Response to Offeror Questions document.docx

Questions and Answers for RFP USD12302025 – Strategic Planning Consultant

1. Do you have a budget range or a maximum that you are working with?

A: Maximum budget is not yet determined

2. When do you plan to have the work begin/start date?

A: As soon as the consultant can be onboarded.

3. What is the time horizon that the strategic plan should cover (3, 5, 10 years)?

A: 5 years

4. Is there a determined date when the strategic plan should be completed?

A: December 15, 2026

5. Are there any key dates or meetings that any intermediary deliverables should be aligned with (board meetings, faculty retreats, etc.)?

A: There are not any key dates or meetings that need to align.

6. Section 3.4a of the RFP mentions a review of “institutional data on enrollment, finances, academic programs, facilities, and workforce.” What level of analysis is USD looking for with these sources? Is there a desire for more detailed financial, enrollment, and academic analyses or is the purpose more focused on simply identifying trends and themes?

A: This is included to identify trends and themes that can be used to inform the plan.

7. Section 3.7a of the RFP asks for the delivery of a "polished, comprehensive strategic plan document suitable for presentation to the South Dakota Board of Regents and external stakeholders." Does USD have in-house marketing and design staff that will collaborate with the vendor to design these materials or is the vendor expected to provide full design services?

A: USD has in-house marketing and graphic design staff that can be utilized to design the materials.

8. Section 5.2.3.2 of the RFP notes that the submitted proposal should include a point-by-point response mirroring the order items are presented in the scope of work. Is it acceptable to address all points, but present our response in a different order if our methodology differs from the order outlined in the RFP?

A: A different order is acceptable.

9. In regard to Section 5.2.4 Cost Proposal, could you advise whether proposers are required to submit separate proposal documents for each individual cost option, or whether multiple cost options may be combined into a single cost proposal document?

A: Submitting a proposal with multiple cost options is acceptable.

10. Does the University have a preference for conducting the requested activities in person or remotely?

A: A hybrid model of in person and remote is acceptable.

11. Are there any specific “special project constraints” as mentioned in section 6.1.7 that should be identified in our response?

A: Case studies of any issues that you have come across and how did you handle working through them.

12. What aspects of your current strategic plan have been most successful, and which have been the most challenging to execute?

A: The robust stakeholder engagement on the front end of our previous plan accounted for buy-in from faculty and staff on campus.

Even though our current plan was designed to be dynamic, the changes in higher education required the university to change tactics and view of all corners of the university differently.

13. How does USD define a “successful” strategic plan – what outcomes or changes must it enable for leadership to consider it a win?

A: A plan that allows the university to navigate the changes in higher ed and pivot fairly quickly as needed when those changes require immediate action.

14. What internal or external pressures (e.g., Board of Regents, state legislation, accreditation, funding constraints) should the plan anticipate or proactively address?

A: Changes in government regulations, changing external views of higher education, and funding constraints

15. How do you prefer decisions to be made during the planning process – consensus-driven, recommendation-driven, leadership-driven, or hybrid?

A: Hybrid of consensus-driven and leadership-driven

16. Are there major initiatives already underway that the strategic plan must integrate with?

A: USD Sioux Falls Campus, keeping costs to students manageable

17. What level of visibility does USD want for stakeholder engagement — highly public and participatory, or more internally focused and curated?

A: Our previous plan was successful because of public and participatory stakeholder engagement, and we would like to continue that with this plan.

18. How does USD envision balancing bold, aspirational goals with pragmatic, resource‑based realities?

A: Through transparent conversations across campus about the realities of higher eds position in our society.

19. Are there specific peer institutions USD aspires to emulate or differentiate itself from in the strategic plan?

A: Given the challenges facing higher ed, there is not really a peer institution at this time that appears to be getting everything right.

20. What are the biggest internal barriers to implementing past strategic initiatives (e.g., capacity, siloing, communication gaps, governance, funding)?

A: Capacity and siloing seem to be the largest barriers, followed closely by external pressures and resources.

21. What timeline expectations or key milestones (Board meetings, accreditation cycles, legislative sessions) should the planning process be aligned to?

A: Project completion by December 2026.

22. Do you accept electronic signatures?

A: Yes

23. Are you looking for a physical submission or will an electronic submission suffice?

A: Please submit via email to chris.phillips@usd.edu.

24. Does the university have an existing planning team or advisory group, or will the consultant be involved in forming a planning team?

A: There is an advisory group and proposed planning team already identified.

25. Is there a heritage group of peer institutions to benchmark USD against, or will the consultant be expected to define the group of peer institutions.

A: USD has a set of peer institutions we use to benchmark. Those are:

26. Will the university provide all the institutional data and reports for analysis, or will the consultant be expected to collect some data independently?

A: USD will provide institutional data as needed

27. Do any community or external stakeholders need special attention or outreach?

A: There are several external stakeholders we would like to make sure receive attention. A few are:

28. Since the responses to questions will be posted only 5 business days prior to the submission deadline, will the University consider an extension to incorporate any new information from the responses to questions?

A: There is currently no plan to extend the proposal submission date.

29. Are in-person meetings required for this opportunity? If so, what is envisioned beyond the stakeholder engagement process?

A: A few in-person meetings would be preferable but not required. Kick-off sessions on campus would be preferably in person.

30. Under 5.2 of the Proposal Response Format 5.2.3 discussed the Heading required for the Proposal sections. Under 5.2.3 it mentions a point-by-point response to each requirement. Can you please confirm that these requirements are specific to the Scope of Work, evaluation criteria under 6.1, or comprehensive for the entire RFP?

A: Comprehensive. Offerors should focus on the Scope of Work and Evaluation Criteria while acknowledging the other sections of the RFP.

31. Under Section 2.b, the Scope of Work asks for benchmarking against "national best practices in higher education." Can the University provide what specific areas/departments/aspects the University envisions to be benchmarked?

A: Funding models, graduation and retention rates, cost, etc.

32. How often does the Board meet and what role are they expecting to play in the development of the strategic plan?

A: Six times per year – a stakeholder engagement session and then final sign off at the completion of the planning process.

33. What are the key governance groups for the University? Faculty senate? Staff senate? Planning committee? President’s Cabinet?

A: President’s Cabinet, Executive Committee, University Senate

34. The list of evaluation criteria (RFP p. 10) includes the consultant’s “availability to the project locale” as a criterium. Is there a preferred number or cadence of in-person meetings and/or planning activities?

A: Not all virtual, some face to face

35. The requested scope of work (RFP p. 7) states that during strategic plan development, “the consultant will partner with USD leadership, faculty, staff, students, alumni, community stakeholders, and policy makers to ensure the plan reflects the university’s mission, values, and regional impact.” Please clarify whether the awarded consultant will be expected to help USD develop updated mission, vision, and values statements as part of the strategic planning process or if the consultant will reference existing mission, vision, and values statements.

A: This will likely not be a complete rewrite of the mission, vision and values statements. There may be some edits that need to be made, but it would be done in conjunction with the USD leadership team and strategic planning task force.

36. Who would be the main point of contact, and the core project team, at USD throughout the strategic planning process?

A: Laura McNaughton, Chief of Staff and Director of Government Relations

37. Has an outsourced consultant been utilized in the past for institutional strategic planning? If so, what have you learned from that experience that is of importance for your new partner to understand?

A: Yes, a consultant was used for the last strategic plan. We believe that having a knowledgeable external partner helps with faculty, staff and external stakeholder buy in.

38. What do you most hope will be different about this strategic plan and/or the process, from the one focused on 2020-2026?

A: Candid and realistic discussions about the changing landscape of higher education and what USD needs to do to navigate those changes.

39. Is there a preference for how often the consultant would be expected to be on campus during the strategic planning process? We ask because some institutions expect frequent visits, while others prefer a mix of on-campus and Zoom meetings.

A: A mix of on-campus and zoom is perfectly acceptable for efficiency and budgetary purposes.

40. Is there a specific time on January 23 that proposals are due to the USD Purchasing Office?

A: Proposals must be submitted by 11:59 pm on January 23rd.

41. On pages 7-8, the scope of work includes a scan of environmental factors influencing USD and institutional enrollment, finance, facilities, finances, and programs. What will be the role, if any, of USD’s institutional research office in supporting this activity?

A: They will be able to assist as needed.

42. Task 2b on page 8 asks the contractor to benchmark USD against other institutions and national best practices. To what extent has USD conducted similar benchmarking activities in the past, and will these be available to the contractor during the project?

A: USD does regular benchmarking against peers and that information can be made available as needed.

43. For the purposes of completing Task 2b, does USD have a pre-existing set of institutions that it considers to be “peer institutions,” or does USD expect the contractor to identify relevant peer institutions using the contractor’s own methodology?

A: See question 25

44. Task 1b indicates that the plan should align to both the evolving needs of South Dakota and the ‘broader region’. What states does USD consider to be a part of the broader region for this analysis?

A: Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, North Dakota

45. Does USD expect the final contract to be fixed price (not to exceed), time and materials, or cost reimbursement?

A: Offerors can submit multiple cost proposals and lay out what you see is the best fit for your organization.

46. Does USD have a specific budget format that would like the offeror to use for the cost proposal?

A: No specific budget format.

47. The USD 2020-2026 Strategic Plan delineated 12 goals across 6 themes. The RFP does not include evaluating progress in meeting those goals. To what extent has USD made progress in its existing goals?

A: USD has had quarterly meetings with champions of each goal for accountability and to evaluate progress during implementation. While progress has been made on all goals, the level of that progress is varied.

48. Is USD expecting a university-wide plan only, or should it include unit/college-level strategies (Law School, Medical School, Sioux Falls campus, Athletics, etc.)?

A: University wide only.

49. Are there specific priority themes already identified by USD leadership that must be incorporated?

A: Growth in Sioux Falls both in enrollment and at the USD Sioux Falls campus.

50. Should the plan include budget alignment or remain at a higher strategic level?

A: Should remain at a higher strategic level

51. Does USD want a single integrated plan, or a main plan plus supporting sub-plans?

A: Single integrated plan

52. Who will serve as the executive sponsor for this engagement?

A: This would be established upon contract execution.

53. Will USD establish a steering committee, and what is its expected composition and cadence?

A: The steering committee will be the President’s Cabinet, and they meet every other week. Work on the plan will be a top priority.

54. What is the approval path for the strategic plan (President, Cabinet, Board of Regents)?

A: The President and her cabinet will play an integral role in directing the process, final approval will come from the SD Board of Regents.

55. Are there required Board of Regents frameworks, pillars, or KPIs that the plan must align with?

A: Not currently

56. Will the consultant be expected to present to the Board of Regents, and if so, how many times?

A: USD will handle presentations to the Board of Regents

57. What level of stakeholder engagement is expected (number of workshops, interviews, focus groups)?

A: That will be determined by the number of stakeholders that will be engaged and the best method to gather relevant information from them.

58. Is there a target participation volume for faculty, staff, students, alumni, community partners, and policymakers?

A: Will be determined as stakeholders are identified for engagement in the process.

59. Should engagement include both Vermillion and Sioux Falls campuses?

A: Yes

60. Are there specific stakeholder groups that must be engaged mandatorily?

A: Faculty, Staff and Students, Legislators, Board of Regents

61. Does USD expect a formal communications plan during the planning process?

A: We expect regular progress updates.

62. Will USD provide existing survey instruments and prior results, or should the consultant develop and administer new surveys?

A: As needed

63. Are there preferred or required survey platforms?

A: No

64. Who will manage survey distribution lists?

A: USD

65. Are there any institutional approvals or IRB requirements for surveys?

A: We expect to review and approve survey questions, but no IRB requirement.

66. Are there specific benchmarking domains of highest interest?

A: No

67. Should benchmarking focus on regional peers, national peers, or both?

A: Both

68. Are there preferred external datasets or sources?

A: No

69. Will the consultant have access to enrollment, financial, academic program, workforce, and facilities data?

A: As needed.

70. Will USD designate a single data liaison, and what are expected turnaround times?

A: Yes, turnaround times are to be determined.

71. Are there known data gaps or sensitive areas to be aware of?

A: No

72. Is there a preferred length or format for the final strategic plan?

A: No

73. Are there specific expectations for the executive summary?

A: No

74. Are there branding or template standards for presentation slides?

A: Yes, they will be provided by USD’s creative services team.

75. What deliverables are expected as part of the communications toolkit?

A: This piece can be developed in conjunction with the planning team

76. Is a one-page strategy summary or visual required?

A: No

77. Does USD prefer KPIs, OKRs, balanced scorecards, or another framework?

A: No preference

78. Should implementation ownership be defined by role, department, or individual?

A: Defined by role.

79. Should the roadmap include resource estimates or only sequencing and accountability?

A: If resource estimates can be determined, it would be appropriate to include them.

80. Does USD expect recommendations for ongoing governance and monitoring?

A: No

81. How many draft and review cycles are anticipated?

A: To be determined

82. What is the expected review turnaround time for drafts?

A: to be determined

83. Is completion expected well in advance of December 2026 for adoption and dissemination?

A: Final approval will be needed by the Board of Regents at their December 2026 meeting

84. How will availability to the project locale be evaluated?

A: it will be evaluated based on how available the consulting group is to USD.

85. Approximately how many on-site visits are expected?

A: To be determined

86. Are there state travel policies or reimbursement caps bidders should follow?

A: Travel reimbursements will be determined during contract negotiations.

87. Does USD require named key personnel at proposal submission, or are proposed roles acceptable?

A: Proposed roles are acceptable

88. Is there a preferred team structure for this engagement?

A: No

89. Are there minimum qualification expectations for the lead consultant?

A: Experience in higher ed strategic planning

90. Is there a preferred resume length or maximum number of resumes?

A: No

91. Should resumes include individual references, or are firm-level references sufficient?

A: Either is acceptable

92. Are subcontractor team members permitted, and should they be identified in the proposal?

A: If subcontracting is part of the proposal, it should be acknowledged.

93. Should prior experience be limited to public universities, or is broader higher education experience acceptable?

A: Broad higher education experience is acceptable

94. Are non-higher-education strategic planning engagements acceptable if methodology is similar?

A: Higher ed experience is preferred

95. Are ongoing engagements acceptable as references?

A: Yes but shouldn’t be the sole references.

96. Should travel be priced separately or included in the overall fee?

A: Either is acceptable

97. Would USD like multiple pricing options (base scope and optional add-ons)?

A: Base scope and optional add-ons would be acceptable

98. Are there any page limits for the technical proposal?

A: No

99. Are appendices allowed, and do they count toward page limits?

A: Yes, they are allowed.

100. Is PDF the preferred submission format, and are there email attachment size limits?

A: No size limit, pdf is preferred

101. If shortlisted, will oral presentations be virtual, in-person, or hybrid?

A: To be determined

102. What areas should the presentation emphasize (approach, team, sample work)?

A: That is left up to the offeror

103. Will presentation scoring criteria or time limits be provided?

A: To be determined

104. Are the insurance limits listed sufficient, or will higher limits be required?

A: Listed limits will suffice.

105. Are there additional data security or confidentiality requirements?

A: Not at this time.

106. May consultants reuse general frameworks and tools while USD retains ownership of deliverables?

A: Yes

107. Do compliance certifications apply to subcontractors as well?

A: Yes