REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

RFQu-27-0477

MANAGEMENT CONSULTING SERVICES

CITY OF PHOENIX

FINANCE CENTRAL PROCUREMENT

251 W. WASHINGTON ST., 8TH FLOOR

PHOENIX, AZ

85003

RELEASE DATE: October 9, 2026

DEADLINE FOR QUESTIONS: October 19, 2026

RESPONSE DEADLINE: November 6, 2026, 2:00 pm

City of Phoenix

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

RFQu-27-0477

Management Consulting Services

1. INTRODUCTION

2. INSTRUCTIONS

3. SCOPE OF WORK

4. EVALUATION PROCESS

5. STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS

6. SPECIAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

7. DEFENSE AND INDEMNIFICATION

8. INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

9. SUBMITTALS

10. PRICING PROPOSAL

Attachments:

A - Acceptance of Offer Form 2026

Request For Qualifications #RFQu-27-0477 Title: Management Consulting Services

1. Introduction

1.1. Contact Information

Claudia Ruiz

Finance Central Procurement

Email: claudia.ruiz@phoenix.gov

Phone: (602) 262-7461

1.2. Schedule of Events

The City reserves the right to change dates, times, and locations, as necessary. The City does not always hold a Pre-Offer Conference or Site Visit. All times in the Schedule of Events are

Local Phoenix, AZ Time.

To request a reasonable accommodation or alternative format for any public meeting, please contact the Procurement Officer (Claudia Ruiz) at (602) 262-7461/Voice or 711/TTY, or claudia.ruiz@phoenix.gov, no later than five (5) business days prior to the meeting.

Solicitation Issue Date: October 9, 2026

Pre-Offer Conference (Non-Mandatory): October 14, 2026, 1:00pm https://cityofphoenix.webex.com/cityofphoen ix/j.php?MTID=m16f2762b5bd3b94f60de41

882f52ae1b

Written Inquiries Due Date: October 19, 2026, 5:00pm

Offer Due Date: November 6, 2026, 2:00pm https://cityofphoenix.webex.com/cityofphoenix/j.php?MTID=m16f2762b5bd3b94f60de41882f52ae1b

2. Instructions

2.1. Description – Statement of Need

The City of Phoenix invites sealed offers for Management Consulting Services.

The Effective Date of this Agreement will be upon final signature and recording by the City

Clerk’s department.

The Commencement Date of this Agreement will be upon the contract term start date that the

Phoenix City Council approves or the Effective Date, whichever is later.

The term of this Agreement will be for five (5) years, beginning on the Commencement Date, with no options to extend.

This solicitation is available through the City’s Procurement Portal. For technical support issues related to the City's Procurement Portal, Offeror may use the support bubble on the bottom right, or email procurement-support@opengov.com for any assistance. For other issues related to this solicitation please contact the procurement officer listed under Contact Information.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Agreement will terminate upon the earliest occurrence: by reaching the end of the term including any extensions exercised, or termination pursuant to the provisions of this Agreement.

2.2. Preparation of Offer

All forms provided must be completed and submitted with the Offer. The signed and completed

Conflict of Interest and Transparency form must be included or your Offer may be deemed non-responsive.

It is permissible to copy Submittal forms if necessary. Erasures, interlineations, or other modifications of the Offer must be initialed in original ink by the authorized person signing the

Offer. No offer will be altered, amended or withdrawn after the specified offer due date and time.

The City is not responsible for Offeror’s errors or omissions.

All time periods stated as a number of days will be calendar days.

It is the responsibility of all Offerors to examine the entire solicitation and seek clarification of any requirement that may not be clear and to check all responses for accuracy before submitting an offer. Negligence in preparing an offer confers no right of withdrawal after due date and time. Offerors are strongly encouraged to:

A. Consider applicable laws and/or economic conditions that may affect cost, progress, performance, or furnishing of the products or services.

B. Study and carefully correlate Offeror’s knowledge and observations with the solicitation and other related data.

C. Promptly notify the City of all conflicts, errors, ambiguities, or discrepancies that Offeror has discovered in or between the solicitation and other related documents.

mailto:procurement-support@opengov.com

D. The City does not reimburse the cost of developing, presenting or providing any response to this solicitation. Offers submitted for consideration should be prepared simply and economically, providing adequate information in a straightforward and concise manner. The Offeror is responsible for all costs incurred in responding to this solicitation. All materials and documents submitted in response to this solicitation become the property of the City and will not be returned.

E. Offerors are reminded that the specifications stated in the solicitation are the minimum level required and that offers submitted must be for products or services that meet or exceed the minimum level of all features specifically listed in this solicitation. Offers offering less than any minimum specifications or criteria specified are not responsive and should not be submitted.

F. Offer responses submitted for products considered by the seller to be acceptable alternates to the brand names or manufacturer’s catalog references specified herein must be submitted with technical literature and/or detailed product brochures for the

City’s use to evaluate the products offered. Offers submitted without this product information may be considered as non-responsive and rejected. The City will be the sole judge as to the acceptability of alternate products offered.

G. Prices will be submitted on a per unit basis by line item, when applicable. In the event of a disparity between the unit price and extended price, the unit price will prevail unless obviously in error.

2.3. Fixed Offer Price Period

All offers shall be firm and fixed for a period of 180 calendar days from the solicitation opening date.

2.4. Obtaining a Copy of the Solicitation and Addenda

Interested Offerors may download the complete solicitation and addenda from the City's

Procurement Portal: https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/phoenix/projects/311680. Any interested Offerors without internet access may obtain this solicitation by calling the

Procurement Officer or picking up a copy during regular business hours at the City of Phoenix, Finance Department, Central Procurement Division, 251 W Washington Street, 8th Floor, Phoenix, AZ 85003. It is the Offeror’s responsibility to check the City's Procurement Portal, read the entire solicitation, and verify all required information is submitted with their Offer.

2.5. Exceptions

Offeror must not take any exceptions to any terms, conditions or material requirements of this solicitation. Offers submitted with exceptions may be deemed non-responsive and disqualified from further consideration in the City’s sole discretion. Offerors must conform to all the requirements specified in the solicitation. The City encourages Offerors to send inquiries to the

Procurement Officer rather than including exceptions in their Offer.

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/phoenix/projects/311680

2.6. Inquiries

All questions that arise relating to this solicitation should be directed via City’s Procurement

Portal and must be received by the due date indicated in the Schedule of Events. The City will not consider questions received after the deadline.

No informal contact initiated by Offerors on the proposed service will be allowed with members of City’s staff from date of distribution of this solicitation until after city council awards the contract. All questions concerning or issues related to this solicitation must be presented in writing.

The Procurement Officer will answer written inquiries in an addendum and publish any addenda on the City’s Procurement Portal.

2.7. Addenda

The City of Phoenix will not be responsible for any oral instructions made by any employees or officers of the City of Phoenix regarding this solicitation. Any changes will be in the form of an addendum. The Offeror must acknowledge receipt of any/all addenda through the City's

Procurement Portal.

Changes to terms and conditions of the Solicitation and resulting Agreement made pursuant to an addendum shall be memorialized in the Solicitation and resulting Agreement document. To that end, a parenthetical will be added to applicable provision(s) referencing the addendum that imposed the change. The language in the final provision will reflect the updated version.

2.8. Licenses

If required by law for the operation of the business or work related to this Offer, Offeror must possess all valid certifications and/or licenses as required by federal, state or local laws at the time of submittal.

2.9. Certifications

By signature in the Offer section of the Offer and Acceptance page(s), Offeror certifies:

• The submission of the Offer did not involve collusion or other anti-competitive practices.

• The Offeror must not discriminate against any employee, or applicant for employment in violation of Federal or State Law.

• The Offeror has not given, offered to give, nor intends to give at any time hereafter, any economic opportunity, future employment, gift, loan, gratuity, special discount, trip, favor, or service to a public servant in connection with the submitted Offer.

2.10. Submission of Offer

Offers must be in possession of the Department on or prior to the exact time and date indicated in the Schedule of Events. Late offers will not be considered. The prevailing clock will be the

City Department’s clock.

Offers should be submitted electronically via the City’s Procurement Portal by clicking on “Draft

Response” via https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/phoenix/projects/311680. Offerors that are unable to submit electronically should contact the Procurement Officer to discuss the logistics of hard copy submittals. Offerors must be registered with OpenGov by signing up via https://procurement.opengov.com/signup. Vendor training guides can be found at: https://opengov.my.site.com/support/s/article/ca6d1285-1e48-4a21-bb0d-715edb7794ed

Any original documents (such as bonds, guaranties, powers of attorney), if required by the solicitation, must be separately delivered to and received by the City on or prior to the exact time and date indicated in the Schedule of Events, with a clear indication of the Offer for which it is attributed.

It is the responsibility of the Offeror to ensure that the Offer is timely and to confirm that there are no technical reasons that any offer submitted electronically may be delayed. The date and time on the upload as received/stamped by the City’s Procurement Portal will provide proof of submission and verification whether the Offer was received on or prior to the exact time and date indicated in the Schedule of Events.

For assistance with submittals, vendors are welcome to use the OpenGov support chat (blue chat bubble in the bottom right corner) to connect with a member of OpenGov's support team who will be able to assist you with your submission.

Please DO NOT submit links to Google Docs, Dropbox Paper, or similar services. Your offer may be deemed non-responsive if your offer is supplied utilizing these services.

2.11. Withdrawal of Offer

At any time prior to the solicitation due date and time, an Offeror (or designated representative) may withdraw the Offer by clicking “Unsubmit Response” on the Offer submission via the City’s

Procurement Portal.

2.12. Offer Results

Offers will be opened on the offer due date, time and location indicated in the Schedule of

Events, at which time the name of each Offeror, and the prices may be read. Offers and other information received in response to the solicitation will be shown only to authorized City personnel having a legitimate interest in them or persons assisting the City in the evaluation.

Offers are not available for public inspection until after the City has posted the award recommendation on the City's Procurement Portal.

The City will post a preliminary offer tabulation on the City's Procurement

Portal: https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/phoenix/projects/311680 within five business days of the offer opening. The City will post the information on the preliminary tabulation as it was read during the offer opening. The City makes no guarantee as to the accuracy of any information on the preliminary tabulation. Once the City has evaluated the offers, the City will post an award recommendation on the City's Procurement Portal. By signing and submitting its

Offer, each Offeror agrees that this posting of the award recommendation to the City's

Procurement Portal effectively serves as the Offeror’s receipt of that notice of award recommendation. The City has no obligation to provide any further notification to unsuccessful

Offerors.

https://procurement.opengov.com/signup https://opengov.my.site.com/support/s/article/ca6d1285-1e48-4a21-bb0d-715edb7794ed

2.13. Minimum Qualifications

The qualified and responsive Offeror must meet all minimum qualifications listed below. Should an Offeror fail to meet one of the minimum qualifications identified, the Offer will be disqualified as non-responsive.

1. Offeror must have been in operation a minimum of three (3) years. The Offeror’s normal business activity during the past three years will have been for providing the goods or services in this solicitation. This information must be provided in Vendor Questionnaire section, under

Years in Business and References form of this solicitation.

2. Qualified staff with at least three (3) years of specialized experience, licenses, or certifications relevant to specific engagement types referenced in this solicitation. Please provide resumes, licenses, or certifications.

2.14. Evaluation and Selection

After evaluating all submissions, the City may ask some or all the firms that submitted a response to participate in interviews. Upon completion of the evaluation process, the City may assign a detailed scope of work to the selected candidate and negotiate fees for services.

RFQu responses should be concise, well-organized per the requested information, clearly written and limited to no more than 20 pages not including resumes, licenses, or certifications.

The review process places considerable emphasis on the responsiveness of the RFQu response to the requirements outlined above. RFQu responses that are not written specifically in response to this request cannot receive serious consideration.

All RFQu responses will be evaluated based on the criteria listed in the Evaluation Criteria

Section of this RFQu.

The firms under consideration for this RFQu, will be evaluated in accordance with the solicitation by an Evaluation Committee and/or the Procurement Officer. The City reserves the right to request supplemental information that the Evaluation Committee deems necessary to make a selection. The Committee may be supplemented by outside professionals or professionals from other City departments who can provide additional expertise.

2.15. Agreement

The City will require the selected Offeror to participate in negotiations and to submit such cost, technical or other revisions of the submittals as may result from negotiations. The City shall draft and/or finalize all contracts and documents that result from this RFQu.

The language contained in this RFQu and the Offeror's statement of qualifications will form the basis of any resulting Contract. However, this RFQu does not commit the City to enter a

Contract, to pay any costs incurred in the preparation of a submittal to this request or in subsequent negotiations, or to procure a contract for the project(s).

Because this solicitation will result in the establishment of a Qualified Vendor List, specific engagements resulting from selection off of the Qualified Vendor List will also require a written and mutually executed agreement, such as an engagement letter or similar documentation between the City and Offeror.

2.16. Certificates of Insurance

Upon notification of a recommended award, the Offeror will have 14 calendar days to submit a complete certificate of insurance in the minimum amounts and the coverages as required in the

Insurance Requirements of this solicitation. Insurance requirements are non-negotiable.

2.17. Award of Contract

Unless otherwise indicated, award(s) will be made to responsive, responsible Offeror(s) who are regularly established in the service, or providing the goods, contained in this solicitation and who have demonstrated the ability to perform in an acceptable manner.

A. Factors that may be considered by the City include:

1. Technical capability of the Offeror to accomplish the scope of work required in the

Solicitation. This may include performance history on past and current government or industrial contracts; and,

2. Demonstrated availability of the necessary manpower (both supervisory and operational personnel) and necessary equipment to accomplish the scope of work in the Solicitation; and,

3. Safety record; and,

4. Offeror history of complaints and termination for convenience or cause.

B. Notwithstanding any other provision of this solicitation, the City reserves the right to: (1) waive any immaterial defect or informality; or (2) reject any or all offers or portions thereof; or (3) reissue a solicitation.

C. A response to a solicitation is an offer to contract with the City based upon the terms, conditions, and specifications contained in the City’s solicitation. Offers do not become contracts until they are executed by the Chief Procurement Officer or Department

Director. A contract has its inception in the award, eliminating a formal signing of a separate contract. For that reason, all of the terms, conditions and specifications of the procurement contract are contained in the solicitation, and in any addendum or contract amendment.

2.18. Solicitation Transparency Policy

Commencing on the date and time a solicitation is published, potential or actual Offerors or respondents (including their representatives) shall only discuss matters associated with the solicitation with the Mayor, any members of City Council, the City Manager, any Deputy City

Manager, or any department director directly associated with the solicitation (including in each case their assigned staff, except for the designated Procurement Officer) at a public meeting, posted under Arizona Statutes, until the resulting contract(s) are awarded to all offers or responses are rejected and the solicitation is cancelled without any announcement by the

Procurement Officer of the City’s intent to reissue the same or similar solicitation.

As long as the solicitation is not discussed, Offerors may continue to conduct business with the

City and discuss business that is unrelated to the solicitation with the City staff. Offerors may not discuss the solicitation with any City employees or evaluation panel members.

Offerors may discuss their proposal or the solicitation with the Mayor or one or more members of the Phoenix City Council, provided such meetings are scheduled through the Procurement

Officer, and are posted as open meetings with the City Clerk at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled meetings. The City Clerk will be responsible for posting the meetings. The posted notice shall identify the participants and the subject matter, as well as invite the public to participate.

With respect to the selection of the successful Offerors, the City Manager and/or City Manager's

Office will continue the past practice of exerting no undue influence on the process. In all solicitations of bids and proposals, any direction on the selection from the City Manager and/or

City Manager's Office and Department Head (or representative) to the proposal review panel or selecting authority must be provided in writing to all prospective Offerors.

This policy is intended to create a level playing field for all Offerors, assure that contracts are awarded in public, and protect the integrity of the selection process. OFFERORS THAT

VIOLATE THIS POLICY SHALL BE DISQUALIFIED. After official Notice is received by the City for disqualification, the Offeror may follow the Protest process, unless the Solicitation is cancelled without notice of intent to re-issue.

“To discuss” means any contact by the Offeror, regardless of whether the City responds to the contact. Offerors that violate this policy will be disqualified until the resulting contract(s) are awarded, or all offers or responses are rejected and the solicitation is cancelled without any announcement by the Procurement Officer of the City’s intent to reissue the same or a similar solicitation. The City interprets the policy as continuing through a cancellation of a solicitation until Council award of the contract, as long as the City cancels with a statement that the City will rebid the solicitation.

2.19. Protest Process

Offeror may protest the contents of a solicitation no later than seven days before the solicitation deadline when the protest is based on an apparent alleged mistake, impropriety or defect in the solicitation. Protests filed regarding the solicitation may be addressed by an amendment to the solicitation or denied by the City. If denied, the opening and award will proceed unless the City determines that it is in the City’s best interests to set new deadlines, amend the solicitation, cancel or re-bid.

Therefore, unless otherwise notified by a formal amendment, the Protester must adhere to all solicitation dates and deadlines, including timely filing of an offer, regardless of filing a protest.

Offeror may protest an adverse determination issued by the City regarding responsibility and responsiveness, within seven days of the date the Offeror was notified of the adverse determination.

Offeror may protest an award recommendation if the Offeror can establish that it had a substantial chance of being awarded the contract and will be harmed by the recommended award. The City will post recommendations on the City’s Procurement Portal to award the contract(s) to an Offeror(s). Offeror must submit award protests within seven days after the posting of the award recommendation, with exceptions only for good cause shown, within the

City’s full and final discretion.

All protests will be in writing, filed with the Procurement Officer identified in the solicitation and include the following:

• Identification of the solicitation number;

• The name, address and telephone number of the protester;

• A detailed statement describing the legal and factual grounds for the protest, including copies of relevant documents;

• The form of relief requested; and

• The signature of the protester or its authorized representative.

The Procurement Officer will render a written decision within a reasonable period after the protest is filed. The City will not request City Council authorization to award the contract until the protest process is complete. All protests and appeals must be submitted in accordance with the

City’s Procurement Code, (Phoenix City Code, Ch. 43) and any protests or appeals not submitted within the time requirements will not be considered. Protests must be filed with the

Procurement Officer.

2.20. Public Record

All Offers submitted in response to this solicitation will become the property of the City and become a matter of public record available for review pursuant to Arizona State law. If an

Offeror believes that a specific section of its Offer response is confidential, the Offeror will isolate the pages marked confidential in a specific and clearly labeled section of its Offer response. An Offeror may request specific information contained within its Offer is treated by the

Procurement Officer as confidential provided the Offeror clearly labels the information

“confidential.” To the extent necessary for the evaluation process, information marked as

“confidential” will not be treated as confidential. Once the procurement file becomes available for public inspection, the Procurement Officer will not make any information identified by the

Offerors as “confidential” available to the public unless necessary to support the evaluation process or if specifically requested in accordance with applicable public records law. When a public records request for such information is received, the Procurement Officer will notify the

Offeror in writing of any request to view any portion of its Offer marked “confidential.” The

Offeror will have the time set forth in the notice to obtain a court order enjoining such disclosure.

If the Offeror does not provide the Procurement Officer with a court order enjoining release of the information during the designated time, the Procurement Officer will make the information requested available for inspection.

2.21. Late Offers

Late Offers must be rejected, except for good cause. If a late Offer is submitted, the Department will document the date and time of the submittal of the late Offer, keep the Offer and notify the

Offeror that its Offer was disqualified for being a late Offer.

2.22. Right to Disqualify

The City reserves the right to disqualify any Offeror who fails to provide information or data requested or who provides materially inaccurate or misleading information or data. The City further reserves the right to disqualify any Offeror on the basis of any real or apparent conflict of interest that is disclosed by the Offer submitted or any other data or information available to the

City. This disqualification is at the sole discretion of the City. By submission of a solicitation response, the Offeror waives any right to object now or at any future time, before any agency or body including, but not limited to, the City Council of the City or any court as to the exercise by the City of such right to disqualify or as to any disqualification by reason of real or apparent conflict of interest determined by the City. The City reserves the right to replace the disqualified

Offeror.

2.23. Contract Award

The City reserves the right to award a contract by individual line items, by group, all or none, or any other combination most advantageous to the City. The City reserves the right to award multiple contracts.

2.24. Determining Responsiveness and Responsibility

Offers will be reviewed for documentation of minimum qualifications, completeness, and compliance with the Solicitation requirements. The City reserves sole discretion to determine responsiveness and responsibility.

Responsiveness: Nonresponsive Offers will not be considered in the evaluation process. The solicitation states criteria that determine responsiveness, and the solicitation includes terms and conditions that if included or excluded from Offers (as the case may be) will render an Offer nonresponsive.

Exceptions, conditions, reservations, or understandings are presumed to be unacceptable, and an Offer that includes unacceptable exceptions, conditions, reservations, or understandings may be rejected as nonresponsive. Alternatively, the City in its sole discretion may instruct in writing that any Offeror remove the conditions, exceptions, reservations or understandings. If the Offeror fails to do so in writing, the City may determine the Offer to be nonresponsive.

Responsibility: To obtain true economy, the City must conduct solicitations to minimize the possibility of a subsequent default by the Contractor, late deliveries, or other unsatisfactory performance that may result in additional administrative costs. It is important that the Offeror be a responsible Contractor. Responsibility includes the Offeror’s integrity, skill, capacity, experience, and facilities for conducting the work to be performed.

The Procurement Officer will review each Offer to determine if the Offeror is responsible. The

City’s determination as to whether an Offeror is responsible will be based on all information furnished by the Offeror, interviews (if any), and information received from Offeror’s references, including information about Offeror’s history, terminations for convenience or cause, contract breach lawsuits or notices of claim and any other sources the City deems appropriate. Award of the Contract resulting from the solicitation will not be made until any necessary investigation, which each Offeror agrees to permit by submitting its Offer, is made by the City as it deems necessary. A review of responsibility may occur up to contract award.

The Offeror’s unreasonable failure to promptly supply information about an inquiry with respect to responsibility may be grounds for a determination of non-responsibility with respect to such

Offeror.

2.25. Evaluation of Competitive Sealed Offers

The City will use its discretion as applicable in applying its processes to this solicitation.

2.26. Detailed Evaluation of Offers and Determination of Competitive Range

During deliberations, the Evaluation Panel will reach a consensus score for each evaluation criterion except price. The Procurement Officer will score the price, which will be added to the overall consensus score. The overall consensus scores will determine the Offerors’ rankings and which offers are within the Competitive Range, when appropriate.

2.27. Offers Not Within the Competitive Range

The City may notify Offerors of Offers that the City determined are not in the Competitive

Range.

2.28. Discussions with Offerors in the Competitive Range

The City will notify each Offeror whose Offer is in the Competitive Range or made the ‘short list’ and provide in writing any questions or requests for clarification to the Offeror. Each Offeror so notified may be interviewed by the City and asked to discuss answers to written or oral questions or provide clarifications to any facet of its Offer. The Offerors in the competitive range may be required to provide a demonstration of their product.

Demonstrations - Offerors in the competitive range may be invited to construct a hands-on sample or presentation of their solution at the City of Phoenix. In addition, each finalist may prepare and deliver a presentation of their proposed solution based on the script developed by the evaluation panel. The City may also require a hands-on lab demonstration designed specifically for the evaluation panel. The results of the surveys will be tabulated and delivered to the evaluation team for the final review and solution selection session(s).

If an Offer in the Competitive Range contains conditions, exceptions, reservations or understandings to or about any Contract or Solicitation Scope requirement, the City may discuss or negotiate the conditions, exceptions, reservations or understandings during these meetings. But the City in its sole discretion may reject any and all conditions, exceptions, reservations and understandings, and the City may instruct any Offeror to remove the conditions, exceptions, reservations or understandings. If the Offeror fails to do so, the City may determine the Offer is nonresponsive, and the City may revoke its determination that the Offer is in the Competitive Range.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the City will not provide any information, financial or otherwise, to any Offeror about other Offers received in response to this solicitation. During discussions with Offerors in the Competitive Range, the City will not give Offerors specific prices or specific financial requirements that Offerors must meet to qualify for further consideration.

The City may state that proposed prices are too high with respect to the marketplace or otherwise unacceptable. Offerors will not be told of their relative rankings before Contract award.

2.29. Best and Final Offers (BAFO)

A BAFO is an option available for negotiations. Each Offeror in the Competitive Range, which is determined in the City’s sole discretion, may be afforded the opportunity to amend its Offer and make one BAFO.

If an Offeror’s BAFO modifies its initial Offer, the modifications must be identified in the BAFO.

The City will evaluate BAFOs based on the same requirements and criteria applicable to initial

Offers. The City will adjust appropriately the initial scores for criteria that have been affected by offer modifications made by a BAFO. Based on the criteria defined in the solicitation as weighted, the City will then perform final scoring and prepare final rankings.

The Evaluation Panel will recommend the Offer that is the best value and most advantageous to the City based on the evaluation criteria.

The City reserves the right to make an award to an Offeror whose Offer is the highest rated, best value, and most advantageous to the City based on the evaluation criteria, without conducting written or oral discussions with any Offeror, without negotiations, and without soliciting BAFOs.

3. Scope of Work

3.1. Management Consulting Services

INTRODUCTION

The City of Phoenix (“City”) seeks consultants to provide Management Consulting Services for various City departments on an as-needed basis. The City will establish a Qualified Vendors

List (“QVL”) for Management Consulting Services with vendors with demonstrated experience and requisite qualifications in providing these services.

BACKGROUND

The City, the largest municipality in the State of Arizona, serves more than 1.6 million residents. The City’s workforce of over 14 thousand employees provides a variety of services to meet the needs of its residents. Information about the City is available online at www.phoenix.gov.

The City anticipates a need for Management Consulting Services to help the organization improve performance to achieve objectives through a wide array of engagements involving advice and guidance provided by subject-matter experts with specialized knowledge and recommended best practices. The awarded contracts will be made available to City departments at the discretion of City leadership by way of specific engagements. Such engagements may cover citywide or departmental projects, processes, or related needs. City departments desiring to use the contracts will be required to provide pertinent information as part of the scope of services requested for a specific engagement. The subject areas sought for specific engagements are as follows:

• Change management;

• Organizational studies or mapping;

• Project management review;

• Compliance;

• Management strategies;

• Process analysis, evaluation, monitoring, recommendations, development, and implementation; and/or

• Related services as requested.

ENGAGEMENT SELECTION PROCESS

http://www.phoenix.gov/

Request for Quotes

When a specific need for services is determined by a City department, with approval from City leadership, a select number of vendors from the QVL will be solicited for a written proposal/quote based on the specific engagement request. Selection will be based on (i) the lowest-priced written proposal/quote or (ii) the response most advantageous to the City based on the criteria identified on the specific engagement request.

Following receipt and evaluation of responses to the specific engagement request, the City will notify the selected vendor.

Engagement Requests

The City may request some or all of the following for each engagement request (this is not intended to be an exclusive list):

• Background information;

• Detail description of scope of work/services required;

• Relevant measurables/criteria per project

• Staff requirements and availability, including but not limited to specialized experience, licenses, and/or certifications;

• Tasks and/or milestones;

• Deliverables and acceptance criteria;

• Project schedule and timelines;

• Reporting requirements, if applicable;

• Special requirements, including but not limited to work location and qualifications;

• Request for project cost, including itemization or detailed breakdown as applicable;

and/or

• Evaluation criteria if the City intends to award the specific engagement based on advantageousness rather than lowest price.

Additional Considerations

Multiple engagements may be assigned to multiple vendors simultaneously. There is no per-vendor limit.

The City reserves the right to contact additional vendors from the QVL if responses to specific engagement requests are not received by the applicable deadline.

Engagements may be amended as needed if supported by a written and mutually-executed amendment between the City and vendor(s).

Acceptance Criteria

Services shall be deemed acceptable when work meets the requirements of the specific engagement as determined by the City.

SCOPE OF SERVICES

The City seeks Management Consulting Services from vendors that will work collaboratively with City staff. In addition to specific requirements set forth in each engagement, selected vendors will work independently and with City staff as applicable, effectively communicate with

City staff regarding specifications and expectations of the engagement, and adhere to deadlines.

The City wishes to identify qualified vendors and establish a QVL to provide services in one or more of the following engagement areas on an as-needed basis:

Change Management

This area involves guiding organizations through transitions, including but not limited to structural, technological, and cultural changes. Consultants may help plan, communicate, and implement the transition process by way of stakeholder engagement, benchmarking, and monitoring to ensure a sustainable transformation.

Organizational Studies or Mapping

This area focuses on analyzing the structure, hierarchy, and workflows of an organization. Consultants assess the status quo, identify strengths and weaknesses, and recommend improvements. Mapping may include but is not limited to visual representations of workflows, processes, reporting relationships, and communication channels to optimize efficiency and align with duties and obligations.

Project Management Review

This area entails evaluating the effectiveness of project planning, execution, and oversight. Consultants review project methodologies, timelines, resource allocation, and risk management practices. Recommendations are provided to improve project outcomes, ensure compliance, and enhance performance in relation to desired objectives.

Compliance

This area ensures that organizational operations or desired courses of action adhere to applicable laws, regulations, and internal policies or procedures. Consultants assess current compliance frameworks, identify gaps, and recommend improvements. This may include but is not limited to developing policies, conducting audits, and training staff to mitigate risks and maintain regulatory standards.

Management Strategies

This area involves the development, evaluation, and implementation of supervisory approaches that drive and direct an organization. Consultants assess current management practices, identify areas for improvement, and propose tailored strategies that address operational, financial, technological, and organizational challenges. This may include optimizing resource allocation, enhancing leadership practices, fostering innovation, and aligning business processes with strategic goals to support sustainable growth, improve performance, and ensure adaptability in an ever-changing environment.

Process Analysis, Evaluation, Monitoring, Recommendations, Development, and

Implementation

This area covers systematic review and improvement of organizational processes. Consultants analyze workflows, evaluate performance metrics, monitor ongoing activities, and provide recommendations for optimization. This may include but is not limited to development of new processes and implementation of changes to existing processes to enhance efficiency, quality, measurability, and outcomes.

Related Services

This area encompasses additional management consulting services tailored to specific organizational needs that may not fall into the categories above. This may include but is not limited to facilitation, talent management, succession planning, operational efficiency, innovation, and other advisory services that contribute to organizational improvement and success.

Specific engagements should be memorialized in a written and mutually-executed agreement between the City and vendor(s). The format of each engagement may vary, and engagements may involve City departments, staff, and other internal or external stakeholders, including City contractors or community members. The City recognizes that different engagement types may require different formats or activities, and the City will rely on the subject-matter expertise of vendors in submitting applicable proposals/quotes. Durations of engagements will vary and may be extended as needed.

VENDOR GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

Vendors selected for the QVL shall (i) familiarize themselves with rules and requirements applicable to the City and its contractors, including but not limited to Phoenix City Charter, Phoenix City Code, Arizona Revised Statutes, and any other applicable laws and regulations;

(ii) have prior experience working with large organizations, preferably within the public sector and with municipalities similarly situated to the City; (iii) have the capacity and availability to meet the needs of specific engagement requests and requirements set forth in applicable scopes of services; and (iv) maintain specialized knowledge and subject-matter expertise in providing advice and guidance and meeting the needs of the City in specific engagements.

Services offered and provided will be based on industry best practices and available in the applicable format to best meet the City’s needs. In order to fulfill the scope of services in the engagement areas identified above, selected vendors must have all necessary personnel to complete all tasks/deliverables in compliance with applicable rules and requirements and be able to work independently without any City equipment or support unless expressly agreed to in specific engagements.

VENDOR SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

Vendors selected for the QVL shall demonstrate successful experience and competency in the following areas:

• Advising large local governments;

• Leading and managing strategy or performance projects in public, private, or nonprofit organizations;

• Applying data-driven approaches to assess and improve services;

• Designing and facilitating inclusive stakeholder engagement;

• Conducting program evaluations and making actionable recommendations; and

• Designing user-centered services or improving customer experiences.

In addition to the above, vendors selected for the QVL shall also be expected to demonstrate the following:

• Relevant project experience and examples within the last three years;

• Familiarity with City of Phoenix context, equity goals, and strategic framework;

• Professional certifications as required;

• Experience with racial equity, resilience, sustainability, and public sector innovation; and

• Proficiency in culturally and linguistically competent facilitation.

SUBCONTRACTING

Selected vendors may only subcontract work on specific engagements with written permission from the City and will remain primarily responsible for the acts and omissions of any such subcontractor(s), including remaining liable and responsible under the Agreement as if subcontracted services were performed by the selected vendor.

4. Evaluation Criteria

In accordance with the Administrative Regulation 3.10, Competitive Sealed Proposal awards shall be made to the responsive and responsible Offeror(s) whose Offer is determined in writing to be the most advantageous to the City based upon the evaluation criteria listed below.

The evaluation factors are listed in the relative order of importance and more details are provided in Scope of Work. The Weight (Points) for each Evaluation Criteria are the maximum points that may be assigned for that Criteria. The following evaluation criteria will be used to evaluate all Offers:

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

1. Capacity/Experience of Offeror

Offerors should demonstrate organizational strength, relevant qualifications, and effectiveness in comparable engagements.

A. Organizational Qualifications and Expertise

Offerors should demonstrate:

• Experience providing management consulting services to large, complex organizations (preferably public-sector entities or municipalities similarly situated to the City of

Phoenix).

• Demonstrated subject-matter expertise in one or more of the engagement areas identified in the Scope of

Work (e.g., change management;

organizational mapping;

project management review; compliance;

management strategies;

process analysis; related services).

• Ability to apply industry best practices, data-driven approaches, and performance-focused methodologies to evaluate, improve, and optimize organizational systems and processes.

B. Relevant Project Experience

0-100 Points 400

(40% of Total)

Offerors should provide:

• Examples of successful consulting projects completed within the last three years, demonstrating measurable outcomes and relevance to the Scope of

Work.

• Evidence of experience working independently and collaboratively with diverse staff and stakeholders across multiple departments.

• Experience advising large local governments or leading strategy or performance projects in public, private, or nonprofit organizations.

C. Personnel Qualifications and

Availability

Offerors should demonstrate:

• Ability to provide reasonably qualified staff with specialized experience, licenses, or certifications relevant to specific engagement types.

• Ability to provide sufficient staffing capacity to meet

City timelines, deadlines, and engagement requirements.

• Competency in inclusive stakeholder engagement, culturally competent facilitation, program evaluation, and user-centered service design.

2. Method of Approach

This category evaluates the

Offeror’s proposed methodology, understanding of the City’s needs, and ability to deliver successful outcomes at the engagement level.

A. Understanding of Scope and

Engagement Requirements

Offerors should demonstrate:

• A plan of action to obtain a clear understanding of the

City’s context, organizational structure, equity goals, strategic framework, and expected deliverables.

• Insight into the City’s needs across the various engagement areas (e.g., change management;

organizational mapping;

project management review; compliance;

management strategies;

process analysis; related services).

B. Proposed Methodology and

Work Plan

Offerors should outline:

• A logical, structured, and scalable methodology tailored to the engagement type, including tasks, milestones, timelines, and proposed deliverables.

• Strategies for stakeholder engagement, 0-100 Points 400

(40% of Total) communication, benchmarking, risk identification, process analysis, and monitoring that align with best practices.

• An approach that ensures high-quality recommendations, clarity of expectations, and adherence to deadlines.

C. Collaboration and

Communication Approach

Offerors should explain:

• How they will collaborate with City staff, leadership, and other stakeholders to ensure alignment and effective communication throughout the engagement.

• Mechanisms for proactive reporting, progress updates, performance measurement, and identification of improvements.

D. Alignment with City Values and Requirements

Offerors should demonstrate:

• Familiarity with City standards, operational requirements, and applicable statutes or administrative regulations.

• Capacity to conduct work independently without need for City equipment or support unless expressly agreed.

• Commitment to culturally competent, equitable, and accessible practices.

3. Pricing Proposal

The City will pay for services at a fixed or hourly bill rate with no additional charges for overhead, benefits, local travel or administrative support.

Offeror must provide their Pricing

Proposal in the form of a rate sheet that covers their standard fixed or hourly bill rates to be used when offering on engagements.

Pass / Fail 200

(20% of Total)

5. Standard Terms and Conditions

5.1. Definition of Key Words Used in the Solicitation

Shall, Will, Must: Indicates a mandatory requirement. Failure to meet these mandatory requirements may result in the rejection of Offer as non-responsive.

Should: Indicates something that is recommended but not mandatory. If the Offeror fails to provide recommended information, the City may, at its sole option, ask the Offeror to provide the information or evaluate the Offer without the information.

May: Indicates something that is not mandatory but permissible.

For purposes of this solicitation, the following definitions will apply:

“A.R.S.” Arizona Revised Statute

“Buyer” or “Procurement Officer” City of Phoenix staff person responsible for the solicitation.

The City employee or employees who have specifically been designated to act as a contact person or persons to the Contractor, and responsible for monitoring and overseeing the

Contractor's performance under this contract.

"City" The City of Phoenix

"Contractor" The individual, partnership, or corporation who, as a result of the competitive process, is awarded a contract by the City of Phoenix.

"Contract” or “Agreement" The legal agreement executed between the City of Phoenix, AZ and the Contractor.

“Days” Means calendar days unless otherwise specified.

“Chief Procurement Officer” The contracting authority for the City of Phoenix, AZ, authorized to sign contracts and amendments thereto on behalf of the City of Phoenix, AZ.

“Employer” Any individual or type of organization that transacts business in this state, that has a license issued by an agency in this state and employs one or more employees in this state.

Employer includes this state, any political subdivision of this state and self-employed persons. In the case of an independent contractor, employer means the independent contractor and does not mean the person or organization that uses contract labor. (A.R.S. 23-211).

“Offer” Means a response from a Supplier, Contractor, or Service Provider to a solicitation request that, if awarded, binds the Supplier, Contractor, or Service Provider to perform in accordance with the contract. Same as bid, proposal, quotation or tender.

“Offeror” Any Vendor, Seller or Supplier submitting a competitive…