RFP 3509 Addendum 01.doc

Solicitation No. 3509 Exempt Salary Survey Consulting Addendum Number 01 Issued Seattle Colleges’ RFP is amended to include the potential proposer’s questions and Seattle College’s answers and change the not to exceed proposal and contract amount.

Question 1: Does SCD have access to any survey sources they would like the chosen firm to evaluate (e.g., CUPA-HR)?

Answer 1: Access to CUPA-HR salary data is unknown, SCD does not have any specific survey sources for evaluation and will look to the contractor to make recommendations. SCD will work with the selected contractor to assess and will utilize any access to provide what they can to the contractor.

Question 2: Are faculty positions included in the analysis?

Answer 2: Faculty positions are not included in the salary survey. We are requesting a salary survey of exempt positions only.

Question 3: Is there any flexibility in the $80,000 contract cap? I anticipate our fees will likely be above this threshold.

Answer 3: See the below change to increase the not-to-exceed proposal and contract award amount to $90,000.00.

Question 4: What was the date of the last study completed? Was it of the same scope as the current request? Did it include updated job descriptions?

Answer 4: The study was completed by September 20, 2013. It was generally of the same scope of the current request. We believe that it included updated job descriptions at the time it was completed in 2013.

Question 5:

Was the study completed internally or with the assistance of an outside firm? Who was the outside firm if one was used?

Answer 5: The last exempt compensation analysis consulting services were performed by Jacobson, Betts & Company.

Question 6:

What Seattle Central College staff will be assigned to the project and what is their anticipated level of availability? Have any defined roles for SCC staff been assigned?

Answer 6:

Seattle Colleges HR Directors and Payroll and Benefits Director will be assigned to work on the project. Level of availability is variable week to week but they will prioritize interfacing with the contractor. No further defined roles have been assigned, there is not currently an internal project manager for this project though there may be one in the future depending on the need.

Question 7: Who is the executive sponsor for the study?

Answer 7: The Vice Chancellor of Human Resources Question 8: Do current jobs have market matches or benchmark jobs associated with them?

Answer 8:

Yes, all current jobs have benchmarking associated with them.

Question 9: What salary surveys and benchmarking tools is SCC currently using? Will this data be available to the consultant?

Answer 9:

The tool that SCD is currently using is a proprietary Excel-based benchmarking tool developed for SCD by Jacobson, Betts & Company in 2013. This tool will be made available to the consultant along with the accompanying handbook.

Question 10: Does SCC have a current compensation strategy/philosophy that defines markets (peers, comparisons, geographies) and pay positioning for in-scope positions?

Answer 10: Not formally, SCD does acknowledge that the competition may vary based on the level and type of position (some positions might have a competitive pool within the Seattle metro area whereas some positions only have a competitive pool within the entire U.S.). Seattle Colleges will look to the contractor to make recommendations in regards to formalizing a compensation strategy/philosophy that defines markets and pay positioning.

Question 11: Is SCC anticipating changing titles and/or pay for existing positions with incumbents? Who will be mapping current positions to the future structure?

Answer 11: At this time SCD does not anticipate changing titles, SCD does anticipate changing pay for existing positions with incumbents. The designated HR leadership will work with the contractor to determine recommendations for mapping positions and then will undertake the mapping process.

Question 12: Are job descriptions available electronically and up to date?

Answer 12: Job descriptions are electronically available, many are out of date and SCD HR will work to ensure that descriptions are available and up to date for every applicable position.

Question 13: “3.a.i” refers to “salary administration policies” – does this include a rewrite of existing policies and processes?

Answer 13: This does include the provision of recommendations by the contractor, including rewrite and/or expansion, of existing policies and processes.

Question 14: What stakeholders will be engaged in the design, mapping, and final deliverable acceptance processes?

Answer 14: The HR leadership team (HR Directors and Vice Chancellor), the Chancellor and any executive leadership designated by the Chancellor may be engaged in the final deliverable acceptance process.

Question 15: The RFP references adjustments based on geography. Could you clarify which geographies you anticipate differentiating as a result of the study?

Answer 15: SCD believes will look to the contractor to make recommendations regarding competitive pay for the Seattle metro area where the District is located, we expect the contractor to discern if elements or all of the final pay structure should be designed to inclusive of pay premium versus compensation salary survey data that may not be specific to / reflective of the high cost of living in the Seattle metro area.

Question 16: “3.a” refers to an “algorithmic tool.” Could you clarify what you expect the tool to do or produce?

Answer 16: SCD expects the tool to include factors (such as the required problem solving, human relations, scop of contacts, impact, etc.) that can be used to assess any given position and place it within a benchmarking band/grade. The tool that SCD is currently using is a proprietary Excel-based benchmarking tool developed for SCD by Jacobson, Betts & Company in 2013. This tool will be made available to the consultant along with the accompanying handbook.

Question 17: “3.a.i” also refers to an “installation ready” set of structures and practices. What do you anticipate meets that criteria (e.g., stakeholder acceptance, technology configuration design, training, etc.)?

Answer 17: SCD anticipates the contractor to provide training to users, functional and applicable instructions, guidance and recommendations for the usage and ongoing maintenance of the tool, overview material that provides a lay person with reasonable insight into the function and usage of the tool, etc.

Changes to not to exceed proposal and contract award amount As Reads:

It is anticipated that any contract awarded under this solicitation shall be in an amount not to exceed $80,000.00 (including taxes, fees, and all expenses). Proposals that exceed $80,000.00 shall be considered non-responsive, and their proposals will not be evaluated.

Is hereby deleted and the following language added:

It is anticipated that any contract awarded under this solicitation shall be in an amount not to exceed $90,000.00 (including taxes, fees, and all expenses). Proposals that exceed $90,000.00 shall be considered non-responsive, and their proposals will not be evaluated.

All other descriptive elements, terms, conditions, and due dates remain the same.

End of Addendum Number 01