OJD RFP No. S-19800-00010703_Final.pdf

OJD RFP No. S-19800-00010703

Oregon Judicial Department Request for Proposals (RFP) No. S-19800-00010703 Deschutes Domestic Relations Mediation Services

Project Overview, Background, and Purpose The Deschutes County Circuit Court (Court) offers a variety of programs and services designed to resolve litigation in a constructive manner including arbitration, informal domestic relations trials, settlement conferences and mediation. The Court believes that people who work together to reach a solution for child custody and parenting time issues are more likely to honor the agreement and work cooperatively within the agreement; therefore, the Deschutes County Circuit Court has adopted Supplementary Local Rule 12.015 which requires the use of mediation services to make an initial attempt to resolve issues related to child custody and parenting time. Annually, close to 1,000 dissolution and other domestic relations cases, not including protective orders, are filed in Deschutes County. It is anticipated that the Court will refer approximately 280 domestic relations cases involving child custody and parenting time each year to mediation, though some parties may choose to not participate in mediation.

Mediation is a process in which a neutral third party (Mediator) assists and facilitates two or more parties to a controversy in reaching a mutually acceptable resolution of the controversy. Each Judicial District is required to provide mediation in any domestic relations case in which child custody, parenting time and visitation are in dispute. A circuit court may obtain mediation services in a number of ways, including by contracting with private agencies or directly with mediators. The Court intends to designate one or more successful Proposers (Contractors) who may, subject to executing a contract resulting from this RFP, provide court-connected mediation in domestic relations cases for the Deschutes County Circuit Court.

Domestic relations mediation services are governed by the Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS), Uniform Trial Court Rules (UTCR) and any applicable Supplementary Local Rules (SLR). ORS 107.755 through

107.795 covers mediation procedures for domestic relations cases. ORS 107.765(1) states that “[t]he purpose of the mediation is to assist the parties in reaching a workable settlement of the contested issues instead of litigating those issues before the court.” The Deschutes County Circuit Court also has SLR Chapter 12 that covers mediation of child custody and parenting time. While attached for Proposer’s convenience, Proposer is responsible for reviewing and understanding the current versions of all applicable ORS (Bills and Laws Oregon Revised Statutes (oregonlegislature.gov)), UTCR (Oregon Judicial Department : Current Rules : Uniform Trial Court Rules & Committee : State of Oregon), and SLR (Oregon Judicial Department : Rules : Going to Court : State of Oregon.

In addition to the Contractors that qualify to provide court-connected mediation in domestic relation cases, the Court may also designate one or more Contractors to provide mediation of financial issues that are in dispute in these same cases, subject to the Contractor’s meeting the minimum qualifications for providing domestic relations financial mediation. Qualifications for domestic relations financial mediators can be found under UTCR 12.080 as amended from time-to-time, while qualifications for domestic relations custody and parenting mediators can be found under UTCR 12.070 as amended from time-to-time.

https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/Pages/ORS.aspx https://www.courts.oregon.gov/programs/utcr/Pages/currentrules.aspx https://www.courts.oregon.gov/programs/utcr/Pages/currentrules.aspx https://www.courts.oregon.gov/courts/deschutes/go/Pages/rules.aspx

The purpose of this RFP is to establish a pool of qualified Mediators from which the Court can select for its various mediation needs.

Description of Services and Consideration For the complete description of services and compensation structure, please refer to Exhibit A of the attached Sample Master Services Agreement For Domestic Relations Mediation Services attached as Attachment A.

Compensation Contractor will be paid $100.00 an hour for a maximum not-to-exceed of eight hours for each case referred for services.

Contract Term Upon execution of contract through December 31, 2029.

Eligibility Criteria for Contract Award

• Must be registered to do business in the state of Oregon if applicable; and

• Must possess all minimum qualifications required to be an approved domestic relations custody and parenting mediator under UTCR 12.070 or qualify for allowable appropriate substitutions or waivers under UTCR 12.030. These minimum qualifications are required to perform the Services called out for in this RFP, and include, but are not limited to the listed requirements for education, training, experience, continuing education, conduct, public information, and supervision. Contractor is responsible for obtaining their own copy of the current, relevant laws and rules regarding providing services as an approved domestic relations custody and parenting mediator, and for maintaining their own compliance with any future changes to those laws and rules.

Proposal Submission Eligible proposers interested in this contract opportunity must submit a proposal to robert.a.baxter@ojd.state.or.us by 3pm on July 15, 2024, PST. Proposals submitted after the closing date and time may not be accepted. The proposal must include the RFP No. and contain the following information:

• Name of Business and a copy of your business registration if applicable

• Qualifications o In order to support compliance with the minimum qualifications or any claimed desirable qualifications, Proposer shall include in its Proposal photocopies of all applicable licenses, certifications, and documentation of education/training.

o In addition to demonstrating how Proposer meets the minimum qualification requirements and any claimed desirable qualifications, Proposer shall include a detailed description of Proposer’s experience and expertise in providing the same or similar services identified above.

o If Proposer is an individual, Proposer shall also include a current resume or CV.

o If you propose to provide services through staff, Proposer shall include a detailed description and staffing plan for how your organization will staff the Services. The mailto:robert.a.baxter@ojd.state.or.us description and plan shall include a roster of all staff, including any key personnel, proposed to perform Services. The description for each staff person proposed shall include the title of proposed staff, team role (if applicable), and a current resume or CV.

Resumes or CV’s must detail the proposed staff’s skills, knowledge and experience, including experience in providing services the same as or similar to the Services called out in this RFP.

o NOTE: All individuals performing services under a Contract resulting from this RFP will be required to pass a criminal background check prior to performing those services.

• Proposer shall provide up to three references from current or former employers or clients for which Proposer performed the same or similar Services within the last 10 years. References must verify the quality of previous, related work.

• Proposer shall provide copies of their Certificates Insurance providing proof of coverage.

Requests for Clarification All questions relating to this RFP:

• Be delivered to Robert A. Baxter at robert.a.baxter@ojd.state.or.us;

• Reference the RFP number;

• Identify Proposer’s name and contact information; and

• Be sent by an authorized representative.

RFP Attachments Attachment A – Sample Contract

Proposal Evaluation OJD shall review proposals submitted by each proposer and award contracts to the Proposers determined to best meets the needs of each individual court mediation program.

mailto:robert.a.baxter@ojd.state.or.us

Proposer shall provide up to three references from current or former employers or clients for which Proposer performed the same or similar Services within the last 10 years. References must verify the quality of previous, related work.