NSECH RFP Questions and Answers Amend. 2~1.docx
DOCX document 43 KB Posted
- Attached to
- Seeking consultants for home visiting pilot
- Solicitation number
- BD-27-1217-MAP02-MAP02-133938
- Issued by
- Suffolk County, Massachusetts
About this file
This document is a Questions and Answers amendment for a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) issued by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) on behalf of the North Suffolk Early Childhood Hub (NSECH) and the North Suffolk Public Health Collaborative (NSPHC), comprising the municipalities of Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop. The procurement seeks a consultant or consulting team to provide program design and regional coordination support for a Welcome Home Visiting Program, a new initiative for participating health departments. Key deliverables include developing a home visiting model, establishing program mission and goals, identifying family recruitment methods, designing outcome benchmarks, and supporting a pilot program from January through June 2027. The consultant will work collaboratively with local public health staff and shared services coordinators, who will conduct the actual home visits. Proposals are due by 4:00 p.m. ET on October 21, 2026, with an anticipated contract award in October 2026 and a start date of November 1, 2026. The initial contract term extends through June 30, 2027, with a potential one-year extension through June 30, 2028, contingent on funding availability and subject to scope continuation focused on planning and pilot learning activities.
The price proposal must follow the format specified in Section 10 of the RFP and include hours, hourly rates, and estimated costs per task, along with staff-specific rate information; proposers may supplement the price proposal form with additional budget narrative. Proposals should not exceed ten pages for the technical proposal, excluding resumes, signature pages, required forms, and reference materials. Subcontractors and partnering teams are permitted, with the primary contractor responsible for all work conducted by partners. Proposers must demonstrate experience with Massachusetts public health systems, early childhood programs, coalition facilitation, and maternal/child health implementation, with highly advantageous proposals showing experience in each category within the past five years. CommBUYS registration is not required, though vendors must follow all information and amendments posted on the CommBUYS platform. The consultant must maintain sufficient insurance to cover engagement costs and liabilities, with specific amounts to be determined upon award.
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| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| NSECH RFP Q and A Amend. 1.pdf | ||
| NSECH_RFP_Final.docx | DOCX document |
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Text version
North Suffolk Early Childhood Hub (NSECH):
Program Design and Regional Coordination Support RFQ Questions and Responses
| Q.1 |
| Would a proposer with substantial home-based health and family-care experience, but without a standalone early-childhood systems consulting practice, be eligible if the proposal team includes or subcontracts with a qualified early-childhood/home-visiting specialist? If teaming or subcontracting is permitted, are there any specific requirements for documenting the partner's qualifications or role in the proposal? |
| A.1 |
| Responses that include subcontractors will be considered. The partnering teams should describe how they meet minimum quality requirements and comparative evaluation criteria. The contractor will be responsible for all work conducted by subcontractors or partnering teams. |
| Q.2 |
| Minimum Quality Requirement 5.3(2): Would experience with Massachusetts Department of Public Health–certified Early Intervention programs, and with clinical training aligned to DPH Early Intervention regulations, satisfy the requirement for experience working with Massachusetts local or regional public health systems? Or does MAPC require direct experience with municipal health departments? |
| A.2 |
| Experience working with MA regional and local public health systems is a minimum quality requirement. This experience may include involvement with public health systems through a DPH program. |
| Q.3 |
| Evaluation Criterion 1: Must each of the four elements (early childhood referral systems, early childhood intervention programs, coalition/collaborative facilitation, and maternal/child health program implementation) have occurred within the last five years? Or will MAPC consider a Proposer's longer record alongside recent work? |
| A.3 |
| The evaluation criteria for highly advantageous includes having experience from each category in the past five years. |
| Q.4 |
| Deadline: Section 1 of the RFP lists 3:00 p.m. ET on October 21, 2026; Section 2.1 lists 4:00 p.m. ET. Which time governs? |
| A.4 |
| Proposals are due by 4:00 p.m. on October 21, 2026. A bid amendment was posted on CommBUYS with the correction. CommBUYS has been updated to address this discrepancy. |
| Q.5 |
| Page limit: Do resumes, the signature page, required forms, and reference forms count toward the ten-page Technical Proposal limit? |
| A.5 |
| Resumes, signature page, required forms, and reference forms do not count toward the ten-page Technical Proposal limit |
| Q.6 |
| Contract term: Section 4.3 anticipates execution in mid-September 2026. What start date should Proposers plan for? |
| A.6 |
| Thank you for noting this timing. The award date is expected in October 2026 following the submission deadline. A start date of November 1, 2026, is anticipated following an award if made. |
| Q.7 |
| Current experience: Is home visiting new to all participating agencies, or does any town or partner already offer home visiting or related early childhood services? |
| A.7 |
| Home visiting is a new practice for the health departments participating in the North Suffolk Public Health Collaborative (NSPHC). |
| Q.8 |
| Home visitors: Who will conduct the home visits (for example, public health nurses, shared NSPHC staff, community health workers, or partner staff)? For each town, what are each position's background, current job, and planned role in the program? |
| A.8 |
| Local and shared staff (typically public health nurses) will conduct the home visits. Each local health department and the shared services staff will have a role in the program but how each will be involved will be determined through this design and piloting effort. |
| Q.9 |
| Program oversight: Who will oversee the program day to day? |
| A.9 |
| Regular oversight of the program will occur through MAPC, who is the Shared Service Coordinator for the NSPHC. Regular coordination will also occur with the Public Health Directors of the three public health departments and shared services staff. This coordination will inform and guide program oversight. |
| Q.10 |
| Technology: What platforms are in use or planned for tracking and managing cases, providers, referrals, and the goals of each participating mother and family? Will the IRIS referral system (RFP Section 3.2) serve any of these functions? |
| A.10 |
| The IRIS system is the planned platform to support the program, with a particular focus on assisting in referrals. Other systems may be identified and considered during the design and piloting of the program. |
| Q.11 |
| 10. Family identification: How will NSPHC identify and recruit children and families for the pilot (for example, birth records, hospitals, the IRIS referral system, community partners, or other sources)? |
| A.12 |
| Identification and recruitment methods will be identified, discussed, and explored during the design and pilot of the program. No specific methods are in place or in use at present. |
| Q.13 |
| 11. Participation: Will family participation in the home visiting pilot be voluntary? |
| A.13 |
| Participation in any pilot effort will be voluntary. |
| Q.14 |
| 12. Mission and goals: Has NSPHC defined a mission statement and goals for the Welcome Home Visiting Program, or is developing them part of the consultant's scope under Task 2? |
| A.14 |
| The NSPHC has not yet documented a mission statement and goals for the home visiting program pilot. Development of a mission statement and goals may occur during the scope of work. |
| Q.15 |
| Benchmarks: Have benchmarks or outcome goals been established for the program and for participating families, including any stated in the funded grant proposal? If so, could they be shared? If not, should Proposers recommend them as part of the pilot design? |
| A.15 |
| Benchmarks and outcome goals have not been established for the program to date. There are grant expectations that MAPC has as the grant recipient on behalf of the NSPHC. These will be shared with the consultant if awarded. |
| Q.16 |
| What is the available funding to compensate community providers for conducting the pilot home visits and managing their caseloads? |
| A.16 |
| Home visits are planned to be provided by local public health and shared services staff. |
| Q.17 |
| Please confirm whether the signature page, certificates, references, and resumes count toward the 10-page technical limit. |
| A.17 |
| Resumes, signature page, required forms, and reference forms do not count toward the ten-page Technical Proposal limit |
| Q.18 |
| What, if any, insurance is required to be held by a consultant who would be awarded this contract? |
| A.18 |
| Insurance must be secured and available upon request that is sufficient to cover the costs and liabilities of this engagement. |
| Q.19 |
| CommBUYS registration: The RFP indicates that the solicitation will be posted on CommBUYS, while proposals are to be submitted electronically to NSPHC/MAPC. Is a proposer required to be registered as a vendor in CommBUYS in order to submit a proposal or receive an award, or is CommBUYS registration not required for this procurement? |
| A.19 |
| CommBUYS registration is not required for this procurement. Vendors are obligated to follow the information contained in the CommBUYS posting, including all amendments to the procurement. |
| Q.20 |
| Technical proposal formatting and page limit: The RFP specifies a maximum of 10 pages for the Technical Proposal and identifies the required components. Are there required formatting specifications, including font type/size, margins, and line spacing? Does the 10-page Technical Proposal limit include the signature page, cover letter, resumes, references, required forms, and any Letter of Exceptions? |
| A.20 |
| Resumes, signature page, required forms, and reference forms do not count toward the ten-page Technical Proposal limit |
| Q.21 |
| Price/Business Proposal page limit: Is there a page limit for the Price Proposal or supporting budget narrative? May proposers supplement the reference Price Proposal form with additional budget detail or narrative as long as all requested information is included? |
| A.21 |
| Yes, proposers may supplement the Price Proposal Form, so long as all required information is included on the form. |
| Q.22 |
| Potential contract extension: The RFP states that MAPC may extend the contract for one additional state fiscal year through June 30, 2028, subject to funding availability. Does MAPC/NSPHC currently anticipate that an extension could involve continuation or expansion of the scope beyond the initial planning and pilot activities? More broadly, how does NSPHC envision the findings and learning from this project informing NSECH activities in a subsequent year? |
| A.22 |
| The program is in a planning period that includes the current year and a potential second year. The extension would be a continuance of the existing scope to inform overall planning for the NSECH and involve the use of pilots to further learning. |
| Q.23 |
| Home visiting pilot implementation: For Task 2, should proposers assume that the consultant will primarily design, support, and evaluate/assess the pilot, with home visits themselves delivered by NSPHC/municipal public health staff, or is the consultant expected to provide or subcontract any direct home visiting services? The RFP describes a January–June 2027 pilot but leaves the operational division of responsibilities somewhat open. |
| A.23 |
| Home visits are planned to be provided by local public health and shared services staff. |
| Q.24 |
| Existing work and materials: What existing planning documents, data, stakeholder findings, program materials, or other work related to the NSECH and Welcome Home Visiting Program will be made available to the selected consultant at project initiation? In particular, has preliminary work already been completed related to the home visiting model or support-group landscape that the consultant should expect to build upon rather than replicate? |
| A.24 |
| Some initial work has occurred related to the design and implementation approach of the visiting model. Additional relevant background materials will be shared with the consultant if awarded. |
| Q.24 |
| Regional versus municipal tailoring: For the home visiting pilot and capability-building work, does NSPHC envision development of a single regional model with limited municipal adaptation, or should proposers anticipate designing approaches that may differ substantially across Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop based on local capacity and community needs? |
| A.24 |
| The design of the model, including the consideration of a single regional model or variances in the approach according to municipality, will be part of the consultant’s work during this contract period. |
| Q.25 |
| Proposal deadline: The Legal Notice lists the proposal deadline as October 21, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. ET, while Section 2.1 lists October 21, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. ET. Could you please confirm the official submission deadline? |
| A.25 |
| Proposals are due by 4:00 p.m. on October 21, 2026. A bid amendment was posted on CommBUYS with the correction. CommBUYS has been updated to address this discrepancy. |
| Q.26 |
| Are you connected, and to what extent, to the Mass DPH-funded Welcome Family Initiative and Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) grant programs? |
| A.26 |
| NSPHC is not currently connecting to the Welcome Family program or Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) programs. |
| Q.27 |
| Could you provide more detail on the consultant’s role in task 2 – we see the role as an evaluator and coordinator of the home visiting pilot. Is that correct, and could you provide more details on their expected role in task 2? |
| A.27 |
| Home visits are planned to be provided by local public health and shared services staff. The role would be to assist the local public health and shared services staff in developing and learning from the pilot and identifying resources that may support pilot activities. |
| Q.28 |
| Can we attach resumes for key staff as appendices to the technical proposal? And if so, would they count towards the page limit? |
| A.28 |
| Resumes, signature page, required forms, and reference forms do not count toward the ten-page Technical Proposal limit |
| Q.29 |
| Are firm-fixed price contracts allowed? |
| A.29 |
| Price proposals should follow the format included in Section 10 of the RFP and include information about hours, rates, and estimated costs per task. |
| Q.30 |
| In Section 1 of the RFQ it says proposals are due October 21, 2026 by 3:00 EST and in the table in Section 2.1 it says they are due by October 21, 2026 by 4:00 EST. Can you confirm the correct due date and time? |
| A.30 |
| Proposals are due by 4:00 p.m. on October 21, 2026. A bid amendment was posted on CommBUYS with the correction. CommBUYS has been updated to address this discrepancy |
| Q.31 |
| 6.2 notes that Technical proposals must not exceed 10 pages. Does the proposal signature page, cover letter, funder reference form, and required forms in Section 8 count towards the ten page limit in the technical proposal or are those considered attachments? |
| A.31 |
| Resumes, signature page, required forms, and reference forms do not count toward the ten-page Technical Proposal limit |
| Q.32 |
| In terms of pricing, section 6.3 as described doesn’t exactly match the Price Proposal requirements in Section 10. 6.3 asks for: “Please provide a PDF document listing tasks, hours, hourly rate, estimated cost, and percent of project hours that each staff person will allocate to each project deliverable. A reference price proposal form can be found in Section 10. The Price Proposal must be signed by an authorized signatory for the Proposer.” |
This is different from what the 2 tables are requesting in Section 10’s Price Proposal Page, which is “average” hourly rate and effort per deliverable, and separately loaded actual rates for individuals. Can you confirm the pricing approach we should use?
| A.32 |
| Please use Section 10 materials as guidance to provide hours, hourly rate, and estimated cost per task in addition to staff specific hourly rate information. Information about the percent of project hours does not need to be included in the Price proposal. |
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