Addendum_1_RFP DES 2025-12.pdf

Assessment of Post-Disaster Recovery in Coastal New Hampshire Request for Proposal Questions and Answers

Q1. Has the advisory committee been established? If so, can you share who the committee members are?

A1. The current Advisory Group includes staff from Rockingham Planning Commission, Strafford Regional Planning Commission, NH Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, NH Office of Planning and Development, Floodplain Management Program, NH Coastal Program, Seacoast Public Health Network, and the Town of Seabrook emergency management.

Additional stakeholders will likely be invited to join the Advisory Group.

Q2. Is this project impacted by the Jan 27, 2025 Memo issued by the Office of Management and Budget RE Temporary Pause of Agency, Loan, and Other Financial Assistance Programs?

A2. The Federal funding for this project has been awarded to the State. The project funding is not impacted by the January 27, 2025 Memo, which was rescinded on January 29, 2025.

Q3. Given the recovery and emergency management components of this proposal, does the Advisory Group include individuals from the Division of Homeland Security & Emergency Management? How else might EM personnel be involved?

A3. The Advisory Group currently includes staff from the NH Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and the Town of Seabrook’s emergency management office.

Additional local emergency management officials will be invited to participate in the Advisory Group. State and local emergency management staff will also be invited to participate in the stakeholder engagement activities.

Q4. Given today's Executive Order actions regarding the freezing of federal grants and loans, I understand things may be in flux and unknown, but could you speak to the security of available funds for this project?

A4. See Question 2.

Q5. Does the 10-page limit include resumes?

A5. Resumes will not contribute to the page limit.

Q6. It was noted that the effort is funded by the NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management under the Coastal Zone Management Act in conjunction with NHCP. Has the funding allocated for this project been received and committed to the project, or is there potential that the project would be postponed or cancelled if federal funding was restricted due to the changing political climate?

A6. See Question 2.

Q7. To what extent would the advisory committee be involved in identifying and engaging the stakeholders? What type of outreach has already been done?

A7. The Advisory Group will provide support and coordinate with the consultant on the development and implementation of the stakeholder engagement plan, which includes identifying stakeholders. The consultant will then engage with the stakeholders. No outreach has yet been conducted.

Q8. For future sea-level rise scenarios, is there a specific time horizon that should be planned for?

A8. New Hampshire’s current source for sea-level rise scenarios and recommended time horizons is the 2019-2020 New Hampshire Coastal Flood Risk Summary.

Q9. Has a similar project occurred in the past and if so, is there an incumbent?

A9. A similar project has not occurred in the past.

Q10. Can DES provide clarification about the status of the funding source? Is this funding already in-hand?

A10. See Question 2.

Q11. Is there a specific number of references and project examples NHCP is looking for? Would NHCP like a similar number of references and example projects from both prime and sub consultants (within the 10-page limit)?

A11. Applicants are welcome to submit whatever number of references and project examples from either the prime or sub consultants or both that they feel represents their experience related to the project.

Q12. Will NHCP be responsible for maintaining and managing the Community Network for Flood Recovery in perpetuity or is the group expected to be independent and self-sustaining?

A12. NHCP staff will be responsible for managing and maintaining the Community Network and be responsible for securing financial support to support member participation.

Q13. We understand that this is an assessment of existing programs and efforts. Is NHCP also interested in understanding what areas are most at risk to coastal flooding hazards as part of the assessment and the review of existing information?

A13. NHCP understands the areas that are most at risk from flooding so it will not be necessary to include as part of the assessment or a review of existing information.

Q14. Is the Advisory Group already established? If so, could you please provide a list of people or organizations represented in the group?

A14. See Question 1.

Q15. Does NHCP envision regular meetings with the Advisory Group, or primarily asynchronous coordination? If NHCP does expect to schedule regular meetings, what would be the frequency of these meetings?

A15. NHCP envisions the consultant meeting virtually with the Advisory Group during their regular meetings, which will be held every other month during the project. Coordination between the consultant and Advisory Group may be needed in between meetings as well.

Q16. For the project budget, can you clarify what “activity level” refers to? We understand that NHCP has outlined 4 tasks, does “activity level” refer to subtasks within each of these four tasks?

A16. The activity level refers to each task. The proposed budget should itemize the cost of performing the work for each task, which includes estimated hours for each task.

Q17. Does a cover page, title page, and a table of content count towards the 10-page limit? Do you want a cover letter as well, and does the cover letter count toward the 10-page limit?

A17. Applicants are welcome to include a cover page, cover letter, title page, and table of contents and they won't be counted in the page limit. A cover letter is not expected and won't be included in materials provided to the review team.

Q18. Do you want project staff resumes attached to the proposal in addition to the “Project Team Description” section?

A18. Applicants are welcome to include resumes, which won't be counted in the page limit.

Q19. Can you please provide information on the current status of the funding process for the federal grant that has been awarded to the State? Has the grant agreement been fully executed? Are there any outstanding pre-award requirements that need to be completed?

A19. The Federal funding for this project has been awarded to the State. The project grant agreement has been fully executed with all pre-award requirements completed.

Q20. Does the NHCP and/or Advisory Group have an idea of how many stakeholder interviews the Consultant will be expected to facilitate?

A20. At a minimum, stakeholder interviews conducted by the consultant will be held with each of the 17 coastal communities and each member of the Advisory Group. Additional stakeholders will be identified during the development of the stakeholder engagement plan.

Q21. From our read of the RFP, it appears that the only broad public engagement involves the survey. Is this correct?

A21. As part of the implementation of the stakeholder engagement plan, a public input survey will be administered to gather input from the public about flood recovery efforts. Other engagement activities will focus on identified stakeholders who represent a common group, such as community-based organizations, who will be invited to represent the perspectives of people most vulnerable to flooding and connect the project team to the interests, needs, and priorities of those groups

Q22. Is there any expectation that the Consultant will engage with the Community Network once it has been established?

A22. NHCP anticipates that the Community Network will be established in the last couple of months of the project. The consultant’s engagement with the Community Network may occur during that period.

Q23. What specific roles do you anticipate for the regional planning commissions operating within the study area?

A23. The main role that the two regional planning commissions in the study area will play includes membership on the Advisory Group, which will provide overall guidance and input on all project tasks.

Q24. Can you please confirm which are the New Hampshire’s 17 coastal zone communities that have been included as part of the RFP Assessment of Post-Disaster Recovery in Coastal New Hampshire.

A24. The New Hampshire 17 coastal zone communities include: Dover, Durham, Exeter, Greenland, Hampton, Hampton Falls, Madbury, New Castle, Newfields, Newington, Newmarket, North Hampton, Portsmouth, Rollinsford, Rye, Seabrook, and Stratham.