RFP 2026-69- Clarifying Questions.pdf

PH: 503-742-5400 WWW.CLACKAMAS.US

Department of Finance

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS #2026-69

COMMUNICATION SERVICES

RESPONSE TO CLARIFYING QUESTIONS

OCTOBER 22, 2026

Note that these are questions submitted by interested firms to the above referenced solicitation. The below answers are for clarification purposes only and in no way alter or amend the RFP as published.

General

1. Will firms with demonstrated public-sector communications, digital marketing, and community outreach experience be considered even if they have limited direct experience with wastewater or capital infrastructure projects?

Answer: Possibly, however those with sanitary sewer experience will carry weight

2. Will experience supporting electric utilities and other infrastructure organizations be considered comparable to wastewater and stormwater communications experience?

Answer: Yes

3. How does the county anticipate distributing task orders between the selected firms? Will assignments be based on expertise and availability, or is there an anticipated allocation of work?

Answer: Work orders will be assigned based on needs.

4. Of the services listed in Section 3.3, which does WES expect to be requested most often? For example, is the work weighted toward public involvement and facilitation, or toward creative and marketing deliverables?

Answer: Work orders will be assigned based on needs.

5. WES maintains its own branding standards. How much flexibility will there be to develop project-specific names, identities, or key messaging for individual capital projects?

Answer: There is flexibility to develop project specific names and develop key messages that align with WES’ vision, mission and values. Limited flexibility on brand standards.

6. How does WES define success for outreach and communications work? Is there an existing framework or set of

KPIs for evaluating effectiveness?

Answer: There isn’t an exact framework. Each project should determine what success looks like.

7. Can WES share the types of projects likely to need communications support in the first 12 months, and the task order volume expected within the $200K not-to-exceed?

Answer: There will be sanitary sewer and stormwater projects. At this point, unable to share order volume and projects in development phase.

8. Are there existing communications consultants, or engineering firms providing public involvement, that the selected firm will coordinate with?

Answer: To be determined.

9. How are responsibilities divided between the contractor and County Communications for publishing content and approvals, and what turnaround should we plan for?

Answer: Contractor develops the content (ex, web content, social media posts, fact sheets) then WES will distribute through Clackamas County Channels (website, social media, etc). Turnaround time will be determined based on need.

10. Are translation and language access services (written materials, interpretation at meetings) expected within task orders, and for which languages?

Answer: Possibly, but unlikely

Subcontractors

11. Section 2.20 states that subcontractors require written preauthorization. Can proposers include qualified independent contractors or subcontractors as part of their proposed team.

Answer: Yes

12. Is naming these team members and requesting pre-authorization in our proposal sufficient, or should we submit a separate written request?

Answer: Yes, naming members, and their responsibilities within your proposal is sufficient.

13. Must the prime contractor cover the complete communications and public-engagement scope, or may a proposal be limited to digital and visual production? If a local public-engagement subcontractor is permitted, at what stage should the written pre-authorization required by section 2.20 be requested?

Answer: Whoever is proposing is considered the prime proposer to the County. The County will contract with them directly. All proposed solutions must be identified in accordance with section 4 and 5 of the published RFP.

Location

14. Does WES anticipate that most assignments can be performed remotely, or will regular in-person attendance at public meetings and project sites be required?

Answer: Tasks can be performed remotely. Occasional in-person attendance will be required.

15. Can a Georgia-registered LLC submit a proposal and perform services without registering as a foreign LLC in

Oregon? If registration is required, at what stage must it be completed?

Answer: Clackamas County does require Contractors to register their business with the Oregon Secretary of State prior to contract execution.

16. What percentage of the anticipated work is expected to require in-person attendance? Can planning, research, content development and project management be performed remotely?

Answer: Planning, research, content development and project management be performed remotely. Occasional in-person attendance will be required for public meetings.

17. May a company incorporated in France or Japan participate as prime contractor without an existing Oregon establishment? Which registration, tax and insurance requirements must be met at proposal submission, rather than before contract award?

Answer: Clackamas County does require Contractors to register their business with the Oregon Secretary of State prior to contract execution.

18. Is having an established Oregon-based office or local staff a requirement or evaluation preference, or can out-of-state firms compete equally if they demonstrate the ability to provide on-site support when necessary?

Answer: Yes

Submissions

19. Sections 1 and 5.1.1 provide different submission instructions. Please confirm whether proposals must be submitted exclusively through Bid Locker or whether email submission is also permitted. Please also confirm whether multiple files are accepted, the permitted file formats, and whether electronic signatures are acceptable on the Proposal Certification.

Answer: Proposals must be submitted through BidLocker. BidLocker does accept multiple files and formats.

Electronic signatures are acceptable.

20. Section 5.1.3 states that the 20-page limit includes exhibits, attachments, title pages, and other information, with only the Proposal Certification excluded. Please confirm whether the hourly rate schedule, résumés, references, and any trade-secret identification sheet count toward the 20-page limit.

Answer: Twenty (20) pages is inclusive of all

21. Section 4.2 includes fees within the 10-point Fees, Capacity, Availability, and Responsiveness criterion, while

Section 5.3(5) does not expressly reference fees. Please clarify how fees will be evaluated within this criterion and whether the hourly rate schedule should be included in the proposal document or submitted separately.

Answer: Rate schedule should be included in the proposal document.

22. In Section 5 of the RFP, the instructions clearly state to "provide the following information in the order in which it appears below." Can you please clarify whether we are meant to respond in order to the bullet points in Section

5.2, the bullet points in Section 5.3, or all of the bullet points in both 5.2 and 5.3?

Answer: Your answers to 5.2. should be informed by the scoring system listed in 5.3.

23. Should section 5.3 be presented as a subsequent section to section 5.2 or is 5.3 intended as the scoring rubric for the information in section 5.2?

Answer: 5.3 is intended as the scoring rubric for 5.2.

24. Are interviews required for the top four firms under Section 4.1 or optional under Section 5.3?

Answer: We will interview the top scoring firms.

25. Do we have to develop a separate response in our proposal to 5.2 Proposer’s General Background and

Qualifications, or can we address the items described in 5.2 through our response to 5.3 Scope of Work, which includes 5.3.1 Firm Experience and Qualifications

Answer: 5.3 is intended as the scoring rubric for 5.2.

Contracting

26. The checklist in Section 3.3.4 does not indicate that Article I, Paragraph 5, Travel and Other Expense, is authorized. Please clarify whether project-specific expenses such as printing, postage, translation, accessibility services, venue costs, and travel may be reimbursed when approved in advance, or whether all such costs must be included in fully burdened hourly rates. Do authorized expenses count toward the contract's $200,000 not-to-exceed amount?

Answer: Authorized expenses do count towards $200,000

Miscellaneous

27. Section 5.5 requests references from clients the firm has served that are similar to the County. May private-sector clients be used when the services performed are comparable? How is a long-term client defined? May proposers also include references demonstrating the experience of key personnel gained through prior employment, clearly distinguished from the proposing firm's contracts?

Answer: Section 5.5 seeks reference experience similar to the county. Private experience is acceptable.

28. Which capital projects are expected to generate the first task orders under this contract?

Answer: To be determined

29. What minimum in-person availability must proposed staff provide during the contract?

Answer: Tasks can be performed remotely. Occasional in-person attendance will be required.

30. Will hourly rates be scored under Section 4.2's 10-point category, although fees are omitted from the corresponding criteria in Section 5.3?

Answer: Yes, hourly rates will be part of the scoring. Proposers shall submit hourly rates for various subject matters and expertise.

31. Can the County provide estimated annual spending under prior communications on-call contracts?

Answer: No

End of Clarifying Questions #1