Independent_Operational_and_Organizational_Assessment_for_the_Community_Development_Department.pdf

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

24-032-RFP

INDEPENDENT OPERATIONAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL

ASSESSMENT FOR THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

DEPARTMENT

City of West Sacramento

1110 W Capitol Ave

West Sacramento, CA 95691

RELEASE DATE: August 29, 2024

DEADLINE FOR QUESTIONS: September 16, 2024

RESPONSE DEADLINE: October 11, 2024, 12:00 am

Request for Proposals #24-032-RFP Title: Independent Operational and Organizational Assessment for the Community Development Department

RESPONSES MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY TO:

https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/cityofwestsacramento https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/%7bproject.government.code%7d

City of West Sacramento

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Independent Operational and Organizational Assessment for the

Community Development Department

I. Introduction II. Scope of Work

III. Proposal Requirements IV. General Information V. Terms and Conditions

VI. Evaluation Criteria VII. Consultant Selection and Contract Award

VIII. Standard Contract Information IX. Proposer Questionnaire

Attachments:

A - Contract for Services (West Sacramento) - Boilerplate for RFP 8.1.24

B - Attachment to RFP Overview and intent

C - Insurance Checklist

Title: Independent Operational and Organizational Assessment for the Community Development Department

1. Introduction

1.1. Summary

Please state the Statement of Purpose of this Solicitation, being as descriptive as possible.

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

The City of West Sacramento is soliciting proposals from qualified firms or individuals ("Proposer") to conduct a multi-disciplinary and comprehensive operational review of the Community Development

Department and development review and services functions across all City department involved in the process, provide recommendations and an implementation plan to include best practices to consider, to prioritize, and to deploy. More details on the City's needs for this work are provided in the Scope of

Work.

Each qualified Proposer is to submit a proposal in conformity with the terms of this Request for Proposal

("RFP") by the deadline below ("Proposal"). The Proposer selected by the City pursuant to the terms of this RFP and the City's contracting procedures, if any is selected, is referred to herein as "Contractor."

SYNONYMOUS TERMS

Unless the use indicates otherwise, as used throughout this bid and its attachments, the following terms are synonymous:

a. Firm, Consultant, Supplier, Vendor, Contractor, Successful Bidder, Offeror

b. Purchase Order, Contract, Agreement

c. Services, Work, Scope, and Project

d. Pricing proposal/sheet, Cost proposal/sheet, Rate table/sheet

1.2. Background

West Sacramento is a vibrant riverfront community centrally located in Northern California. West

Sacramento shares the Sacramento River with neighboring Sacramento, with the deep water ship canal serving the Port of Sacramento. Incorporated in 1987, West Sacramento encompasses approximately 22 square miles, with a population just over 55,000. The City of West Sacramento operates under a

Council/Manager form of government consisting of the Mayor and four Council Members who each serve four year terms. The City is full-service with nine (9) departments and over 400 full-time employees. The City provides the full range of municipal services including police and fire protection, park, street, fleet, and facility maintenance, economic development and housing, community development, capital projects, and parks and recreation. The City also provides water, wastewater, and solid waste services. In addition, the City maintains port, water, wastewater, and solid waste enterprise https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/cityofwestsacramento/projects/101384/document?section=923093

Title: Independent Operational and Organizational Assessment for the Community Development Department funds. Other activities and related entities include the West Sacramento Redevelopment Successor

Agency, Reclamation District 900 (RD900) and the West Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency.

Recognizing that a timely, efficient and straight-forward development review process has tremendous impact on West Sacramento’s ability to attract investment and attract, retain and expand business activity, the City is seeking to better understand the factors contributing to recommendations for improving and optimizing its development process.

This Request for Proposals (RFP) describes the City’s impetus for dedicating resources to improvement of the development process, the general rules for preparing and submitting proposals and the City’s criteria for selecting among the proposals. In addition, the scope includes a comprehensive evaluation of the Community Department itself, including functions and staffing levels associated with other services not directly related to the development review process.

Proposers shall submit a written proposal, which presents the Proposer’s qualifications and outlines their approach to undertaking a wide-ranging evaluation of the City’s current process and identifies areas of improvements. The proposal will demonstrate:

1) knowledge of best practices in development and permitting services;

2) familiarity with organizational development in a customer service oriented, multi-disciplinary public sector setting;

3) latest technological and organizational tools and practices; and,

4) ability to tailor an approach to match an informed understanding of the City’s capacity and resources.

Development services are generally led by the Community Development Department (CDD). CDD is comprised of six divisions: Planning, Building, Transportation and Mobility, Development Engineering, Sustainability, and Code Enforcement. Engineering inspectors are currently located in the Capital

Projects Department and are utilized for inspection of both public and private projects. There are currently 38 FTEs in the Community Development Department, with the Building Division experiencing some long-term vacancies in the plans examiner and building inspector positions.

The Department performs its functions through both in-house employees and through various professional service contracts, such as; environmental document preparation, technical reports, surveying services and currently most building permit plan checking and inspection services.

1.3. Contact Information

Andrea Ouse

Director

1110 West Capitol Avenue, 2nd Floor

West Sacramento, CA 95691

Email: andreao@cityofwestsacramento.org

Phone: (916) 617-4675

Department:

Community Development mailto:andreao@cityofwestsacramento.org tel:(916)617-4675

Title: Independent Operational and Organizational Assessment for the Community Development Department

1.4. Timeline

Project Release Date August 29, 2024

Question Submission Deadline September 16, 2024, 4:30pm

Question Response Deadline September 25, 2024, 4:30pm

Proposal Submission Deadline October 11, 2024, 12:00am

Prospective Interview Date November 1, 2024

City Hall Conference Room 204

Title: Independent Operational and Organizational Assessment for the Community Development Department

2. Scope of Work

2.1. Scope of Work

The following is a list of tasks that are intended to be the responsibility of the Contractor pursuant to this Request for Proposals ("Scope of Work ").

1. Conduct Analysis

The Consultant will review the Community Development Department organization, structure and work processes, including the development review process. The consultant will assess the Community

Development Department to determine whether resources align with community and City Council expectations and workload, in addition to best practices of other similarly situated organizations.

Furthermore, the Consultant will determine if resources are appropriately distributed to meet expectations and workload requirements and that technical and non-technical personnel competencies are properly organized to efficiently carry out responsibilities. The consultant will conduct interviews, review documents and processes, make comparisons with accepted service delivery standards and organizations, and compile the information into a final report with recommended strategies for improvement.

There are no records of a previous organizational structure assessment being conducted in the

Community Development Department. In 2022, the Capital Projects Department conducted a data-driven department assessment that resulted in a gap analysis, an actionable strategic plan and change management services.

Phase 1: Preliminary Gap Analysis

Phase 1 will consist of a comprehensive review and evaluation of the current level of functioning of the

City of West Sacramento’s departments/divisions that are involved in the development review and permitting processes. Upon completion of Phase 1, opportunities for organizational changes and policy or process improvements will be determined. The successful firm will also compare the services and processes of the City of West Sacramento’s development and permitting services with process models, performance standards, and measures of performance of other high-functioning organizations.

Evaluation and review in the following areas are suggested but not limited to:

A. Mapping and understanding the existing development review process; specifically:

1. Process mapping/planning

a. Evaluate existing coordination efforts between all departments and divisions and identify all delays and bottlenecks as the project moves through the development review process.

b. Review existing permit application types and evaluate whether the turnaround objectives for these permits are reasonable and achievable.

c. Identify developer challenges when submitting a proposal:

Title: Independent Operational and Organizational Assessment for the Community Development Department

• Identify a minimum of five case studies of past development projects that go through development review and permitting, a minimum of 1 for each category:

o hotel, multi-family residential or mixed use, single-family residential, commercial, industrial.

• Analysis must include projects that go through each department/division involved in the development review process.

d. Assess and review current approaches to improve delivery of development-related services by identifying existing areas of strength and areas that need improvements.

e. Provide extensive qualitative and quantitative analysis of service delivery such as operations and business processes, time cycles, inter-departmental communication and coordination, and technology impacting length of time required to process plan reviews, issue permits and to conduct construction/development inspections for a project as it progresses from start to finish through the development services review process.

f. Evaluate efficient use of technology and feasibility of fully implementing online submittals and routing of plans, staff review of electronic submittals and online inspection scheduling. In addition, evaluate the underutilization of existing permit management software platforms as a means of communication and accurate project tracking.

g. Review software reporting capabilities needed to assess service levels (e.g. average plan review turnaround times based on type, plan review and inspection volumes and time for reviews and inspections by type and by department, inspection request turnaround times, etc.)

h. The calculation and application of existing fees with a focus on accuracy and consistency. A review of the fee structure or adequacy of fees is beyond the scope of the Comprehensive Evaluation. Currently, the Community Development Department is undergoing a comprehensive update to the Book of Fees.

i. Evaluate ultimate decision-maker authority within each step along the development review process to determine efficiency gaps, policy requirements and opportunity for regulation changes, and appropriateness of decisions made at each step.

B. Ensure Involvement of Internal and External Stakeholders

The Consultant shall use multiple communication methods, but primarily face-to-face interviews or meetings with City Council and City personnel identified from the City Manager’s Office, the

City Attorney’s Office (contract), Community Development, Fire Department (Fire Marshal), Capital Projects, Parks and Recreation and Finance. Outreach efforts shall be made to a representative from the Chamber of Commerce, residents, and customers with long-term and regular CDD contact; specifically focused on obtaining a wide range of opinions and experiences, Title: Independent Operational and Organizational Assessment for the Community Development Department including input from customers who have reported negative experiences with the permit process and/or other service delivery in CDD. Pre-meeting information will likely be required to prepare the interviewee and to maximize input.

1. Management and Staffing Analysis

1. Organizational Structure: Review the interdepartmental organizational structure and whether it supports or obstructs Community Development’s current services and processes.

2. Analyze productivity and level of staffing in relation to workload.

3. Review the current staff training procedures and model.

2. Policy Analysis

1. Review and provide recommendations on policy documents that can be improved to better align the expectations of the policy makers with the type and quality of projects that are being proposed for approval.

2. Review and evaluate the role, timelines, and effectiveness of the Zoning Administrator, Planning Commission, Administrative Hearing Officer, Transportation, Mobility and

Infrastructure Commission, Environment and Utilities Commission, and City Council as a project moves through these processes, if applicable.

3. Review and evaluate the role and timelines of the Project Review Committee as a project moves through this process.

4. Review post-planning permit entitlement and building permit processes for ensuring project amendments or field changes during construction and completed projects comply with approvals and project plans.

Phase 2: Policy, Organizational and Process Improvement Plan

Upon completion of Phase 1, the firm will construct a plan for improvement in the areas that yield significant need. This report should serve as a strategic plan for improvement, detailing the recommended strategies and alternatives for facilitating development review policy changes, organizational change and process improvements. Industry best-practices should be incorporated into the final strategic plan for improvement, along with City-specific insights gathered from Phase 1.

Contingent upon the results of Phase 1, service and process improvement plans for the following areas include, but are not limited to:

A. Process and Organizational Effectiveness Improvement: Once the review of process maps is completed, the firm will identify and develop recommendations for process and organizational effectiveness improvements.

1. The firm will make recommendations for how organizational structure may better support the process, including but not limited to possible staffing changes, reclassifications, augmentations.

Title: Independent Operational and Organizational Assessment for the Community Development Department

2. Provide recommendations to improve delivery and/or cost effectiveness for operational challenges.

3. Develop performance measures, metrics and timelines that will be used to evaluate whether and to what extent recommendations are being implemented or successfully ongoing as a general practice.

4. Recommend consistent and reasonable timeframes and workflow following the completeness review for all departments to provide project review comments.

5. Provide recommendations to alleviate developer challenges as it relates to developer experience through the entire development review and permitting process.

6. Review staff workload and make recommendations for maximizing use of staff time and more efficient use of resources.

a. Determine and recommend the appropriate staffing levels necessary to provide timely development review and permitting services to the community.

7. Project Alignment with community objectives and goals: Once the review of policy is completed, the firm will identify and develop recommendations to improve development policy.

a. Make recommendations to improve policy documents to ensure projects approved in the development review process align with the goals and objectives of the City Council and community.

8. Recommendations should include an ongoing mechanism for easily and effectively collecting and analyzing customer feedback.

Phase 3: Implementation Plan

The successful firm will work with the City of West Sacramento to construct a plan for implementing the strategies proposed in Phase 2. Throughout the implementation process, the City of West Sacramento would like to emphasize incremental change and “quick wins.”

The prioritized action plan may include:

Deliverable 1: Project plan/workflow.

Deliverable 2: A report that synthesizes the findings from Phase 1 Preliminary Gap Analysis, highlighting areas in need of improvement.

Deliverable 3: Recommendation report and strategic plan. As part of the strategic plan, develop an implementation plan detailing specific action items for policy changes and review processes for the City of West Sacramento to execute, and projected benchmarks the City should strive to achieve.

Deliverable 4: Final presentation.

Title: Independent Operational and Organizational Assessment for the Community Development Department

2.2. Term of Contract

The initial term of the Contract is at the City's discretion and may be up to 3 years. The City also reserves the right to extend the Contract for up to 2 additional 1-year terms (individually, “Extension”) upon the same terms and conditions as parties agreed to in the Contract. Thus, parties agree the Contract may be for a total of 5 years upon the same terms and conditions as parties agreed in the Contract.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the City is not obligated to extend the Contract for any amount of time.

If there is outstanding work within the Scope of Work at the end of the term of the Contract and the City requires time to solicit for and secure an alternative contractor, Contractor shall continue to provide the services within the Scope of Work on a month-to-month basis, not to exceed six (6) months, at the same cost, terms, and conditions in effect at the termination of the Contract. The City shall give Contractor at least thirty (30) days written notice of such a need and the anticipated timeline to secure an alternative contractor.

Title: Independent Operational and Organizational Assessment for the Community Development Department

3. Proposal Requirements

3.1. Proposal Format & Content

Proposer Questionnaire must include each of the following sections to be uploaded in the Proposer

Questionnaire section.

A. Proposal Transmittal Letter

B. Proposer's Mandatory Qualifications and Experience

C. Technical Project Approach

D. Cost Proposal

Specific content and format requirements for each section are detailed below.

Each section shall be uploaded in the Proposer Questionnaire section of this RFP.

3.2. Proposal Transmittal Letter

A Proposer is required to provide a written transmittal letter and offer in the form of a standard business letter ("Proposal Transmittal Letter" or "Letter"). The Proposal Transmittal Letter shall reference and respond to the following subsections in sequence and have attached to it corresponding documentation, as required. A Proposal Transmittal Letter is mandatory and failure to provide the required information may result in the proposal being considered nonresponsive and rejected.

A. Proposer's Name and Contact.The Letter shall state the complete name, or business name, of the Proposer making the Proposal. The Letter shall state the name, title, mailing address, email address, and telephone number of the person the City should contact regarding the Proposal.

B. Statement of Offer. The Letter shall state that the Proposal is an offer to complete the Scope of

Work and the offer, including the Cost Proposal rates and budget, remains valid for at least ninety (90) business days after the Proposal due date.

C. Conflict of Interest.The Letter shall state whether the Proposer, or any individual who shall perform work under the Contract, has a possible conflict of interest and, if so, the nature of that conflict. The City reserves the right to terminate the Contract if its execution would or could create, or give the appearance of creating, a conflict of interest. The City, at its sole discretion, shall make all determinations on the existence or appearance of a conflict of interest.

D. City Contract Terms. The Letter shall include a statement of acknowledgement that the City’s standard contract and insurance (Included in Attachments) have been reviewed and accepted by the Proposer with or without qualification.

1. If the Proposer has qualifications, the Proposer shall download a copy of the standard contract and re-upload a version of the document in the Proposer Questionnaire under https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/cityofwestsacramento/projects/101384/document?section=923090 https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/cityofwestsacramento/projects/101384/document?section=923090 https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/cityofwestsacramento/projects/101384?section=undefined https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/cityofwestsacramento/projects/101384/document?section=923096 https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/cityofwestsacramento/projects/101384/document?section=923090

Title: Independent Operational and Organizational Assessment for the Community Development Department

Standard City Contract Qualifications identifying the contract language at issue and

Proposer's suggested adjustment or modification.

2. If no qualifications are identified, Proposer is presumed to have accepted the City' standard contract and be capable of completing the Scope of Work, as well as all reasonably associated managerial tasks, without reservation or qualification.

E. Subcontractors. The Letter shall state whether the Proposer intends to use subcontractors, subconsultants, or other contracting parties to complete the Scope of Work (collectively, "Subcontractors"). If so, the Letter shall clearly identify the name of each proposed

Subcontractor, their mailing address, email address, and telephone number as well as the service related to the Scope of Work that the Subcontractor is anticipated to perform. NOTE:

The Contractor must obtain written approval from the City prior to the use of any

Subcontractor, even after a Contract is executed.

F. Signature and Authority. The Letter shall be signed by a person empowered to bind the

Proposer to the provisions of the RFP, and any contract awarded pursuant to it. Evidence demonstrating authority to bind the Proposer shall be included or attached to the Letter, such as a statement describing the signatory's role with or relationship to the Proposer.

3.3. Proposer's Mandatory Qualifications and Experience

A Proposal shall demonstrate that the Proposer holds the qualifications and experience required to complete the Scope of Work by referencing and responding to the following subsections in sequence and attaching corresponding documentation, as required ("Mandatory Qualifications and Experience").

The qualifications and experience listed below are mandatory and failure to provide the required information may result in the proposal being considered nonresponsive and rejected.

A. Organization. A brief description of Proposer's background, years in business, organizational history, and client base. Briefly state Proposer's total number of employees and list all relevant licenses, specialties, and trainings held by Proposer and/or employees. List office location(s) and identify the office(s) from which services will be performed.

B. Experience. A brief statement of how long Proposer has been performing the services required to complete the Scope of Work. Proposer shall have a minimum of five (5) years of experience providing the services required to complete the Scope of Work to public agencies in California. If the Proposer has been in business for less than five years, the experience of its principals may be used to meet this requirement.

C. Public Agency Experience.A description of no more than ten (10) public sector projects completed within the last five (5) years that demonstrates Proposer's experience performing services to complete the Scope of Work, including a statement as to whether Proposer has experience working for the City of West Sacramento, or a public agency similar in size to the

City. Note key personnel involved in each project and if they are proposed for this Proposal and

Title: Independent Operational and Organizational Assessment for the Community Development Department if applicable, differentiate which work was performed by subcontractor. List any contractual relationships with the City existing now or within the past five (5) years.

D. Personnel.A narrative description, resume, and organizational structure chart of personnel to be assigned to complete tasks within the Scope of Work, clearly indicating where Subcontractors will be used, if applicable. The narrative description or resume shall list, at least, each individual’s title, education, relevant experience and duration, professional licenses, and demonstrated accomplishments. Identify the individual who will lead the day-to-day work effort and serve as the primary contact to the City.

E. References. A list of five (5) references for whom the services required to complete the Scope of

Work have been performed by Proposer within the last three (3) years. The list of references shall include name, mailing address, email address, brief description of services completed relevant to this RFP, and point of contact who can attest to the quality and effectiveness of the services.

F. Local Benefit.A statement describing any and all local benefit the Proposer would bring to the

Contract. For example, local benefit may include but is not limited to local vendors, suppliers, labor or subcontractors used in support of the project as well as fees or taxes paid to the City. To the extent practical, the local benefit described with the Proposal should be measurable. At the end of the Contract, the Contractor shall be required to provide a report detailing the measures taken to enhance the local benefit and whether or not stated goals were met. For purposes of this section, a local vendor or service provider is one located within the City limits and in possession of a West Sacramento business license. If the solicitation has Federal funds, there will be no Local Benefit considered.

G. History.A statement as to whether there have been any mergers, acquisitions, or sales related to

Proposer's organizational structure within the last three (3) years. If so, attach an explanation providing relevant details.

H. Legal Challenges.A statement as to whether there is any pending litigation against the Proposer.

If such litigation exists, attach an opinion of counsel as to whether the pending litigation will impair the Proposer's ability to perform the Contract.

I. Fiscal Viability. A statement as to whether, in the last ten (10) years, the Proposer has filed (or had filed against it) any bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding, whether voluntary or involuntary, or undergone the appointment of a receiver, trustee, or assignee for the benefit of creditors. If so, attach an explanation providing relevant details.

J. Business License.Registration with the Secretary of State to conduct business in the State of

California. Attach a copy of a proof of registration.

Title: Independent Operational and Organizational Assessment for the Community Development Department

3.4. Technical Project Approach

A document detailing the operational and/or organizational approach the Proposer will take to timely fulfill the Scope of Work shall be submitted with the Proposal ("Technical Project Approach"). The

Technical Project Approach shall be a comprehensive narrative describing how the Proposer will complete the Scope of Work, communicate with the City throughout the work, advance the project objectives, and provide continuity on work efforts.

3.5. Cost Proposal

A document detailing all costs associated to complete the Scope of Work shall be submitted with the

Proposal ("Cost Proposal"). For sealed bids, the Cost Proposal shall be opened after and separately from the rest of the Proposal. Cost Proposal shall include all applicable federal, state, and local taxes and must be all-inclusive of project expenses, as no additional charges shall be allowed, except for additional services as requested by the City, if any. There shall be no additional reimbursement for travel time or expenses, telephone costs, copying costs, etc.

If applicable, the Cost Proposal shall separately delineate costs for optional term extensions and/or optional services. Proposer agrees to maintain pricing pursuant to the Cost Proposal for the duration of the Contract, and any optional extensions.

Title: Independent Operational and Organizational Assessment for the Community Development Department

4. General Information

4.1. Proposal Submission

All Proposals, including any attachments, exhibits, or amendments, shall be submitted through the City's

E-Procurement Portal, which will deliver Proposals to the City of West Sacramento staff overseeing the solicitation. Proposals not submitted through the City's E-Procurement Portal shall be deemed nonresponsive and rejected. Proposals may not be delivered orally, by paper, by email, by facsimile transmission, or by any other means.

All proposals shall be submitted through the City’s e-Procurement Portal no later than:

Friday, October 11, 2024 at 12:00 am.

A Proposer shall respond to the RFP and any exhibits, attachments, or amendments.

A Proposer's failure to submit a Proposal in compliance with the procedures and timelines set forth in the RFP shall cause the Proposal to be deemed nonresponsive and rejected. A late Proposal shall not be accepted. Additional time to respond shall not be granted to any Proposer.

4.2. Questions and/or Objections

It is to the City and Proposer's benefit that questions and objections are brought to the City's attention so it may issue necessary amendments to the RFP and help prevent the opening of defective proposals upon which the City could not award a Contract. Proposer should carefully review this RFP and all attachments for comments, questions, defects, objections, or any other matter requiring clarification or correction (collectively, “Questions”).

A Proposer may submit Questions related to this RFP to the City through the City’s e-Procurement Portal at or before:

Monday, September 16, 2024 at 4:30 pm.

Questions shall be considered waived and invalid if not brought to the attention of the City in conformity with this subsection. Questions not submitted through the City's e-Procurement Portal will not be accepted or responded to. Questions submitted after the deadline will not be accepted or responded to. Questions and answers will be posted on the City's e-Procurement Portal and visible to all.

Any revisions to the Standard Contract should be in the Proposal Transmission Letter and shown in redline, as described above.

4.3. General Proposal Format Requirements

A. The City discourages lengthy and costly proposals. A Proposal should be prepared simply and economically and provide a straightforward, concise description of the Proposer's capabilities to satisfy the requirements of this RFP. Emphasis should be on conformity to the City’s instructions, requirements of this RFP, and completeness and clarity of content.

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

Title: Independent Operational and Organizational Assessment for the Community Development Department

B. A Proposal must address all portions of the RFP, provide all information requested, and comply with all formatting requirements detailed herein.

C. A Proposal must be labeled and organized as requested in this RFP, including using section headers. Failure to follow the specified format, to label the responses correctly, or to address all of the subsections may, at the City’s sole discretion, result in the rejection of a Proposal.

D. A Proposal must not contain extraneous information. All information presented in a Proposal must be relevant to, and in response to, a requirement of this RFP. Any information not meeting these criteria shall be deemed extraneous and shall in no way contribute to the evaluation process.

E. A Proposal shall be prepared on standard 8 1/2" x 11" formatted electronic documents. Foldouts containing charts, spreadsheets, and other exhibits are permissible but Proposer shall be reminded that responses will be read electronically through the City’s e-Procurement Portal.

F. All responses, as well as any reference material presented, must be written in English.

G. All monetary amounts must be detailed in United States currency.

H. All uploaded proposal pages must be numbered. Proposals shall be limited to a total of thirty

(30) pages and should not include unnecessary company advertisement material. Resumes and references are part of the proposal package and will be included as part of the total page count.

Cost proposals may be excluded.

4.4. Proposal Preparation, Interview, and Negotiation Costs

The City shall not be responsible for, nor shall it pay, any costs associated with the preparation, proposal, or presentation of any Proposal, or costs incurred by the Proposer during the preparation of the Proposal, the Proposal Evaluation Process, or Contract Award Process.

4.5. Proposal Withdrawal

A Proposal may be withdrawn at any time by clicking "unsubmit" on the City's e-Procurement Portal. If after withdrawing a Proposal and before the deadline to submit a Proposal, a Proposer may submit another Proposal.

4.6. Proposal Amendment

A Proposal may be amended prior to the deadline to submit a Proposal by unsubmitting and resubmitting a Proposal on the City's e-Procurement Portal. After the deadline to submit a Proposal, the

City shall not accept any amendments, revisions, or alterations to a Proposal.

4.7. Proposal Errors

Proposers are liable for all errors or omissions contained in their Proposal. A Proposer is prohibited from altering a Proposal through any means after the deadline for submitting a proposal.

Title: Independent Operational and Organizational Assessment for the Community Development Department

4.8. Incorrect Proposal Information

If the City determines that a Proposer has provided, for consideration in the Proposal Evaluation Process or Contract Award Process incorrect information which the Proposer knew or should have known was materially incorrect, the Proposal may be rejected by the City, at its sole discretion.

Title: Independent Operational and Organizational Assessment for the Community Development Department

5. Terms and Conditions

5.1. Executive Order N-6-22 – Russia Sanctions

On March 4, 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order N-6-22 (the EO) regarding Economic

Sanctions against Russia and Russian entities and individuals. “Economic Sanctions” refers to sanctions imposed by the U.S. government in response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine, as well as any sanctions imposed under state law. By submitting a bid or proposal, Contractor represents that it is not a target of

Economic Sanctions. Should the State determine Contractor is a target of Economic Sanctions or is conducting prohibited transactions with sanctioned individuals or entities, that shall be grounds for rejection of the Contractor’s bid/proposal any time prior to contract execution, or, if determined after contract execution, shall be grounds for termination by the State.

5.2. Assignment and Subcontracting

The Contractor may not subcontract, transfer, or assign any portion of the Contract without prior written approval from the City. Any subcontractor, subconsultant, or other contracting parties

(collectively, "Subcontractor") must be specifically approved in writing by the City. Inclusion of a subcontractor in a Proposal does not guarantee the City's later approval of a Subcontractor.

Notwithstanding the use of an approved Subcontractor, the Contractor shall remain the prime contractor and responsible for all work performed under the Contract and pursuant to this RFP.

5.3. RFP Amendment and Cancellation

The City reserves the right to amend, cancel, or reissue this RFP at any time and at its sole discretion.

Any amendment shall be in writing and posted to the City's e-Procurement portal. A potential Proposer is solely responsible for clicking "Follow" on the RFP page to receive notifications and shall be solely responsible for complying with such notifications.

5.4. Right of Rejection

A. The City reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to reject any and all Proposals, no matter their level of responsiveness, or to cancel this RFP in its entirety.

B. A Proposer must comply with all of the terms and instruction of this RFP, and all applicable state and local laws and regulations. Any Proposal that does not meet the requirements of this RFP may be considered to be nonresponsive and rejected.

C. A Proposer may not restrict the rights of the City or otherwise qualify a Proposal. If a Proposer does so, the City may determine the Proposal is a nonresponsive counteroffer, and the Proposal may be rejected.

D. The City reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to waive variances in a Proposal, provided such action is in the best interest of the City. Where the City waives variances in a Proposal, such waiver does not modify the RFP requirements or excuse the Proposer from full compliance with the RFP. Notwithstanding any variance, the City may hold any Proposer to strict compliance with the RFP.

https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/3.4.22-Russia-Ukraine-Executive-Order.pdf

Title: Independent Operational and Organizational Assessment for the Community Development Department

5.5. Prohibition of Respondent Terms and Conditions

A Proposer shall not submit their own contract terms and conditions in a Proposal. If a Proposal contains such terms and conditions, the City, at its sole discretion, may reject the Proposal. A Proposer may either submit Questions to gain clarification on a term of the City's standard contract or submit proposed revisions to the City's standard contract in redline as part of the Proposal Transmission Letter, both pursuant to the terms of this RFP.

5.6. Joint Ventures and Partnering

A Proposal from joint ventures or entities partnering for a specific service must be designed to minimize any administrative burden on the City as a result of the participation of multiple entities. Joint proposals must adhere to the following:

A. The Proposal shall respond to each section and subsection of this RFP.

B. The Proposal shall clearly set forth the respective responsibilities and functions that each

Principal of the joint venture or partnering entities would perform if awarded a Contract pursuant to this RFP.

C. The Proposal must include a copy of the joint venture or partnering agreement(s) that identify the Principals involved, as well as their rights and responsibilities regarding the Contract pursuant to this RFP.

D. The Proposal Transmittal Letter must be signed by each Principal of the joint venture and include all required information.

5.7. Proposal of Alternate Services

A Proposal for alternate services (i.e., proposals that offer something different from that requested by the RFP) will be considered nonresponsive and rejected.

5.8. Proposal of Additional Services

A Proposal may indicate and offer services in addition to those required by this RFP. These additional services may be added to the Contract, at the sole discretion of the City. The cost for any such additional services shall be mutually agreed upon by the Contractor and the City, and incorporated into the

Contract before execution.

5.9. Severability

If any provision of this RFP is declared by a court to be illegal or in conflict with any law, the validity of the remaining terms and provisions shall not be affected, and the rights and obligations of the City and

Proposers shall be construed and enforced as if the RFP did not contain the particular provision held to be invalid.

Title: Independent Operational and Organizational Assessment for the Community Development Department

5.10. Licensure and Special Certification

Before executing the Contract pursuant to this RFP, the Contractor must hold all necessary business and professional licenses and certifications to complete the Scope of Work. The City may require any or all

Proposers to submit evidence of proper licensure and certifications.

5.11. Disclosure of Proposal Contents

All Proposals and other materials submitted to the City related to this RFP shall become the property of the City. Selection or rejection of a Proposal does not affect this right. All proposal information, including detailed price and cost information, shall be held in confidence during the evaluation and selection process. Upon the completion of the evaluation and selection process, or by rejection of all Proposals, the Proposals and shall be open for review by the public to the extent required by the California Public

Records Act, Government Code section 6254 et seq.. By submitting a Proposal, a Proposer acknowledges and accepts that the contents of the Proposal and associated documents shall become open to public inspection.

Portions of a Proposal exempt from public disclosure by law may be protected from public disclosure by the City. A Proposer is required to clearly label such portion of a Proposal "CONFIDENTIAL" and list the grounds for non-disclosure. In doing so, the Proposer thereby agrees to indemnify and defend the City from any action arising from the non-disclosure of the information. The failure to so label any information shall constitute a complete waiver of all claims for damages caused by or related to any release of the information.

5.12. Conflict of Interest and Restrictions

By submitting a Proposal, the Proposer certifies that no amount shall be paid directly or indirectly to an employee or official of the City as wages, compensation, or gifts in exchange for acting as an officer, agent, employee, subcontractor, or consultant to the Proposer in connection with the procurement under this RFP.

5.13. Local Benefit Definition

The Proposer is invited to provide a statement describing any and all local benefit the Proposer would bring to the Contract. For example, local benefit may include but is not limited to local vendors, suppliers, labor or subcontractors used in support of the project as well as fees or taxes paid to the City.

To the extent practical, the local benefit described with the Proposal should be measurable. At the end of the Contract, the Contractor may be required to provide a report detailing the measures taken to enhance the local benefit and whether or not stated goals were met.

For purposes of this section, a local vendor or service provider is one located within the city limits and in possession of a West Sacramento business license.

5.14. Proprietary Information

A copy of each Proposal shall be retained for official files and will become public record after the award of a contract unless the Proposal, or specific parts of the Proposal, can be shown to be exempt by law.

Each Proposer may clearly label any part of a Proposal as "CONFIDENTIAL." In doing so, the Proposer thereby agrees to indemnify and defend the City for withholding the information from public inspection.

Title: Independent Operational and Organizational Assessment for the Community Development Department

Failure to label information shall constitute a complete waiver of all claims for damages caused by or related to any release of the information.

If a public records request for appropriately-labeled information is received by the City, the City will endeavor to notify the Proposer of the request and delay access to the material until seven (7) working days after the City’s notice. Within that time delay, it will be the duty of the Proposer to act in protection of its labeled information. Failure to so act shall constitute a complete waiver.

Title: Independent Operational and Organizational Assessment for the Community Development Department

6. Evaluation Criteria

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

1. Proposal Transmittal Letter

Information and completeness of a Proposal

Transmittal Letter in conformity with the requirements in the RFP.

Pass / Fail 5 (4% of Total)

2. Proposer Qualifications and Experience

Qualifications and experience of the Proposer and members of the team that may be assigned tasks within the Scope of Work.

Points Based 30 (24% of Total)

3. Proven Ability

Ability to complete the Scope of Work, as described in the Proposal, including experience completing projects for public agencies similar to the City.

Points Based 30 (24% of Total)

4. Technical Approach

Operational and organizational approach to complete the Scope of Work.

Points Based 25 (20% of Total)

5. Acceptance of City's Standard Contract for

Services

Willingness to accept the City’s Standard

Contract with little to no qualifications.

Pass / Fail 10 (8% of Total)

6. Cost Proposal or Rate Sheets

Cost-effectiveness to complete the Scope of

Work. Note that the City’s evaluation process is intended to identify the Proposer with the best combination of attributes; cost is not the exclusive attribute and the lowest Proposer is not guaranteed to be offered a Contract.

Points Based 25 (20% of Total)

Title: Independent Operational and Organizational Assessment for the Community Development Department

7. Consultant Selection and Contract Award

7.1. Proposal Evaluation Process

The Proposal review and evaluation process will comply with the following processes ("Proposal

Evaluation Process"):

A. The Proposal Evaluation Process is designed to establish a list of qualified Proposers with the best combination of attributes based upon the Evaluation Criteria.

B. The City's Proposal Evaluation Process is intended to identify the Proposer with the best combination of attributes. Cost is not the exclusive attribute and the lowest Proposer is not guaranteed to be offered a Contract.

C. The Project Contact, identified in the "Contact Information" of this RFP, shall manage the

Proposal Evaluation Process and maintain all records related to the process.

D. The Project Contact shall conduct an initial review of all Proposals and determine if each

Proposal is in compliance with the requirement specified in this RFP and, thereby, responsive.

E. The Project Contact shall work with selected City staff whose specialties and responsibilities are relevant to this RFP (collectively, "Evaluation Team") to complete the evaluation process.

F. The Evaluation Team shall evaluate all responsive Proposals. Each Evaluation Team member shall score each responsive Proposal based on the Evaluation Criteria.

G. The City reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to request clarification of any Proposal. Any such communication shall only be after initial evaluation by the Evaluation Team and only for the purpose of ensuring full understanding of the Proposal. Any clarification shall be made by the Proposer in writing.

H. Proposers with the highest scores pursuant to the Evaluation Criteria may be asked to complete an interview. The City reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to request an interview. If requested, interviews shall be conducted as provided in this RFP.

7.2. Proposer Interviews

The top-rated Proposers with the highest score from the Evaluation Criteria may be interviewed and rated. The City reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to request interviews. If interviews are held, they will occur at a time and location to be specified or virtually via a City internet platform.

A. Interviews will be conducted by the Evaluation Team and in a format determined by the Team, generally consisting of Team questions and Proposer presentations. The interviews will be limited to one (1) hour. The Evaluation Team shall use the Evaluation Criteria to rate Proposers during the interview.

Title: Independent Operational and Organizational Assessment for the Community Development Department

B. Interviews shall be attended by the individual identified in the Proposal as the primary contact to the City on a day-to-day basis and members of the proposed team identified in the

"Personnel" section of the Mandatory Qualifications and Experience.

C. Following all interviews, the Evaluation Team will re-rank the Proposers to determine the highest ranked Proposers. Then, the Project Contact will open the sealed Cost Proposals for the highest ranked Proposers and re-rank the highest ranked Proposers based on overall ranking and Cost Proposal.

7.3. Contract Award Process

The contract selection and award process shall comply with the following process ("Contract Award

Process"):

A. The Project Contact shall invite the Proposer with the highest score from the Proposal

Evaluation Process to participate in contract negotiations with the City.

B. Proposer and City shall negotiate the final terms and conditions of the Contract, pursuant to this

RFP. The Contact shall contain the same, or substantially the same, terms and conditions as portrayed in this RFP, the Scope of Work, the Proposal, and the City's Standard Contract.

C. Following negotiations, the City shall draft a contract for execution by all parties. If the Proposer fails to sign and return the Contact within seven (7) working days of its delivery to the Proposer, the City may determine, at its sole discretion, that the Proposer is nonresponsive to the terms of this RFP and initiate further Proposal Evaluation Processes.

D. City records related to this RFP shall be made available for public inspection, as permitted by law, following Contract execution, or rejection of all Proposals.

E. The City reserves the right to accept or reject…