HSPLS RFQ 27 01 LSTA 2023_2027 Evaluation Proposal_FINAL.pdf

HSPLS RFQ 27-01

HAWAIʻI STATE PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM

REQUEST FOR QUOTATION

EVALUATION of HAWAIʻI STATE PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM

LIBRARY SERVICES AND TECHNOLOGY ACT (LSTA)

FIVE YEAR PLAN 2023-2027

STATE OF HAWAIʻI

INTRODUCTION

The Hawaiʻi State Public Library System (HSPLS) is soliciting quotations from qualified contractors with expertise in assessment and evaluation to conduct an independent evaluation of HSPLS’s Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Five-Year Plan 2023–2027. The evaluation will measure the effectiveness of LSTA-funded activities, assess progress toward stated goals, and provide recommendations to inform development of Hawaiʻi’s 2028–2032 LSTA Five-Year Plan. The final Evaluation Report must meet the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) requirements for State Program Evaluations.

BACKGROUND AND SCOPE OF WORK

PROJECT OVERVIEW AND HISTORY

The Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), administered by IMLS, provides federal funding to support library services nationwide. Hawaiʻi’s annual Grants to States allotment has ranged from approximately $1.54 million to $1.55 million for federal fiscal years 2023–2025.

HSPLS is a statewide system of 51 public libraries across six islands, serving approximately 1 million registered borrowers. In State FY2025, HSPLS maintained a physical collection of 2.8 million items, with an annual circulation exceeding 3.5 million physical items and 1.7 million electronic circulations. All LSTA funds are managed and expended centrally by HSPLS; no subgrants are issued.

SCOPE OF WORK

The Contractor shall conduct an independent evaluation of the HSPLS LSTA Five-Year Plan 2023–2027 in accordance with Guidelines for IMLS Grants to States Five-Year Evaluations (Appendix B).

Tasks Orientation: Meet with HSPLS project staff to review LSTA-funded activities, data sources, and reporting requirements.

Evaluation Design: Develop a survey instrument using the Likert Scale where appropriate, create a uniform process for gathering and analyzing data, collect anecdotal evidence, and ensure compliance with the American Evaluation Association’s Guiding Principles for Evaluators (Appendix A).

Reporting: Prepare a Draft Evaluation Report for review and submit a Final Evaluation Report in IMLS-approved format.

Deliverables

1) The Contractor shall provide one (1) printed copy, one (1) PDF copy, and one (1) editable electronic copy of the Hawaiʻi LSTA Five-Year Plan 2023–2027 Evaluation Report.

2) Recommendations for the 2028–2032 LSTA Five-Year Plan.

All deliverables must comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, or any subsequent version, at a minimum Level AA success criteria, as published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI).

Timeline

Task Target Completion Date Proposal Release Proposals Due Estimated Contract Start Date Project initiation & data collection

July 20, 2026 August 20, 2026 September 18, 2026 October–December 2026

Draft Evaluation Report due to HSPLS January 20, 2027 Final Evaluation Report submitted to HSPLS February 17, 2027 Submission to IMLS by HSPLS March 30, 2027

QUALIFICATIONS

Offerors must demonstrate proven experience conducting research or evaluation of public library programs, ideally with familiarity with LSTA-funded projects; knowledge of federal evaluation frameworks; experience producing statewide or multi-site evaluation reports; and strong analytical and communication skills.

Proposals must include:

1. A company profile outlining relevant experience and services offered.

2. Curriculum vitae of key personnel assigned to the project.

3. Descriptions of relevant prior projects, including at least three (3) client references.

4. Educational background and qualifications demonstrating the required knowledge and skills.

PROJECT BUDGET

1. Provide an itemized budget by activity (e.g., survey design, data analysis, reporting).

2. Include all labor, materials, travel, and incidentals.

3. Office expenses and support staff costs are to be included within the proposed fee.

4. Specify a proposed payment schedule.

Pricing Pricing shall include labor, materials, supplies, all applicable taxes, except the GET, currently 4.5%, which may be added as a separate line item and shall not exceed the current rate, and any other costs incurred to provide the specified services.

The pricing shall be the all-inclusive cost, except the GET, to the State and no other costs will be honored.

Compensation Payment will be made to the contractor based on a mutually agreed upon timeframe.

Final payment will not be made until the desired deliverables are completed and provided to HSPLS.

TERM OF CONTRACT

The anticipated contract period is October 1, 2026 – March 15, 2027. The Contractor must ensure confidentiality and data security at all times.

Contractor Performance The offeror shall provide information that will demonstrate the following:

• Responsiveness to previous clients

• Timeliness of meeting schedules

• Adherence to contract requirements of previous clients

• Availability and accessibility to previous clients

SPECIAL PROVISIONS

RESPONSIBILITY OF LOWEST RESPONSIBLE OFFEROR

Offeror is advised that if awarded a contract under this solicitation, Offeror shall, upon award of the contract, furnish proof of compliance with the requirements of §103D-310(c), HRS:

Compliance Documents:

• Tax clearance from the Department of Taxation

• Tax clearance from the Internal Revenue Service

• Certificate of Compliance issued by the Department of Labor and Industrial

Relations

• Certificate of Good Standing (COGS) issued by the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Business Registration Division

Hawaii Compliance Express (HCE) allows businesses to register online through a simple wizard interface at http://vendors.ehawaii.gov to acquire a “Certificate of Vendor Compliance.” The HCE provides current compliance status as of the issuance date. The “Certificate of Vendor Compliance” indicating that vendor’s status is compliant with the requirements of HRS Chapter 103D-310(c), shall be accepted for both contract purposes and final payment. Vendors that elect to use the HCE services will be required to pay an annual fee of $12.00 to the Hawaii Information Consortium, LLC (HIC).

CONTRACT ADMINISTRATOR

For the purposes of this contract, Stacey Aldrich, State Librarian, HSPLS, (808) 586-3704, or authorized representative, is designated the Contract Administrator.

ATTACHMENTS AND APPENDICES

• Attachment 1: OFFER FORM

• Appendix A: Guiding Principles for Evaluators

• Appendix B: Guidelines for IMLS Grants to States Five-Year Evaluation http://vendors.ehawaii.gov/