9-01 Request for Proposal - Leadership Skills.pdf

Gallup-McKinley County Schools Procurement Office P.O.

Box 1318 Gallup, New Mexico 87305-1318

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Leadership Skills & Professional Development Consulting Multi-Year Agreement

No. RFP-2026-40BK

COMMODITY CODE(S): 918, 20866, 20967, 91821, 91824. 91838

Attached General Conditions, Supplemental Conditions, Specifications, and Proposal Form

GMCS Website: www.gmcs.org

Mailing Address: Physical Address: Contact:

P.O. Box 1318 Gallup, NM 87305

640 S. Boardman Dr.

Gallup, NM 87301

Breana Kesner Procurement Buyer

(505) 721-1084

(505) 721-2242 Fax bkesner@gmcs.org

Notes:

Closing Date: May 27, 2026 F.O.B. Point: DESTINATION Closing Time: (Local) 2:00 PM Terms: Net 30 unless otherwise stated Opening/Issue Date: May 4, 2026 Quantities may be increased or decreased within reasonable amounts.

http://www.gmcs.org/ http://www.gmcs.org/

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Description Page Sequence of Events Pg. 2 Pre Proposal Conference Pg. 3 Special Conditions Pg. 4 Purpose Pg. 6 Scope of Work Pg. 7 Response Format & Organization Pg. 10 Evaluation Pg. 11 Evaluation Criteria Pg. 12

SEQUENCE OF EVENTS

Schedule - Subject to change at discretion of the Procurement Manager and proper notice provided to Offerors:

Action Responsibility Date/Time (MDT) Issue RFP District May 4, 2026

@ 2:00 PM

Pre-Proposal Conference Agency May 8, 2026

@ 10:00 AM

Deadline to Submit Written Questions Potential Offerors May 12, 2026

Response(s) to written questions, via Amendment

Procurement Manager May 14, 2026

Last Date for Amendments Procurement Manager May 14, 2026

Deadline to Submit Proposals Offerors May 27, 2026

@ 2:00 PM

Proposal Evaluation Evaluation Committee TBD

Interviews (if held) Evaluation Committee TBD

Recommendation for Award to Governing Body

Procurement Manager TBD

Notice of Award District TBD

Protest Deadline Offerors TBD

PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE

Leadership Skills & Professional Development Consulting

RFP-2026-40BK

A pre-proposal conference will be held on Friday, May 8, 2026 at 10:00 am

(MDT). Attendance is not required; however, it is highly recommended in order to submit

A responsive proposal.

Offerors must request an invitation to attend no less than 24 hours prior to the meeting

Date and time (before 10:00 am on May 7, 2026).

Attendance requests shall be emailed to bkesner@gmcs.org with “RFP-2026-40BK

Pre-proposal” in the subject line.

Location: Microsoft Teams online meeting or Zoom (meeting invite to be sent once requested)

We encourage you to have your initial questions ready, in writing, as stated in the bid

Documents, to submit. Additional questions after the pre-bid conference will be accepted

Until the question submission deadline stated in the GMCS bonfire eBidding platform

For this opportunity.

No responses to questions are official until published in writing, by amendment.

Special Conditions

A. Purpose and Scope: The purpose of this solicitation is to identify and contract with one or more providers capable of delivering high-quality, research-grounded leadership training and ongoing consultation to district administrators, building-level administrators, and mid-level management/supervisors across all departments and in both school and support services settings.

a) This solicitation adds to and does not replace awards made under previous solicitation number RFP-2026-39HC Executive Governance and Leadership Development Consulting.

B. Statutory Authority: This procurement is conducted pursuant to the New Mexico Procurement Code, NMSA 1978, §§13-1-28 through 13-1-199, including §§13-1-99 through 13-1-101 governing the procurement of professional services, and applicable provisions of 1.4.1 NMAC. Awards may be made to multiple Offerors when determined to be in the best interest of the District due to the specialized and varied nature of services required.

C. Term of Contract: The term of this contract shall be from Date of Award through June 30, 2027. GMCS reserves the option to renew this agreement for seven (7) additional, one (1) year periods. Final renewal will expire June 30, 2034.

D. Contract Renewal: Except when either party shall provide written notice of termination or that the contract shall expire on the anniversary date, multi-term contracts shall automatically renew for an additional term, up to the maximum number of terms stated in any Special Terms and Conditions.

E. Appropriations: The terms of this Agreement are contingent upon sufficient monies being made available by the Gallup-McKinley County Schools for the performance of this Agreement. If sufficient appropriations and authorizations are not made by the Gallup-McKinley County Schools, this Agreement shall terminate upon written notice being given by the District to the Contractor. The District’s decision as to whether sufficient appropriations are available shall be accepted by the Contractor and shall be final.

F. Work to Be Done: The work to be performed under this contract, and in accordance with the Scope of Work by an independent contractor to provide professional services as requested.

G. Price Adjustment (Services): Requests for price escalation for fixed fee schedules or rates are permitted only at the anniversary date of the award or for necessary economic adjustments agreed upon by both parties. Requests for price escalation must be supported by appropriate documentation for price reasonableness and submitted no less than 60 days prior to the effective date or contract renewal date.

Failure to submit a request with the required advance notice may result in denial of the request.

H. Purchase Orders: All Services And Materials Provided Must Have A Valid Purchase Order

(Signed). The Vendor shall be responsible for ensuring that no orders are accepted without an authorized GMCS Purchase Order number. All Purchase Orders are for a one-time purchase and may NOT be reused. Failure to comply with this paragraph shall be cause for the District not to honor the invoice.

I. Competency of Offeror: Proposals will be considered only from firms who can provide evidence that they have established a satisfactory record of performance and integrity to insure they can execute the requirements as stated herein. Any determination as to competency shall be made by appropriate GMCS staff.

J. Payment or Acceptance Not Conclusive: Vendor will supply the District with invoice(s) for payment.

No payment made under this contract shall be conclusive evidence of the performance of this contract, either wholly or in part, and that no payment made for the delivery of the items in whole or in part shall be construed as an acceptance of defective work or improper materials, nor relieve the Offeror from corrections of the defects. The final acceptance shall not be binding upon the District, nor conclusive, should it subsequently develop the Offeror has furnished inferior items or had departed from the Specifications and/or the terms of the Contract. Should such conditions become evident, the District shall have the right, notwithstanding final acceptance and payment, to cause the item(s) to be properly furnished in accordance with the Specifications (and drawings, if any) at the cost and expense of the Offeror.

K. Force Majeure: In no event shall the Offeror be responsible or liable for any failure or delay in the performance of its obligations hereunder arising out of or caused by, directly or indirectly, forces beyond its control, including, without limitation, strikes, work stoppages, accidents, acts of war or terrorism.

L. Contacts: All questions concerning this Request for Proposals (RFP) shall be submitted in the GMCS Bonfire eBidding Portal.

a) Offerors are hereby advised and cautioned that all communication and information shall be obtained only through the Procurement Manager. Communication with other District employees, officials or Board Members in connection with this solicitation may result in Offeror’s proposal being disqualified.

b) Only written questions will be accepted. Responses to written questions will be through Amendment ONLY, which shall be posted on the GMCS eBidding Portal.

M. Response Time: Vendor shall respond to District inquiries within a reasonable timeframe appropriate to the nature of the request and shall identify in its proposal typical response times for routine and urgent matters.

N. Award of Contract – Multi-Source: GMCS reserves the right to make multiple awards as a result of this request if doing so may be advantageous to the District.

O. The District makes no guarantee of a minimum volume of work to any Contractor.

Purpose

The purpose of this solicitation is to identify and contract with one or more providers capable of delivering high-quality, research-grounded leadership training and ongoing consultation to district administrators, building-level administrators, and mid-level management/supervisors across all departments and in both school and support services settings.

a) This solicitation adds to and does not replace awards made under previous solicitation number RFP-2026-39HC Executive Governance and Leadership Development Consulting.

The District seeks providers who demonstrate:

a) proven track record of improving leadership capacity,

b) organizational performance,

c) instructional outcomes in K-12 public school settings.

The District recognizes that the quality of leadership at every level of the organization is a direct determinant of student achievement, organizational culture, and community trust. As the largest geographically diverse school district in New Mexico and one of the largest in the United States by land area, Gallup-McKinley County Schools serves a richly diverse student population across numerous communities. Meeting the needs of this population demands that district and school leaders be equipped with current, evidence-based knowledge and skills that enable them to lead with clarity, integrity, and effectiveness.

Through this solicitation, the District intends to:

a) Build leadership capacity across all administrative tiers of the organization

b) Strengthen interpersonal and communication skills among district and school leaders

c) Advance strategic thinking, data-informed decision-making, and organizational planning

d) Improve instructional leadership practices that directly impact student performance

e) Foster productive, professional, and legally compliant labor-management relationships

f) Cultivate a leadership culture grounded in accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement

The District is particularly interested in providers with demonstrated expertise in soft skills development, strategic leadership, honest and direct communication practices, motivational leadership, instructional improvement, and labor relations. Providers are encouraged to identify additional relevant topics that align with current best practices in K-12 educational leadership.

Scope of Work

A. Eligible Participants Services procured through this solicitation may be delivered to any combination of the following District personnel, as determined by the District based on need and available funding:

a) District Directors, Coordinators, Supervisors, Specialists, and Managers

b) School Principals and Assistant Principals

c) Dean of Students and similar School Site Leaders

d) Superintendent and Assistant Superintendents

e) Support Staff

B. Types of Services Responding providers must clearly identify and describe the types of services they are prepared to offer.

Services may include, but are not limited to, the following categories:

a) Training and Professional Development

Structured learning experiences delivered in-person, virtually, or in a hybrid format. Training may take the form of workshops, seminars, cohort-based programs, multi-day institutes, or module-based learning sequences. Providers must identify the format, duration, and delivery model that they can provide.

b) Ongoing Consultation

Individualized or group-based consultation services that support the application of leadership skills in real-world contexts. Consultation may be requested through regular scheduled sessions, as-needed advisory support, or structured coaching engagements.

c) Coaching and Mentorship

One-on-one or small-group coaching designed to support individual leaders in developing targeted skills, addressing specific leadership challenges, or navigating organizational transitions. Providers offering coaching services must describe their coaching model and the qualifications of assigned coaches.

d) Cohort or Team-Based Learning

Collaborative learning experiences designed for leadership teams or district cohorts. These services may support team alignment, shared leadership vision, or cross-departmental collaboration.

C. Required Topic Areas The District has identified the following priority topic areas of interest. Providers must clearly indicate which of these topics they are prepared to address and describe their approach to each:

a) Soft Skills for School Leaders: Any leadership competencies and interpersonal skills essential to effective leadership, including active listening, emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, building trust, and professional communication. Training should be tailored to the unique interpersonal dynamics of public-school leadership environments.

b) Strategic Leadership: Frameworks and tools for long-range planning, systems thinking, stakeholder engagement, change management, and resource alignment in support of district vision and goals.

Training should equip leaders to translate organizational priorities into actionable strategies.

c) Honest, Direct, and Compassionate Communication: Approaches to delivering feedback that is simultaneously candid and caring, promoting individual growth without sacrificing professional relationships. Training should address how to build a culture where honest dialogue is expected and welcomed, how to challenge poor performance constructively, how to praise meaningfully, and how to engage in difficult conversations with clarity and empathy. This includes developing the self-awareness leaders need to recognize when they are avoiding necessary conversations and the skills to have them effectively.

d) Motivational Leadership and Managing Instructional Outcomes: Integrated leadership practices that connect staff motivation directly to instructional performance and student achievement. Training should address how leaders inspire and sustain high performance among school and district staff through recognition, cultivation of intrinsic motivation, and a positive organizational climate.

Training should also address instructional leadership practices including effective teacher evaluation, coaching and feedback with specific examples and modeling, use of student performance data, curriculum alignment, and targeted intervention strategies. Providers should help administrators understand how motivating staff and driving measurable instructional improvement are mutually reinforcing leadership responsibilities.

e) Labor Relations and Collaborative Workplace Leadership: Skills and frameworks for leading effectively within the complex interpersonal and legal environment of a unionized public school district. Training should develop leaders' abilities to communicate clearly and professionally with all staff, navigate formal processes such as due process and grievance procedures with confidence and fairness, and build collaborative working relationships grounded in mutual respect and shared purpose.

D. Provider-Identified Topics In addition to the priority areas identified above, providers are encouraged to propose additional training or consultation topics they believe are relevant to highly effective K-12 leadership. Proposals must clearly identify all topics offered, provide a rationale for their inclusion, and describe how each topic contributes to leadership effectiveness in a public-school context.

E. Evidence of Effectiveness All responding providers must submit evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of their training or consultation methods. Acceptable forms of evidence may include:

a) Participant outcome data from prior engagements, including pre/post assessments or skill inventories

b) Case studies or documented examples of leadership improvement resulting from provider services

c) Testimonials or letters of support from prior clients in K-12 public education settings

d) Published research, program evaluations, or third-party assessments supporting the provider's methodology

The District reserves the right to contact references and to request clarification or supplemental evidence during the evaluation process.

F. Other Proposal Requirements for Evaluation and Scoring

Proposals submitted in response to this solicitation must include, at a minimum, the following:

a) A description of the provider's organizational background, qualifications, and relevant experience in K-12 public education leadership development

b) A detailed listing of all training and/or consultation services offered, including format, delivery method, duration, and intended participant audience

c) Identification of all leadership topics the provider is prepared to address, with a description of the approach and methodology for each

d) Evidence of effectiveness. Qualifications and relevant experience of lead trainers, consultants, or coaches who would be assigned to the District

e) Proposed pricing structure, including costs per session, per participant, per day, or any other applicable unit of service. See the Cost Proposal Requirements for more detail.

Response Format and Organization:

A. Number of Responses – Only one (1) proposal may be submitted by each individual entity in response to this solicitation.

B. Required Forms or Input Information – Offerors shall upload forms in Portable Document File (pdf) format and input information which are stated to be required on the GMCS Bonfire eBidding portal.

C. Optional Forms or Input Information – Offerors may upload forms in Portable Document File (pdf) format or input information which are optional, but applicable to the Offeror, i.e., NM Resident Preference Certificate, NM Veteran’s Resident Certificate, other certification(s), etc.

D. Proposal Format – Proposals are limited to twenty (20) standard 8 ½” x 11” pages of text and/or graphic material. If there are any questions as to format requirements, they shall be directed to the Procurement Manager for clarification, prior to submitting documents.

a) Cost Proposal - only one (1) cost proposal is to be submitted. This must be uploaded separately from the Technical Proposal and include information as requested in the Evaluation Criteria.

1) Offerors are cautioned that disclosing cost information in other parts of their proposal, other than were requested to be input/submitted, may result in declaring the proposal as Non- Responsive, and will not be evaluated or considered for award.

b) Exclusions from Page Limitation—the Cost Proposal and required or optional forms are excluded from the maximum page count.

c) Non-Conforming Proposal – Any proposal deemed non-conforming by the Procurement Manager and/or Evaluation Committee Chairperson in regard to format will be considered non-responsive.

Offerors shall contact the Procurement Manager to clarify questions concerning format prior to submission.

Proposal shall be formatted in the following order:

A. Experience/ Qualifications - Describe the background, credentials, and direct experience of the individual(s) or organization submitting the proposal. Experience should demonstrate substantive, practitioner-level work in K-12 public education at the executive or governance level. Identify all personnel who would deliver services and provide their qualifications and relevant experience.

B. Technical Approach and Methodology- Describe the approach and methods proposed for each topic area identified in the Scope of Work. Explain how services will be tailored to meet the needs of senior leaders and governing board members. Address the format, delivery model, and how services will translate to measurable leadership growth. Identify any additional services, resources, or areas of expertise beyond the priority topics that would contribute to the District's executive and governance leadership development goals.

C. Demonstrated Effectiveness - Provide evidence of prior success in delivering leadership development or governance training to executive-level audiences in K-12 public education. Evidence may include a portfolio of outcomes, case studies, documented results, or testimonials from prior clients. Past relationship with the District, if applicable, will be considered.

D. Community Economic Participation – Describe how local workers will be employed during project execution. Include plans for employing local labor or engaging local subcontractors during project execution.

E. Other Value-Added Services- Offerors are encouraged to thoroughly describe any other value-added services they feel may contribute to the success of the District. These should be identified and listed separately.

Separate from the Technical Proposal

F. Proposed Pricing Structure – Pricing structure shall provide a breakdown of costs. Profit and overhead shall be incorporated into the hourly rates.

a) The Cost Proposal must be submitted SEPARATE from the Technical Proposal in the space provided in the GMCS Bonfire Portal.

b) Pricing structure is a document of the prospective offerors own making.

c) The BidTable will be utilized for evaluation purposes as well.

d) Alternate pricing structures may be submitted, but CLEARLY LABELED AS ALTERNATE

PRICE PROPOSAL. However, the amount stated above will be utilized for the evaluation and scoring of the proposals.

G. New Mexico Resident Preference - Pursuant to §13-1-21 and §13-1-22, Bidders/Offerors SHALL submit a valid copy of their Resident Preference Certificate with their bid or proposal in order for preference to be applied for the solicitation.

H. Resident Veteran’s Preference - Pursuant to §13-1-21 and §13-1-22, Bidders/Offerors SHALL submit a valid copy of their Resident Veteran’s Preference Certificate with their bid or proposal in order for preference to be applied for the solicitation.

Evaluation

A. Process- The purpose of the evaluation of proposals is to assess the relative merits of the proposals submitted and to make an award to the responsible Offeror(s) whose proposal(s) is/are determined to be the most advantageous to the District, taking into consideration the evaluation factors as set forth below.

a) Short List – A maximum total of 100 points is possible in scoring each proposal for the shortlist evaluation.

b) Finalists/Interviews and Site Visit(s), if applicable – A maximum total of 100 points are possible in scoring finalists in the interview process.

c) Final Rankings – All committee rankings (not individual scores) are public record and will be available for public inspection at the District offices after final award of contract(s). Individual scores and rankings by each committee member shall be confidential.

d) Point Calculations - All calculations of point standings, including any addition or deduction of points to Offeror submittals, shall occur at a meeting of the Evaluation Committee, with all members in attendance. The Committee’s points for each Offeror shall be totaled and averaged, and the average translated into a rank score. The highest rank(ed) Offerors shall be considered for interviews. The District reserves the right to award a contract or contracts without holding interviews.

Evaluation Criteria

Criteria Description Points

Experience/ Qualifications:

Describe the background, credentials, and direct experience of the individual(s) or organization submitting the proposal. Experience should demonstrate substantive, practitioner-level work in K- 12 public education at the executive or governance level. Identify all personnel who would deliver services and provide their qualifications and relevant experience.

Technical Approach and Methodology

Describe the approach and methods proposed for each topic area identified in the Scope of Work.

Explain how services will be tailored to meet the needs of senior leaders and governing board members. Address the format, delivery model, and how services will translate to measurable leadership growth. Identify any additional services, resources, or areas of expertise beyond the priority topics that would contribute to the District's executive and governance leadership development goals.

Demonstrated Effectiveness

Provide evidence of prior success in delivering leadership development or governance training to executive-level audiences in K-12 public education. Evidence may include a portfolio of outcomes, case studies, documented results, or testimonials from prior clients. Past relationship with the District, if applicable, will be considered.

Community Economic

Participation Preference

Points based on:

Verified McKinley County business presence, engagement of McKinley County subcontractors, local workforce participation plans, local supplier utilization strategies, and community partnership initiatives related to project performance.

Other Value- Added Services

Offerors are encouraged to thoroughly describe any other value-added services they feel may contribute to the success of the District. These should be identified and listed separate 5

Cost Proposal

Provide a breakdown of costs to perform the work. This must be submitted and identified with your firm’s name and “COST PROPOSAL”. Costs proposed should be in direct relationship to the services offered in relation to the Technical Approach. Other Value-Added Services shall be listed separately.

This must be submitted SEPARATE from the Technical Proposal.

The Lowest Responsive Offeror’s Cost will be divided by other Offeror’s cost, and then multiplied by the number of available points in the evaluation process to arrive at the final ranking of Offerors.

GRAND TOTAL 100 POINTS

Additional Preference – Percentage to be added to overall score if applicable.

New Mexico Resident/ Native

American Preference

Pursuant to §13-1-21 and §13-1-22, Bidders/Offerors SHALL submit a valid copy of their Resident Preference Certificate with their bid or proposal in order for preference to be applied for the solicitation. 8%

Resident Veteran’s Preference

Pursuant to §13-1-21 and §13-1-22, Bidders/Offerors SHALL submit a valid copy of their Resident Veteran’s Preference Certificate with their bid or proposal in order for preference to be applied for the solicitation.

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