8-02. Specific Terms and Conditions - EEI-2026 RFP.pdf

Cherokee County School District Specific Terms and Conditions

Employee Engagement Initiative: Climate Survey EEI-2026 RFP

1. The Cherokee County School District (CCSD) is soliciting proposals from qualified proposers to design and implement a comprehensive employee engagement initiative aimed at improving organizational climate and culture across all educational and administrative sites. This initiative will directly support the district’s strategic goal to Elevate the Excellence in coordination of systems and processes and will reflect the Core Belief that employees are trusted and supported as professionals and provided with resources to elevate student outcomes. The work should foster a positive and productive environment that enhances student success.

Cherokee County School District is a high-performing public school system in Metro Atlanta, with 40 schools and centers, 7,000 employees and 41,000 students.

The Cherokee County School Board is committed to high expectations, clear student achievement goals, and consistent accountability coupled with the support needed for principals, teachers, staff, and students to be successful.

CCSD core beliefs serve as the foundation for the district:

• All students are highly engaged in their education and capable of reaching their full learning potential.

• Employees are trusted and supported as professionals and provided with resources to elevate student outcomes.

• Families and our community are involved partners in student success and can expect all students to receive the best education possible.

• Schools are positive and welcoming environments with clear expectations and accountability in all academic and operational areas.

2. All questions regarding the EEI-2026 RFP must be submitted through the CCSD Euna Procurement (formerly

Bonfire) Message Center by 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. Questions should be submitted individually to receive a response.

3. All information requested for this solicitation must be submitted through the Euna Procurement (formerly

Bonfire) portal. RFP proposals must be submitted in the portal on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, by 9:00 a.m.

Paper submissions will not be accepted.

Proposals must be submitted in the templates and/or format prescribed on the electronic platform. Elaborate proposals in the form of brochures or other presentations beyond that which are necessary to present a complete and effective proposal are not desired and will not be reviewed or considered.

4. The twelve (12) month term for the Employee Engagement Initiative for Climate Survey RFP will be Jan 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026, with the option to renew up to four (4) annual renewals if requested by the successful proposer(s) at least 120 days in advance of current term expiration. All prices submitted must be firm for the duration of the term as well as any subsequent renewals.

5. Proposers must provide pricing for a complete turn-key solution, including all aspects of the scope of work outlined in this RFP.

Proposers must submit a response to all items listed in this section. Each section must be clearly labeled with the corresponding letter (i.e., a, b, etc.).

a. Professional fees

b. Travel (if applicable)

c. Materials and resources

d. Optional add-ons or scalable services

All pricing options and applicable charges must be listed to ensure comparisons are fair and equitable. It is the proposer’s responsibility to provide all available pricing options and list all applicable charges. All information requested on the CCSD proposal form must be provided for analysis purposes.

6. A current Certificate of Insurance must be submitted with the proposal even if current insurance limits do not meet CCSD’s required amounts. The awarded proposer(s) is required to maintain the insurance requirements as specified in CCSD General Terms and Conditions (General Term #30-32).

If awarded, all insurance required limits must be met within five (5) business days. Failure to meet required insurance limits within five (5) business days of the award will result in removal from the RFP award. The awarded proposer must maintain insurance coverage for the duration of the contract with CCSD including all renewals.

7. All proposers, including any person affiliated with or in any way related to the proposer, are strictly prohibited from contacting Cherokee County Board of Education members, CCSD employees or consultants on any matter having to do in any aspect with this RFP, other than the CCSD Department of Procurement Services.

Contact of this nature will result in immediate disqualification of the proposer.

8. CCSD Objectives:

• Assess current employee engagement levels and organizational climate.

• Identify key drivers of employee satisfaction, retention, and morale.

• Develop and implement strategies to enhance workplace culture in alignment with the belief that schools are positive and welcoming environments with clear expectations and accountability.

• Provide tools and training to leaders and staff to sustain improvements, reinforcing the district’s priority to Elevate the Excellence in effective School Board-Superintendent Governance.

• Establish metrics to monitor progress and impact over time, ensuring alignment with district-wide goals and continuous improvement.

9. Scope of Work: Proposer must provide a written Scope of Work (SOW) detailing the proposer’s plan to implement, service, and manage this contract in accordance with CCSD’s specifications, relevant laws, and industry “best practices”.

The proposed Employee Engagement Initiative for Climate Survey solution must provide/meet the following expectations:

a. Assessment & Discovery

• Develop and conduct employee surveys.

• Analyze existing data (e.g., exit interviews, engagement surveys).

• Identify strengths, gaps, and opportunities for improvement as aligned to the district’s

Supportive Accountability Governance Model.

b. Strategy Development

• Advise and develop a district-wide employee engagement strategy.

• Recommend actionable initiatives tailored to different employee groups (e.g., teachers, support staff, substitutes, administrators) as aligned to the district’s Supportive Accountability Governance Model.

c. Implementation Support

• Facilitate workshops, training, and team-building sessions as requested.

• Provide coaching or consulting to site leaders and HR personnel as requested.

• Develop communication plans to promote transparency and buy-in across all levels of the organization.

d. Measurement & Reporting

• Establish KPIs and benchmarks for engagement and climate.

• Provide progress reports by location and district summary reports.

• Recommend tools for ongoing monitoring and feedback collection to support sustained excellence.

10. The proposer must provide a sample questionnaire used in an engagement survey.

11. The proposer must provide a sample of an Engagement and Climate Assessment Report that is comprehensive across the district and includes a breakdown by each location. It is expected a final report will provide this information.

12. The proposer must provide a Strategic Engagement Plan with timelines and milestones.

13. The awarded proposer must provide training materials and facilitation guides.

14. The proposer must provide a sample of the Final Evaluation Report with recommendations for sustainability that is comprehensive across the district and includes a breakdown by each location. It is expected that the awarded proposer will provide a final report of this information.

15. Invoices must be sent to humanresources@cherokeek12.net once the job is complete and in proper working order.

16. ACH/EFT payments are highly recommended. If awarded, the proposer(s) may submit payment information with the W-9. ACH/EFT requires the following information:

• Bank Name

• Account Number

• Routing Number

• Email Address to send remittance

17. Any deviations to the above specific terms must be stated with written documentation clarifying any such nonconformity and must be submitted with proposal response.

18. The services being sought under this RFP are professional in nature. Submittals will be evaluated on a combination of factors. They include, but are not limited to the following award criteria:

• 35 points Understanding of educational environments and alignment with CCSD’s Supportive Accountability Governance Model

• 20 points Proposed methodology and approach

• 20 points Price

• 15 points Relevant Experience and qualifications

• 10 points References mailto:humanresources@cherokeek12.net