REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

GENERAL EMPLOYEE WAGE STUDY

ISSUE DATE:

January 12, 2026

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION DEADLINE:

Friday, February 13, 2026

VENDOR SELECTION:

Monday, March 2, 2026 (planned)

I. INTRODUCTION

The City of Lakeland is soliciting proposals from qualified firms to conduct a General Employee Wage Study. The goal of this study is to evaluate the competitiveness of the City's compensation levels by comparing the minimum, midpoint, and maximum salaries for non-bargaining classifications with those with similar roles in peer organizations.

This study is an important step in maintaining the City’s compensation philosophy of targeting the 50th percentile of the labor market and supporting recruitment and retention of a qualified workforce.

II. BACKGROUND

A. Organizational Overview

(1) The City of Lakeland has approximately 2,453 budgeted positions:

(a) 2,183 full-time regular

(b) 40 part-time regular

(c) 11 full-time temporary

(d) 219 part-time temporary

(2) Approximately 790 positions are represented by collective bargaining units and are excluded from this study.

B. Current Compensation System

(1) Non-exempt employees are placed in a pay grade and step system.

(a) The step system consists of 15 steps.

(b) There is 3% between steps 1-8 and 2.5% between 8-15.

(c) There are 23 pay grades.

(2) Exempt employees are placed in a pay range.

(a) The pay range consist of a minimum, midpoint, and maximum.

(b) There are 16 pay ranges.

(3) The City follows a compensation philosophy aligned with the 50th percentile of the labor market.

C. Previous Studies

(1) The most recent pay study was conducted in 2023.

(2) Since then, compensation benchmarking has been conducted internally, on a case-by-case basis.

D. Study Scope

(1) All non-bargaining job classifications will be included in this study.

(2) Positions covered by collective bargaining units are not included.

(3) Only minimum, midpoint, and maximum compensation levels are to be analyzed and reported.

III. SCOPE OF WORK

A. Project Initiation

(1) Meet with City Human Resources staff to:

(a) Confirm the final list of benchmark classifications

(b) Identify comparator agencies (subject to City approval)

(c) Confirm scope and timeline

(d) Submit a detailed project timeline with a maximum project duration of five (5) months

B. Compensation Benchmarking

(1) Identify and document compensation data from approved public sector peer agencies.

(2) For each job classification, report:

(a) Minimum salary

(b) Midpoint salary

(c) Maximum salary

(3) Match positions based on job content, not just job titles.

(4) Provide a brief narrative description of the methodology used for job matching and data validation.

(5) The selected vendor shall have the ability to review, analyze, and provide recommendations in response to a limited request for evaluation regarding worker classification and Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) status, if requested by the organization. Any such review shall be included in the vendor’s proposed pricing and shall not result in additional fees unless expressly approved in advance in writing by the organization.

C. Positions Included in Scope

(1) 1,663 budgeted positions that consist of the following breakdown:

(a) 493 job classifications

1) 1,393 full-time regular

2) 40 part-time regular

3) 11 full-time temporary

4) 219 part-time temporary

D. Deliverables

(1) A comprehensive Wage Study Report, including:

(a) Compensation data tables

(b) Market position summary

(c) Observations and conclusions

(2) Electronic copies of all reports and data in:

(a) Excel

(b) PDF

(3) Final presentation to City leadership (virtual or in-person, as requested).

IV. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

A. Cover Letter

(1) Brief statement of interest in the project

(2) Summary of the firm’s background, years in business, and key differentiators

(3) Signed by an authorized representative

B. Qualifications and Experience

(1) Overview of the firm’s qualifications and capacity to perform the work

(2) Description of three similar public sector wage studies completed in the past five years

(3) Familiarity with the Florida labor market (if applicable)

(4) Three references of other governmental agencies to which you have provided services related to this scope of work

C. Project Team

(1) Names and roles of key personnel

(2) Professional biographies of team members

(3) Identification of Project Manager and relevant experience

D. Work Plan and Timeline

(1) Detailed narrative of proposed approach and methodology

(2) Timeline with milestones for each major task

(3) Expectations of City staff support and data needs

E. Pricing

(1) Fixed price for the total project

(2) Milestone-based fee schedule, if applicable

(3) Clearly itemized reimbursable expenses, if any

V. GENERAL CONDITIONS

A. The City reserves the right to:

(1) Reject any or all proposals

(2) Waive any minor irregularities in the proposal

(3) Select the proposal that best meets the City's needs

B. All work must be completed within five (5) months of contract execution unless otherwise agreed upon.

VI. CONTACT INFORMATION

For questions or clarifications regarding this RFP, please submit them via OpenGov.