Chatham County Purchasing &

Contracting Department 1117 Eisenhower Drive, Suite C, Savannah, Georgia 31406

(912) 790-1618

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

RFP NO. 26-0120-6

ANNUAL CONTRACT FOR PRE-EMPLOYMENT

PSYCHOLOGICAL EVALUATIONS FOR THE CHATHAM

COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT AND CHATHAM COUNTY

E911

PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE: N/A

PROPOSALS RECEIVED BY: 5:00 P.M., October 29, 2026

CHATHAM COUNTY, GEORGIA

OFFICE OF THE PURCHASING DIRECTOR

1117 EISENHOWER DRIVE, SUITE C

SAVANNAH, GEORGIA 31406

(912) 790-1618

DATE: September 28, 2026 RFP NO. 26-0120-6

GENERAL INFORMATION FOR REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

This is an invitation to submit a proposal to supply Chatham County with services as indicated herein. Proposals shall be submitted on-line on the County’s procurement portal https://chathamcountyga.bonfirehub.com/portal up to 5:00 P.M., October 29, 2026. The

Purchasing Director reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and to waive formalities.

Instructions for preparation and submission of a qualification proposal are contained in the Request for Proposal package. Please note that specific forms for submission of a proposal are required.

Any changes to the conditions and specifications must be in the form of a written addendum to be valid; therefore, the Purchasing Director will issue a written addendum to document approved changes. For good and sufficient reason, up to 24 hours before the advertised deadline, the County may extend the response schedule. An addendum will be issued setting forth the new date and time.

Chatham County has an equal opportunity procurement policy. Chatham County seeks to ensure that all segments of the business community have access to providing services needed by County programs. The County affirmatively works to encourage utilization of disadvantaged and minority business enterprises in our procurement activities. The County provides equal opportunity for all businesses and does not discriminate against any persons or businesses regardless of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, or handicap. The County expects its contractors to make maximum feasible use of minority businesses and qualified minority employees. The terms

"disadvantaged business", "minority business enterprise", and "minority person" are more specifically defined and explained in the Chatham County Purchasing Ordinance.

SECTION I

INSTRUCTIONS TO PROPOSERS

1.1 PURPOSE:

The purpose of this document is to provide general and specific information for use in https://chathamcountyga.bonfirehub.com/portal submitting a qualification proposal to supply Chatham County with services as described herein. All proposals are governed by the Code of Chatham County, Chapter 4, Article

IV, and the laws of the State of Georgia.

1.2 HOW TO PREPARE PROPOSALS: All proposals shall be:

A. Proposers are encouraged to review carefully all provisions and attachments of this document prior to submission. Each proposal constitutes an offer and may not be withdrawn except as provided herein.

1.3 HOW TO SUBMIT PROPOSALS: All proposals shall be:

A. Submitted on-line on the County’s procurement portal at:

** In submitting their proposal, the proposer certifies that he/she has carefully read all related Request for

Proposal documents and agrees to comply with all provisions.

B. If a proposer is unable to submit their proposal on-line, they should notify the procurement contact for the solicitation at least one week prior to proposals being due to receive instructions. The County is seeking to conduct all solicitations on-line. The phone number for Purchasing and Contracting is 912-790-1618.

1.4 HOW TO SUBMIT AN OBJECTION:

Objections from Offerors to this Request for Proposals and/or these specifications should be brought to the attention of the County Purchasing Director in the following manner:

A. When a pre-proposal conference is scheduled, the Proposer may object in writing any time prior to or at the pre-proposal conference.

B. When a pre-proposal conference is not scheduled, the Proposer shall object in writing not less than five (5) days prior to the Date for submission.

C. The objections contemplated must pertain to both form and substance of the

Request for Proposal documents. Failure to object in accordance with the above procedure will constitute a waiver on the part of the business to protest this Request for Proposal.

1.5 ERRORS IN PROPOSALS:

Proposers or their authorized representatives are expected to fully inform themselves as to the conditions, requirements, and specifications before submitting proposals. Failure to do so will be at the Proposer's own risk.

1.6 STANDARDS FOR ACCEPTANCE OF PROPOSERS FOR CONTRACT AWARD:

The County reserves the right to reject any or all Proposals and to waive any irregularities or technicalities in Proposals received whenever such rejection or waiver is in the best interest of the County. The County reserves the right to reject the Offer of a Proposer who has previously failed to perform properly or complete on time contracts of a similar nature, whom investigation shows is not in a position to perform the contract.

1.7 PROPOSER:

Whenever the term "Proposer" is used, it shall encompass the "person", "business", "firm", or other party submitting a proposal to Chatham County in such capacity before a contract has been entered into between such party and the County.

1.8 COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS:

The Proposer shall obtain and maintain all licenses, permits, liability insurance, workman's compensation insurance and comply with any and all other standards or regulations required by Federal, State or County statute, ordinances and rules during the performance of any contract between the Proposer and the County. Any such requirement specifically set forth in any contract document between the Proposer and the County shall be supplementary to this section and not in substitution thereof.

1.9 CONTRACTOR:

Contractor or subcontractor means any person, firm, or business having a contract with

Chatham County. The Contractor of goods, material, equipment or services certifies that the firm will follow equal employment opportunity practices in connection with the awarded contract as more fully specified in the contract documents.

1.10 LOCAL PREFERENCE:

The Contractor agrees to follow the local preference guidelines as specified in the contract documents, which state “The CONTRACTOR hereby agrees, as part of the consideration to Chatham County for making this Contract, that the CONTRACTOR in the carrying out of this contract will give the citizens of

Chatham County preference for employment to perform all labor required by this contract.

that the rate of wages to be paid shall not be less than legally required; and that in the purchase of materials to be used in the Work of the Project, preference shall be given to sources from within Chatham County to the maximum extent possible. The

CONTRACTOR will cause the forgoing provisions to be inserted in all subcontracts so that provisions will be binding upon each subcontractor.”.

1.11 DEBARRED FIRMS AND PENDING LITIGATION:

Any potential proposer/firm listed on the Federal or State of Georgia Excluded Parties

Listing (Barred from doing business) will not be considered for contract award. It is the proposer’s responsibility to inform the County should the proposer/firm be placed on the

Federal or State of Georgia Excluded Parties Listing during the proposal process. Proposers shall disclose any record of pending criminal violations (Indictment) and/or convictions, pending lawsuits, etc., and any actions that may be a conflict of interest occurring within the past five (5) years. Any proposer/firm previously defaulting or terminating a contract with the County will not be considered. Successful proposers with whom the County enters into a contract with for goods or services will notify the County if they become debarred during the course of the contract.

** All bidders or proposers are to read and complete the Disclosure of Responsibility

Statement. Failure to do so may result in your solicitation response being rejected as non-responsive.

Bidder acknowledges that in performing contract work for the Board, bidder shall not utilize any firms that have been a party to any of the above actions. If bidder has engaged any firm to work on this contract or project that is later debarred, Bidder shall sever its relationship with that firm with respect to Board contract.

1.12 PERFORMANCE EVALUATION:

On April 11, 2008, the Chatham County Board of Commissioners approved a change to the County Purchasing Ordinance requiring Contractor/Consultant Performance

Evaluations, at a minimum, annually, prior to contract anniversary date.

Should Contractor/Consultant performance be unsatisfactory, the appointed County

Project Manager for the contract may prepare a Contractor/Consultant Complaint Form or a Performance Evaluation to the County Purchasing Director.

SECTION II

PROPOSAL CONDITIONS

2.1 SPECIFICATIONS:

Any obvious error or omission in specifications shall not inure to the benefit of the bidder but shall put the Proposer on notice to inquire of or identify the same to the County.

2.2 MULTIPLE PROPOSALS:

No Proposer will be allowed to submit more than one offer. Any alternate proposals must be brought to the Purchasing Director's attention during the Pre-proposal Conference or submitted in writing at least five (5) days preceding the date for submission of proposals.

2.3 OFFERS TO BE FIRM:

The Proposer warrants that terms and conditions quoted in his offer will be firm for acceptance for a period of sixty (60) days from bid date submitted, unless otherwise stated in the proposal. When requested to provide a fee proposal, fees quoted must also be firm for a sixty-day period.

2.4 COMPLETENESS:

All information required by the Request for Proposals must be completed and submitted to constitute a proper proposal.

2.5 LIABILITY PROVISIONS:

Where Proposers are required to enter or go into Chatham County property to take measurements or gather other information in order to prepare the proposal as requested by the County, the Proposer shall be liable for any injury, damage or loss occasioned by negligence of the Proposer, his agent, or any person the Proposer has designated to prepare the Offer and shall indemnify and hold harmless Chatham County from any liability arising therefrom. The contract document specifies the liability provisions required of the successful Proposer in order to be awarded a contract with Chatham County.

2.6 CERTIFICATION OF INDEPENDENT PRICE DETERMINATION:

By submission of this Offer, the Proposer certifies, and in the case of a joint offer, each party thereto certifies as to its own organization, that in connection with this procurement:

(1) The prices in this offer have been arrived at independently, without consultation, communication, or agreement, for the purpose of restricting competition, as to any matter relating to such prices with any other competitor;

(2) Unless otherwise required by law, the prices which have been quoted in this offer have not been knowingly disclosed by the Proposer and will not knowingly be disclosed by the Proposer prior to opening, directly or indirectly to any other competitor; and

(3) No attempt has been made or will be made by the Proposer to induce any other person or firm to submit or not submit an offer for the purpose of restricting competition.

2.7 AWARD OF CONTRACT:

The contract, if awarded, will be awarded to that responsible Proposer whose proposal will be most advantageous to Chatham County, price and other factors considered. The Board of Commissioners will make the determination as to which proposal best serves the interest of Chatham County.

2.8 PROCUREMENT PROTESTS:

Objections and protests to any portion of the procurement process or actions of the County staff may be filed with the Purchasing Director for review and resolution. The Chatham

County Purchasing Ordinance – Part 9 – Vendor Disputes shall govern the review and resolution of all protests.

2.9 QUALIFICATION OF BUSINESS (RESPONSIBLE PROPOSER):

A responsible Proposer is defined as one who meets, or by the date of the acceptance can meet, all requirements for licensing, insurance, and service contained within this Request for Proposals. Chatham County has the right to require any or all Proposers to submit documentation of the ability to perform the service requested.

Chatham County has the right to disqualify the proposal of any Proposer as being unresponsive or unresponsible whenever such Proposer cannot document the ability to deliver the requested service.

2.10 COUNTY TAX CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENT:

A current Chatham County or municipal business license (within the State of Georgia) is required unless otherwise specified. A firm need not have a Chatham County Business License prior to submitting a proposal. However, a license must be obtained by the successful vendor prior to award of contract.

Please contact the Chatham County Department of Building Safety and Regulatory Services at (912) 201-4300 for additional information.

NOTE: No contract shall be awarded unless all real and personal property taxes have been paid by the successful contractor and/or subcontractor as adopted by the Board of

Commissioners on 8 April 1994.

2.11 INSURANCE PROVISIONS, GENERAL:

The selected CONTRACTOR shall be required to procure and maintain for the duration of the contract insurance against claims for injuries to persons or damages to property, which may arise from or in connection with the performance of the work, hereunder by the

Contractor, his agents, representatives, employees or subcontractor. The cost of such insurance shall be included in the Bid.

It is every Contractor’s responsibility to provide the County Purchasing and Contracting

Department current and up-to-date Certificates of Insurance and Declaration Sheets for multiple year contracts before the end of each term. Failure to do so may be cause for termination of contract.

2.11.1 General Information that shall appear on a Certificate of Insurance:

I. Name of the Producer (Contractor’s insurance Broker/Agent).

II. Companies affording coverage (there may be several).

III. Name and Address of the Insured (this should be the Company or Parent of the firm Chatham County is contracting with).

IV. Summary of all current insurance for the insured (includes effective dates of coverage).

V. A brief description of the operations to be performed, the specific job to be performed, or contract number.

VI. Certificate Holder (This is to always include Chatham County).

Chatham County as an “Additional Insured”: Chatham County invokes the defense of “sovereign immunity.” In order not to jeopardize the use of this defense, the County is not to be included as an “Additional Insured” on insurance contracts.

2.11.2 Minimum Limits of Insurance to be maintained for the duration of the contract:

A. Commercial General Liability: Provides protection against bodily injury and property damage claims arising from operations of a Contractor or

Tenant. This policy coverage includes: premises and operations, use of independent contractor, products/completed operations, personal injury, contractual, broad form property damage, and underground, explosion and collapse hazards. Minimum limits: $1,000,000 bodily injury and property damage per occurrence and annual aggregate.

B. Worker's Compensation and Employer’s Liability: Provides statutory protection against bodily injury, sickness or disease sustained by employees of the Contractor while performing within the scope of their duties.

Employer’s Liability coverage is usually included in Worker’s

Compensation policies, and insures common law claims of injured employees made in lieu of or in addition to a Worker’s Compensation claim.

Minimum limits: $500,000 for each accident, disease policy limit, each employee and Statutory Worker’s Compensation limit.

C. Business Automobile Liability: Coverage insures against liability claims arising out of the Contractor’s use of automobiles. Minimum limit:

$1,000,000 combined single limit per accident for bodily injury and property damage. Coverage should be written on an “Any Auto” basis.

2.11.3 Special Requirements:

Claims-Made Coverage: The limits of liability shall remain the same as the occurrence basis, however, the Retroactive date shall be prior to the coincident with the date of any contract, and the Certificate of Insurance shall state the coverage is claims-made. The Retroactive date shall also be specifically stated on the

Certificate of Insurance.

A. Extended Reporting Periods: The Contractor shall provide the County with a notice of the election to initiate any Supplemental Extended

Reporting Period and the reason(s) for invoking this option.

B. Reporting Provisions: Any failure to comply with reporting provisions of the policies shall not affect coverage provided in relation to this request.

C. Cancellation: Each insurance policy that applies to this request shall be endorsed to state that it shall not be suspended, voided, or canceled, except after thirty (30) days prior to written notice by certified mail, return receipt requested, has been given to the County.

D. Proof of Insurance: Chatham County shall be furnished with certificates of insurance and with original endorsements affecting coverage required by this request. The certificates and endorsements are to be signed by a person authorized by the insurer to bind coverage on its behalf. All certificates of insurance are to be submitted prior to, and approved by, the County before services are rendered. The Contractor must ensure Certificate of Insurance are updated for the entire term of the County.

E. Insurer Acceptability: Insurance is to be placed with an insurer having an

A.M. Best’s rating of A and a five (5) year average financial rating of not less than V. If an insurer does not qualify for averaging on a five (5) year basis, the current total Best’s rating will be used to evaluate insurer acceptability.

F. Lapse in Coverage: A lapse in coverage shall constitute grounds for contract termination by the Chatham County Board of Commissioners.

G. Deductibles and Self-Insured Retention: Any deductibles or self-insured retention must be declared to, and approved by, the County. At the option of the County, either: the insurer shall reduce or eliminate such deductibles or self-insured retention as related to the County, its officials, officers, employees, and volunteers; or the Contractor shall procure a bond guaranteeing payment of related suits, losses, claims, and related investigation, claim administration and defense expenses.

2.12 INDEMNIFICATION:

The PROPOSER agrees to protect, defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Chatham County, Georgia, its commissioners, officers, agents, and employees from and against any and all liability, damages, claims, suits, liens, and judgments, of whatever nature, including claims for contribution and/or indemnification, for injuries to or death of any person or persons, or damage to the property or other rights of any person or persons caused by the

PROPOSER or its subproposers. The PROPOSER’s obligation to protect, defend, indemnify, and hold harmless, as set forth herein above shall include, but not be limited to, any matter arising out of any actual or alleged infringement of any patent, trademark, copyright, or service mark, or any actual or alleged unfair competition, disparagement of product or service, or other business tort of any type whatsoever, or any actual or alleged violation of trade regulations. PROPOSER further agrees to investigate, handle, respond to, provide defense for, and to protect, defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Chatham

County, Georgia, at his sole expense, and agrees to bear all other costs and expenses related thereto, even if such claims, suits, etc., are groundless, false, or fraudulent, including any and all claims or liability for compensation under the Worker's Compensation Act arising out of injuries sustained by any employee of the PROPOSER or his subcontractor or anyone directly or indirectly employed by any of them.

The PROPOSER’s obligation to indemnify Chatham County under this Section shall not be limited in any way by the agreed-upon contract price, or to the scope and amount of coverage provided by any insurance maintained by the PROPOSER.

2.13 COMPLIANCE WITH SPECIFICATION - TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

The Request for Proposals, Legal Advertisement, General Conditions and Instructions to

Proposers, Specifications, Special Conditions, Proposers Offer, Addendum, and/or any other pertinent documents form a part of the Offeror's proposal and by reference are made a part hereof.

2.14 SIGNED RESPONSE CONSIDERED AN OFFER:

The submitted Response shall be considered an offer on the part of the Proposer, which offer shall be deemed accepted upon approval by the Chatham County Board of

Commissioners, Purchasing Director or his designee. In case of a default on the part of the Proponent after such acceptance, Chatham County may take such action, as it deems appropriate, including legal action for damages or lack of required performance.

2.15 NOTICE TO PROCEED:

The successful proposer shall not commence work under this Request for Proposal until a written contract is awarded and the Purchasing Director or his designee issues a Notice to

Proceed. If the successful Proposer does commence any work or deliver items prior to receiving official notification, he does so at his own risk.

2.16 PAYMENT TO CONTRACTOR:

Instructions for invoicing the County for service delivered to the County are specified in the contract document.

A. Questions regarding payment may be directed to the Finance Department at (912)

652-7905 or the County’s Project Manager as specified in the contract documents.

B. Contractor will be paid the agreed upon compensation upon satisfactory progress or completion of the work as more fully described in the contract document.

C. Upon completion of the work, the Contractor will provide the County with an affidavit certifying all suppliers, persons or businesses employed by the Contractor for the work performed for the County have been paid in full.

D. Chatham County is a tax-exempt entity. Every contractor, vendor, business or person under contract with Chatham County is required by Georgia law to pay State sales or use taxes for products purchased in Georgia or transported into Georgia and sold to Chatham County by contract. Please consult the State of Georgia, Department of Revenue, Sales and Use Tax Unit in Atlanta (404) 656-4065 for additional information.

2.17 LICENSES, PERMITS, AND TAXES:

The price or prices for the service shall include full compensation for all fees that the proponent is or may be required to pay. Chatham County is Tax Exempt. The Purchasing

& Contracting Office upon request (912) 790-1618 will provide a Tax Exemption

Certificate.

2.18 MINORITY – WOMEN BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PARTICIPATION:

It is the desire of the County Board of Commissioners to increase the participation of minority (MBE) and women-owned (WBE) business in its contracting and procurement programs. The County is committed to a policy of equitable participation for these firms by setting goals for each contract. Bidder/proposers are requested to include in their proposals a narrative describing their past accomplishments and intended actions in this area. If bidder/proposers are considering minority or women owned enterprise participation in their proposal, those firms, and their specific duties must be identified in their proposal along with the percentage(s) and dollar amount awarded to the MBE/WBE firm. Proposers may also provide demographic information regarding their employees to show their commitment to equal opportunity. If a bidder/proposer is considered for award, he/she will be asked to meet with the County Staff so that the intended MBE/WBE participation goals can be formalized and included in the subsequent contract.

If the awarded contractor is claiming minority status, the contractor shall apply for certification by Chatham County, Georgia to the Office of Minority Business Coordinator.

The Minority Business Coordinator will provide documentation of application status once approved or disapproved by Chatham County. Certification by any other government entity is acceptable if current copy of the certification is provided with this solicitation. For information on the program or MBE/WBE contractors/vendors please contact the County’s

Minority and Women Business Office 1117 Eisenhower Drive, Suite 101, Savannah, Georgia 31406, (912) 652-7860.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

SECTION III

GENERAL CONDITIONS

3.1 DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES:

Chatham County is requesting proposals from qualified companies to perform

Psychological Testing for Law Enforcement Candidates and Officers, and 911

Communications Officers. The County presents this Request for Proposals to describe its needs and those criteria which will be used to determine selection for services.

3.2 METHODOLOGY:

The procurement described herein may be conducted in a two-step process.

STEP ONE- ACCEPTANCE AND EVALUATION OF QUALIFICATION

PROPOSALS:

All technical requirements, unless otherwise specified, must be met by the proponent or such proposal may be disqualified as being non-responsive. Proposals that are deemed incomplete as to substance and content may be returned without consideration. A shortlist of qualified firms will be developed and ranked.

STEP TWO-INTERVIEWS:

The evaluation committee may request an interview with short-listed firms. If interviews are conducted, they will be scored. It will be at the discretion of the evaluation committee on the number of firms that will interview/present.

3.3 CONFIDENTIALITY OF DOCUMENTS:

Upon receipt of a proposal by the County, the proposal shall become the property of the

County without compensation to the proponent, for disposition or usage by the County at its discretion (except for as provided by Georgia law for proprietary information). The details of the proposal documents will remain confidential until final award or rejection of proposals and/or protected under the restraints of law. Only final points and ranking of proposals will be openly disclosed prior to approval by the Board of Commissioners.

Proponent shall have no contact with any Department Representative or Evaluation

Committee Member during and after the evaluation process. Any information contained in the proposal that is considered by the Proponent as “proprietary” to remain confidential shall be clearly identified and justified.

3.4 CONE OF SILENCE:

Lobbying of Procurement Evaluation Committee members, County Government employees, and elected officials regarding this product or service solicitation, Invitation to

Bid (ITB) or Request for Proposal (RFP) or contract by any member of a proposer’s staff, or those people employed by any legal entity affiliated with an organization that is responding to the solicitation is strictly prohibited. Negative campaigning through the mass media about the current service delivery is strictly prohibited. Such actions may cause your proposal to be rejected.

3.5 COMPENSATION:

The County has attempted in SECTION V to provide as much information about the project as possible to enable firms to structure their offer.

3.6 REJECTING PROPOSALS:

The County reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and is not bound to accept any proposal if that proposal is contrary to the best interest of Chatham County. Similarly, the

County is not bound to accept the lowest dollar proposal if the offer is not considered in the County's best interest.

3.7 COST TO PREPARE RESPONSES:

The County assumes no responsibility or obligation to the respondents and will make no payment for any costs associated with the preparation or submission of the proposal.

3.8 INQUIRIES:

Direct any questions related to this RFP to Mr. Joshua Brodlieb, Procurement Specialist, and submit all questions through the County’s procurement portal https://chathamcountyga.bonfirehub.com/portal Messages - Vendor Discussion section.

Include the RFP number, page, and paragraph number as a reference to each question.

DEADLINE FOR ALL QUESTIONS is noted on the procurement portal under Project

Details.

THE ONLY OFFICIAL ANSWER OR POSITION OF CHATHAM COUNTY WILL BE

THE ONE STATED IN WRITING.

3.9 METHOD OF SOURCE SELECTION:

Chatham County is using the Competitive Sealed Proposal method of source selection, as authorized by Part 3 of the Chatham County Purchasing Ordinance for this procurement.

An award, if made, will be made to the responsible offeror whose proposal is most advantageous to Chatham County, taking into consideration price and other factors set forth in this Request for Proposal (RFP). The County will not use any other factors or criteria in the evaluation of the proposals received.

3.10 EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY:

During the performance of this contract, the COMPANY agrees as follows:

The COMPANY will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, creed, color, sex, age, national origin, place of birth, physical handicap, or marital status.

SECTION IV

SPECIAL CONDITIONS

4.1 PENDING LITIGATION:

Proposals will not be accepted from any company, firm, person, or party, including any parent or subsidiary entity, against which Chatham County has an outstanding claim or unresolved financial dispute relating to prior contract performance. If the County discovers such a claim or dispute at any point during the evaluation process, the County may reject the proposal or discontinue further consideration of the proposer.

4.2 EVALUATION FACTORS:

Factors such as proponents’ overall capability; specialized experience performing pre-employment psychological evaluations for law-enforcement, public-safety, governmental, or comparable positions; reputation; past performance on similar contracts; qualifications, licensure, and technical competence of the proposed psychologist(s); financial stability; ability to meet the County’s service, scheduling, Chatham County location, report turnaround, confidentiality, and contract requirements;

proposed evaluation methodology; and fee schedule will be considered in the award recommendation.

Commitment to M/WBE participation, including the proposer’s M/WBE participation plan and compliance with the County’s M/WBE Program requirements, will also be considered in the evaluation of proposals.

4.3 SELECTION PROCESS:

Proposals will be evaluated initially on the basis of the written document. Thus, the proposal must be complete, concise and clear as to the intent of the respondent. Further evaluation may include an oral presentation, which will be scheduled after receipt of the written proposal and approval of the shortlist.

4.4 CONTRACT: The term of the contract will be for one (1) year with renewal options for four (4) additional (1) year terms. The successful respondent will be expected to execute a contract within 30 days of notice of award.

4.5 PROPOSALS MUST BE RESPONSIVE TO:

4.5.1 INTRODUCTION/COVER LETTER: You should provide no more than a two

(2) page letter of introduction. The letter should highlight or summarize whatever information you deem appropriate as a cover letter, as a minimum, this section should include the name, address, email address, and telephone number of one (1) contact to whom any correspondence should be directed. This section should include a clear statement of the Proposer’s understanding of this Request for

Proposal and the contract requirements, and how the Proposer intends to meet the requirements of this Request for Proposal. This section should also demonstrate the proposer’s understanding of the County’s goals as outlined in Section V- Scope of

Services.

4.5.2 EXPERIENCE – TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS: 20

Provide the following:

A. A summary of the proposer’s organization, including legal business name, form of organization, principal office location, number of years in business, ownership structure, and number of personnel available to perform the services.

B. A description of the proposer’s experience during the past five (5) years performing pre-employment psychological evaluations for sworn law-enforcement, emergency communications, public-safety, corrections, or comparable governmental positions.

C. The number of pre-employment public-safety psychological evaluations completed during each of the past three (3) years.

D. A description of the proposer’s experience with agencies of comparable size, recruitment volume, geographic circumstances, or operational needs.

E. A description of any disciplinary action, license restriction, suspension, revocation, malpractice claim, professional complaint, or pending investigation involving the proposer, or any psychologist proposed to perform services under this contract during the past five (5) years. The proposer shall provide sufficient detail to allow the County to assess the matter’s relevance.

F. A description of the proposer’s financial and operational capacity to perform an annual County contract, including any circumstance that could impair performance, such as bankruptcy, pending closure, merger, significant staffing loss, or material litigation.

4.5.3 PROPOSED PSYCHOLOGIST QUALIFICATIONS AND LICENSING –

TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS: 25

For each psychologist who will perform, supervise, sign, or otherwise exercise professional responsibility for evaluations under this contract, provide:

A. Name, title, curriculum vitae or résumé, and professional contact information.

B. Copy of the current Georgia psychology license, or documentation of other lawful authority to practice with a candidate located in Georgia, including applicable PSYPACT authority if telepsychology may be used.

C. Documentation of specialized education, training, experience, and competence in law-enforcement or public-safety psychological evaluations.

D. A description of the psychologist’s experience interpreting psychological assessment instruments used for employment-related public-safety evaluations.

E. The psychologist’s anticipated role under this contract, estimated availability, and percentage of services the psychologist is expected to perform.

F. Identification and qualifications of any proposed subcontractor or subconsultant. The proposer shall identify the services each proposed subcontractor or subconsultant will perform.

G. A description of the proposer’s continuity plan if a proposed psychologist becomes unavailable, loses licensure or authorization, has a conflict of interest, or otherwise cannot complete an assigned evaluation.

4.5.4 TECHNICAL APPROACH AND EVALUATION METHODOLOGY –

TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS: 20

Describe the proposed approach to performing the services in Section V. At a minimum, address:

A. The process for reviewing position information, essential job functions, candidate background information, and other materials provided by CCPD or

E911, as applicable.

B. The general assessment methodology, including the categories of professionally appropriate instruments the proposer expects to use. Do not provide protected test content, proprietary test items, answer keys, or secure scoring protocols.

C. The process for conducting clinical interviews, addressing inconsistent information, determining whether additional assessment is needed, and reaching a professional suitability opinion.

D. The process for ensuring that each evaluation is job-related, individually based, professionally supportable, and consistent with applicable law and professional standards.

E. The proposed report format, including the suitability conclusions used and the process for limiting report content to information reasonably necessary for

CCPD’s or E911’s employment decision, as applicable.

F. The process for responding to a need for additional testing, follow-up evaluation, consultation, or clarification.

G. The process for identifying, disclosing, and managing actual or apparent conflicts of interest.

H. The process for supporting the County in an administrative challenge, grievance, appeal, discrimination charge, or legal proceeding related to an evaluation.

I. The approach for tailoring the evaluation methodology to the distinct essential functions, job demands, and work environments of sworn law-enforcement and emergency communications positions.

4.5.5 MBE/WBE PARTICIPATION - TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS: 15:

Commitment in the level of local MBE/WBE business/firms, subcontractors, contractors, and employees. Approach to meeting and exceeding the MBE/WBE requirements. History of Minority-owned, Women-owned business utilization in the past.

4.5.6 COST PROPOSAL – TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS: 15:

Proposers shall submit a completed Cost Proposal Form with unit pricing for all services and potential charges associated with this contract.

At a minimum, proposers shall provide pricing for:

• Standard complete pre-employment psychological evaluation.

• Additional testing or follow-up evaluation, if required.

• Expedited evaluation and report delivery within forty-eight (48) hours, if offered.

• Consultation or report clarification.

• Deposition preparation, hearing preparation, testimony, and other legal-support services.

• Mobile service, travel, or alternate-location services, if applicable.

• Cancellation or no-show charges, if applicable.

• Any other proposed fee, charge, surcharge, or reimbursement.

All pricing shall include ordinary labor, overhead, testing materials, report preparation, secure records handling, and routine travel within Chatham County unless specifically identified otherwise in the Cost Proposal Form.

The County reserves the right to request cost and scope clarification at any time throughout the evaluation and negotiation process.

4.5.7 REFERENCES: TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS: 5:

Provide a minimum of three (3) references for comparable services performed within the past five (5) years for law-enforcement, emergency communications, public-safety, governmental, or similarly situated clients. References should be able to attest to the proposer’s qualifications, quality of work, timeliness, professionalism, confidentiality practices, responsiveness, and working relationship.

For each reference, provide the client organization name, address, name and title of a knowledgeable contact person, telephone number, email address, dates of service, approximate number of evaluations performed annually, and a brief description of services provided.

4.5.8 SAMPLE DOCUMENTS:

To establish a complete and competitive proposal, proposers shall submit the following documents:

• A redacted sample informed-consent form.

• A redacted sample psychological suitability report.

• A sample description of the proposed scheduling, referral, and report-delivery process.

Proposers shall not provide protected testing materials, proprietary test items, answer keys, secure scoring protocols, or candidate-specific confidential information. These documents may be uploaded with the proposal response through the County’s procurement portal.

4.5.9 REQUIRED SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS:

The following documents shall be submitted with the proposal:

• Current professional license documentation for each proposed psychologist.

• Documentation of other lawful authority to practice with a candidate located in Georgia, if applicable, including PSYPACT authority for any proposed telepsychology services.

• Resumes or curriculum vitae for each psychologist who will perform, supervise, or sign evaluations.

• Completed Cost Proposal Form.

• Completed County M/WBE forms and required supporting documentation.

• All other County-required affidavits, certifications, disclosures, insurance documents, and solicitation forms.

Failure to submit required documentation may result in the proposal being deemed non-responsive.

4.5.10 INTERVIEWS/PRESENTATIONS (IF REQUIRED) – TOTAL POSSIBLE

POINTS: 30

4.6 ASSIGNMENT:

The PROPOSER shall not assign or transfer any interest of the contract without prior written consent of the County.

4.7 CONTRACT AWARD:

A. Successful Proponent will be asked to submit his/her firms’ contractual issues for consideration in the Chatham County contract. Proposals will become part of the contract.

B. No work shall be performed under the contract until a contract has been fully executed by both parties. A notice to proceed will be issued by Chatham County.

SECTION V

SCOPE OF SERVICES

ANNUAL CONTRACT FOR PRE-EMPLOYMENT PSYCHOLOGICAL

EVALUATIONS FOR THE CHATHAM COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT AND

CHATHAM COUNTY E911

5.1 PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND:

Chatham County, Georgia, acting through the Chatham County Police Department

(“CCPD”) and Chatham County E911 (“E911”), is soliciting proposals from qualified providers to furnish pre-employment psychological evaluation services for applicants being considered for sworn law-enforcement positions and emergency communications positions.

The purpose of these services is to assist CCPD and E911 in determining whether a conditional candidate is psychologically suitable to perform the essential functions of the applicable position. The evaluation is one component of the County’s overall hiring process and shall not be the sole basis for an employment decision.

The County anticipates evaluating approximately thirty (30) candidates annually. This estimate is provided for planning and pricing purposes only and does not represent a minimum purchase commitment or guarantee of volume. The County reserves the right to increase or decrease the number of evaluations based on operational needs, available funding, hiring activity, and the terms of the resulting contract.

5.2 Scope of Required Services:

The Contractor shall provide complete, job-related, legally defensible pre-employment psychological evaluations for candidates conditionally selected for sworn law-enforcement employment by CCPD or emergency communications employment by E911.

Services shall include, at a minimum:

• Review of County-provided position information, including essential job functions, relevant job demands, and agency-specific requirements for the particular CCPD or E911 position under consideration.

• Review of relevant candidate information supplied by CCPD or E911, as applicable, which may include application materials, background-investigation information, prior employment information, disciplinary information, and other documents reasonably necessary to perform a job-related evaluation.

• Administration, scoring, and interpretation of professionally appropriate psychological assessment instruments.

• A clinical interview conducted by a qualified psychologist.

• Integration of all relevant evaluation data into a professional opinion concerning the candidate’s psychological suitability for the position.

• Delivery of a written report to the County’s authorized representative.

• Consultation with CCPD’s or E911’s designated representative, as applicable, when clarification of the report or evaluation process is reasonably requested.

• Additional testing, follow-up evaluation, or consultation when clinically indicated or specifically requested by the County, subject to the pricing established in the resulting contract.

The Contractor shall furnish all personnel, professional services, testing instruments, technology, materials, equipment, secure systems, travel, and other resources necessary to perform the services, unless otherwise specifically stated in the resulting contract.

5.3 POST-CONDITIONAL-OFFER REQUIREMENT:

The County will refer candidates for psychological evaluation only after extending a conditional offer of employment or otherwise reaching the stage in its hiring process at which such an evaluation is legally permissible.

The Contractor shall not perform an evaluation under this contract unless directed or authorized by CCPD’s or E911’s designated representative, as applicable. The Contractor shall promptly notify the County if information received indicates that the evaluation may not be appropriately conducted at the referred stage of the selection process.

5.4 PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS AND AUTHORITY:

The Contractor shall ensure that each psychologist performing, supervising, signing, or otherwise exercising professional responsibility for an evaluation:

• Holds a current, active, unrestricted license to practice psychology in the State of Georgia; or

• Holds another authority that lawfully permits the practice of psychology with the candidate located in Georgia, including applicable PSYPACT authority, if the evaluation or any portion of the evaluation is conducted through telepsychology.

Each psychologist shall practice only within the scope of the psychologist’s education, training, experience, competence, and lawful authority.

The Contractor shall provide, upon proposal submission and throughout the contract term:

• The name, curriculum vitae or resume, professional license number, and jurisdiction of licensure for each psychologist expected to perform or supervise services.

• Documentation of current Georgia licensure or other applicable legal authority to practice psychology in Georgia.

• A description of each psychologist’s specialized education, training, and experience in police, public-safety, or law-enforcement pre-employment psychological evaluations.

• Evidence of at least five (5) years of relevant experience performing psychological evaluations of law-enforcement or comparable public-safety candidates, unless the County determines that equivalent specialized qualifications warrant consideration.

• Written notice to the County within five (5) business days of any suspension, restriction, disciplinary action, lapse, investigation, or other change affecting a psychologist’s license, authority to practice, or ability to perform services under the contract.

The Contractor may use qualified proposed subcontractors or subconsultants only with the County’s prior written approval. The Contractor remains fully responsible for all services, reports, confidentiality obligations, and performance of its subcontractors or subconsultants.

5.5 EVALUATION STANDARDS AND METHODOLOGY:

The Contractor shall perform all evaluations in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local law; applicable professional ethics requirements; applicable Georgia psychology licensure requirements; test publisher requirements; and generally accepted professional standards for pre-employment psychological evaluations of law-enforcement candidates.

The Contractor’s methodology shall be:

• Job-related and consistent with the essential functions, psychological demands, and work environment of the specific sworn law-enforcement or emergency communications position under consideration.

• Based on multiple relevant sources of information, rather than a single test result or isolated data point.

• Consistent with current professional guidance and accepted practices applicable to law-enforcement and public-safety psychological evaluations.

• Designed to assess psychological suitability for safe, effective, ethical, and reliable performance of the position.

• Administered and interpreted only by appropriately qualified personnel under the responsible supervision of the licensed psychologist.

• Conducted using current, reliable, valid, and professionally accepted instruments appropriate for the intended public-safety employment purpose.

• Sensitive to potential cultural, linguistic, disability-related, and other sources of unfair bias, with appropriate professional safeguards.

• Documented sufficiently to support the psychologist’s professional conclusions if the evaluation process or conclusion is later challenged.

The Contractor shall not use a diagnosis, disability, protected characteristic, or the mere existence of past treatment as an automatic basis for an adverse suitability determination.

Any opinion shall be based on an individualized, job-related professional assessment of the candidate’s ability to perform the essential functions of the position safely and effectively, with or without reasonable accommodation where applicable. The Contractor shall use position-appropriate evaluation methods and shall not assume that the job demands, essential functions, or suitability considerations for sworn law-enforcement positions are identical to those for emergency communications positions.

5.6 EVALUATION COMPONENTS:

Each complete evaluation shall include, as appropriate to the candidate and position:

• Review of position-specific job information, essential job functions, and relevant work demands for the applicable CCPD or E911 position.

• Review of relevant candidate background information provided by CCPD or E911, as applicable.

• Administration of a professionally appropriate psychological assessment battery.

• Individual clinical interview by the responsible licensed psychologist.

• Assessment of response consistency, validity indicators, and the need for follow-up information or additional assessment.

• Professional integration of interview information, test findings, background information, and other relevant data.

• A written psychological suitability report.

The Contractor shall use a semi-structured, job-related interview process that allows sufficient time to explore relevant history, clarify test findings, evaluate inconsistencies, and reach a well-supported professional opinion.

The Contractor shall ensure that test administration, scoring, storage, access, and use of testing materials comply with publisher requirements, professional standards, and applicable law. CCPD or E911 personnel shall not be required to administer, score, interpret, or maintain secure psychological testing materials unless specifically permitted by the instrument publisher and approved in writing by the Contractor and County.

5.7 EVALUATION LOCATION AND MODALITY:

Evaluations shall be conducted in person within Chatham County, Georgia, unless CCPD or E911, as applicable, provides prior written approval for an alternate location or remote evaluation. The Contractor shall identify in its proposal all proposed evaluation locations within Chatham County and any associated travel, mobile-service, or other location-based fees.

The County prefers…