OC-RFP-2701 Addendum 1.pdf

Addendum 1

OC-RFP-2701 Strategic Enrollment Planning

1. Project Start Date: Section 1.F identifies January 11, 2027 as the desired contract start date, while the Scope of Work states the project is anticipated to begin December

14, 2026. Can you please confirm the anticipated start date and project period?

The anticipated project start date is January 11, 2027, with an approximately 12-month project period. The December 14, 2026, date in Section 4.A.i, is replaced with

January 11, 2027. The actual start date is subject to execution of the Contract or issuance of the Purchase Order.

2. Dashboard Platform: Does Otero College have a preferred platform or existing system for the monthly KPI dashboard, or may the selected consultant recommend the format and tool that will best support ongoing use by the College?

Otero College uses Ellucian products and home-grown dashboards to monitor progress towards enrollment goals and to evaluate trends. Ideally, Otero would like to continue using these platforms but is open to recommendations.

3. Contract Term and Pricing: The RFP describes an initial one-year contract with the option for up to four additional one-year renewal periods. Should the price proposal cover only the approximately 12-month Strategic Enrollment Planning engagement described in the Scope of Work, with any services during future renewal periods scoped and priced separately?

Yes. The total proposed price must cover all required services and deliverables for the initial approximately 12-month engagement. Optional services beyond the required scope should be identified and priced separately. Any services during renewal periods would be subject to the College’s decision to renew and mutually agreed scope and pricing under the resulting agreement.

4. Section 2.A.i and the Summary Sheet require the Offeror to have completed a strategic enrollment planning project for an institution of higher education within the past five years and ask the Offeror to describe the proposed project lead's role in that project. Will a strategic enrollment plan that the proposed project lead developed and implemented within the past five years as an executive employed by a public community college satisfy this requirement, when the proposal describes the institution, dates, scope of work, deliverables and the project lead's role?

No. Experience developing or implementing a strategic enrollment plan as an employee of a higher education institution may demonstrate the proposed project lead’s qualifications under Section 2.B. However, that experience alone does not satisfy the separate requirement in Section 2.A.i and the Summary Sheet that the

Offeror have completed a qualifying strategic enrollment planning project for an institution of higher education within the past five years. The proposal must demonstrate that the Offeror meets this requirement independently of the proposed project lead’s experience as an institutional employee.

5. For "the number of public entities and institutions of higher education currently served by the firm," should offerors count only engagements under contract on the proposal date?

Count active engagements under contract as of the proposal submission date.

Completed engagements may be described separately as relevant experience. Identify public higher education institutions included in both categories so the College can distinguish overlapping counts.

6. Otero College published a Strategic Enrollment Management Plan revised in

November 2024. Does the College intend the consultant to build on that plan and its goals, or to develop a new plan from a fresh baseline?

Otero College’s existing Strategic Enrollment Management Plan was developed internally in 2024 and is revised each semester. The College is open to developing a new plan aligned with Colorado Community College System (CCCS) goals and supported by Otero-specific strategies. The consultant should review the existing plan and available data to determine which baseline information remains relevant and can inform the new plan.

7. Of the up to eight two-day consultation sessions, how many does the College expect on site in La Junta, and may offerors propose a mix of on-site and virtual sessions with additional on-site sessions priced separately as an option?

On-site consultation in La Junta is required to support staff engagement, relationship building, and an understanding of Otero’s institutional culture. The College is not prescribing a fixed number of on-site days or requiring two-day sessions. Offerors should propose and justify the number, duration, and purpose of on-site visits needed to accomplish the scope of work. Virtual sessions may supplement, but may not replace, on-site consultation. The total proposed price must include all consultation sessions and travel necessary for the proposed approach. Additional on-site services beyond the proposed scope may be priced separately as optional services.

8. The Scope of Work anticipates a project start of December 14, 2026, while Section

1.F states a desired contract start of January 11, 2027. Which date should the work plan assume?

The anticipated project start date is January 11, 2027, with an approximately 12-month project period. The December 14, 2026, date in Section 4.A.i, is replaced with

January 11, 2027. The actual start date is subject to execution of the Contract or issuance of the Purchase Order.

9. Which systems hold the enrollment, retention and recruitment data the consultant will analyze (for example Banner, Navigate, a CRM), and will the consultant receive extracts or direct read access? Does the College have a preferred platform for the dashboard, and does it hold licenses for it?

Enrollment, retention, and recruitment data are maintained in Banner/Edify, Navigate, and Recruit. The College anticipates providing requested data extracts through a secure file-transfer method coordinated with College staff. Direct third-party access is subject to System-level approvals and should not be assumed.

The College has not designated a preferred dashboard platform for this project.

Offerors should identify their proposed platform and any licensing requirements or additional costs. Platform selection and available College licenses will be confirmed during project planning.

10. Section 6.C requires protected-information liability coverage if the contractor may have access to protected information. Does the College anticipate providing student-level data, and may the required coverages that an offeror does not currently carry (for example automobile liability and protected-information liability) be bound after award and before contract execution, with the certificate of insurance submitted with the proposal reflecting current coverage?

Offerors may submit a current Certificate of Liability Insurance with their proposals.

The selected Offeror must provide evidence of all required coverage before execution of the Contract or issuance of the Purchase Order and before beginning work. This includes automobile liability and protected information liability coverage where applicable. Submission of a current certificate does not waive the required coverage.

The College anticipates providing aggregate data and, where needed, individual student records with personally identifiable information removed. If access to protected student information is necessary, it will be subject to applicable College and

System approvals, FERPA requirements, and an appropriate confidentiality and data-use agreement.

11. Is workers' compensation coverage required of an offeror whose work will be performed solely by its principals, with no employees, where the offeror's home state does not mandate the coverage?

Section 6.C requires workers’ compensation coverage as required by applicable state statute and employer’s liability coverage for employees performing the work. An

Offeror asserting that these requirements do not apply must identify its business structure, who will perform the work, and the basis for the claimed exemption. The

College will review the supporting documentation before contract execution. An exemption should not be assumed solely because the Offeror’s home state does not require coverage.

12. How will the 15 price points be assigned: by formula relative to the lowest total price, or by the committee's judgment of value?

The 15 available price points will be assigned using the evaluation committee’s judgment of value, considering the services offered in relation to the total proposed price. Scoring will not use a formula based on the lowest price. A higher-priced proposal may receive a higher price score if the committee determines that it offers better value for the College.

13. Is there a page limit or format requirement for the proposal, and should résumés, the W-9, the certificate of insurance and the signature page be submitted as separate attachments or within a single PDF?

No page limit or specific proposal format is prescribed. Proposals must address all requested information and include brief résumés or professional biographies, the signed W-9, the Certificate of Liability Insurance, and the completed and signed

Vendor Response Signature Page. Email submissions must include the complete proposal and pricing as attachments, rather than in the email body. Proposals may be submitted as a single PDF or as separate attachments. Either format is acceptable, provided the complete proposal and all required documentation are submitted by the stated deadline.

14. Has the College established a budget or a not-to-exceed amount for this engagement, and what is the funding source?

The College anticipates a budget of approximately $95,000 amount for the complete engagement, inclusive of required services, travel, and reimbursable expenses. This amount is an anticipated budget. Funding will be provided through institutional funds.

15. Is Otero College using any existing surveys/instruments to collect information from prospective students?

Otero College collects prospective student information through the Recruit inquiry form on its website, an internal campus tour request form, StriveScan at college fairs, and registration forms for events such as Discovery Day, Science Fair, and Arts

Festival. These instruments collect contact information and student interest to support marketing, recruitment, and follow-up.

Available instruments and results relevant to this engagement will be shared with the selected consultant, subject to applicable privacy requirements.

16. It appears Otero uses Ellucian Banner as its student information system. Is Otero using both the Student Recruiting and Admissions and CRM recruit modules?

Otero College uses Ellucian Banner as its student information system and Ellucian

CRM Recruit for recruiting and admissions.

17. What existing data tools is the college using to track enrollment trends, student progress, and student completion metrics?

The College uses Recruit, Banner/Cognos, Edify, and Power BI to compile reports and monitor enrollment trends, student progress, completion metrics, and progress toward enrollment goals.

18. Is Otero College collecting the yield rate from high schools in its primary service area? If so, what percentage of students matriculate from its primary feeder districts over the past 5 years?

The College’s Institutional Research team is developing a report on matriculation rates from high schools in its primary service area. Five-year yield percentages are not currently available in a readily reportable format. Available results will be shared with the selected consultant once the report is completed.

19. What budget or anticipated investment range has the College established for this engagement, including consultation sessions, travel, development of the projection model and dashboard, and implementation support?

The College anticipates a budget of approximately $95,000 for the complete engagement, inclusive of required services, travel, and reimbursable expenses. This amount is an anticipated budget Funding will be provided through institutional funds.

The total proposed price must include all required consultation sessions, anticipated travel and reimbursable expenses, the enrollment projection model, monthly KPI reports and dashboard updates, implementation support described in the scope, final deliverables, and staff training. Optional services beyond the required scope must be priced separately.

20. What staff capacity and existing systems will support this work, particularly data extraction, analysis, and ongoing reporting, and how does the College envision responsibility being shared between its staff and the consultant for producing monthly

KPI reports and maintaining the dashboard during and after the engagement?

College staff, including the Enrollment Management team and the College’s

Institutional Research contractor, will support the engagement through institutional knowledge, coordination, and data extraction, subject to staff availability and applicable access approvals.

The consultant will be responsible for analyzing the data, producing the required monthly KPI reports, and developing and maintaining the project dashboard during the engagement, using data provided by the College. The consultant should assess existing tools and dashboards in Power BI, Banner/Cognos, Navigate, Edify, and

Recruit and work with the College to identify and refine an appropriate dashboard within existing College and CCCS systems. A separate dashboard platform is not anticipated.

The consultant must provide training and documentation to support College staff in interpreting results and maintaining reporting after the engagement. The College will determine ongoing responsibilities and reporting frequency based on institutional needs and available resources.

21. Section 4.A.i states the project is anticipated to begin December 14, 2026, while

Sections 1.F and 1.G state a contract start date of January 11, 2027. Which date should Offerors use for the project schedule, and should the approximately 12-month timeline and the first monthly KPI report be planned from contract execution or from completion of the baseline data analysis?

Offerors should plan for an approximately 12-month engagement beginning January

11, 2027, subject to execution of the agreement. The project period begins at the authorized start of work, rather than after completion of baseline analysis. Monthly reporting is required throughout the engagement. Initial reports may document available baseline measures, data gaps, and progress configuring or refining the selected dashboard within existing College and CCCS systems. Subsequent reports should incorporate the agreed KPIs as data becomes available. Specific reporting dates will be established in the approved work plan.

22. Section 4.A.i.a asks the contractor to analyze factors influencing prospective students' enrollment decisions, including preferred communication channels. Does the

College expect new primary research (for example, surveys or focus groups with prospective and current students), or will analysis of existing College and secondary market data satisfy this requirement?

The College expects new primary research, such as surveys or focus groups, to supplement analysis of existing College and secondary market data. The research should include prospective and current students across the College’s student populations, including concurrent enrollment students. Offerors should describe their proposed methods for gathering input on enrollment decisions, barriers, and preferred communication channels. Analysis of existing data alone will not satisfy this requirement.

23. Does the College anticipate sharing student-level records containing personally identifiable information with the contractor, or will data be provided in aggregated or de-identified form? This affects whether the Protected Information Liability coverage in Section 6.C applies.

As noted in the response to Question 10, the College anticipates providing aggregate data and, where needed, individual student records with personally identifiable information removed. If access to protected student information becomes necessary, it will be subject to applicable College and System approvals, FERPA requirements, and an appropriate confidentiality and data-use agreement. Protected Information Liability coverage under Section 6.C will apply where required based on the contractor’s access to protected information.

24. Section 6.D requires a Certificate of Liability Insurance with the proposal. May

Offerors submit a current certificate with the proposal and provide the endorsements naming the State of Colorado and the Colorado Community College System as additional insureds upon notice of award?

Yes. Offerors may submit their current Certificate of Liability Insurance with the proposal. The selected Offeror must provide evidence of all required coverage and endorsements naming the State of Colorado and the Colorado Community College

System as additional insureds on its Commercial General Liability policy before execution of the Contract or issuance of the Purchase Order and before beginning work