COS letter - general.pdf

1850 SW 170th Ave | Beaverton, Oregon 97003 | 503-848-3000 | tvwd.org

February 25, 2026

RE: On-Call Professional Services RSOQ Categories of Service

Thank you for your interest in the Tualatin Valley Water District (District) solicitation for

On-Call Professional Services (RSOQ) and the changes in the categories of service since

2020. District staff is aware that consultants who perform work in categories not listed the RSOQ may have concerns about why this changed and what contracting with the

District will look like in the future.

In the last couple of years, Legislative changes impacted contracting thresholds, and the

District updated its Local Contract Review Board Rules (LCRB Rules) that specify how the

District must select suppliers for goods and services. These changes provide time and cost advantages to the District.

The District still requires the services that were in the 2020 On-Call Contracts and that are not in the RSOQ.

The District made the decision to exclude these services from the RSOQ for several reasons:

1. The RSOQ solicitation format is beneficial for services in the $250,000-$750,000 range per project or assignment. For most of the categories removed, the District does not anticipate needing individual contracts reaching that threshold.

2. Over one third of the contracts “awarded” in the last solicitation were never executed and the District never offered work to those consultants.

3. District staff is aware that preparing a Statement of Qualifications represents substantial time and cost for consultants—as well as to District staff to evaluate and score these.

With this in mind, the District opted to streamline the RSOQ approach to target services when it provides a procurement (selection) benefit.

Contracting for services in the Surveying/AutoCAD, Corrosion Prevention/Condition

Assessment, Structural, Permitting, Geotechnical, Special Inspection, and Property

Services categories for work under $250,000 may be procured through a direct appointment or other method permitted by the District’s LCRB Rules, depending on the specific assignment. Attached is a summary diagram that describes ways the District may contract or select for these services in the future. The District may solicit for a

2/25/2026

“prequalified” consultant list for these services in the future, as this is allowed under the new LCRB Rules, but the District has not yet determined a timeline for this.

For the Electrical/Instrumentation and Controls and SCADA integration category of service, the District is reviewing upcoming needs with the Willamette Water Supply

System to determine the most appropriate avenue for selection of a consultant to provide these services.

All competitive solicitations will continue to be listed on Bid Locker:

https://bidlocker.us/a/tvwd/BidLocker.

For a copy of the District’s current LCRB Rules, email bidsandproposals@tvwd.org.

This letter is provided for general informational purposes only; in the event of any inconsistency, the published RSOQ, including any addenda, controls.

Sincerely, Heather Speight, Procurement and Contracts Administrator https://bidlocker.us/a/tvwd/BidLocker mailto:bidsandproposals@tvwd.org

Professional Services required

Will the work be > $250K?

Direct Appointment allowed (fastest).

Optional:

RFQ, RFIP, RFP.

RSOQ may be used if appropriate.

Solicitation definitions and abbreviations

Direct Appointment allowed (fastest).

Optional:

RFQ, RFIP, or RFP RSOQ not usually recommended.

Will the work be >$500K?

Are similar services needed over time?

Is there an Umbrella Contract?

RFP or RSOQ required.

Will the work be >$750K?

Minimum of RFIP with two Umbrella Contract holders.

Optional:

RFP or RSOQ.

RFP or RSOQ required.

May wish to consider multi-step solicitation.

Professional Services Contract Task OrderProfessional

Services Contract Task Order Umbrella Contract

RSOQ required.

Professional Services Contract

Evaluate work value, project-specific needs, and existing contract structure.

Consultant selection method options

Final contract structure

No

Yes

No, it’s project-specific or a one-time need

No

Yes Yes

Yes, and an on-call structure is desired

Yes

No No

Direct Appointment. Selection without competition. May use a prequalified firm, another agency’s consultant for related work, or may select any firm capable of performing the work.

Multi-step solicitation. Two competitive processes run. Generally first, an RSOQ to evaluate qualifications and narrow competitive field (usually 2-4 firms). Second step usually an RFP for the qualified consultants to define approach to the work.

RFIP: Request for Informal Proposals. Compare two or more consultants. No advertisement required; proposals and scoring may be more informal. Price may be a factor.

RFP: Request for Proposals. Formally advertised. Proposals must meet minimum requirements and scoring methodology/weight must be included in the solicitation documents. Price may be a factor.

RFQ: Request for Quotes. Can be used up to $250,000 ($100,000 for labor-related on public works projects). No advertisement required. Generally must obtain three quotes or demonstrate due diligence. Price is usually the primary factor.

RSOQ: Request for Statements of Qualifications. Formally advertised. Statements of Qualifications must meet minimum requirements and scoring methodology/weight must be included in the solicitation documents. Price cannot be a factor.

Contract types and key differences Professional Services Contract. Defines terms and conditions, scope, cost, and duration in one document. Primarily used for project-specific type of work. May be used for on-call services if the on-call work does not need to be clearly defined for each call-out.

Umbrella Contract. Defines terms and conditions but does not include specific scope or cost. Establishes requirements for Task Orders. No work is guaranteed.

Task Order. Refers to the Umbrella Contract for terms and conditions. Defines scope, cost, and duration for project-specific work.

Where will prequalification fit in?

Prequalification list. This is still being determined. The District wants to make the process simple, so may consider an RSOQ with fewer requirements. The prequalification list is envisioned as a “rolling” list that consultants could apply to at any time, but that would have a set duration, after which a consultant would need to resubmit (possibly 5 years or a staff turnover threshold). The prequalification list may be used for direct appointment, as a resource for subconsultants on other contracts, or as a prerequisite to propose on certain RFPs.

Professional Services Contracting at Tualatin Valley Water District: Selection Methods and Contract Structure

All solicitation and contracting must be in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws and the District’s current Local Contract Review Board (LCRB) Rules.

This information is current as of February 24, 2026. For questions or a copy of the LCRB Rules: bidsandproposals@tvwd.org.

mailto:bidsandproposals@tvwd.org mailto:bidsandproposals@tvwd.org