Community_Police_Commission_Public_Perception_and_Police_Reform_Survey_Project.pdf

2025-RFP-149

COMMUNITY POLICE COMMISSION PUBLIC

PERCEPTION AND POLICE REFORM SURVEY PROJECT

City of Cleveland

Department of Community Development

601 Lakeside Ave

Cleveland, OH 44114

RELEASE DATE: August 17, 2026

DEADLINE FOR QUESTIONS: August 24, 2026

RESPONSE DEADLINE: August 27, 2026, 5:00 pm

RESPONSES MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY TO:

https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/clevelandoh

City of Cleveland

Community Police Commission Public Perception and Police Reform

Survey Project

I. INTRODUCTION

II. SCOPE OF WORK

III. COMPENSATION AND INVOICING

IV. THE CITY’S RIGHTS AND REQUIREMENTS

V. OFFICE OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITY (OEO) FORMS

VI. AGREEMENT PROCESS

VII. TERMS AND CONDITIONS

VIII. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY REQUIREMENTS

IX. INSURANCE LIMITS

X. CONSTRUCTION OF AGREEMENT

XI. PROPOSAL SECTION CRITERIA

XII. PROPOSAL CONTENTS

XIII. PROPOSAL SUBMITTALS

Attachments:

A - W-9 Form

B - Vendor ID Form

C - Reimbursables Policy

#2025-RFP-149

Title: Community Police Commission Public Perception and Police Reform Survey Project

1. INTRODUCTION

LATE PROPOSALS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED

The City of Cleveland invites responses to the Request for Proposal (RFP) for Community Police

Commission Public Perception and Police Reform Survey Project.

We ask that you strictly adhere to the following critical guidelines outlined in this document.

1.1. Summary

The Community Police Commission (CPC) is soliciting proposals from qualified firms to design, administer, analyze, and report the results of a comprehensive community survey focused on public perceptions of police reform, the effectiveness of the CPC, and broader attitudes toward policing in

Cleveland. The selected Contractor will be responsible for developing a survey research plan; drafting and refining the survey instrument; administering the survey through CPC-approved modes;

implementing outreach strategies to ensure broad and equitable participation; monitoring field performance; and conducting data cleaning, validation, coding, weighting, and analysis. The Contractor will also prepare a final report summarizing methodology, findings, comparative trends, and key insights, and will deliver a presentation of results to CPC staff and other designated stakeholders. All work must be performed in accordance with professional survey research standards and in close coordination with CPC representatives at each project milestone.

1.2. Background

1.1 The Cleveland Community Police Commission

The Cleveland Community Police Commission (“CPC” or “the Commission”) is a civilian police oversight body established by the Charter of the City of Cleveland, Section 115-5, following the passage of Issue 24 by Cleveland voters in November 2021. The Commission holds final authority over police discipline, policy, and related oversight functions, and is charged with ensuring that policing in Cleveland is constitutional, effective, transparent, and reflective of community values. The Commission is composed of thirteen (13) Commissioners and a professional staff led by the Executive Director.

1.2 The Consent Decree

Since 2015, the Cleveland Division of Police (“CDP”) has operated under a federal Consent Decree entered in United States v. City of Cleveland, Case No. 1:15-cv-01046 (N.D. Ohio), overseen by the

United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. The Consent Decree requires sweeping reforms across use of force, community engagement, bias-free policing, crisis intervention, search and seizure, accountability, transparency, and officer support.

The Consent Decree expressly contemplates periodic, methodologically reliable surveys of a representative sample of Cleveland residents regarding their experiences with, and perceptions of, the

Cleveland Division of Police and of public safety (see Consent Decree, Section IX.D, Biennial

Community Survey). Community input is foundational to the Decree: reform is not complete when policies change on paper—it is complete when residents see and feel the difference in their daily interactions with police.

1.3 Purpose of this Request for Proposals

The Commission seeks proposals from qualified research, evaluation, polling, and/or community engagement firms (“Proposers”) to design and execute a citywide community survey and qualitative engagement initiative (the “Project”). The central questions the Project must answer are:

A. Experience: What are Cleveland residents’ direct experiences with the Cleveland Division of

Police—including stops, calls for service, complaints, and everyday encounters?

B. Perceived change: Do residents see and feel a difference in policing since the Consent Decree was implemented in 2015—and if so, what specifically has changed (positively or negatively)?

C. Trust and legitimacy: How do residents rate their trust in CDP, perceptions of fairness, procedural justice, responsiveness, and safety in their neighborhoods?

D. Equity: How do experiences and perceptions differ across race, ethnicity, age, gender, language, disability status, neighborhood/police district, and other demographic factors?

The selected firm (“Contractor”) will be responsible for survey design, sampling, dissemination, focus group facilitation, other community input methods, data analysis, and reporting, in close coordination with Commission staff.

1.3. Contact Information

Lisa Johnson

CPC

3631 Perkins Ave Cleveland, OH 44114 Email: ljohnson4@clevelandohio.gov Phone: (216) 664-2958

Department:

Community Development

Department Head:

Joy Anderson Director

1.4. Timeline

RFP Published on City website August 17, 2026

Pre-Proposal Conference (Non-

Mandatory)

August 20, 2026, 1:00pm https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/26958395457772

4?p=oVn64TPcdHUfKJVKAn

Last Day to Submit Provider Questions August 24, 2026, 5:00pm

Publish RFP Addendum August 25, 2026 mailto:ljohnson4@clevelandohio.gov tel:(216)664-2958 https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/269583954577724?p=oVn64TPcdHUfKJVKAn https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/269583954577724?p=oVn64TPcdHUfKJVKAn

Proposal Submission Deadline August 27, 2026, 5:00pm

2. SCOPE OF WORK

2.1. Current Technical Environment

The Community Police Commission (CPC) operates within the City of Cleveland’s standard information technology environment. CPC staff utilize City-managed systems for email, file storage, and internal communication, including Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Teams, and City-hosted network drives. The

CPC does not maintain an internal survey platform or specialized data-collection software; therefore, the selected Contractor must provide all tools, systems, and technical resources required to design, program, administer, and analyze the community survey.

CPC staff will coordinate access to City communication channels as needed for outreach, including the

CPC website, social media platforms, and email distribution lists. Any data shared with the CPC must comply with City of Cleveland data security, privacy, and retention requirements. Contractors must ensure that all proposed survey tools meet applicable accessibility standards and support secure data transfer to CPC staff for review and analysis.

2.2. Scope of Services

The Contractor shall perform the following services. Proposers may recommend refinements to this scope based on professional expertise; any proposed modifications must be clearly identified and justified in the proposal.

2.1 Engagement Target and Field Period

The Contractor shall engage a minimum of 2,000 and a target of up to 3,000 Cleveland community members through a combination of surveys, focus groups, and other input methods. All data collection shall occur between August and November 2026. The sample must be representative of the City of

Cleveland’s population and must include meaningful participation from all five (5) CDP police districts and from historically underrepresented and over-policed communities.

2.2 Survey Design and Methodology

• Develop a statistically sound sampling plan designed to produce results generalizable to the

Cleveland population, with documented margins of error and weighting methodology.

• Design a survey instrument, in consultation with the Commission, measuring: direct experiences with CDP; perceptions of safety; trust, legitimacy, and procedural justice; awareness of the

Consent Decree and of police oversight bodies; perceived change since 2015; and willingness to report crime or file complaints.

• Where feasible, incorporate or benchmark against validated instruments and prior Cleveland survey waves (including the Monitoring Team’s prior biennial surveys) so that change over time can be measured.

• Translate the instrument into, at minimum, Spanish and other languages prevalent in Cleveland

(e.g., Arabic, Mandarin, Nepali, Swahili, Ukrainian), and ensure plain-language readability

(approximately 6th–8th grade reading level) in all versions.

• Ensure accessibility for persons with disabilities, older adults, returning citizens, unhoused residents, and youth (ages 13–17 with appropriate consent protocols).

2.3 Survey Dissemination

The Contractor shall administer the survey through multiple modes to maximize reach and representativeness, which may include:

• Online distribution (web and mobile-optimized), with safeguards against duplicate or out-of-area responses;

• Paper surveys distributed at libraries, recreation centers, churches and faith institutions, community development corporations, ward meetings, and community events;

• Telephone and/or text-message outreach;

• In-person, street-level, and door-to-door collection in neighborhoods with historically low survey response rates;

• Partnerships with trusted community-based organizations, block clubs, and grassroots networks to extend reach.

2.4 Focus Groups and Qualitative Engagement

• Design, recruit for, facilitate, transcribe, and analyze a minimum of ten (10) focus groups, with at least one (1) in each of the five (5) CDP police districts.

• Include focus groups dedicated to populations with distinct experiences of policing, such as:

Black residents; Hispanic/Latino residents; immigrants, refugees, and limited-English-proficiency residents; youth and young adults; LGBTQ+ residents; persons with disabilities and persons with lived mental health experience; survivors of crime and of police misconduct; returning citizens;

and unhoused residents.

• Provide trained, culturally competent facilitators; interpretation services; participant stipends (to be included in the proposed budget); accessible venues; and trauma-informed facilitation protocols.

• Propose at least one additional qualitative or community-input method (e.g., listening sessions, intercept interviews, story collection, community ambassador models, town halls) to supplement surveys and focus groups.

2.5 Data Analysis and Reporting

• Clean, code, weight, and analyze all quantitative data; code and thematically analyze all qualitative data.

• Disaggregate findings by race/ethnicity, age, gender, police district/neighborhood, income, language, and disability status wherever sample sizes permit.

• Compare findings, where feasible, to prior Cleveland community surveys and to national benchmarks on police-community trust.

• Deliver findings in both a full technical report and a plain-language community report (see

Section 3, Deliverables).

2.6 Coordination and Communications

• Participate in a project kickoff meeting and standing check-in meetings (at least bi-weekly) with

Commission staff.

• Coordinate with the Commission to avoid duplication and reduce survey fatigue in light of other surveys underway in Cleveland, clearly branding this effort as the Commission’s community survey.

• Protect respondent confidentiality at all stages; no personally identifying information shall be published or shared. The Contractor shall describe its data security, retention, and destruction protocols.

3. Deliverables

The Contractor shall provide, at minimum, the following deliverables. All written deliverables shall be provided in editable electronic format and shall become the property of the Cleveland Community Police

Commission.

# Deliverable Description Due

1 Project Work Plan & Management

Plan

Detailed work plan, staffing plan, risk mitigation, and communications protocol, finalized with Commission staff at kickoff.

August 2026

(Week 2)

2 Sampling & Methodology Plan Sampling frame, target quotas by district and demographic group, weighting approach, margin-of-error estimates, and quality-control procedures.

August 2026

(Week 3)

3 Final Survey Instrument(s) Commission-approved instrument in English and all required translations; accessible formats; youth consent protocols.

August 2026

(Week 4)

4 Dissemination & Outreach Plan Multi-modal distribution plan, community partner list, field schedule, and branding/communications materials.

August 2026

(Week 4)

5 Focus Group Protocols Recruitment plan, screener, facilitation guides, consent forms, stipend plan, and interpretation/accessibility plan.

September 2026

(Week 1)

6 Bi-Weekly Progress Reports Response counts by mode, district, and demographic group against targets; corrective outreach actions where targets lag.

Bi-weekly, August–

November 2026

7 Completed Data Collection Minimum 2,000 (target 3,000) community members engaged via surveys, focus groups, and other methods.

November 30, 8 Clean, De-Identified Dataset &

Codebook

Full quantitative dataset (with weights), qualitative transcripts/themes, and codebook delivered to the Commission. All data are the property of the Commission.

December 2026

(Week 2)

9 Draft Technical Report Full methodology, findings, disaggregated analysis, trend comparison, and recommendations; subject to Commission review and comment.

December 2026

(Week 4)

10 Final Technical Report Revised final report incorporating

Commission feedback; suitable for filing with the federal Court and public release.

January 2027

(Week 3)

11 Plain-Language Community

Report

An accessible, visually engaging summary

(approx. 8–16 pages) written for general audiences at a 6th–8th grade reading level, with translated versions.

January 2027

(Week 3)

12 Presentations Presentation of findings at a public

Commission meeting and at up to three (3) community meetings, with presentation deck and one-page summary handout.

January–

February 2027

2.3. Project Staff and Roles

The Proposer shall identify all personnel assigned to this project and clearly describe their roles, responsibilities, and level of involvement. At a minimum, the proposal must include the following positions or functional equivalents:

• Project Manager — Serves as the primary point of contact; oversees project execution, schedule, coordination with CPC staff, and delivery of all milestones. Responsible for ensuring quality, timeliness, and adherence to the approved scope.

• Survey Methodologist — Leads the design of the research plan, sampling strategy, weighting approach, and methodological framework. Ensures that all survey components meet professional research standards.

• Instrument Designer — Drafts the survey instrument, screener, outreach language, and supporting materials. Ensures neutral wording and balanced treatment of all topics.

• Data Collection Lead — Manages programming, testing, and deployment of the survey across approved modes (online, phone, mail, text, or in-person). Oversees field operations and respondent outreach.

• Data Analyst — Conducts data cleaning, validation, coding, weighting, and statistical analysis.

Performs comparative analysis against historical data where available.

• Reporting Specialist — Prepares the final report, charts, tables, and narrative findings. Ensures clarity, accuracy, and neutrality in all deliverables.

• Presentation Lead — Delivers the final presentation to CPC staff, elected officials, and community stakeholders as directed.

The Proposer shall also provide an organizational chart illustrating reporting relationships, estimated hours for each staff member, and a summary of relevant experience for all key personnel.

2.4. General Guidelines

The following general guidelines apply to all work performed under this RFP:

• Professional Standards — All services shall be performed in a professional, timely, and workmanlike manner consistent with established survey research practices and applicable legal, ethical, and privacy standards.

• Coordination with CPC — The Contractor shall work closely with designated CPC staff throughout the project and obtain CPC approval at each major milestone before proceeding to the next phase.

• Neutrality and Objectivity — All survey materials, analyses, and deliverables must be neutral in tone, free from bias, and suitable for public dissemination.

• Data Security and Confidentiality — The Contractor must ensure secure handling, storage, and transfer of all data collected or produced, in compliance with City of Cleveland data security requirements.

• Accessibility and Inclusion — All survey instruments and outreach methods must be accessible to diverse populations, including individuals with disabilities and historically underrepresented communities.

• Communication Requirements — The Contractor shall provide regular updates, respond to CPC inquiries in a timely manner, and maintain clear documentation of decisions, revisions, and project progress.

• Compliance with Schedule — The Contractor must adhere to the approved project timeline and notify the CPC promptly of any risks or delays.

• Ownership of Deliverables — All data, instruments, reports, and materials produced under this contract shall become the property of the CPC.

3. COMPENSATION AND INVOICING

A. General Services

Compensation for general services shall be based on hourly billing rates or fixed price based on support category of the individuals assigned to each task and approved reimbursable expenses as agreed upon during negotiation of the Agreement.

Billing rates shall remain unchanged throughout the life of this contract.

The Consultant shall be compensated for reimbursable expenses incurred in the interest of the work in accordance with the City Reimbursable Policy (Appendix C).

The Consultant shall be paid for services on a simple time-based method, or mutually agreed upon fee schedule based on project deliverables. The Consultant shall invoice each month based on the actual hours, and approved hourly billing rates expended for the services. The invoice shall include only the staff titles listed in the Fee Proposal.

The Consultant shall submit its invoice for progress payment to the Department of Community

Development no later than the close of business on the Thirtieth (30th) Calendar Day of the

Month following the month for which payment is requested. If the 30th calendar day would fall on a Saturday, Sunday, or Holiday then the submittal shall be on the previous working day. The

Consultant shall not submit invoices more frequently than once per month.

Invoices shall include a cover page, summary table, detailed invoice per task, summary table of labor costs, timesheets, summary table of reimbursable, original receipts, and other information as deemed appropriate. Invoices shall include specific activities worked, on an hourly and daily basis by resource or task/deliverables.

Supporting information (receipts, timesheets, etc.) shall be attached in the appropriate section of the invoice in alphabetical then chronological order. For example, timesheets shall be attached alphabetically by individual name and chronologically by individual.

Each approved task shall be specifically identified and tracked.

Invoices not submitted in the approved format may be rejected and returned to the Consultant.

This includes incomplete information and missing documentation.

B. Payments To Subconsultants

Consultant is obligated to pay subconsultants within 45 days of Consultant’s receipt of subconsultant’s invoice (unless specific written exceptions are authorized by the City on a case-by-case basis).

4. THE CITY’S RIGHTS AND REQUIREMENTS

A. The Director, at his/her sole discretion, may require any proposer to augment or supplement its proposal or to meet with the City’s designated representatives for interview or presentation to further describe the proposer’s qualifications and capabilities. The requested information, interview, meeting, or presentation shall be submitted or conducted, as appropriate, at a time and place the Director specifies.

B. The City reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to reject any proposal that is incomplete or unresponsive to the requests or requirements of this RFP. The City reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and to waive and accept any informality or discrepancy in the proposal or the process as may be in the City’s best interest.

C. Proposal as a Public Record

Under the laws of the State of Ohio, all parts of a proposal, other than trade secret or proprietary information and the fee proposal may be considered a public record which, if properly requested, the City must make available to the requester for inspection and copying. Therefore, to protect trade secret or proprietary information, the proposer should clearly mark each page - but only that page - of its proposal that contains that information. The City will notify the proposer if such information in its proposal is requested, but cannot, however, guarantee the confidentiality of any proprietary or otherwise sensitive information in or with the proposal. Blanket marking of the entire proposal as “proprietary” or “trade secret” will not protect an entire proposal and is not acceptable.

D. Cleveland Area Business Code

Requirements During performance of this Agreement, Contractor shall comply with all applicable requirements of the Cleveland Area Business Code, Chapter 187 of the Codified

Ordinances of Cleveland, Ohio, 1976 (“C.O.”), and any Regulations promulgated under the Code, which Code and Regulations are incorporated into and made part of this RFP by this reference as fully as if rewritten in it or attached. Specifically, compliance under any resulting agreement shall include, but not be limited to, the Contractor’s:

o Compliance with its proposal representations regarding CSB, MBE, and/or FBE participation in performance of the Agreement;

o Compliance and cooperation with Project Monitors, whether from the Mayor’s Office of

Equal Opportunity (the “OEO”) or the contracting department;

o Accurate, complete, and on-time submission of all reports, forms, and documents including, but not limited to, employment reports, certified payrolls, monitoring forms, and other information the Director of the OEO may require, whether in printed or electronic form, to ascertain and verify Contractor’s compliance; and o Attendance at and participation in all required project meetings, including OEO compliance meetings, and progress meetings called by the contracting department director(s) at key intervals during performance of the contract services.

Failure to Comply When determining the contractor’s future eligibility for a City contract, the City shall consider a contractor’s failure to comply with the representations of its proposal and the requirements under the Code as a failure to faithfully perform a contract.

a. Under the Cleveland Area Business Code, the City of Cleveland is firmly committed to assisting Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), Female Business Enterprises

(FBEs), and Cleveland- area small businesses (CSBs) by providing and enhancing economic opportunities to participate in City contracts. The successful proposer for a contract will be a firm that shares that commitment. Accordingly, a proposer is strongly encouraged to utilize the services of qualified MBE/FBE/CSB sub-consultants that are certified by the Mayor’s Office of Equal Opportunity (the

“OEO”) in its proposal.

b. The standard subcontracting goal for professional services contracts is 10%

Cleveland Area Small Business (“CSB”) subcontractor participation. Please review the attached Office of Equal Opportunity documents to ascertain the goal for the proposed contract. Proposers are required to make a good-faith effort to subcontract portions of the work to certified Minority Business Enterprise (“MBE”), Female

Business Enterprise (“FBE”), and CSB firms, consistent with the subcontracting goal(s) applicable to this RFP.

c. To document its good-faith effort to utilize certified MBE, FBE and CSB sub-consultants, each proposer must complete Schedules 1 through 4 found in the Cleveland Area Business Code - Notice to Bidders and Schedules. These schedules identify the proposer’s proposed use of MBE, FBE and CSB sub-consultants on the project, which evidences the proposer’s good-faith effort to obtain the participation of certified sub-consultants. The proposer shall submit the completed forms with its proposal and they will be forwarded to the City’s Office of

Equal Opportunity for evaluation. Failure to submit complete schedules may result in the rejection of a proposal.

Proposers may obtain a listing of firms certified by the OEO as CSBs, MBEs and

FBEs by checking the City’s website at http://www.city.cleveland.oh.us. On the home page, select “Office of Equal Opportunity” from the drop-down menu of City departments. On the Office of Equal Opportunity page, you will find a selection in the left-hand column for “CSB/MBE/FBE Registry”.

Proposers are responsible for obtaining the most current list and for contacting potential CSB/MBE/FBE sub-consultants. The City assumes no responsibility for matching prime consultants with qualified, certified MBE, FBE, and/or CSB sub-consultants.

The City Office of Equal Opportunity will monitor participation of MBE, FBE, http://www.city.cleveland.oh.us/ and/or CSB sub-consultants throughout the duration of the engagement or project. The successful proposer, as contractor, will be responsible for providing the

OEO with all information necessary to facilitate this monitoring.

The Cleveland Area Business Code, any Regulations promulgated under the Code, and the OEO Notice to Bidders & Schedules are, by this reference, incorporated in and made part of this solicitation and any resulting contract as fully as if written in it or attached.

d. The successful proposer, as contractor, will be required to comply with all terms, conditions, and requirements imposed on a “contractor” in the following Equal

Opportunity Clause, Section 187.22(b) of the Cleveland Codified Ordinances, and shall make the Clause part of every subcontract or agreement entered into for services or goods and binding on all persons and firms with which the proposer may deal, as follows: No Contractor shall discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, ethnic group or Vietnam-era or disabled veteran status. Contractors shall take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed and that employees are treated during employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, ethnic group or Vietnam-era or disabled veteran status. As used in this chapter, “treated” means and includes without limitation the following: recruited whether by advertising or other means;

compensated, whether in the form of rates of pay or other forms of compensation;

selected for training, including apprenticeship, promoted, upgraded, demoted, transferred, laid off and terminated. Contractors shall post in conspicuous places available to employees and applicants for employment, notices to be provided by the hiring representative of contractors setting forth the provisions of this nondiscrimination clause.

E. Term of Proposal’s Effectiveness.

By submission of a proposal, the proposer agrees that its proposal will remain effective and eligible for acceptance by the City until the earlier of the execution of a final contract or 180 calendar days after the proposal submission deadline (the “Proposal Expiration Date”).

F. Execution of a Contract.

The successful proposer shall, within ten (10) business days after receipt of a contract prepared by the City Director of Law, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, execute and return the contract to the City together with evidence of proper insurance and intent to conform to all requirements of the contract. Attached hereto or which are a part hereof and all applicable federal, state and local laws and ordinances prior to or at the time of execution of the contract.

G. Short-listing

The City reserves the right to select a limited number (a “short list”) of proposer’s to make an oral presentation of their qualifications, proposed services, and capabilities. The City will notify the proposers selected for oral presentations in writing.

H. Proposer’s Familiarity with RFP; Responsibility for Proposal

By submission of a proposal, the proposer acknowledges that it is aware of and understands all requirements, provisions, and conditions in and of this RFP and that its failure to become familiar with all the requirements, provisions, conditions, and information either in this RFP or disseminated either at a pre-proposal conference or by addendum issued prior to the proposal submission deadline, and all circumstances and conditions affecting performance of the services to be rendered by the successful proposer will not relieve it from responsibility for all parts of its

Proposal and, if selected for contract, its complete performance of the contract in compliance with its terms. Proposer acknowledges that the City has no responsibility for any conclusions or interpretations made by proposer on the basis of information made available by the City. The City does not guarantee the accuracy of any information provided and proposer expressly waives any right to a claim against the City arising from or based upon any incorrect, inaccurate, or incomplete information or information not otherwise conforming to represented or actual conditions.

I. Interpretation

The City is not responsible for any explanation, clarification, interpretation, representation or approval made concerning this RFP or a Proposal or given in any manner, except by written addendum. The City will mail, e-mail, or otherwise deliver one copy of each addendum issued, if any, to each individual or firm that requested and received a RFP. Any addendum is a part of and incorporated in this RFP as fully as if originally written herein.

5. OFFICE OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITY (OEO) FORMS

Submit Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) Schedules. These schedules are contained within the document “Notice to Bidders and Schedules” which are included in Proposal Submittals section and can also be found on the City of Cleveland website in the OEO section.

The schedules shall be fully completed and should be designed to meet or exceed the participation goal of

10%.

Each and every CSB firm should complete and sign the Statement of Intent to perform as a subconsultant

(Schedule 3).

Required City Forms

Proposer shall complete, execute, and return with its fee proposal the following documents, blank copies of which are included in section, Proposal Submittals. They can also be found online on the City of

Cleveland website.

• The Office of Equal Opportunity Notice to Bidders and Schedules;

• Federal Form W-9 including Taxpayer Identification Number;

• Non-Competitive Bid Contract Statement for Calendar Year 2026;

• Northern Ireland Fair Employment Practices Disclosure.

6. AGREEMENT PROCESS

The Vendor whose proposal is found to be the “Most Advantageous” to the City will be selected and offered the opportunity to enter into an Agreement with the City. The scope, terms and conditions of that

Agreement shall be in conformance with the terms, conditions and specifications described in this RFP, and the proposal submitted by the Vendor shall become part of the Agreement with the City.

The selected Vendor must be prepared to begin contract negotiations immediately upon notification of selection. If the Vendor is not able to begin contract negotiations, the City may disqualify the Vendor.

The City reserves the right to negotiate the contract to include any portion or portions of the proposal.

The City shall not be responsible for any vendor costs incurred in relation to preparation of the proposal, travel to any meetings, or any other Vendor costs associated with proposal preparation.

The City of Cleveland’s Law Department will prepare the contract. Vendor responses must identify a designated contact, authorized to negotiate the final terms and conditions with the Law Department. It should be noted that the Law Department uses City of Cleveland prepared contract forms and not standard vendor contract forms.

7. TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The following terms and conditions, substantially in the form contained herein, shall be included in the agreement between the City and the successful respondent. Please carefully review these terms and conditions. No specific response to this section is required.

7.1. Term

The term of this Agreement shall begin on the effective date of this Agreement and, unless sooner cancelled in accordance with the terms of the Agreement, shall terminate upon completion of and approval by the City of all work to be performed.

7.2. Cancellation

This agreement may be canceled by the City at any time upon written notice to the Consultant.

7.3. Independent Contractor

Consultant and the City agree that Consultant is an independent contractor and not an employee of the

City and further agrees that Consultant shall be considered as such for all purposes. As such Consultants shall retain sole financial responsibility for all taxes due to federal, state or local governments or agencies on account of themselves, their employees, representatives or agents.

7.4. Equal Opportunity, MBE/FBE

The Consultant shall comply with all terms, conditions, and requirements imposed on a “Contractor” in the Equal Opportunity Clause, Section 187.22(b) of the Cleveland Codified Ordinances, (Attachment F) and shall make the Clause part of every subcontract or agreement entered into for services or goods and binding on all persons and firms with which the proposer may deal, as follows: No Contractor shall discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, ethnic group or Vietnam-era or disabled veteran status.

Contractors shall take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed and that employees are treated during employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, ethnic group or Vietnam-era or disabled veteran status. As used in this chapter, “treated” means and includes without limitation the following: recruited whether by advertising or other means;

compensated, whether in the form of rates of pay or other forms of compensation; selected for training, including apprenticeship, promoted, upgraded, demoted, transferred, laid off and terminated. Contractors shall post in conspicuous places available to employees and applicants for employment, notices to be provided by the hiring representative of Contractors setting forth the provisions of this nondiscrimination clause.

A copy of this Clause shall be made a part of every subcontract or agreement entered into for goods or services and shall be binding on all persons, firms, and corporations with whom the Contractor may deal.

Within 60 calendar days after entering into a contract, the successful Proposer, as Contractor, shall file a written affirmative action program with the OEO containing standards and procedures and representations assuring that the Contractor affords all qualified employees and applicants for employment equal opportunities in the Contractor’s recruitment, selection, and advancement processes. The forms can be found at: City of Cleveland OEO Forms http://www.city.cleveland.oh.us/CityofCleveland/Home/Government/CityAgencies/Finance/PurchasesSupplies/VendorInformation

7.5. Cleveland Area Business Code

During performance of this contract, Consultant shall comply with any and all applicable requirements of the Cleveland Area Business Code, Chapter 187 and 187a. of the Codified Ordinances of Cleveland, Ohio, 1976 (“C.O.”), and any Regulations promulgated under the Code, which Code and Regulations are incorporated into and made part of this RFP by this reference as fully as if rewritten in it or attached.

There is a 10% CSB subcontractor participation goal for this contract.

7.6. Subcontracts and Assignments

Consultant shall not subcontract nor shall any subcontractor commence performance of any part of the work or services included in this Agreement without the prior written consent of the City. Subcontracting, if permitted, shall not relieve Consultant of any of its obligations under this Agreement.

Consultant shall be and remain solely responsible to the City for the acts or faults of any such subcontractor and of such subcontractor's officers, agents and employees, each of whom shall for this purpose, be deemed to be an agent or employee of Consultant to the extent of its subcontract. Consultant and any subcontractor shall jointly and severally agree that the City of Cleveland is not obligated to pay or to be liable for the payment of any sums due to any subcontractor.

7.7. Assignment

Consultant shall not assign any interest in this Agreement, and shall not transfer any interest in the same, whether by assignment or notation, without the prior written consent of the City.

7.8. Confidentiality

In rendering the Services to be performed pursuant to this Agreement, Consultant agrees to treat and maintain confidential information and data as the City’s confidential property and from the date hereof, and agrees not to divulge it to any third party at any time or use it for Consultant’s personal benefit or otherwise, except as such use or disclosure may be required in connection with the performance of the

Services or may be consented to, in writing by the City.

7.9. Compliance with Laws and Policies

This Agreement is subject to, and Consultant shall comply with, all statutes, ordinances, regulations and rules of the Federal government, the State of Ohio, the County of Cuyahoga, and the City of Cleveland.

7.10. Indemnification and Insurance

Consultant shall indemnify and hold harmless the City and its respective officers, agents and employees from and against all losses, damages, expenses, suits or claims, liabilities and costs, including reasonable attorney's fees, that may be based upon any negligent error or omission by Consultant or any injury to persons or property arising out of an error, omission or negligent act of Consultant or its subconsultant.

Consultant shall, at its own expense, defend the City in all litigation, pay all attorney's fees, damages, court costs and other expenses arising out of such litigation or claims incurred in connection therewith and shall, at its own expense, pay all claims and related expenses and satisfy and cause to be discharged such judgments as may be obtained against the City, or any of its officers, agents or employees, arising out of such litigation. Such indemnification shall survive the termination of this Agreement.

7.11. State Industrial Compensation

Consultant shall be required at all times during the term of this Agreement, if required by law, to subscribe to and comply with the Workers' Compensation Laws of the State of Ohio and pay such premiums as may be required thereunder and to save the City harmless from any and all liability from or under said act. Consultant shall also furnish, if applicable, upon the request of the City, a copy of the official certificate or receipt showing the payments referred to herein.

7.12. Social Security Act

Consultant shall be and remain an independent contractor with respect to all services performed hereunder and agrees to and does hereby accept full and exclusive liability for the payment of any and all contributions or taxes for social security, unemployment benefits, pensions and annuities now or hereafter imposed under any state or federal laws which are measured by the wages, salaries or other remuneration paid to persons employed by Consultant on work performed under the terms of this Agreement and further agrees to obey all lawful rules and regulations and to meet all lawful requirements which are now or hereafter may be issued or promulgated under said respective laws by any duly authorized state or federal officials and said Consultant also agrees to indemnify and save harmless the City of Cleveland from any such contributions or taxes or liability therefore.

7.13. Interest of Consultant

Consultant covenants that it has no interest and shall not acquire any interest, direct or indirect, which would conflict in any manner or degree with the performance of services required to be performed under this Agreement. Consultant further covenants that no person having any such interest shall be employed in the performance of this Agreement.

7.14. Defaults and Remedies

A. Consultant shall be in default of this Agreement upon the happening of any of the following events:

1. Consultant fails to observe or perform any of the covenants or agreements to be observed or performed by it hereunder and such failure continues for a period of five (5) days after written notice thereof is given to the Consultant by the City.

2. The filing, execution or occurrence of: (i) a petition or other proceeding by, or a finding against, Consultant for its dissolution, reorganization or liquidation; (ii) a petition in bankruptcy by Consultant; (iii) an adjudication of Consultant as bankrupt or insolvent; (iv) an assignment or petition for assignment for the benefit of creditors.

3. Consultant abandons or discontinues its operations for the City except when such abandonment or discontinuance is caused by fire, earthquake, war, strike or other calamity beyond its control.

B. Upon the happening of any one or more of the events as set forth in Paragraph A of this Article, or upon any other default or breach of this Agreement, the Finance Director may, at her option, exercise concurrently or successively any one or more of the following rights and remedies:

1. Enjoin any breach or threatened breach by Consultant of any covenants, agreements, terms provisions or conditions hereof.

2. Sue for the performance of any obligation, promise or agreement devolving upon Consultant for performance or for damages for the nonperformance thereof, all without terminating this

Agreement.

3. Terminate this Agreement.

C. All rights and remedies granted to the City herein and any other rights and remedies that the City may have at law and in equity are hereby declared to be cumulative and not exclusive and the fact that the City may have exercised any remedy without terminating this Agreement shall not impair the City's rights thereafter to terminate or to exercise any other remedy herein granted or to which it may be otherwise entitled.

8. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY REQUIREMENTS

During performance of this Agreement, Contractor shall comply with all applicable requirements of the

Cleveland Area Business Code, Chapter 187 of the Codified Ordinances of Cleveland, Ohio, 1976

(“C.O.”), and any Regulations promulgated under the Code, which Code and Regulations are incorporated into and made part of this RFP by this reference as fully as if rewritten in it or attached. Specifically, compliance under any resulting agreement shall include, but not be limited to, the

Contractor’s:

• Compliance with its proposal representations regarding CSB, MBE, and/or FBE participation in performance of the Agreement;

• Compliance and cooperation with Project Monitors, whether from the Mayor’s Office of Equal

Opportunity (the “OEO”) or the contracting department;

• Accurate, complete, and on-time submission of all reports, forms, and documents including, but not limited to, employment reports, certified payrolls, monitoring forms, and other information the Director of the OEO may require, whether in printed or electronic form, to ascertain and verify Contractor’s compliance; and

• Attendance at and participation in all required project meetings, including OEO compliance meetings, and progress meetings called by the contracting department director(s) at key intervals during performance of the contract services (e.g. 25% completion, 50% completion, 75% completion).

Failure to Comply- When determining the contractor’s future eligibility for a City contract, the City shall consider a contractor’s failure to comply with the representations of its proposal and the requirements under the Code as a failure to faithfully perform a contract.

• Under the Cleveland Area Business Code, the City of Cleveland is firmly committed to assisting

Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), Female Business Enterprises (FBEs), and Cleveland- area small businesses (CSBs) by providing and enhancing economic opportunities to participate in

City contracts. The successful proposer for a contract will be a firm that shares that commitment. Accordingly, a proposer is strongly encouraged to utilize the services of qualified

MBE/FBE/CSB sub consultants that are certified by the Mayor’s Office of Equal Opportunity

(the “OEO”) in its proposal.

• The standard subcontracting goal for professional services contracts is 10% Cleveland Area Small

Business (“CSB”) subcontractor participation. Please review the attached Office of Equal

Opportunity documents to ascertain the goal for the proposed contract. Proposers are required to make a good-faith effort to subcontract portions of the work to certified Minority Business

Enterprise (“MBE”), Female Business Enterprise (“FBE”), and CSB firms, consistent with the subcontracting goal(s) applicable to this RFP.

• To document its good-faith effort to utilize certified MBE, FBE and CSB sub consultants, each proposer must complete Schedules 1 through 4 found in the Cleveland Area Business Code -

Notice to Bidders and Schedules. These schedules identify the Proposer’s proposed use of MBE, FBE and CSB sub-consultants on the project, which evidences the proposer’s good-faith effort to obtain the participation of certified sub-consultants. The Proposer shall submit the completed forms with its proposal and they will be forwarded to the City’s Office of Equal Opportunity for evaluation. Failure to submit complete schedules may result in the rejection of a proposal

• Proposers may obtain a listing of firms certified by the OEO as CSBs, MBEs and FBEs by checking the City’s website at roposers are responsible for obtaining the most current list and for contacting potential CSB/MBE/FBE sub consultants. The City assumes no responsibility for matching prime consultants with qualified, certified MBE, FBE, and/or CSB sub-consultants.

• The City Office of Equal Opportunity will monitor participation of MBE, FBE, and/or CSB sub-consultants throughout the duration of the engagement or project. The successful proposer, as contractor, will be responsible for providing the OEO with all information necessary to facilitate this monitoring.

• The Cleveland Area Business Code, any Regulations promulgated under the Code, and the OEO

Notice to Bidders & Schedules are, by this reference, incorporated in and made part of this solicitation and any resulting contract as fully as if written in it or attached.

• The successful proposer, as contractor, will be required to comply with all terms, conditions, and requirements imposed on a “contractor” in the following Equal Opportunity Clause, Section

187.22(b) of the Cleveland Codified Ordinances, and shall make the Clause part of every subcontract or agreement entered into for services or goods and binding on all persons and firms with which the proposer may deal, as follows: No Contractor shall discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, ethnic group or Vietnam-era or disabled veteran status. Contractors shall take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed and that employees are treated during employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, ethnic group or Vietnam-era or disabled veteran status. As used in this chapter, “treated” means and includes without limitation the following: recruited whether by advertising or other means; compensated, whether in the form of rates of pay or other forms of compensation; selected for training, including apprenticeship, promoted, upgraded, demoted, transferred, laid off and terminated. Contractors shall post in conspicuous places available to employees and applicants for employment, notices to be provided by the hiring representative of contractors setting forth the provisions of this nondiscrimination clause.

• Within 60 calendar days after entering into a contract, the successful Proposer, as Contractor, shall file a written affirmative action program with the OEO containing standards and procedures and representations assuring that the Contractor affords all qualified employees and applicants for employment equal opportunities in the Contractor’s recruitment, selection, and advancement processes.

9. INSURANCE LIMITS

The Contractor shall, at its own expense and at all times during the performance of services under this

Agreement, maintain insurance coverage of the types and in the minimum amounts set forth below. All insurance carriers must be authorized to do business in the State of Ohio and rated A-or better by A.M.

Best or equivalent. Certificates of insurance and required endorsements shall be provided to the City upon contract execution and upon renewal thereafter.

1. Commercial General Liability (CGL) Insurance

The Contractor shall maintain Commercial General Liability insurance on an occurrence basis with limits of not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate. Coverage shall include bodily injury, property damage, personal injury, and contractual liability. The policy shall:

• Name the City of Cleveland and the Community Police Commission (CPC) as Additional

Ins…