PRF76 RFR Rev 7.1.22.docx

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS

OPERATIONAL SERVICES DIVISION

Request for Response (RFR)

Document Title: Management Consultants, Program Coordinators and Planners Services

Agency Document Number: PRF76 RFR

COMMBUYS Bid#: Bid BD-22-1080-OSD03-SRC3-75909

Originally Issued 06/10/2022 Amended July 1, 2022. Amendments are in red.

Please Note: This is a single document associated with a complete Bid (also referred to as Solicitation) that can be found on www.COMMBUYS.com. Bidders are responsible for reviewing and complying with all Bid requirements. Bidders may contact the OSD Help Desk at OSDHelpdesk@mass.gov or at 1-888-MA-STATE for technical assistance with COMMBUYS. The Help Desk is staffed from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday Eastern time, as applicable, except on federal and state holidays.

Bidders with disabilities or hardships that seek reasonable accommodation, which may include the receipt of RFR information in an alternative format, must communicate such requests in writing to the contact person. Requests for accommodation will be addressed on a case-by-case basis. A Bidder requesting accommodation must submit a written statement which describes the Bidder’s disability and the requested accommodation to the contact person for the RFR. The SST reserves the right to reject unreasonable requests.

Revision History

REQUEST FOR RESPONSE PRF76 Management Consultants, Program Coordinators and Planners Services

Document Sensitivity Level: High during development; Low once published. Template v 3.0.0

REQUEST FOR RESPONSE PRF76 Management Consultants, Program Coordinators and Planners Services

Table of Contents Page iv Document Sensitivity Level: High during development; Low once published.

INTRODUCTION AND BID OVERVIEW

Summary Description of Procurement The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the PRF76 Strategic Sourcing Team (SST) are soliciting Bidders for the acquisition of Management Consultants, Program Coordinators and Planners Services. The resulting Contract will serve as the primary Statewide Contract used by Executive Agencies of the Commonwealth for the goods and services covered by the Contract. The resulting Contract will replace SWC PRF61. The Contract will also be available for use by other Eligible Entities.

PRF76 seeks to establish a pre-qualified list of Management Consulting, Program Coordinating and Planning Service vendors that can provide an array of services to the Commonwealth and all Eligible Entities described in section 1.3.7 of this RFR. One major addition to the PRF76 is the inclusion of the Category Specialized Racial and Health Equity Services. The original category of Revitalization Services under PRF61, has been expanded to include two separate categories - Downtown/Town Center/Commercial Area Revitalization Consulting Services and Planning, Zoning and Development Consulting Services under PRF76. The category of Environmental Services that was originally under PRF61, has now been incorporated into Statewide Contract PRF77 Professional Environmental and Consulting Services, and will no longer be a part of this PRF76.

Eligible Entities that use the contract may do so through the development of a Statement of Work (SoW) and by establishing best value evaluation criteria, followed by the use of the Request for Quote process in COMMBUYS to obtain quotes from any of the pre-qualified vendors on the appropriate category of the contract Estimated Procurement Calendar

Training for Online Submission – Contractors that have not previously submitted electronic quotes via COMMBUYS are strongly encouraged to attend training Dates and Times Available:

July 21, 2022 @ 10:00 am

Online Webinar:

This interactive webcast provides instructions on several activities: Locating and responding to bids; Using the bid Q&A feature; Creating a quote response; Revising a Quote response. Access the webcast here.

Late bids will not be considered.

*See Appendix 2, "Training for Vendors Responding to Bids On COMMBUYS" for instructions on how to register for live webinar and additional trainings that may be helpful to prospective bidders.

Visit https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2017/09/15/vendor-schedule-fall2017-winter2018.pdf for additional Instructor-Led Training and Webinar dates.

Times are Eastern Time (US), as displayed on the COMMBUYS system clock after logging in. If there is a conflict between the dates in this Procurement Calendar and dates in the Bid’s Header, the dates in the Bid’s Header on COMMBUYS shall prevail. Bidders are responsible for checking the Bid record, including Bid Q & A, on COMMBUYS for Procurement Calendar updates.

Submission of Bid Questions The “Bid Q & A” function in COMMBUYS allows Bidders to ask written questions and receive written answers regarding this Bid. To locate the Bid Q & A, log into COMMBUYS, locate the Bid, acknowledge receipt of the Bid, and scroll down to the bottom of the Bid Header page. The “Bid Q & A” button allows Bidder’s access to the Bid Q & A page.

All questions must be submitted through the Bid Q & A page. Questions must be asked prior to the Deadline stated in the Estimated Procurement Calendar. The Strategic Sourcing Team (SST) reserves the right not to respond to late questions. Bidders are responsible for verifying that their questions are recorded in COMMBUYS and appear on the Bid Q & A page.

Questions submitted to the SST outside of COMMBUYS will not be answered.

Content entered must be suitable for public viewing. Bidders must not include inappropriate content, including but not limited to, information that could be considered personal, security sensitive, inflammatory, incorrect, or collusory. The SST reserves the right to edit or delete any inappropriate content.

All answers are final when posted. Any subsequent revisions to previously provided answers will be dated.

Bid Amendment Deadline The SST reserves the right to make amendments to the Bid after initial publication. It is each Bidder’s responsibility to check COMMBUYS for any amendments, addenda or modifications to this Bid, and any Bid Q & A records related to this Bid. The SST and the Commonwealth accept no responsibility and will provide no accommodation to Bidders who submit a Quote based on an out-of-date Bid or on information received from a source other than COMMBUYS.

At the SST’s discretion, the Bid Amendment Deadline may be extended. Should this occur, the “Deadline for Quotes/Responses” shall be extended as well. As stated above, it is the responsibility of the bidder for checking the Bid record in COMMBUYS for revisions and updates.

Bidders Conference The Bidders Conference is a physical, web or telephone conference conducted by the SST for the purpose of informing prospective Bidders about general Bid information. All questions related to the scope and technical requirements should be submitted using the Bid Q and A module in COMMBUYS.

Attendance is optional but highly encouraged. Please refer to the Bidders Conference section of the Header Information for this Bid in COMMBUYS for any updated information, including the location, time, and date of the Bidders’ Conference.

Late Bids will not be Considered Bid responses must be received in full by the bid opening date and time shown on COMMBUYS ("Bid Opening Date/Time", i.e., the Deadline for Quotes/Bid Responses). Proposals received after the deadline will be ineligible for consideration and deemed non-responsive. Each bidder/offeror must submit all required bid response forms electronically through COMMBUYS. When submitting a quote electronically through COMMBUYS, please allow sufficient time to complete any online forms and upload documents. If you are in the middle of uploading your proposal when the deadline is reached, the system will stop the process and you will be unable to submit your Quote. It is recommended that Quotes be submitted as far in advance as possible before the deadline to allow time to obtain assistance from the OSD Help Desk if needed.

Debriefing The SST will conduct debriefings for unsuccessful Bidders, if requested within 14 calendar days of notification that your Quote has not been selected for an award. Debriefing guidelines will be provided in advance prior to the debriefing.

Additional Bid Information Anticipated Contract Duration:

The initial term of this Contract is 5 (five) years. In addition, this Contract has 1 (one) option to renew of up to 2 (two) years with a maximum possible contract duration of 7 (seven) years.

The SST reserves the right to reopen the contract at least one time during the course of this contract at a time to be determined by the SST.

Performance and payment time frames which exceed Contract duration All term leases, rentals, maintenance or other agreements for services entered into during the duration of this Contract and whose performance and payment time frames extend beyond the duration of this Contract shall remain in effect for performance and payment purposes (limited to the time frame and services established per each written agreement). No written agreement shall extend more than 6 (six) months beyond the final termination date of this Statewide Contract. No new leases, rentals, maintenance, or other agreements for services may be executed after the Contract has expired. Any contractor entering new engagements with eligible entities after contract expiration will be subject to remedial measures, which may include but are not limited to mandatory point deduction for future bid submissions and suspension of other contracts with OSD.

Estimated Value of the Contract The estimated value of purchase(s) resulting from this Bid is $225,000,000. The Commonwealth makes no guarantee that any commodities or services will be purchased from any Contract resulting from this Bid. Any estimates or past procurement volumes referenced in this Bid are included only for the convenience of Bidders and are not to be relied upon as any indication of future purchase levels.

This Estimated Value was derived by reviewing Contractor sales reports to Commonwealth of Massachusetts eligible entities for FY 2016 to 2021.

Estimated Number of Awards There is no target maximum number of Contractors for this procurement. Bidders will be selected for award once the established evaluation criteria are met.

Contract renewals will be offered at the sole discretion of OSD. At a minimum, offers to renew will be contingent upon satisfactory contractor performance and compliance with reporting requirements.

Adding Contractors after initial Contract Award If, over the life of the Contract, the SST determines that additional Contractors should be added to meet the requirements of the Commonwealth, these may first be drawn from qualified companies which responded to this Bid but were not awarded contracts and/or the Bid may be reopened to obtain additional Quotes.

Acquisition Method(s):

Entities Eligible to Use the Resulting Contract Any Contract(s) resulting from this Bid will be open for use by the following entities:

· Cities, towns, districts, counties, and other political subdivisions

· Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches, including all Departments and elected offices therein

· Independent public authorities, commissions, and quasi-public agencies

· Local public libraries, public school districts and charter schools

· Public hospitals owned by the Commonwealth

· Public institutions of higher education

· Public purchasing cooperatives

· Non-profit organizations that are doing business with the Commonwealth;

· Other states and territories with no prior approval by the State Purchasing Agent; and

· Other entities when designated in writing by the State Purchasing Agent.

Each eligible entity is responsible for executing its own purchase orders and paying its own invoices for goods and/or services acquired from this Contract. Contractors will be responsible for marketing their goods and/or services to Commonwealth Agencies and other eligible entities.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON PROCUREMENT SCOPE

Procurement Exclusions Bidders should review RFR Section 1.20 for Restrictions on Statewide Contracts use or Identification of similar contracts.

Bidder Qualifications Company experience Bidders must have the required experience in the industry of the bid and demonstrate this in their proposal submission. They also need to indicate how their experience is specific to the category of the bid to which they are applying.

Years in the industry of the Bid Bidders must have been in the business of providing Management Consultancy, Program Coordination or Planning Services for at least the 1 (one) year prior to the RFR submission deadline (See RFR Section 1.2, Estimated Procurement Calendar).

The SST will also consider the experience of the principal as the experience of the company in the cases where the principal will be the primary consultant for the provision of the services.

In the case of companies formed fewer than 1 (one) year prior to this date via merger, acquisition or some other means, the SST may consider the experience of all companies involved in the merger or acquisition.

Employee and/or business technical/business experience, certifications, licenses Bidders are encouraged to highlight any pertinent personnel expertise and training experience relevant to the categories and service areas being bid on this Contract. Specific details of required certification, training experience and employee qualification will be requested by the hiring entity at the time of the RFQ for vendors who have been awarded a Statewide Contract under PRF76.

Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) Bidders must have included as a part of the continuity of operations plan, their technology capability to transition business operations seamlessly in a situation of business disruption. This plan needs to also include video conferencing capabilities, software capabilities and a relocation plan for personnel and the business operations should this become necessary. This plan should be made available to the SST for review upon request.

Emergency Response Capabilities Bidders must include a list of emergency contact information including name, position/title, phone, email and cell phone of a contact that the Commonwealth’s Eligible Entities may contact in times of emergency. Bidders should also include a list of the Bidder’s building location (s) that would be available to serve the Commonwealth during an emergency.

Financial stability including, bankruptcy, litigation and contract defaults Bidders are required to submit, as a part of this RFR submission, a certification from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Department of Revenue which indicates that the Bidder is compliant with their fiscal obligations. Additionally, a Certificate of Good Standing from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Secretary of State is required as a part of this Bid submission. No contract will be awarded without the provision of these documents Bankruptcy, litigation, and contract defaults Bidders must provide a list of any outstanding contingencies, such as lawsuits or other claims or charges, against the Bidder related to performance of the services sought under this RFR.

References and reference information and/or requirements Bidders are required to provide at least three business references for whom they have provided similar service as the service of the bid, within the last three years. This information should be provided in the business refence form submitted as a part of this RFR submission. Bidders may decide to submit a number greater then three references, however the SST will consider the feedback from the first three responses received. References will be asked to provide feedback on the nature of the work the bidder has completed for them, its results and overall success. Bidders are free to choose the most appropriate reference for this process, however no member of the SST for this procurement may serve as a reference for any bidder.

Contract Category Descriptions PRF76 RFR Service Categories A bidder may bid on one, some, or all Categories of PRF76 RFR. Each category has its own specific requirements, and each category will be evaluated accordingly. The SST, however, reserves the right to determine which category (s) will be awarded to the bidder. Bidders, when bidding on a category, should provide enough detailed information for between three (3) – five (5) projects for that category to indicate they are capable of providing the services being proposed. The categories of this bid are listed below:

Service Category(s) Specifications

1.11.2.1 Category 1: Education Services Category

Category Summary & Specifications Under the Statewide Contract PRF76- Education Services Category, the Commonwealth seeks to establish a list of pre-qualified trainers and consultants from which it will draw, on an “as needed” basis to provide education related Management Consulting Services in the areas of research-based strategies, standards and accountability, assessment professional development, innovation, and student supports. This aids in the Commonwealth’s commitment to provide a rigorous, comprehensive and successful education system.

Interested bidders with expertise and experience in the Education Services Category must meet the pre-qualifications requirement of this RFR in order to be awarded and added to the pre-qualified list of vendors for this category.

Bidders’ business capacity and qualifications must be substantiated through the submission of bid response documents that clearly meet the required qualifications for the Education Services Category of PRF76 RFR. Business capacity and qualification indicated must present quality to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the users of the awarded PRF76 contract.

This category includes:

· Project management for school/district performance reviews or assistance services.

· Targeted assistance for school or district improvement.

· Assessment and evaluation services, including the development of survey, assessment, and review protocols/instruments.

· Educational leadership evaluation, development, coaching, and interim leadership services; curriculum, performance, and achievement frameworks/standards protocols and/or processes development, review, and updating.

· Dissemination of standards, research findings, best practices, etc., including planning, facilitation, networking, implementation, and management of dissemination activities.

· Provide Professional Development for both content delivery and planning logistics.

· Act as School Turnaround Operators offering statewide education improvement services to manage and operate low-performing, underperforming, and chronically underperforming schools; Bidders applying to become a School Turnaround Operator must have significant knowledge and experience with the following components:

· Demonstrating a track record of success with complex organizations and/or high poverty and low performing schools.

· Engaging in cooperative and collaborative service settings with multiple vendors and constituencies.

· Providing resources and services that are aligned with raising achievement and closing gaps.

· Providing frequent progress assessments and demonstrating adaptability through making mid-course corrections as necessary. All approved providers should have expertise in communicating and working with a wide array of education stakeholders including, where relevant, constituencies within all levels of state and district administration, principals, teachers, community partners, parents, and other providers in a coordinated effort to meet education improvement priorities.

· Policy review and recommendations.

· Program review, development and evaluation.

· Education administration.

· Student assessment.

· Adult Education Issues.

· Educational evaluators and taskforce leaders.

· Effective implementation.

· Administration and operation of special education departments and programs.

· Prevention of student injury, sexual harassment and bullying.

· School management systems.

· Litigation support, risk analysis and education credential evaluation; on-site reviews to determine appropriate educational placement, safety and security measures.

· Content expertise for curriculum development and implementation, standards, documents, resource materials development and review.

· Writing, copyediting, acquiring permissions for use of copyrighted materials.

· Development of online curriculum/instruction/assessment content for pre-k to 12 students and adults and for teachers and/or administrators of pre-k to 12 students and adults.

· Analyze existing research base for assessments and synthesize quantitative and qualitative data to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of these assessments to inform policy decisions.

· Performance Management.

Required Bidder Qualifications Expressed experience in one or more of the following areas may be for any period in time but must also include related work within the past 1 year.:

· School or district administration.

· Standards-based curriculum review and alignment.

· Performance review, evaluation and assessment of schools, districts, and programs.

· Familiarity with national No Child Left Behind initiatives/programs and school improvement efforts in Massachusetts.

· Educational accountability systems development.

· Use and development of appropriate accountability data at state, district, and school levels. Targeted assistance programs including school support teams, grant programs, coaching programs, district and school capacity building, and leadership development efforts.

· Pre-k to 12 teaching.

· Alignment of early childhood, elementary and secondary, and higher education initiatives.

· Knowledge of Second language acquisition and/ or experience (working) with English as a second language (ESL) instructors and/or English Language Learners (ELL).

· Culturally proficient and anti-bias education.

· Assessment of student learning (including formative assessment and (curriculum embedded performance assessment (CEPA)).

· Knowledge of school improvement efforts in Massachusetts; national educational initiatives/programs and collaborative efforts of consortia of states in the United States (such as the common standards movement, PARCC, WIDA and SBAC); national initiatives and programs in other countries; and international programs (such TIMSS and PISA).

· Curriculum design, content expertise, and professional development in the arts, English language arts/literacy, foreign languages, history/social science, mathematics, science and technology/engineering, comprehensive health, and English as a second language.

· Publication design, video production, and publishing and dissemination of information online and in print.

· Demonstrate capacity to successfully conduct a thorough, valid, and objective analysis of academic quality research and literature related to education policy and successfully interpret and synthesize that information in a manner accessible to a broad audience.

· Able to identify key findings and distill them to inform policy decisions.

Preferred Bidder Qualifications

· Experience in contributing directly or indirectly to improvements in schools and districts.

· Experience and expertise of vendor in assisting schools and districts with high poverty, low performing districts and schools, linguistic minorities and/or special education populations, and the demonstrated cultural sensitivity of individuals providing services.

· Valid Teacher’s License.

· Demonstrated value of the vendor’s services in contributing directly or indirectly to improvements in schools and districts.

· Demonstrated experience with education data analysis software such as: SaaS, SPSS, or other.

· Experience working with large data sets.

· Demonstrated ability to apply innovative and resourceful solutions to solve challenges.

1.11.2.2 Category 2: Program Development, Organizational Development and Strategic Planning Services Under the Statewide Contract PRF76-Program Development, Organizational Development, and Strategic Planning Category, the Commonwealth seeks to establish a list of pre-qualified vendors from which it will draw on an “as needed” basis to meet the needs of the various departments and eligible user entities. Types of services acquired under this definition may include but is not limited to: administrative, human resource, engineering, personnel, and physical distribution management; scientific administration; economics; education; labor; health and social services; budget analysis, market analysis and projections in business development, economic forecasting, development of funding formulas and total cost analysis.

Bidders shall have the ability to perform the services in a virtual environment as the need dictates. Bidders, by responding to this RFR for this category, attest that they are able to complete the services virtually, or in-person, as per the requirements of the hiring entity.

Interested bidders with expertise in Program Development, Organizational Development, and Strategic Planning must meet the pre-qualifications requirement of this RFR in order to be awarded and added to the pre-qualified list of vendors for this category.

Bidders’ business capacity and qualifications must be substantiated through the submission of bid response documents that clearly meet the required qualifications for the Program Development, Organizational Development, and Strategic Planning Category of PRF76 RFR. Bidders’ experience must include core expertise in assisting agencies with analyzing their goals and objectives; understanding of current organizational structure and/ or program structure; assist with change management solutions, as well as make recommendations or facilitate effective development; and implementation of changes in policies, processes, and staffing functions.

Exclusions

· Restriction for this category includes Financial Audit services currently provided under PRF78 Audit, Accounting, Compliance, Revenue Enhancement Services statewide contract. Bidders should review RFR Section 1.21 for Restrictions on Statewide Contracts use or Identification of Similar Contracts.

Required Bidder Qualifications Expressed experience in one or more of the following areas may be for any period in time but must also include related work within the past 1 year.:

· Organizational planning/development.

· Organizational Design Support (see Appendix 3 for additional details)

· End-to-End Organizational Assessment and Design (see Appendix 3 for additional details)

· Conducting systems assessments and providing recommendations for internal systems of management.

· Developing strategies for effective communication and workflow internally and with external stakeholders, vendors, and other departments.

· Assessing and implementing administrative procedures to monitor workflow

· Conducting business process review.

· Providing guidance and expertise on planning, timing, facilitation, and implementation of reorganization recommendations.

· Strategic plan development/implementation.

· Developing, or facilitating the development of, internal systems to manage the implementation of a complex strategic plan.

· Developing strategies for effective administration and management of projects and contracts related to the strategic plan.

· Program development/implementation.

· Defining a process and timing for creating a new organizational structure, including guiding principles and understanding of agency internal mission, goals, and history.

· Stakeholder engagement.

· Coordinating internal and external meetings: coordinating dates, agendas, recording and disseminating meeting minutes.

· Disseminating a variety of types of information to stakeholders using websites, social media, newsletters, reports, and/or meetings.

· Needs assessment and data collection.

· Using data systems to collect, analyze, and write reports.

· Contracting and payment rate structuring.

· Budget analysis, market analysis and projections in business development and economic forecasting.

· Defining marketing objectives and policies.

· Developing human resources policies and best practices.

· Improving the efficiency of service delivery.

Preferred Bidder Qualifications Additionally, awarded vendors under PRF76 RFR- Program Development, Organizational and Strategic Planning Services, may have the following skills set:

· Experience with assisting government agencies with improvements of current policies and services.

· Knowledge of innovative professional services models and management resources to facilitate implementation of the hiring entities’ goals and objectives.

· Expertise in developing comprehensive strategic planning tools.

· Experience managing similar change processes within and/or for dynamic organizations.

· Experience with analyzing, assessing, and characterizing complex tasks.

1.11.2.3 Category 3: Professional Development Services

Under the Statewide Contract PRF76- Professional Development Services Category, the Commonwealth seeks to establish a number of pre-qualified vendors that can offer a broad range of effective quality courses; from which eligible entities will draw, on an “as needed” basis to design and/or provide trainings/presentations/facilitations/ instructional design including e-learnings on different topics that will increase the knowledge, understanding, and skill levels of Commonwealth of Massachusetts staff and/or the public it serves.

A Bidder must be able to show and demonstrate in its response that it is both well qualified and has the capacity to provided services under this category.

Expressed experience in one or more of the following areas may be for any period in time but must also include related work within the past 1 year. Areas in which professional development and training expertise are sought include but are not limited to:

· Leadership Development Programs.

· Team building/ Capacity Building Programs.

· Coaching Programs.

· Train the Trainer(s) Programs.

· Change Management Programs.

· Communication Skills Programs.

· Customer Relationship Management Programs.

· General Health, Wellness & Safety Programs not requiring services of a hospital or university.

· Business Process Redesign Programs.

· Organizational Design Training and Tools (see Appendix 3 for additional details) The listings above are simply illustrative and not an exhaustive list of training topics; successful bidders are expected to provide a recent course catalog and/ or a comprehensive list of professional development courses that has been offered and delivered by the bidder within the past one year prior to this RFR. Services in the Professional Development Category include the ability to conduct comprehensive needs assessments of the potential learners, learner analysis, writing specific behavioral learning objectives, instructional strategy deployment (action learning in particular), materials development including facilitator guides, facilitator notes and learner materials, and evaluation and learning transfer methodology. These services may also include the training of in-house trainers. The learning design and class content should be anchored in contemporary adult learning theory.

It is expected that the bidders will be able to provide as broad an array of courses as possible.

Delivery of services may be offered through use of existing courses or course development and instructional design-including customization of existing courses. It can be instructor- led, e-learning or blended learning; it can also be through a delivery of content supplied by the Commonwealth and as agreed upon by the vendor and the Commonwealth.

Bidders’ responses to this category should clearly demonstrate their business capacity and qualification to provide professional development offerings. Bidders’ responses should clearly indicate how bidders will meet learning objectives set by the hiring departments; bidders should respond to the following:

Propose what skills development courses you would offer that improve quality of work and work productivity.

Explain how your course offerings teach effective business writing and oral communication skills.

Provide course outline examples of soft skills and leadership workshops that have proven outcome of team management, building relationships, change management.

Exclusions Not covered under this Statewide Contract (SWC) is professional development for specialized public safety, law enforcement, fire, healthcare, mental health, highway, environmental, legal, food preparation, scientific; or any other areas that are not under the Scope of this RFR. Information Technology Training is also excluded from this contract.

Required Bidder Qualifications

· Prior experience on state and/or national level providing training/presentations in one or more of the topics identified in the section above. Bidder must have extensive knowledge of the subject matter/topic(s) identified in the Bidder’s Response.

· Ability to conduct training for audiences that may include a range of cultural and experiential backgrounds. Ability will be determined based on a Bidder’s experience in conducting trainings and Bidder’s knowledge of the topics identified.

· Ability to travel to different parts of the state to provide trainings, and flexibility to offer trainings during evenings and weekends.

· Ability to conduct trainings virtually or in-person as required

· Experience with design and implementation of online training and/or e-learning.

Expected Instructor Competencies The following expectations apply for instruction:

Professional Foundations

· Communicate effectively.

· Update and improve one’s professional knowledge and skills.

· Comply with established ethical and legal standards.

· Establish and maintain professional credibility.

Planning and Preparation

· Plan instructional methods and materials.

· Preparation outline for instruction.

Instructional Methods and Strategies

· Stimulate and sustain learner motivation and engagement.

· Demonstrate effective presentation skills.

· Demonstrate effective facilitation skills.

· Demonstrate effective questioning skills.

· Provide clarification and feedback.

· Promote retention of knowledge and skills.

· Promote transfer of knowledge and skills.

· Use media and technology to enhance learning and performance.

Assessment and Evaluation

· Assess learning and performance.

· Evaluate instructional effectiveness.

Management

· Manage an environment that fosters learning and performance.

· Manage the instructional process through the appropriate use of technology.

Training & training materials including necessary equipment It is expected that a contractor will provide all the equipment and materials including but not limited to: binders, books, textbooks, articles, professional literature, and other handouts that will be required to provide training services at no additional cost to the Commonwealth. Some using entities may have equipment in place for use by the contractor which will be acceptable under the contract.

For e-learning, a contractor is expected to provide alternative printed materials in sufficient quantity for all attendees who do not have access to equipment needed to take the training electronically. The cost is to be included in the total quote in response to an eligible entity’s Statement of Work (SOW), which specifies the number of attendees requiring these alternative printed materials. The contract user cannot hold the vendor to the materials requirements of this section unless the number of people needing alternative materials is included in the SOW.

Reasonable Accommodation For more information on crafting accessible training programs, vendors can contact the Massachusetts Office on Disability for assistance. Phone: (617) 727-7440 or (800) 322-2020 toll free (both V/TTY) Mail: Massachusetts Office on Disability, One Ashburton Place #1305 Boston, MA 02108.

1.11.2.4 Category 4: General Data Analytics Services and Evaluation Services Under the Statewide Contract PRF76-General Data Analytics Service and Evaluation Services Category, the Commonwealth seeks to establish a list of pre-qualified vendors from which it will draw on an “as needed” basis to meet the needs of various departments and eligible entities. Bidders will provide the Commonwealth and its eligible entities with technical assistance and expertise to generate the statistics needed to complete the requirements of projects per the scope of work established by the hiring entity, to inform the legislature and the public of the emerging and existing concerns, to tailor new intervention and prevention programs as well as evaluate currently existing program, and to generate knowledge to further improve on established services and/or programs.

Primary areas of research expertise that will be purchased through this RFR include:

· Survey research, including data collection, analysis and development of needs assessment.

· Linkage of large datasets.

· Program evaluation, including design, analysis and report preparation.

· Forecasting analytic techniques.

· Small area and small domain estimation.

· Complex survey sample design.

· Qualitative analysis and mixed method of analysis.

· Preparing and analyzing large data, comparative and cost effective studies.

· Preparing and using electronic data for quality improvement work, service utilization, comparative effectiveness.

· Expertise geo-spatial analysis.

· Subject matter expertise in economics, education, engineering, health and social services, transportation, financial services, the environment, cost effectiveness analysis, comparative effectiveness analysis, quality improvement work, policy analysis, secondary data analysis, ecological studies design.

· Quantitative data extraction and data management.

· Subject matter expertise in one or more of the PRF76 categories.

Interested bidders with expertise in General Data Analytics Services and Evaluation Services must meet the pre-qualifications requirement of this RFR in order to be awarded and added to the pre-qualified list of vendors for this category.

Bidders’ business capacity and qualifications must be substantiated through the submission of bid response documents that clearly meet the required qualifications for the General Data Analytics Services and Evaluation Services Category of PRF76 RFR.

Exclusions This category is intended to cover general data analytics and/ or evaluation services for the Commonwealth; however, it does not cover specialized healthcare and health safety consulting related services.

Required Bidder Qualifications Expressed experience in one or more of the following areas may be for any period in time but must also include related work within the past 1 year.:

· Project coordination.

· Capacity-building activities/projects to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of operations.

· Quality improvement activities.

· Tracking outcomes and evaluating the project.

· Sampling strategy design for qualitative and quantitative research.

· Conducting in-depth interviews.

· Instrumentation Development; Analysis and Interpretation.

· Data Collection.

· Data Repository.

· General statistical analysis of health data including changes in health outcomes with adjustment for environmental, policy, demographic, and other factors, Capture-recapture epidemiology studies to estimate prevalence of various conditions and diseases, compile research findings related to occupational injuries and illnesses.

1.11.2.5 Category 5: Downtown/Town Center/ Commercial Area Revitalization Consulting Services Under the Statewide Contract PRF76- Downtown/Town Center/Commercial Area Revitalization Consulting Services Category the Commonwealth seeks to establish a list of pre- qualified consultants from which it will draw, on an “as needed” basis to provide technical assistance related consultant services related to Downtown/Town Center/Commercial Area development in the areas of Business Development; Business District Management; Business Recruitment and Retention; Climate Impacts; Cultural and Arts Development; Cultural and Arts Management; District Branding; District Management; E-commerce/Website Development; Economic Development; Emergency Management; Equitable Economic Development; Event Development; Fundraising Expertise; Innovative Retail Strategies; Legal Services Related to Non-Profit Designation/By-laws/Organizational Development; Marketing and Public Relations; Placemaking; Planning for Housing/ Housing Development; Program Support Services; Public Cultural and Arts Development; Quality of Life – Homeless Services, Addiction Services, Mental Health & Wellness; Technical Assistance related to Downtown Revitalization; Tourism Development; Traffic Engineering and Design; Transportation Planning; Urban Design/Architectural Services; Wayfinding; Zoning and Land Use related to Downtown/Town Center/Commercial Area Revitalization.

Interested bidders with expertise and experience in the Downtown/Town Center/Commercial Area Revitalization Consulting Services Category must meet the pre-qualifications requirement of this RFR in order to be awarded and added to the pre-qualified list of vendors for this category.

Bidders’ business capacity and qualifications must be substantiated through the submission of bid response documents that clearly meet the required qualifications for the Downtown/Town Center/Commercial Area Revitalization Consulting Services Category of PRF76 RFR. Business capacity and qualification to provide services must present quality to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the users of the awarded PRF76 contract.

The goals of this category include, but are not limited to:

· Providing technical assistance/program support services in the context of a workshop(s),webinars, program support services, toolkits and/or on-site technical assistance.

· Developing a specific scope for each task on an on-going basis. The assistance will be requested on an as-needed basis and will be expected to be performed in a timely manner.

· Providing technical assistance in one or more areas listed by qualified Contractors including, but not limited to, the following areas:

· Business Development

· Business District Management

· Business Recruitment and Retention

· Climate Impacts

· Cultural and Arts Development

· Cultural and Arts Management

· District Branding

· District Management

· E-commerce/Website Development

· Economic Development

· Emergency Management

· Equitable Economic Development

· Event Development

· Fundraising Expertise

· Innovative Retail Strategies

· Legal Services Related to Non-Profit Designation/By-laws/Organizational Development

· Marketing and Public Relations

· Placemaking

· Planning for Housing/ Housing Development

· Program Support Services

· Public Cultural and Arts Development

· Quality of Life – Homeless Services, Addiction Services, Mental Health & Wellness

· Technical Assistance related to Downtown Revitalization

· Tourism Development

· Traffic Engineering and Design

· Transportation Planning

· Urban Design/Architectural Service

· Wayfinding

· Zoning and Land Use

Exclusions Bidders should review RFR Section 1.21 for Restrictions on Statewide Contracts use or Identification of Similar Contracts.

Required Bidder Qualifications Expressed experience in one or more of the following areas may be for any period in time but must also include related work within the past 1 year.: Describe your specific experience in the area(s) that you will be providing consultant service(s), qualifications, reference one or more specific communities or entities that the downtown/town center/commercial revitalization service(s) were provided relevant to…