ESBD_File_341660_Addendum 1 - Q&A.pdf

Procurement & Contracts twubids@twu.edu

A Comprehensive Public University Primarily for Women An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer

ADDENDUM # 1

RFP-731-24-003-JC

Women’s Leadership Research Program

THE PROPOSAL YOU ARE SUBMITTING FOR THE ABOVE RFP NUMBER MUST CONTAIN

THE FOLLOWING ADDITION(S).

Questions and Answers

1. What work has been done to date to set the strategic mission or objective for the research arm of the JNIWL? Have any preliminary objectives for the Research Center been formed by TWU or its stakeholders as a foundation for this work? No.

2. To what degree is an operating model for the JNIWL Research Center an expected deliverable for this project? Is TWU seeking design/development of administrative support structures, staffing or a financial model and projections within the scope of this project? We are seeking design/development of administrative support structures, staffing model and projections within the scope of this project.

3. Has TWU identified peer or aspirational peer organizations for both the JNIWL or the future

Research Center? Have any benchmarking or comparisons related to the new Center been conducted? Not at this point.

4. Sections 1.4 and 3.2 reference a JNIWL Research Center launch in 2024. Is there a more specific or detailed target timeline for the center launch, and in association the completion of this engagement? If it is determined that a Research Center is the path forward (as opposed to a program), we’d like to launch that by the end of 2024.

5. Has TWU set an intended budget / range for this engagement to serve as a guide for our proposal efforts? $150-250K.

6. HUB and subcontractor requirement: is this needed if we do not plan on subcontracting?

Yes, for any contract that is over $100K it is required to be completed. If you are not subcontracting you will complete the section for self-performing on the form.

7. The scope of work outlined in the RFP is tied to a research center launch in the Fall of 2024;

however, the term of the award is specified as having a duration of five years (p.7) – Is there an interest or preference for respondents to indicate the scope of potential follow-on work that could be mailto:twubids@twu.edu included in a contract for the period beyond the 2024 launch of the research center? Yes, there would be an interest in indicating potential follow-up.

8. Query 1: Would it be appropriate to include the CV for the primary leader on this project as an attachment, summarizing qualifications in the “background of the proposer” section and referring to this attachment? Yes.

9. Are audited financial statements required? (RFP denotes “if requested”) If so, how to proceed if current business is in first fiscal year? (The primary consultant for this project has over a decade of experience, only the LLC is new.) Per RFP “if requested”

10. Is this the right place to include references and a resume integrated into the questionnaire section?

That is fine – we do not care where they are placed as long as they are included and all the questions on the questionnaire are addressed and answered.

11. Can the W9 be provided as a separate attachment? Yes.

12. Do you need my personal social security number even if I am not ineligible for reasons of being behind on child support? Can I wait to supply my personal social until after award? We do not need your personal ssn – just W9 with tax id number.

13. What is the budget range for this RFP? $150-250K.

14. TWU desires a fixed cost budget: “Fixed sum for services per contract paid out by completed steps or phases of work approved by department.” The general services agreement references billing by the hour. In the budget, do you wish to have estimated hours and hourly rate estimated or simply a breakdown by phase of the project? Breakdown by phase of project.

15. Is it acceptable to include contingency within the budget? I recommend this to clients if acceptable. Yes.

16. What is the deadline for this scope of work to be completed? The RFP references a four year contract, but also mentions that the strategic plans created through this contract will be implemented starting in 2024.) We would like to launch the project or Center (whichever is determined as the path forward) by the end of 2024.

17. Would you confirm the deliverable desired?

a. A proposed set of research topics to be pursued by the JNIWL

b. Mission statement defining the research mission of JNIWL

c. Discovery interviews with internal stakeholders at TWU

d. A strategic plan that prepares for a JNIWL Research Center launch in 2024

18. Would you confirm my understanding of the desired deliverables? Based on the RFP, I would define the deliverables as:

i. Discovery interviews with internal stakeholders and decisionmakers at TWU, revise and finalize the list of deliverables for approval

ii. A proposed set of research topics to be pursued by the JNIWL

iii. A literature review of proposed research topics listed above

iv. Mission statement defining the research mission of JNIWL building on the current

JNIWL programs focused on women's leadership, for review and revision by JNIWL leadership.

v. Possible deliverable: a product summarizing findings about demand/usability/application of these research topics to women’s leadership and the broader field (Clients often wish some kind of interim report or findings, even as simple as a slide deck, to interact with and reflect on before writing the strategic plan. Is this desired by JNIWL as a deliverable?)

vi. Planning tools customized to JNIWL to assist leadership with making decisions about mission and strategy (i.e., SWOT analysis, a template for a theory of change)

vii. Possible deliverable: Facilitated workshops to with JNIWL leadership, to work through planning tools above to make thoughtful choices about mission and strategy (i.e., guiding JNIWL leadership through a SWOT analysis or in clarifying their theory of change. This seems implied but I would appreciate insight into how much engagement leadership would prefer, and which leaders would be engaged in this strategic planning process.)

viii. A strategic plan that prepares for a JNIWL Research Center launch in 2024 (incorporating insights from interviews, focus groups) Yes, this is confirmed.

19. Who are the primary decisionmakers who will participate in the strategic planning process? What is their level of desired participation? Executive Director/Chief Officer of JNIWL, TWU faculty members.

20. Is proof of insurance required for this RFP? If you are awarded the contract proof of insurance is required.

21. Is proof of bonding required for this RFP? Bonding is not common in this industry, and requiring it can be prohibitively expensive for projects of this nature. Per RFP – if requested – we are not requesting bonding for this project.

22. Should we indicate the bidders HUB status in our proposal? I do not find a way to indicate the bidders HUB status as the primary bidder. You can provide your HUB certificate with your response.

23. We do not plan to subcontract. Is willingness to subcontract to HUBs a disadvantage or a criteria for selection? We are ourselves a HUB. Not a criteria to subcontract – but HUB subcontracting form is required per State of Texas for any contract awarded over $100K – you would indicate you are self-performing on the form and complete the applicable section(s).

24. Is it acceptable to submit this form as an attachment? The RFP indicates that these items must be in the correct order in the proposal, which could indicate that they must be integrated into a single document, or alternately that they are listed in the table of contents with a reference to a separate attachment. Yes

25. Is there a form for this that is in an electronic format, or should I recreate a signature page and conflict of interest page based on the RFP documents? Please see below, I have reproduced the affirmations and conflict of interest: Does this format work for a signature page? There is no electronic format for this – please use the form included in the RFP – must be signed with ink.

26. Is it acceptable to include the W-9 as a separate attachment? Yes.

27. Is it appropriate to include samples of past work? Yes.

28. Is it appropriate to include a CV as an attachment or do you prefer it to be integrated into the proposal? No preference.

29. Is the Execution of Offer equivalent to the “Proposer Information and Signature” page? Yes.

30. Please confirm that I may reproduce this form in an editable version to include with the proposal, as below. We prefer you do not reproduce the form and keep it in its original state as published in RFP.

31. Is there a way that the bidder is expected to indicate their ability to accept the Master Service agreement, or is this implied by submitting the bid? Include the agreeance within your proposal submission.

32. Can these references be different from those provide above in reference to projects? Should we reiterate references here if we wish them to be counted as references, even if we share a contact’s contact information as part of 5.5? We require 3 professional references per RFP document.

33. Is there currently funding for a JINWL research center and if so, are there particular emphases or parameters required by the funders or sponsors? Yes, there is funding. Emphasis must be on women’s leadership in general.

34. What types of consulting support do you envision in years 2-5 of the contract, following approval of the strategic plan? This has not been determined yet, but perhaps consulting on products or services related to housing and usage of the research collected.

35. The RFP refers to the research endeavor as both a research program and a research center. Is there an intention for this effort to result in a standalone Center with dedicated researchers and staff, or a research program and set of activities that integrate the work of the Jane Nelson Institute of Women’s Leadership and the Texas Woman’s University more broadly? Whether the outcome of the work to establish a research function becomes a project or a standalone Center will be determined through this process.

36. What is the maximum budget range for the project over the five-year contract period? $250K

37. To what extent is Jane Nelson Institute Women’s Leadership (JNIWL) currently operational? We are fully operational with three standalone centers under the umbrella of the JNIWL.

38. Is there a guiding document for the founding of the Institute that might include a preliminary sense of purpose, vision, and goals? Yes.

39. What is the organizational structure of the Institute? Who works there or will work there and who do they report to? How does the Institute fit into the organizational structure of the University? Please visit: https://twu.edu/institute-womens-leadership/

40. Section 1.2: includes the statement, "Now that the state established the overarching system designation” - what is the system designation and does that have a direct impact on the Institute? Texas law established the Texas Woman’s University system as the seventh public university system in the state. The university’s three campuses in Denton, Dallas and Houston are now independent institutions under the new system. The Denton campus, which is the oldest and largest, will become the system’s flagship university.

41. How does the Institute fit into Chancellor Feyten’s 5-year strategic plan? Women’s leadership is central to the purpose, mission, vision, values and principles of TWU.

https://twu.edu/strategic-plan-2022/distinctions.php#leadership

42. Section 1.4-The scope of Goods and Services mentions “the research arm of the Institute”. What are the other “arms” of the Institute? What is the Institute’s structure? The JNIWL is dedicated https://twu.edu/strategic-plan-2022/distinctions.php#leadership to preparing more women to take on successful roles in business and public service. Its three specialized centers include Center for Student Leadership, Center for Women Entrepreneurs and Center for Women in Government.

43. What do you see as the difference between “interviews” and “research interviews”? There is no difference.

44. Who do you expect to be contacted through interviews, focus groups, and other planning tools?

How many people and from what sectors? Are the audiences internal, external, or both? This will all be determined through this process.

45. JNIWL is scheduled to launch in 2024. When in 2024? By the end of 2024.

46. Does the Payee Identification Number (PIN) on page 34 Proposer Information and Signature refer to our federal EIN number? Yes.

47. Also would like to confirm that a scanned attachment of page 34 Proposer Information and

Signature with a handwritten signature will be acceptable with the proposal submission since it references the signature is in ink, or do we need to send a copy of this page elsewhere? Yes.

48. We are HUB certified through the State of Texas. In an effort to comply with the HUB requirement should our proposal be equal to or over $100,000 is it required that we factor in other HUB businesses? Not sure what you are asking – HUB form is required to be completed for any contract awarded over $100K.

49. Pricing and invoice payments are linked to milestone deliverables. Should we include those suggested deliverables in our proposal or does TWU have suggested guidelines that may better align with proposal submissions? Please include those suggested deliverables in your proposal.

https://twu.edu/center-for-student-leadership/ https://twu.edu/center-women-entrepreneurs/ https://twu.edu/center-women-entrepreneurs/ https://twu.edu/center-women-government/