RFP 250090

EXHIBIT A

SCOPE OF WORK

Community Engagement Consultant Services

BACKGROUND

The Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) serves as the region’s primary transportation agency, responsible for planning, funding, and delivering multimodal transportation solutions that support the mobility needs of over three million residents. OCTA manages Measure M, Orange County’s voter-approved half-cent sales tax for transportation improvements. The agencyOCTA administers and operates bus transit service, the OC Streetcar light rail system and express lanes, and provides funding for Metrolink rail, freeway improvements, and local street enhancements.

OCTA is committed to advancing equitable transportation planning and decision-making by meaningfully engaging with historically underserved and underrepresented communities. Since 2021, OCTA’s Community Engagement Team has implemented a two-phase Trust- Building Campaign, focusing on outreach to Spanish and Vietnamese speakers, and other hard-to-reach populations. These efforts have laid a strong foundation of cultural awareness, relationship-building, and increased visibility.

This next phase will build on that momentum, transitioning from trust-building to deeper engagement that seeks to understand the transportation needs and priorities of these community members. The cConsultant will help expand OCTA’s capacity to listen, learn, and incorporate community perspectives into long-term transportation planning, as well as educate the community on current services and programs.

OBJECTIVES

The Community Engagement Consultant will shall support OCTA in achieving the following:

1. Strengthen community relationships established through the Trust-Building Campaign by sustaining regular, in-person engagement across a range of venues (community centers, senior centers, small-business events, etc.).

2. Gain deeper insight into the transportation needs, challenges, and aspirations of underserved communities, particularly those with linguistic, cultural, or economic barriers to participation.

3. Raise public awareness and understanding of Measure M-funded programs and projects using culturally resonant messaging.

4. Encourage greater use of OCTA services by underserved communities by identifying barriers to access and tailoring engagement strategies to build awareness, relevance, and trust in the current system — particularly among underrepresented groups such as Orange County’s Asian populations.

5. Promote equitable participation by reducing barriers and developing tailored engagement strategies for underrepresented communities.

6. Capture and communicate community input in ways that inform future investment planning and help shape OCTA’s long-range vision.

CONSULTANT QUALIFICATIONS AND CAPABILITIES

The selected cConsultant must demonstrate:

· Experience working with historically underrepresented communities, low-income populations, limited-English speakers, seniors, and persons with disabilities.

· Deep cultural competence and fluency in community-based engagement models.

· Success in designing and implementing hybrid (in-person and digital) engagement strategies.

· Capacity to develop content in multiple languages, using culturally relevant narratives.

· Ability to analyze and synthesize community feedback into actionable insights.

· Relationships with community-based organizations, local influencers, ethnic media, and grassroots leaders.

SCOPE OF SERVICES

The cConsultant shall work under the direction of OCTA’s Community Engagement Section Manager and in collaboration with OCTA’s Public Outreach Department. Tasks will include:

1. Community Engagement Strategy and Planning

· Develop a detailed Community Engagement Plan, building on the previous Trust- Building Campaign.

· Identify key target populations and geographic focus areas.

· Propose metrics for evaluating reach, inclusion, and effectiveness, such as:

· Number and demographics of participants engaged

· Geographic distribution of engagement activities

· Number of events conducted in partnership with community-based organizations

· Social media impressions, engagements, and audience reach in target languages

· Survey response rates and qualitative feedback themes

· Increase in participant awareness of OCTA services and Measure M projects, based on pre-/post-survey data

2. Relationship Development and In-Person Engagement

· Identify, cultivate, and maintain trusted relationships with cultural and faith-based leaders, seniors, youth organizations, and advocacy groups.

· Plan and execute pop-ups, roundtables, listening sessions, and workshops in culturally relevant venues.

· Coordinate with community partners to co-host or participate in existing events.

· Support OCTA’s small-business outreach by collaborating with various business organizations, participating in events such as business expos and procurement workshops, and sharing information about contracting opportunities and transportation initiatives.

3. Multilingual and Culturally Relevant Communications

· Create outreach materials in Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean, Mandarin, Farsi, Arabic, and other key languages as needed.

· Develop storytelling assets (videos, social media content, testimonials) that highlight community voices and experiences.

· Ensure all messaging aligns with community values and the everyday experiences of the people being served.

4. Digital and Ethnic Media Strategy

· Plan and implement a digital media strategy, including multilingual content calendars, influencer campaigns, and online engagement tools.

· Place earned and paid media in ethnic outlets (TV, radio, print, digital).

5. Community Input Collection and Evaluation

· Design surveys and engagement tools to collect qualitative and quantitative input.

· Develop and administer a quantitative community survey to better understand the demographics, mobility needs, and transportation behaviors of underserved communities, ensuring statistically valid sampling where feasible.

· Include survey questions addressing mode preferences, trip purposes, access barriers, awareness of OCTA services, and transportation priorities.

· Analyze data to identify key themes and transportation priorities.

· Provide monthly progress updates and a final summary report with insights, outcomes, and recommendations.

6. Measure M Awareness and Engagement

· Incorporate Measure M-focused messaging into all outreach efforts.

· Explain the value and impact of Measure M investments.

· Facilitate conversations that explore community priorities for future transportation improvements.

7. Staffing and Administration

· Assign a dedicated project manager to coordinate all tasks, communications, and reporting.

· Submit monthly progress reports and invoices aligned with deliverables.

· Maintain shared records, media files, and engagement logs for OCTA use.

PROJECT STAFFING AND ADMINISTRATION

The Consultant shall ensure that all work is supported by a qualified and diverse project team. The team should include the following key roles:

· Project Manager: Responsible for overall coordination, deliverable quality, and communication with OCTA’s Community Engagement Section Manager.

· Community Outreach Lead: Manages on-the-ground efforts, schedules events, and nurtures relationships with community partners.

· Community Outreach Support: Support outreach staff for events

· Media and Digital Strategist: Leads digital content development, manages ethnic media placement, and integrates outreach with social media strategy.

· Data and Evaluation Analyst: Tracks and analyzes engagement metrics, summarizes findings, and supports continuous improvement.

· Creative/Design Support: Supports the development of visual content including videos, flyers, and social media graphics.

The consultant shall provide:

· A staffing plan with designated responsibilities and time allocations.

· A communication protocol for coordinating with OCTA staff.

· Backup personnel plans in the event of staffing changes.

DELIVERABLES

· Community Engagement Plan with timeline, tactics, and metrics

· Multilingual collateral materials (digital and print)

· Monthly progress and budget reports

· Survey and engagement data summaries

· Final report with findings and recommendations

· Media placements and samples of produced content

FLEXIBILITY AND ADDITIONAL TASKS

The cConsultant may be asked to perform related community engagement tasks not specifically described above but aligned with the objectives of this scope. The consultant shall remain adaptable to changing needs, timelines, or opportunities that may arise throughout the contract period.

LIMITATION ON GOVERNMENTAL DECISIONS

Nothing contained in this scope of work permits Consultant personnel to authorize or direct any actions, votes, appoint any person, obligate, or commit OCTA to any course of action or enter into any contractual agreement on behalf of OCTA. In addition, Consultant’s personnel shall provide information, an opinion, or a recommendation for the purpose of affecting a decision without significant intervening substantive review by OCTA personnel, counsel, and management.