Rev 09-24 1 RFP # 26-169-PSC

Eugene Water & Electric Board

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

for

Strategic Plan Consulting Support

RFP No.: 26-169-PSC Closing Date: Tuesday, October 13, 20206 Time: 02:00 PM PT

Description: Consulting Services in support of EWEB’s Strategic Plan.

Purchasing Contact: Tim Rogers, (541) 685-7109, tim.rogers@eweb.org

This is a COMPETITIVE SEALED PROCUREMENT.

ELECTRONIC PROPOSALS SUBMITTED VIA THE OREGONBUYS BID SITE ARE REQUIRED. Emailed submittals will not be accepted.

To ensure your submission is received prior to the closing date and time, it is recommended that you begin the submittal process on the OregonBuys website at least 72-hours prior to the closing date and time listed above.

SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT: There will be only one point of contact for the entire Request for Proposal process.

The contact point is the EWEB Purchasing Office, and the contact person is the Purchasing Contact listed above, unless otherwise stated. Any questions or issues that may arise regarding the specifications, bidding process, and/or the award process, shall be directed via email to the Purchasing Contact listed above. EWEB’s official response to any questions or requests will be in writing via the Addendum process.

FOR MORE INFORMATION please refer to Part 1 “Instructions to Proposers”

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section Description Page

Legal Advertisement 3

1 Instructions to Proposers 4-8 2 Scope of Work / Technical Specifications 9-25 3 Minimum Qualifications and Requirements 26-27 4 Evaluation Process & Consultant Selection 28-33 5 Evaluation Criteria 34-35 6 Proposal Form 36-40

ATTACHMENTS

A Level 1 and Level 2 X-Matrix B Example Summary Sheets for annual Tactics & Deliverable C Example Quarterly Deliverable Progress Report D EWEB Business Management System Handout

EXHIBITS

1 Sample Contract

Rev 09-24 3 RFP # 26-169-PSC

LEGAL ADVERTISEMENT

RFP #26-169-PSC

STRATEGIC PLAN CONSULTING SUPPORT

The Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) requests proposals from consulting firms interested in providing consulting services in support of EWEB’s Strategic Plan.

Proposals shall be submitted on the State of Oregon – OregonBuys website (https://oregonbuys.gov/bso/), before, 2:00 PM PT, Tuesday, October 13, 2026. (Emailed responses will not be accepted.) Proposals will not be accepted after this hour and date.

RFP documents may be obtained by downloading the RFP documents from the State of Oregon's bid site ("OregonBuys"): https://oregonbuys.gov/bso/. (On OregonBuys home page, search for bid #26-169-PSC. For navigation help, please call 1-855-800-5046.)

All proposals shall be submitted as set forth in Section 1 - Instructions to Proposers. EWEB is not responsible for proposals submitted in any manner, format or to any delivery point other than as required by the Solicitation Document.

No proposal may be withdrawn after the hour set for the opening thereof until the elapse of sixty (60) days from the date and time set for opening.

EWEB reserves the right to waive any or all informalities and irregularities (EWEB Rule 3-0470) and may cancel the Request for Proposals or reject any or all proposals pursuant to EWEB Rule 3-0640.

Date: September 15, 2026

Tim Rogers, Purchasing Contact https://oregonbuys.gov/bso/

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1. INSTRUCTIONS TO PROPOSERS

All proposals and contracts are subject to the provisions and requirements of the Oregon Revised Statutes 279A and 279B and EWEB Public Contracting Rules Divisions 1, 2, 3 and 6.

INFORMATION OF RECORD

The official source of information for this project until the Intent to Award is posted is located at the State of Oregon's bid site, located at: https://oregonbuys.gov/bso/. IT IS THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PROPOSER

TO CHECK THE WEBSITE ON A TIMELY BASIS.

PROPOSAL PREPARATION

1.1 PROPOSAL FORMAT AND COST

Proposals shall be typewritten or prepared in ink and shall be submitted electronically, on the form provided in the Request for Proposals. Proposals shall conform to the requirements of the Request for Proposals. All necessary attachments shall be submitted with the proposal and in the required format.

Proposer is responsible for all costs incurred in connection with its Proposal, including, but not limited to, the costs to prepare and submit the Proposal, costs of samples and other supporting materials, costs to participate in demonstrations, and costs associated with protests.

1.2 PROTEST OF SPECIFICATIONS / REQUIREMENTS

A Proposer who believes that the procurement process is contrary to law, or that the solicitation is unnecessarily restrictive in that specifications limit competition arbitrarily, without reasonably promoting the fulfillment of the procurement needs of EWEB, or that the solicitation document is legally flawed in that it contains terms or conditions that are contrary to law, or that the solicitation improperly specifies a brand name as defined in ORS 279B.200, may submit a protest via email to tim.rogers@eweb.org.

Insert the following in the subject header:

RFP SPECIFICATION PROTEST, RFP #26-169-PSC

To be considered, protests shall be received no less than 5 business days before the RFP closing date (per EW-3-0700(2)).

Protest of specifications shall include the reason for protest, any and all evidence and documented factual information that supports Proposer’s protest, and any proposed changes to the requirements.

The EWEB Purchasing department shall promptly respond to each written protest, and where appropriate, issue all revisions, substitutions, or clarifications via Addenda to all Proposers. Proposers must exhaust all administrative remedies before seeking judicial review.

1.3 PROPOSER'S PROPOSED TERMS AND CONDITIONS Rule 3-0230(7)(b)

Proposers may include in the Cover Letter of their response, proposed revisions to the contractual terms and conditions in the MS Word Sample Contract (Exhibit 1) and the Scope of Work stated in this RFP document. (Proposer may show proposed changes by using Word Track Changes tool OR providing proposed revisions in cover letter.) Proposers may not protest or make a request to change the entire terms and conditions of the solicitation. For example, you may not seek to replace EWEB’s terms and conditions in whole with your company’s terms and conditions, standard contract, master services agreement, etc.

mailto:tim.rogers@eweb.org

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Terms included with Proposer’s proposal documents will not be considered unless they are listed in the Cover Letter as requested terms to negotiate.

EWEB reserves the right to negotiate the proposed terms and/or conditions with Proposer, and either accept or reject the proposed terms and/or conditions. REQUESTS FOR REVISION OF EWEB CONTRACTUAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS MAY BE MADE AT TIME OF PROPOSAL SUBMISSION. THERE

MAY BE NO OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO AT A LATER DATE.

NO PROPOSED TERMS OR CONDITIONS SHALL BECOME A PART OF THE AWARDED CONTRACT UNLESS

ACCEPTED BY EWEB AND INCORPORATED INTO THE CONTRACT, IN WRITING.

1.4 SIGNATURE ON PROPOSAL

Proposals shall be signed by an authorized representative of the Proposer. Signature on a proposal certifies that the proposal is made without connection with any person, firm or corporation making a proposal for the same goods and/or services and is in all respects fair and made without collusion or fraud. Signature on a proposal also certifies that the Proposer has read, fully understands, and agrees with all solicitation requirements, terms, and conditions. No consideration will be given to any claim resulting from proposing without fully comprehending all requirements of the Request for Proposals.

Proposers shall only enter information within the proposal document where it is requested or required.

Proposers shall NOT make any alterations to the original solicitation document. Any proposal that has been altered may be rejected.

1.5 CANCELLATION, REJECTION, DELAY OF RFP

Pursuant to Rule 3-0640, EWEB may cancel, reject in whole or in any part of any proposals, without liability incurred by EWEB at any time after issuing an RFP, if EWEB believes it is in EWEB’s interest to do so.

1.6 RESERVED

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

1.7 PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

(a) OregonBuys Electronic Response

[Buyer, use this as a default, unless you need Bidder’s to submit multiple documents.} Please be sure to combine all documents into one pdf file before attempting to submit your bid into the OregonBuys bid site.

In order to submit an electronic proposal on the OregonBuys website, Proposer must be registered with OregonBuys and able to submit an electronic proposal. For instructions to register on OregonBuys, visit the following site: OrBuysSupplierRegistrationSteps.pdf (oregon.gov)

If you experience any issues registering, please contact OregonBuys at:

Phone: 1-855-800-5046 Email: support.oregonbuys@das.oregon.gov

When Proposer is submitting their proposal electronically, Proposer should follow the procedures outlined in any of the following:

https://www.oregon.gov/das/ORBuys/Documents/OregonBuys%20Vendor%20Formal%20Solicitation https://www.oregon.gov/das/ORBuys/Documents/OrBuysSupplierRegistrationSteps.pdf mailto:support.oregonbuys@das.oregon.gov https://www.oregon.gov/das/ORBuys/Documents/OregonBuys%20Vendor%20Formal%20Solicitation%20Response.pdf

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%20Response.pdf for electronic submission.

A video presentation on submitting an electronic proposal may be found at: Supplier - Submitting a Quote - Overview (periscopeholdings.com)

Terminology specific to the OregonBuys system may be found at:

https://www.oregon.gov/das/ORBuys/Documents/Phase1TerminologyCrosswalk.pdf

Proposals received in a manner other than through the OregonBuys website and/or after the closing date and time will not be considered and will be rejected. EWEB is not responsible for proposals submitted in any manner format or to any delivery point other than as required by the Solicitation document.

(b) REQUIRED PROPOSAL PACKAGE Complete, sign, and return the following documents as RFP response. Failing to include these documents could lead to rejection of Proposal.

• Cover Letter, with:

Contractual Acceptance: Statement accepting ALL terms and conditions contained in this solicitation and the Sample Contract (Exhibit 1). Statement may also include request for negotiation of proposed terms and conditions as allowed per Section 1.4.

Interview/Presentation Availability: Statement to acknowledge availability for Interview/Presentation Schedule as detailed under 1.16.

• Response to Minimum Qualifications (Section 3)

• Response to All Evaluation Criteria (Section 5)

• Proposal Form (Section 6), including Sustainability Questionnaire

• All posted addenda acknowledged

(c) RESPONSIVENESS / RESPONSIBILITY

A “Responsive” proposal is a proposal that substantially complies with the Request for Proposals instructions and requirements.

A “Responsible” Proposer can demonstrate ability to meet the requirements of the Scope of Work, has the appropriate experience, is legally qualified to do the Work, has the required certifications required, has a satisfactory record of integrity and can meet the other requirements described in ORS 279B.110(2).

1.8 ADDENDA

Any VERBAL communication cannot and shall not be construed as approval of the acceptability of any deviation to any requirement. All changes to requirements and/or the solicitation documents will be made in the form of Addenda. The Proposer is responsible for ensuring that all Addenda have been downloaded and are acknowledged in their RFP Response.

All Addenda can be obtained electronically at the state of Oregon's bid site ("OregonBuys"):

https://oregonbuys.gov/bso/.

1.9 PROPOSAL MODIFICATION

If a Proposer wishes to make modifications to a submitted Proposal, Proposer must do so through OregonBuys prior to the Proposal Due Date and Time stated on the Cover Page for this RFP.

https://www.oregon.gov/das/ORBuys/Documents/OregonBuys%20Vendor%20Formal%20Solicitation%20Response.pdf https://www.periscopeholdings.com/courses/suppliersubmittingaquote/#/lessons/-IJ5uftCSaLqTjitSezQGrNh9dTNGqaA https://www.periscopeholdings.com/courses/suppliersubmittingaquote/#/lessons/-IJ5uftCSaLqTjitSezQGrNh9dTNGqaA https://www.oregon.gov/das/ORBuys/Documents/Phase1TerminologyCrosswalk.pdf https://oregonbuys.gov/bso/

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1.10 PROPOSAL WITHDRAWALS

If a Proposer wishes to withdraw a submitted Proposal, Proposer must do so through OregonBuys, using the “Withdraw Quote” button prior to the Proposal Due Date and Time stated on the Cover Page for this

RFP.

1.11 EXCEPTIONS

Any exceptions to the requirements of this solicitation MUST be submitted in accordance with Item 1.3 PROTEST OF SPECIFICATIONS / REQUIREMENTS. Exceptions submitted with your proposal, or in any manner other than the process provided herein, may cause your proposal to be ruled non-Responsive and rejected.

1.12 PROPOSAL OPENING

Unless otherwise provided by Law or Rule, proposals received in response to this Request for Proposals shall be opened at the scheduled closing date and time at the EWEB Purchasing department located at 4200 Roosevelt Blvd, Eugene, Oregon 97402. Enquiring Proposers shall be informed only of the names of Proposers submitting proposals. No other information shall be available at that time. Award decisions will NOT be made at the opening.

1.13 ALTERNATE PROPOSALS

Proposers may submit more than one proposal. All proposals must comply with the requirements of the RFP except that additional proposals may incorporate, by reference, repetitive information which is provided in the complete proposal.

1.14 PROPRIETARY DATA/PUBLIC RECORD

This Request for Proposal, together with copies of all documents pertaining to the award of a contract, shall be kept by EWEB and made a part of a file or record which shall be open to public inspection. If a proposal contains any information that is considered a trade secret under ORS 192.345(2), each sheet of such information shall be marked with the following legend:

“This data constitutes a trade secret under ORS 192.345(2), and shall not be disclosed, except in accordance with the Oregon Public Records Law, ORS Chapter 192”.

The Oregon Public Records Law exempts from disclosures only bona fide trade secrets, and the exemption from disclosure applies only "unless the public interest requires disclosure in the particular instance" ORS 192.345(2). Therefore, non-disclosure of documents or any portion of a document submitted as part of a proposal may depend upon official or judicial determinations made pursuant to the Public Records Law. The above restriction may not include cost or price information, which shall be open to public inspection.

1.15 SOCIAL EQUITY

EWEB supports the use of Minority, Women, Emerging Small Businesses (M/W/ESB), local businesses, Disadvantaged Business Enterprises and Qualified Rehabilitation Facilities (QRF). EWEB encourages the awarded offeror to use the following voluntary practices to promote open competitive opportunities for disadvantaged businesses as applicable:

a. Access lists of certified minority, women, emerging small business or disadvantaged business enterprises from the Oregon State Office of Minority, Women and Emerging Small Business (OMWESB) by visiting their website at:

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b. Visit the Oregon State Qualified Rehabilitation Facilities Program website to search for Qualified Rehabilitation Facilities from whom to procure products or services.

1.16 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

The schedule of events set out herein represent Eugene Water & Electric Board’s best estimate of the schedule that will be followed.

** Proposers should acknowledge availability for Interview/Presentation Schedule on Cover Letter

Request for Proposal released 9/15/26 Mandatory / Voluntary Pre-Proposal Conference Last Date for EWEB to receive Protests of Requirements/Specifications/Terms 10/6/26 Last day for EWEB to receive questions from Proposers 10/7/26 Last day EWEB will post Addenda on Bid Site 10/8/26 Closing date (last day to submit proposals to EWEB)** 10/13/26 Interviews / Presentations (if held) 10/14 – 10/23/26

Intent to Award Announcement Posted on Bid Site TBD

Board Approval 12/1/26

Contract Award TBD

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2. SCOPE OF WORK / TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

2.1 OBJECTIVES

The Eugene Water & Electric Board (EWEB) is a publicly owned municipal utility serving the community of Eugene, OR, with drinking water and electric power services. EWEB is governed by a five-member, publicly elected, independent Board of Commissioners. EWEB has been operating under its current 10-year strategic plan since 2018. That plan will sunset in 2028. EWEB seeks to develop a new plan in 2027 that can be adopted by the Board of Commissioners prior to the current plan’s expiration.

EWEB requires consulting services with utility industry experience to develop a future-ready, research-informed strategic plan to guide its day-to-day operations and major initiatives over the next 5-7 years. Consulting experience should include two components: 1) general strategic plan development experience which includes robust facilitation expertise and engagement with internal and external key audiences and 2) experience conducting long-term strategic foresight trend research and building plausible future scenarios to develop and test future-ready strategies that can lead EWEB forward confidently into the 2030s and beyond. Consulting teams should have knowledge of strategic issues facing publicly-owned drinking water and electric utilities based in the Pacific Northwest.

Overarching principles that will guide EWEB’s strategic plan development process include:

• Use a process that has integrity: EWEB will follow a process guided by transparency, clarity, and openness.

• Pursue active, authentic, engagement: Within the identified timeline and budget, EWEB seeks to meaningfully engage broad interest groups including the workforce, Board of Commissioners, community, and selected strategic partners throughout the process.

Although desired, full engagement with every audience may not be feasible given the scope and diversity of the community EWEB serves. However, EWEB wishes to ensure at a minimum that these audiences understand, respect, and have confidence in the process.

• Ensure EWEB employees see their contributions in the plan: The finished plan will help all employees see how their day-to-day work contributes to the achievement of EWEB’s Strategic Priorities and Themes. The final plan will be a document staff can actively use to guide their work. EWEB’s workforce is perhaps the most vital audience because if they are not bought in to the process and results, plan implementation may stall.

• Create and execute a swift, simple process: EWEB seeks an efficient process that maintains momentum, keeps participants engaged, and moves forward with clarity without making excessive demands on staff time.

• Utilize utility-industry expert consulting support: EWEB seeks external consulting services with deep utility industry experience, as requested in this RFP, to both support a swift process and bring in external expertise from futurists who are skilled at identifying long-term utility trends and new ways the future could unfold locally and regionally. This will allow EWEB to select resilient strategies informed by a wide range of possible futures.

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• Develop near-term actions informed by long-term research: EWEB expects the next plan will cover an approximately six-year period to keep strategies fresh and focused on tangible near-term actions. The consultant will also provide longer-term (~20-year) strategic foresight research that will be incorporated into the process to ensure EWEB is looking forward far enough to be aware of key emerging trends and potential impacts to utility operations.

• Build on existing tools and process: The plan will inform EWEB’s existing Business Management System (EBMS), that was launched in 2025 to reduce change fatigue among employees and build on existing systems and tools that have been implemented over the past two years, while looking for opportunities for continuous improvement, efficiency, deeper organizational utilization, and accountability.

EWEB will provide Internal Support for this project. The selected consulting team will be guided by key EWEB internal resources including:

• EWEB’s Strategic Advisor. Kelly Hoell, who reports to EWEB’s General Manager and Chief Administrator/Assistant Corporate Secretary will serve as the EWEB project manager. Ms.

Hoell has been working with EWEB’s Executive and Manager leadership teams to implement EWEB’s Business Management System since 2024 and has 20 years of project management experience.

• EWEB’s Executive Team (ET). The ET consists of eight members covering the following roles: General Manager & Chief Executive Officer; Assistant General Manager & Chief Financial Officer; Chief People Officer; Chief Electric Operations Officer; Chief Water Operations Officer; Chief Customer Officer; Chief Information Officer; Chief Administrator & Assistant Corporate Secretary. The ET is ready to learn from the strategic research and support this process with clear direction and guidance. They are looking for a targeted and well-facilitated process that will optimize their time and move swiftly towards implementation of a well-reasoned and resourced plan to support EWEB in taking on the challenges of the future.

• A Staff Advisory Committee. In fall 2026, through an open application process, EWEB’s Executive Team and Strategic Advisor will select a group of approximately 8-10 staff members to serve on a strategic plan staff advisory committee. The purpose of the committee will be to provide representation from many levels of the organization and across Divisions to support the development of the strategic plan. Using an application process will ensure that participation is based on staff who desire to be part of the process and will serve as a development opportunity for selected members to better understand how plans are created and implemented. Selected committee members should think about issues from an organizational perspective instead of only through the lens of their Division, should have a desire and/or aptitude to look ahead into the future and think about trends that could impact EWEB’s current operating environment, and should be willing to speak up and share their opinions with leadership. Exactly how the committee is used can be determined through the consultant finalized scope of work that is approved by EWEB.

• EWEB’s Communications & Marketing Team. The Comms team will be the face of external stakeholder engagement and will own the relationships enhanced through engagement activities outlined in this process, augmented with consulting support.

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• EWEB’s HR Team. The HR team will be the face of internal workforce engagement activities outlined in this process, augmented with consulting support as determined in consultant proposals.

• EWEB’s (3) Key Account Managers. Staff who work directly with ~110 of EWEB’s largest commercial customers will be the face of any communication with their accounts, augmented with consulting support.

• EWEB IS Support and Technology Access. The Consultant will be expected to utilize EWEB's designated technology resources and collaboration platforms for project-related work, communication, document sharing, and other collaborative activities as appropriate. To facilitate secure and efficient collaboration, EWEB will establish user accounts for members of the selected project team and provide access to applicable systems and platforms. Access will be limited to the systems and information necessary to perform the work under the resulting agreement and may be modified or revoked as project needs or access requirements change.

The consulting team will help EWEB achieve the following seven primary objectives outlined in this Section:

1. Evaluate existing data and conduct strategic foresight research to understand the primary trends and drivers impacting the Eugene community, and electric and drinking water utilities in the Pacific Northwest.

2. Conduct engagement with key audiences including EWEB’s workforce, our Board of Commissioners, Customers, and Community Strategic Partners.

3. Confirm EWEB’s Mission, Vision, and Values using engagement feedback, existing data, and strategic foresight research.

4. Select Priority Strategies and cascading Multi-Year Themes with clear objectives that are informed by strategic foresight research & development of a range of plausible future scenarios showing various ways the future could unfold.

5. Write the strategic plan and work with our Board of Commissioners to adopt it following a robust public comment period.

6. Develop high-level roadmaps for the Multi-Year Themes across the duration of the plan to facilitate shared understanding of major strategic components and high-level timelines.

7. Identify Annual Organizational Goals & Deliverables for 2028, for the first year of the plan’s implementation. Adoption of 2028 Annual Goals will need to be approved by the Board of Commissioners.

2.2 BACKGROUND INFORMATION & EWEB’S STRATEGIC PLANNING CONTEXT

Background

Eugene Water & Electric Board is Oregon's largest customer-owned utility. Founded in 1911, EWEB provides drinking water and electricity to approximately 200,000 people in the Eugene area, including major institutions such as the University of Oregon. A five-member elected Board of Commissioners governs the utility, which does not operate to earn a profit or to serve the investment needs of stockholders. Employing approximately 600 people, EWEB serves the people of Eugene by embodying core values of safety, reliability, affordability, environmental

Rev 09-24 12 RFP # 26-169-PSC responsibility and community/culture. EWEB owns four energy generation facilities, including hydroelectric projects on the McKenzie and Clackamas Rivers, produces drinking water from the McKenzie River using a single 80 million gallon per day (MGD) treatment plant, and leads watershed protection measures with local landowners and environmental organizations. With one of the greenest energy supplies in the nation, approximately 90% of EWEB’s power comes from carbon-free sources, and EWEB is committed to achieving a 95% carbon-free energy portfolio by 2030.

EWEB’s Strategic Planning Context

The role of EWEB’s Board of Commissioners, as articulated in Governance Policy 2 (GP2) Board Job Description, and Governance Policy 3 (GP3) Strategic Plan Development includes the following:

• Represent EWEB’s customer-owners in determining and assuring appropriate organizational performance.

• Provide a conduit with the community. Represent the community to EWEB and represent EWEB to the community.

• Determine and periodically review the Mission (purpose), Vision, Operating Principles, Policies, and Strategic Goals of EWEB (within the context of the City Charter and statutory mandates) and approve designated plans (as outlined in GP18) to implement the above.

• Establish clarity around board decisions.

• Delegate authority and responsibility to the General Manager for utility operations

(within legal parameters and in accordance with the Bylaws).

• Assure accountability and measurement of success, on an ongoing basis.

• Approve and provide oversight over EWEB’s strategic plan.

GP3 articulates that prior to approving the strategic plan as submitted by Management, the Board will evaluate the plan’s consistency with and potential effectiveness in advancing EWEB’s adopted Mission, Statement of Legacy (SD1), established Board Policies, strategic priorities, and values. In addition, the Board will consider and balance the needs and points of view of EWEB’s served community.

In GP18, the Strategic Plan is defined as a document to provide guidance to effectively develop and manage policies, establish priorities, and inspire actions necessary to position the organization to achieve desired outcomes, fulfill the Mission, and pursue the Vision including the setting of annual operational and strategic goals, milestones, and measurement metrics.

To provide effective oversight, the Board requires submittal of high-level performance measures in support of the strategic plan. Board Policy BL5 on Evaluating the General Manager’s Performance describes how organizational goals will be established annually that represent the General Manager’s interpretation of the priorities as defined by the Board. Accordingly, the Board shall identify and define those results or conditions that are acceptable and not acceptable to the Board and communicate them in the form of policy, approval of Strategic Plans and annual goals, and authorization of annual budgets which are based on assumptions in Long-Term Financial Plans and Capital Improvement Plans. Throughout each year, the General Manager provides periodic updates on strategic plan progress, and the Board will direct changes in focus

Rev 09-24 13 RFP # 26-169-PSC and priority as appropriate. Annually, it is typical that the coming year’s Annual Strategic Goals, in alignment with the strategic plan, are approved by the Board in December.

EWEB’s current 10-year strategic plan covers the period 2018-2028 and describes EWEB’s strategic priorities and the key strategies necessary to fulfill the organizational mission and pursue the vision in accordance with established organizational values. EWEB’s Strategic Plan aligns with Board-approved Strategic Direction Policy 1 (SD1), Mission, Vision, Values, & Legacy.

EWEB’s current Vision, Mission, Values, Strategic Priorities and Themes are outlined below:

EWEB’s Vision - Our vision is to be a local utility that inspires our customer-owners to invest in and rely on us. EWEB’s vision implies that we will earn our customer-owner’s trust, and thereby their investment and participation in the programs integral to providing sustainable value.

EWEB’s Mission - Our mission is to enhance our community's vitality by delivering drinking water and electricity consistent with the values of our Community, including the people with whom we serve, conduct business with, collaborate, influence, or impact in the fulfillment of our mission.

EWEB recognizes that our two primary services are “vital” to the health and welfare of our community, and that our methods are important to our customer-owners.

EWEB’s Values - Values drive “how” we do things, and provide the fundamental basis for our policies, actions, behavior, and decisions. These values are sacrosanct; they cannot be compromised for convenience, short-term gain, or strategic progress.

• SAFE: We value the safety, physical and psychological wellness, of our workforce and the public, the security and integrity of cyber assets and data, and the protection of our customers’ assets.

• RELIABLE: We value the ongoing continuous on-demand delivery of quality drinking water and electricity, and the dependability of our response to our customers.

• AFFORDABLE: We value and respect our customer-owners’ financial resources by making wise investments and controlling costs and rates.

• ENVIRONMENTAL: We value the prudent and sustainable stewardship of the environment and natural resources, including preserving our watershed, and our role in reducing the greenhouse gases (GHGs) contributing to Climate Change.

• COMMUNITY/CULTURE: We value a culture of intentional actions and outcomes, continuous improvement, diverse perspectives, that is trustworthy, respectful, equitable, and inclusive to employees and community members. We are dedicated to our public service, professions, local governance, and commitment to serve our community honestly and with integrity.

Strategic Priorities outlined in the current plan include: Drinking water and electricity are essential commodities that are becoming more precious. Managing forecasted volatility and scarcity, climate impacts, and the increasing occurrence and threats of both discrete and gradual disruptive events will drive EWEB strategy for the next few decades. With the goal of sustaining the delivery of safe, reliable, affordable, and environmentally responsible drinking water and electricity, the most immediate challenge facing EWEB is effectively planning and operating in a turbulent environment, including a changing climate, new technology, developing markets, https://www.eweb.org/documents/Reports%20and%20Publications/eweb_strategic_plan_2018_2028_2021_2022_2023_2024_update.pdf https://www.eweb.org/documents/Reports%20and%20Publications/board-policies.pdf

Rev 09-24 14 RFP # 26-169-PSC political and regulatory flux, natural and human threats, and evolving diverse community expectations.

In May 2026, EWEB went through a leadership transition with the hiring of John Hairston, former Administrator of the Bonneville Power Administration, as EWEB’s new General Manager and CEO. For context, GM Hairston has described that he would like EWEB’s next Strategic Plan to have a similar look and feel to BPA’s Strategic Plan and he expects employees to be able to use the plan to guide their daily work and prioritization.

In 2025, EWEB management initiated the EWEB Business Management System (EBMS), which is a structured set of principles and practices that are used to drive sustainable results. Developed to support succession planning, workforce development, the EWEB Business Management System (EBMS) is grounded in our organizational values and shaped by engagement with the Board, customers, and community. It emphasizes continuous improvement of core services, strategic deployment to prioritize and align breakthroughs and transformational change (“Strategic Compass”), and resilient workforce development as illustrated in the graphic below.

Figure 1: Composition of EWEB's Business Management System

Using a structured and repeatable approach to business management responds to real and rising challenges. Customers continue to ask EWEB to maintain a strong focus on affordability, even as EWEB faces increasing operational complexity. EWEB already has a strong planning culture. As the utility landscape becomes more dynamic and the pace of change increases and risks evolve, the EBMS allows for a more integrated, transparent, and focused approach to organization-wide planning to be applied to ensure resources are used where they provide the most community value.

EWEB's Strategic Compass includes the process and tools used to prioritize strategic work and drive transformational change in alignment with EWEB's Strategic Plan.

The Strategic Compass is how EWEB connects the dots between:

• EWEB's Mission, Vision, and Values https://www.bpa.gov/-/media/Aep/about/who-we-are/strategic-plan/bpa-strategic-plan.pdf

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• EWEB's highest-level Strategic Business Priorities

• 5-Year Themes to make progress on our Business Priorities.

• Annual Strategic Goals to make progress on our 5-Year Themes.

• Annual Tactics & Deliverables to be accomplished in the current year, including how EWEB will measure progress and success.

Current Tools used as part of EWEB's Strategic Compass include:

• Level 1 and Level 2 X-Matrix (a tool that comes from the Japanese “Hoshin Kanri” strategic planning framework) (see Attachment A)

• Board-approved Annual Strategic Goals (part 4 from X-Matrix in Attachment A)

• Summary Sheets for annual Tactics & Deliverables outlining workgroups, milestones, timelines. See example in Attachment B.

• Quarterly Deliverable Progress Report is an internal report outlining how work is progressing through the year compared to the summary sheet expectations for Deliverable milestones and timelines (see Attachment C).

• Quarterly Strategic and Operational Board Report is a report for our community and Board of Commissioners outlining the quarterly progress of EWEB’s core work and towards the Board-approved Annual Strategic Goals.

The Level 1 X-Matrix connects the Mission/Vision to the Business Priorities, 5-Year Themes and Annual Strategic Goals. In 2026, EWEB identified (3) Business priorities, (7) 5-Year Themes, and

(11) Annual Strategic Goals.

Figure 2: Level 1 X-Matrix Information Flow

The Level 2 X-Matrix goes one level deeper by connecting the Annual Strategic Goals to the Annual Deliverables that will be completed in that year. Deliverable milestones and timelines are then outlined in concise Deliverable Summary Sheets that are made transparent to the full organization.

https://eugenewater.sharepoint.com/:b:/r/sites/EBMS/Shared%20Documents/2026%20EBMS%20Materials/2026%20Handouts%20%26%20FAQ/2026%20Strategic%20Compass%20-%20Strategic%20Business%20Priorities.pdf?csf=1&web=1&e=Yv2DV9 https://www.eweb.org/documents/board-meetings/2026/08-04-26/m12_2026_q2_strategic_and_operational_report.pdf

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Figure 3: Level 2 X-Matrix Information Flow

In 2026, EWEB identified three equally important strategic business priorities.

• Business Priority 1: Maintain / Improve Business Operations – achieve and sustain the ongoing efficient and effective delivery of our products and services in a volatile operating environment.

• Business Priority 2: Optimize Energy – Optimize the collective supply, delivery, and use of energy to fulfill our community's needs under changing market conditions and consumers' use of energy.

• Business Priority 3: Improve Resiliency – reduce the likelihood, magnitude, and duration of sudden or gradual disruptive events through risk mitigation, emergency preparedness, response, and recovery strategies that support the delivery of our products and services.

EWEB 5-Year Deployment Themes (Strategic Pathways): Pursuing these three business priorities has yielded several specific fulfillment pathways, or 5-year Deployment Themes. Given that Deployment Themes can have multiple benefits, and impact multiple business priorities, the Strategic Compass identifies the most impactful 5-year themes needed to make progress towards the business priorities.

• 5YT 1: EBMS - Implement and refine EWEB's Business Management System (EBMS) to define, prioritize, and align organizational work, resources, and investments based on clear intentional outcomes.

• 5YT 2: Customer Feedback - Based on customer feedback, focus on areas that improve customer trust and satisfaction, initially focused on affordability and outage management.

• 5YT 3: Systems & Strategic Use of Data - Modernize enterprise systems & strategic use of data to improve business insights on customer attributes and utilization of our assets.

• 5YT 4: Power Supply Resources - Ensure EWEB has power supply resources to support evolving consumer usage, regional grid conditions, and reliability/market standards required for Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) contract implementation in Oct 2028.

• 5Y-Theme 5: Customer Products/Programs - Drive consumer participation in products/programs that optimize the acquisition, delivery, and use of energy, initially focused on our largest customers' opportunities to mitigate peak demand.

• 5Y-Theme 6: Drinking Water Vulnerability - Mitigate drinking water single-source vulnerability.

• 5Y-Theme 7: Resiliency - Focus business continuity and resiliency efforts on mitigating most consequential risks with highest probability.

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EWEB’s strategic 5-Year Themes guide the development of supportive Annual Strategic Goals.

2026 Goals include:

• Goal 1: Mature EWEB’s Business Management System (EBMS) - Work with managers to apply the EBMS to develop 2026 organizational “deliverables”, and to guide and clarify quarterly reporting of key operational metrics and goal progress. Collaborate and align with the new General Manager to deepen utilization of EBMS and develop goals for 2027.

• Goal 2: Limited Income/Energy Efficiency Program Enhancements - Improve design, delivery and reach of EWEB’s limited income programs through the implementation of the strategies presented to the Board in December 2025, initially focused on bill assistance, prepayment, and customer engagement; and through energy efficiency program enhancements for middle-income customers & multifamily targeted assistance.

• Goal 3: Disruption Response & Communications - Improve the use of tools, systems, and processes for substantial unplanned electrical disruption response and customer communication.

• Goal 4: Scalable Data Warehouse - Commission a scalable enterprise data warehouse and begin population of targeted information in support of limited income and energy efficiency programs.

• Goal 5: Asset Management - Collaborate with field/operational staff on the prerequisites (asset plans, process mapping, etc.) and the transition to new Field Service Management (FSM) and Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) systems.

• Goal 6: Electric Comprehensive Plan (Deferred for 2026)

• Goal 7: Prepare for Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) Contract Implementation -

Develop and initiate actions based on a roadmap identifying EWEB’s role in portfolio management and key milestones under a new BPA contract structure and future market environment.

• Goal 8: Large Customer Peak Mitigation - Refine the Demand Side Management Plan (DSMP) and rate-design planning based on initial peak mitigation initiatives with largest electric customers.

• Goal 9: Labor Relations - Prepare for and initiate negotiations of next Collective Bargaining Agreement(s) with International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW).

• Goal 10: Leadership Development - Launch workforce leadership development program.

• Goal 11: Willamette Treatment Plant - Work with the Board to decide Willamette

Drinking Water Filtration Plant conditions of continuance and scope based on completed project prerequisites.

• Goal 12: McKenzie Valley Territory Transfer - Transfer McKenzie Valley electric distribution service territory to Lane Electric Cooperative per Commissioner guidance (Resolution No. 2524).

2.3 LENGTH OF CONTRACT

The contract for this project (“Contract”) will start from the date of award, approximately December 1, 2026, and will last approximately through the end of calendar year 2027. If successful in the development and execution of the scope of work in 2027, there is potential for this contract to be extended to support plan implementation activities or to support the planned “major refresh” of the plan at the three-year milestone. The contract has the option to be

Rev 09-24 18 RFP # 26-169-PSC extended up to a total of five years. The scope of work here only includes work through the end of 2027. If the contract were to be extended, additional tasks could be added at a later date.

2.4 LOCATION OF WORK

The location the work is to be performed, completed and managed at Consultant’s business location. Most work will be performed virtually. EWEB operates within a Microsoft-based environment and uses MS Teams for virtual meetings. EWEB and Consultant will jointly determine what in-person meetings are required. EWEB will make conference space available to consultants as necessary.

With the exception of any agreed-upon in-person visits, EWEB WILL NOT provide workspace for the Consultant.

2.5 SCOPE OF WORK

With a firm deadline for completion of work within 2027, and a firm budget not to exceed $300,000, EWEB seeks expert consulting services to achieve the following seven tasks. Board approvals and any direction/guidance from the collective Board of Commissioners must occur in public meetings. Regular monthly Board of Commissioner meetings are generally held the first Tuesday of the month, with opportunities for supplemental work sessions which are generally held on the third Tuesday of the month when necessary. EWEB seeks to be as efficient as possible within the identified budget to make the best possible use of rate-payer dollars.

2.5.1 TASK 1: PROJECT FRAMING & STRATEGIC FORESIGHT RESEARCH

Task 1 Methods & Approach: Consultant will develop a project management plan for this engagement to ensure the consulting team and EWEB are aligned on all relevant project elements including: scope, methods, budget, timeline, deliverables, communication methods and formats, roles and responsibilities, project risks and mitigation plans.

Using methods determined by the consultant and approved by EWEB, consultant will conduct strategic foresight research that will provide EWEB with a better understanding of the external forces that are impacting EWEB’s operating environment and strategic opportunities. Specific research questions to be answered and duration of the research time horizon will be determined.

Examples of potential research questions could include: “What might the communities EWEB serves look like in 2050? How might our region change?” Research will include review of existing EWEB reports, materials, and past work (see list of materials consultants can expect EWEB to provide below) as well as scanning activities to search for signals of change and specific future inputs. Research will identify things such as relevant trends, inputs, plans, projections and obstacles. Research will ultimately culminate in a set a relevant drivers that can be used in Scenario Development to inform priority strategy selection under Task 4.

Task 1 Deliverables:

• Project Plan including finalized scope, methods, budget, timeline, deliverables (including agreed upon format), communication methods, roles and responsibilities, as well as identified project risks and risk mitigation plan.

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• Results of strategic foresight research in a format suggested by consultant and approved by EWEB.

• Presentation of strategic foresight research results to EWEB’s Executive Team – please note: this deliverable can be combined with other deliverables being presented to EWEB’s Executive Team (such as under Task 4) as desired by the consultant.

Task 1 Expectations of EWEB Staff and Resources Provided:

• Data and reports that EWEB could provide consultants to aid in their understanding of

EWEB’s context, operating environment, and existing strategy may include:

o Resources related to Strategic Planning:

EWEB’s Current Strategic Plan BPA’s Current Strategic Plan EWEB’s 2027 planned Strategic Compass Level 1 & Level 2 X-Matrix EWEB’s 2027 planned Deliverable Summary Sheets Business Process Integration Diagram o Resources related to Finance, Budget and Rate Setting EWEB Budget 2027 (to be finalized in Dec 2026) EWEB Residential and Commercial Rate Proposals 2027 Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) for Electric and Water Utilities Long Term Financial Plan (10 Year) Prior Year End Audited Financial Statements and Management Letter o Resources related to Power Supply Planning:

EWEB’s most current load forecast projections.

2026 Demand Side Management Plan defines realistic conservation potential as a subset of measures in the 2025 Conservation Potential Assessment that can be cost-effectively and practically implemented under EWEB’s current conditions.

2025 Demand Side Potential Assessment, including Conservation Potential Assessment, Demand Response Potential Assessment, Electrification Potential Assessment, and Consumer Owned Solar Photovoltaic Potential Assessment.

2025 Energy Resource Study including information on EWEB’s product selection under the Bonneville Power Administration Provider of Choice contract that will run from 2028-2044.

2025 Energy Resource Study Community Table findings (3 public engagement sessions with key strategic partners).

2023 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), including results of 2023 IRP public comment.

2021 electrification study.

o Resources related to Water Planning:

• Water Demand forecasting information for current Water Master Plan update (in process).

• 2017 Water Master Plan Amendment

• 2015 Water Master Plan o Resources related to HR:

2026, 2024, 2023 Employee Survey Results 2025 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion baseline assessment https://www.eweb.org/documents/Reports%20and%20Publications/eweb_strategic_plan_2018_2028_2021_2022_2023_2024_update.pdf https://www.google.com/goto?url=CAESawHrOzAVB9gFz8JNR9tnIe9yKtA-lJ6vt9Sf8QBva-OhJBRWzis_qXblVnloTO7PieEelI8PJT9crIxe7v6XG47Qp646llADQpl08wAYr2rJcpN-TV3g0eB4pgY5ecIiEpNcVMkXUdfUkx4n

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2024 State of the Workforce Report Leadership Competencies and Behaviors Historical labor trending analyses o Resources related to Customer:

2027, 2024, and 2022 Customer Survey results (with results from the planned 2027 Customer Survey expected to be available to consulting team by March 2027 – see Task 2 below for more information.)

2.5.2 TASK 2: ENGAGEMENT WITH KEY AUDIENCES

Task 2 Methods & Approach: Using methods determined by the consultant and approved by EWEB, Consultant will plan engagement activities to ensure robust Strategic Plan development and adoption with the following key audiences: EWEB’s workforce, Board of Commissioners, Key Accounts (large commercial customers), and strategic community partners. Engagement activities will support the overarching principles described in Section 2.1 Objectives above. Across all audiences, EWEB staff will remain the primary relationship stewards and points of contact.

Consultants should design and recommend engagement methods that operate within this structure and should specify in their proposals how EWEB staff will be involved in or present for engagement activities with each audience.

Workforce Engagement Engagement with EWEB’s workforce is perhaps the most important key audience as it is essential for plan adoption and buy-in. EWEB’s employees must be able to see their work reflected in the strategic plan and understand how the direction set in the plan can guide their work prioritization and daily decision-making. Additionally, EWEB’s workforce needs to have a voice in the creation of EWEB’s employee lived values statement that will be finalized under Task 3.