement and Survey Research project experience for non-parks planning efforts that are relevant in terms of approach, goals, audience or geography.

A) Evaluation Criteria 4.2.2 will be applied in a manner consistent with the intent of the overall program.

For Category B, the City values demonstrated experience in Community Engagement that reflects sound methodology, inclusive practices, and the ability to meaningfully inform decision-making. Experience from non-parks planning efforts can absolutely be relevant and competitive—particularly where the approach, goals, audience, scale, complexity, or geographic context are comparable to park system or community planning initiatives.

That said, because this COR pool is intended to support park planning work, project experience that demonstrates direct applicability to parks, recreation systems, or similar public planning processes may be more strongly aligned with the City’s anticipated needs. In evaluation, relevance and transferability of experience will be considerations.

In short, non-parks engagement experience can receive full consideration, provided the proposal clearly articulates how that experience translates to the context of park and community planning.

6. Q) We are proposing Category B — Community Engagement & Survey Research.

Question: We wanted to confirm that the City does not expect to conduct statistically-valid research or surveys as part of this work?

A) Yes, that is correct. The City is not soliciting statistically valid research or survey services through this RFP. That said, this does not preclude the City from conducting statistically valid research as part of the Parks for All of Us initiative.

7. Q) In relation to Work Product, Section E: “Describe Proposer’s approach to providing internal quality control and superior products (e.g., reports, figures, outreach materials, etc.)”

Question: Will a company's internal QC plan be sufficient for this document?

A) Yes, we are seeking information describing your firm’s quality control and quality assurance procedures, including the systems and processes you use to ensure accuracy, consistency, and overall deliverable quality.

Shawna Self, CPPB

Purchasing Manager cc: File