6-RFQ V7 Scope of Work.pdf

Agency for Community Transit ACT Media Buying Services No. 26-2-13304

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VOLUME 7 SCOPE OF WORK

SW 1. Overview The selected contractor shall serve as the Owner’s recruitment media buying partner to plan, purchase, manage, and evaluate recruitment advertising intended to increase applications for the Owner’s employment opportunities and strengthen awareness of the Owner as an employer during calendar year 2027. Services include providing recruitment media strategy and planning, media buying and placement, campaign monitoring and optimization, reporting and analytics, billing and reconciliation, and ongoing account management. Services shall be coordinated with the Owner and performed within the approved project budget.

The Owner recruits for positions that may include transit operations, maintenance, facilities, administrative, professional, and technical roles. Recruitment priorities, position openings, and advertising needs may change during the contract term. This procurement concerns employee recruitment advertising, not promotion of Madison County Mass Transit District (MCT) ridership or transit services.

SW 2. Project Goals and Objectives The Contractor shall support the following project goals and objectives:

• Increase the volume of qualified applicants for the Owner positions through targeted, cost-effective recruitment advertising.

• Increase awareness of the Owner employment opportunities and employer brand among relevant labor markets and prospective candidates.

• Identify and reach candidate audiences appropriate to varying job classifications, geographic markets, and hiring priorities.

• Use measurable campaign performance and available applicant-activity information to recommend improvements in targeting, placement, timing, and spending.

• Maximize the portion of funding directed to effective recruitment advertising.

SW 3. Scope of Services The Contractor shall provide the following services, at a minimum, throughout the contract term and in coordination with the Owner. The specific media channels, campaign timing, and allocation of available funds shall be developed with the Owner following award and shall be subject to the Owner approval before implementation.

Recruitment Media Strategy and Planning

• Conduct an initial discovery meeting to review hiring priorities, workforce needs, recruitment challenges, available creative materials, and relevant labor markets.

• Develop and recommend recruitment media strategies tailored to the Owner's diverse workforce needs, identifying target candidate audiences, geographic markets, appropriate advertising channels, campaign objectives, and methods of measuring results.

• Prepare a proposed media placement plan and campaign calendar identifying channels, audiences, anticipated placement periods, proposed spending by channel or campaign, and key milestones.

• Revise the proposed strategy, plan, and calendar as necessary to address Owner feedback, changing hiring priorities, and available funding. The Owner's approval of the media placement plan shall authorize placements within the approved budget and parameters. Any material changes to the approved plan or expenditures shall require the Owner's prior written approval.

Media Buying and Placement

• Research, recommend, negotiate, purchase, schedule, and manage recruitment advertising placements through the Owner-approved media channels. Channels may include digital display, paid search, social media, online job platforms, mobile advertising, radio or streaming audio, cable or streaming television, and other channels appropriate to the Owner’s recruitment needs.

• Recommend media placements based on candidate-audience characteristics, cost, reach, campaign objectives, and available performance information. No specific channel or minimum purchase volume is guaranteed.

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• Verify that advertisements are placed in accordance with approved schedules, targeting, budgets, and creative materials; identify and resolve placement or delivery discrepancies.

• Maintain sufficient placement and expenditure records to substantiate media charges and support billing reconciliation.

Campaign Monitoring and Optimization

• Monitor campaign delivery and performance throughout each active campaign and identify opportunities to improve recruitment results.

• Recommend adjustments to audiences, creative formats, channels, placement timing, and spending based on campaign results and changing recruitment priorities.

• Coordinate proposed material changes or reallocations of approved funds with the Owner and obtain prior written approval before implementation.

• Provide practical recommendations for improving campaign effectiveness, including position-specific or audience-specific adjustments when supported by available data.

Reporting and Analytics

• Provide quarterly performance reports within 15 calendar days following the end of each quarter, summarizing advertising activity, expenditures, results, and recommended improvements. The fourth-quarter report shall be included in the final campaign report and submitted within 30 calendar days following contract expiration.

• Report impressions, click-through rate (CTR), reach, frequency, and traffic to the Owner’s career site or job pages, where measurable and applicable to the channels used.

• Relate advertising performance to applicant activity or other recruitment outcomes where data and technical access permit; identify measurement limitations when attribution is unavailable.

• Provide performance analysis and recommendations for campaign optimization and reallocation of spending by channel, audience, creative, or position category, where supported by available data.

• Provide a final campaign report incorporating fourth-quarter results, overall activity, expenditures, key findings, lessons learned, and recommendations for future recruitment advertising, in accordance with the closeout requirements of SW 4, Budget and Timeline.

Account Management and Communication

• Designate a primary account representative responsible for day-to-day coordination, timely communication, and oversight of services.

• Conduct monthly check-ins with the Owner to review campaign activity, hiring priorities, performance, upcoming placements, and budget status; provide brief written summaries of decisions and follow-up actions.

• Make appropriate media buying, strategy, and reporting personnel available when reasonably requested by the Owner.

• Respond to changes in recruitment priorities and communicate issues that could affect campaign delivery, timing, costs, or performance.

Billing, Budget Management, and Reconciliation

• Submit monthly itemized invoices identifying labor hours by classification, applicable contract rates, actual media placement costs, and approved production expenses.

• Media placements shall be billed at actual cost without commissions or markups. Contractor compensation for media buying, planning, monitoring, reporting, and account management shall be limited to the approved hourly labor rates. Separate management fees, administrative charges, or other contractor service fees shall not be permitted.

• Provide supporting documentation for media placement costs.

• Monitor cumulative expenditures against the approved project budget and provide monthly budget summaries identifying expenditures incurred, outstanding commitments, and remaining available funds.

• Obtain the Owner's prior written approval for additional services or expenditures not previously authorized, subject to the compensation restrictions of this Contract.

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SW 4. Budget and Timeline Total project expenditure shall not exceed $90,000 for the 12-month contract period of January 1 through December 31, 2027, inclusive of media placements billed at actual cost, contractor labor billed at approved hourly rates, approved production costs, and all other authorized project expenses. The Contractor may recommend adjustments to media placements, timing, or spending to improve campaign effectiveness, provided the total budget and contract period are not exceeded.

All media placements, production, account management, and other campaign services shall be completed by December 31, 2027. Final reporting, reconciliation, and administrative closeout activities may continue through January 31, 2028, at no additional cost to the Owner. The Contractor shall account for these closeout obligations in its hourly rates. Final invoices, performance reports, reconciliation documents, and other required closeout materials shall be submitted no later than January 31, 2028.

SW 5. Creative Responsibilities The Owner will provide primary campaign messaging, graphics, photography, and other available creative assets, including internally produced social media content. The Contractor may recommend professional video or audio production services when necessary, subject to the Owner approval and the available project budget.

The Contractor shall coordinate with the Owner to ensure creative materials meet applicable media platform specifications and shall assist with necessary formatting and adaptations. All creative modifications shall remain consistent with the Owner's branding and require the Owner approval prior to placement.

SW 6. Optional Video and Audio Production Professional video or audio production is not a required base service. The Contractor may recommend such services when appropriate to the approved recruitment strategy, subject to the Owner's prior written approval.

Approved third-party production costs shall be billed at actual cost without markup. Contractor labor associated with approved production may be billed only under an applicable labor classification and hourly rate included in the awarded Bid Price Form. All production expenses must remain within the $90,000 project budget and be identified separately from media placement costs.

SW 7. Deliverables The selected contractor shall be responsible for providing the deliverables identified in this section in accordance with the approved media strategy, campaign schedule, and reporting requirements. Deliverables are intended to document campaign planning, execution, performance, and budget management throughout the contract term and shall be submitted in the format and timeframe agreed upon with the Owner.

Deliverables Minimum Content / Requirement Initial discovery findings Summary of recruitment priorities, target audiences, and planning assumptions.

Media strategy and placement plan Recommended channels, targeting, proposed spending allocation, and performance measures;

subject to the Owner’s approval.

Campaign calendar Proposed timing, advertising flights, milestones, and subsequent approved updates.

Quarterly performance reports Campaign metrics, spending summaries, analysis, and optimization recommendations.

Monthly check-in summaries Key discussion points, decisions, upcoming actions, and responsibilities.

Monthly invoices and budget summaries Itemized charges, supporting documentation for media placements, reconciliation, expenditures incurred, outstanding commitments, and remaining available funds.

Final campaign report Fourth-quarter performance results, annual activity and expenditure summary, findings, and recommendations. Due within 30 calendar days following contract expiration.

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Optional production assets Approved video, audio, or other creative deliverables, only when separately authorized.

SW 8. Subcontracting Subcontracting is allowed. The Contractor shall remain fully responsible for the performance of all subcontracted services and compliance with the requirements of this Contract.

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VOLUME 7 Scope of Work