35304_RFQ Q and A_v2.docx

ODOT Procurement Office 355 Capitol Street NE, MS 5-1 Salem, OR 97301 Telephone: 503-373-1111 Purchaser/Single Point of Contact: laurie.a.stumpf@odot.oregon.gov

Volume #1 (Q1-Q22) – posted 6/10/2022

This Questions and Answers document is ODOT’s response to questions asked by parties interested in this Request for Proposals (RFP). The responses are being made available to all parties interested in this RFP. This Questions and Answers document does not change or otherwise modify the RFP documents; the RFP documents can only be changed by Addendum issued on OregonBuys.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Q1 – For pricing purposes, how long are the annual meetings? All day or half day?

Response: It has varied. For example, prior to the pandemic, we held all-day, in-person annual and summer work session meetings. Since the pandemic, we have hosted those same events as 2-day remote meetings with half days each day.

Q2 – What is the problem that is being solved?

Response: Not a problem per se. This will be facilitation and support for ongoing stakeholder groups. Work with state, local, and federal agencies to collaborate on continued process improvements, manage steering committee and subcommittee work plans. Support is needed to plan and facilitate 2 annual conference-type events and 2 training workshops – so 4 quarterly big events per year.

Q3 – Regarding the minimum qualifications (RFP Section 2.1.2 Minimum Key Persons Requirements) and being a small firm or “one man show”, it seems you need probably a team of 15 people?

Response: We estimate 2-3 facilitators would be sufficient, but it would be too much for one person alone. If your firm does not have at least 2 or more key persons currently on staff, you would need to demonstrate how you plan to meet the requirements, such as to hire staff or to team up with another interested firm. To see other firms interested in this solicitation to potentially team up with, go to OregonBuys and find the solicitation #73000-00003084, click on Bid Holder List. If you need assistance in finding the List reach out to the Single Point of Contact.

As an example, the current consultant originally had 3 people – a project manager/facilitator, a support facilitator, and a third person who managed the invoicing and contract administration. One team member retired and the third person stepped in to be the support facilitator. ODOT staff including the Agency Project Manager help with events.

Q3 – Developing content for facilitation – As a facilitator, is there already an outline or do we need to develop our own facilitation show?

Response: We work as a team to develop the event and facilitation plans. The facilitators receive input from the ODOT and local agency committee co-leads on whatever event we are planning. However, we have existing event plan outlines developed with our current consultants. ODOT will share these plans with our new consultants.

Q5 – If single facilitator and teaming up: Team up later or team up as a joint venture going into the proposal?

Response: Proposer to decide whether to team up ahead of time or propose on your own. Explain your plan to provide the needed key persons and services in the proposal. Then we evaluate the relative strength of each proposal based on the evaluation criteria. Also see response to Q3 regarding Bid Holder List as a potential teaming source of information. .

Q6 - Will this presentation be provided to attendees after the meeting?

Response: Yes, both presentations and the Q&A document will be uploaded to OregonBuys or email the Single Point of Contact to request them.

Q7 - How large is the stakeholder group?

Response: Around 150 people. Will be growing. Anticipate that with the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act additional federal funds will be going to local agencies, which may increase the number of local agencies participating in the Certification Program in the upcoming 2 or 3 years. The core attendance has been around 90 persons at each big event.

Q8 - 1) Who is doing this work for you currently? 2) Are budgets from prior years available? 3) What is your best estimate on the percentage of hours to be spent on administrative/organizational tasks versus the percentage to be spent on facilitation, training, teambuilding, and conflict resolution, etc.?

Response:

· Innovative Growth Solutions is currently working for us and are on glide path to retirement. See the Certification User Group webpage to see the deliverables the current consultants developed, including the charter, slides at the last meeting, and materials for next summer work session.

· Budget is estimated at $160,000 for 2 year contract (Subject to negotiations). Can also be found in OregonBuys Estimated Cost/Budget.

· Percentage of time ** Development of event plans and supporting the planning teams, steering committee, and co-leads for subcommittees require a fair amount of administration and coordination. Facilitation at the meetings: quarterly meetings, steering committee, subcommittee. Hours are subject to negotiation. Based on scope of work with current consultant, estimate of 60% for planning, coordinating and preparing versus 40% of meeting facilitation.

Q9 - What does supporting training material mean--from scratch development, reviewing work, collaboration on work products?

Response: Get the framework in place. As to substantive aspects such as engineering – we would bring in the subject matter expert. Our training consultant assists us effectuating our training. Not from scratch. We help.

Q10 - Are in person meetings held in Salem? Or other areas?

Response: Yes. In-person meetings are in-state. Most meetings are in Salem, but some may be in Eugene, Portland or other areas in Oregon. Currently, Salem is central for most stakeholders so larger events will likely be in Salem. Quarterly steering committee and team planning meetings are not mandated in-person and are either remote or hybrid format.

Q11 - Are you looking for in-person or virtual/hybrid meetings?

Response: See response to Q10 above.

Q12 - How many steering committee meetings a year?

Response: We typically hold quarterly steering committee meetings; so 4 per year. For a description of the anticipated scope of work, see Exhibit A Statement of Work (within Attachment A Sample Contract.)

Q13 - What's working well today and where is there room for improvement?

Response: Event plan is pretty dialed in. Planning team working well together. We have a format for how events are structured. We can share event plans but recognize that consultants come with their own skill sets and are open to doing things differently. There is always something to work to improve. “Unsticking the red tape” – if you are skilled in that, we can use your skills!

Right now, we are focusing on training. We are developing a training curriculum and matrix, which may or may not be completed with our current consultant.

Q14 - Have you gotten feedback for each annual meeting and summer workshop from the attendees?

Response: Yes, surveying attendees is a deliverable under our current contract and we have the results from prior years. We would be able to share that with the new consultant.

Q15 - Can time be built in for coordination with current consultant to ensure a smooth transition?

Response: Transition is a deliverable under the current contract; thus, a transition period is planned, but will depend on timing.

Q16 - You mentioned certification levels - do you have specific goals to increase these numbers?

Response: Not currently. Out of scope.

Q17 - On the price proposal it cautions limits on rates, is that for this contract or mostly construction type contracts?

Response: The awarded Consultant will need ODOT approved billing rates on file prior to contract execution, but do not need approved billing rates to propose. ODOT reserves the option to negotiate all billing rates and costs on contracts awarded from this RFP.

Q18 - How do you get approved ODOT billing rates?

Response: Reach out to the Billing Rates team at ODOTBillingRateUpdates@odot.oregon.gov. Billing rates email/information can also be found in Attachment E Price Proposal.

Q19 - How many facilitators do you anticipate having in your pool? For instance, this would be 1 facilitator or 3 or a pool of?

Response: See responses to Q3 and Q5.

Q20 - You mentioned the Non-responsive proposal (a proposal that does not substantially comply with the requirements set forth in the RFP). If I turn my proposal in early, will you give me feedback so I can have the opportunity to turn my proposal back in?

Response: No. On Bid Opening date, all of the proposals are opened. Purchaser/Single Point of Contact may request clarification from Proposer, however clarifications may not be used to rehabilitate a non-Responsive proposal.

Q21 - Would the consultant have access to shared systems like MS Teams? (asking for coordination and communications purposes) Response: Not our current process to provide the consultant with access to the agency’s MS Teams. Current consultant has shared responsibility of who is going put together calendar invitations and host online meetings. Current consultant has Zoom; ODOT has Teams. In Exhibit A Statement of Work (within Attachment A Sample Contract), please see section A. at Agency Responsibilities, B. Standards and General Requirements, and D. Format Requirements. We tried to be clear about the minimum requirements while still providing some flexibility to adjust as needed. Since the pandemic, availability of remote meeting platforms increased, and we adjusted our meeting formats.

Q22 – Attachment E has us break down each deliverable in detail by hour estimation. My question is around the hours I estimate here. If I win the bid, am I contractually held to these hourly estimates per deliverable? My understanding is that this is a lump sum project, so I'm trying to understand if this level of detail in the spreadsheet is to help contractors arrive at a lump sum bid or if the hours estimated by role and deliverable will also be part of the final contract.

Response: The task work, task hours, and the method of compensation will be negotiated with the awarded firm. We will use the cost proposal to evaluate relative costs between Proposers and cost is not the only evaluation criteria.

Other Clarification/Comment – It is ODOT’s intent to do interviews. Local agencies will be represented there, too. We need to meet with them since they are facilitators.

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