rfp-des-2025-12.pdf

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Assessment of Post-Disaster Recovery in Coastal New Hampshire

January 17, 2025

New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services

Watershed Management Bureau, Coastal Program 222 International Drive, Suite 175, Portsmouth, NH 03801

SECTION 1 – Overview and Schedule

A. Overview The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Coastal Program (NHCP) is seeking proposals from a qualified consultant, or team of qualified consultants to assist NHCP with their Preparing for Resilient and Equitable Post-disaster Assistance and Recovery to Events (PREPARE) in Coastal New Hampshire project. The PREPARE project is a regional effort to prepare coastal communities for destructive flood events by assessing and building their capacity for resilient and equitable recovery.

NHCP is seeking assistance preferably from those with expertise in policy and program assessment, floodplain management and coastal resiliency, disaster recovery, and equity and inclusion practices.

New Hampshire’s 17 coastal zone communities are uniquely vulnerable to flood risks from riverine flooding and coastal storms and sea-level rise, all of which is expected to continue getting worse. Over the last two years, coastal flood events permanently displaced people and caused extensive flood damage. NHCP is seeking external consulting services to work in coordination with the project’s Advisory Group to establish a baseline understanding of existing practices, policies, plans, and programs related to disaster and flood recovery in New Hampshire. The consultant will also work with the Advisory Group to develop and implement a stakeholder engagement plan, which will include interviewing key community members to learn about their capacity to recover from flood events, identify gaps or barriers to accessing resources, and understand how the community engages with community members.

Following the interviews, the consultant will administer a survey to gather input from the public about flood recovery efforts.

The consultant will use stakeholder and community partnership input as well best practices from other places to develop a regional assessment and action plan, which will detail the tasks and resources needed to address gaps and barriers, including resiliency and equitable engagement actions that communities and agencies need to implement to improve equitable recovery from present and future flooding events. The consultant will further assist the Advisory Group in establishing the Coastal NH Community Network for Flood Recovery (Community Network), which will be a long-term space for emergency management officials, community-based organizations, regional organizations, state agencies, and other interested groups to convene regularly to prepare for and recovery from destructive flood events. The Community Network will also be responsible for advancing assessment’s recommendations and ensuring they are implemented to support and improve flood recovery outcomes for socially vulnerable groups, such as elderly, disabled, racial minority, and low-income groups.

The completion date for the proposed scope of work set forth in Section 3 is March 13, 2026.

B. Schedule of Events The following table provides an estimated Schedule of Events for this RFP through contract finalization and approval. The Agency reserves the right to amend this Schedule at its sole discretion and at any time through a published Addendum.

EVENT DATE LOCAL TIME

RFP Released January 17, 2025 Deadline for Consultant Inquiries January 31, 2025 4:00 PM Responses to Consultant Inquiries Published February 7, 2025 4:00 PM Proposal Submission Deadline March 10, 2025 4:00 PM Estimated Timeframe for Consultant Interviews March 24-28, 2025 Estimated Notification of Selection April 4, 2025 Estimated Timeframe for Contract Negotiations April 7 – 11, 2025 Estimated Project Start Date (upon Governor & Council approval) June 2025

SECTION 2 – Description of Agency or Program issuing the Request for Proposal

The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services Coastal Program (NHCP) is a program located within the Watershed Management Bureau in the Water Division of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) and is supported by 10 full-time staff members. One of 34 federally approved coastal programs authorized under the Coastal Zone Management Act, NHCP protects clean water, restores coastal habitats, and helps make communities more resilient to flooding and other natural hazards by providing staff assistance and funding primarily to New Hampshire’s 17 coastal zone communities, as well as other local and regional organizations. NHCP programmatic focus areas include Coastal Resilience (technical and financial assistance), Habitat Restoration (technical and financial assistance), Federal Consistency, Ocean Planning, Shellfish, and Talent Management (i.e., recruitment and retention of employees, NOAA fellows, and volunteers).

SECTION 3 – Proposed Scope of Work

The proposed scope of work, outlined below, has been organized into four tasks: (1) Institutional, Stakeholder, and Content Analysis, (2) Stakeholder Engagement, (3) Community Network and (4) Regional Flood Recovery Assessment and Action Plan. NHCP and the project’s Advisory Group will be active and engaged partners in each project task. Based on expertise or prior experience with similar projects, consultants may suggest changes or alternatives to the proposed work plan in their response to this RFP.

A. Project Tasks and Deliverables The following is a summary of the project’s tasks and deliverables.

Task 1. Institutional, Stakeholder, and Content Analysis:

In coordination with the project’s Advisory Group, the consultant will establish a baseline understanding of existing practices, policies, plans, and programs related to disaster and flood recovery in New Hampshire’s coastal communities, state agencies, and regional organizations.

https://www.des.nh.gov/water/coastal-waters https://www.des.nh.gov/ https://www.des.nh.gov/ chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https:/www.des.nh.gov/sites/g/files/ehbemt341/files/documents/2020-01/nh-coastal-zone-map.pdf

Task 1 Deliverables (for guidance purposes only):

• Written report with summary of findings based on review of existing institutional structures, stakeholders, and documentation to establish baseline understanding of disaster and flood recovery in coastal New Hampshire.

Task 2. Stakeholder Engagement:

In coordination with the project’s Advisory Group, the consultant will develop and implement a stakeholder engagement plan, which will include details of the stakeholder engagement, which will include interviews, a survey, and workshops.

Task 2 Deliverables (for guidance purposes only):

• Completed engagement plan that will detail the goals and objectives of the engagement, identify relevant groups, and describe the process to gather community member input.

• Summary of key stakeholders’ interviews to learn about their capacity to recover from flood events, identify gaps or barriers to accessing resources, and understand how the community engages with community members

• Summary of a survey with public input on flood recovery efforts.

• Summary of two stakeholder workshops where participants will learn about the draft assessment findings and work together to identify priority recommendations for the action plan.

Task 3. Community Network:

In coordination with the project’s Advisory Group, the consultant will assist in establishing the Coastal NH Community Network for Flood Recovery by determining membership and creating a charter.

Task 3 Deliverables (for guidance purposes only):

• Identification and engagement of network participants from subset of key stakeholders engaged in Task 2.

• Community Network charter that details membership and responsibility to advance recommendations from the Regional Flood Recovery Assessment and Action Plan in Task 4.

Task 4. Regional Flood Recovery Assessment and Action Plan:

In coordination with the project’s Advisory Group, the consultant will develop a draft and final Regional Flood Recovery Assessment and Action Plan, which will describe how communities are currently considering resiliency and equity in recovery efforts, identifies gaps and barriers that communities experience when recovering from flood events, summarizes best practices and models from other places, and incorporates stakeholder input. The Action plan will identify tasks and resources needed to address gaps and barriers and actions that communities and agencies need to implement to improve equitable recovery from present and future flooding events.

Task 4 Deliverables (for guidance purposes only):

• Draft assessment and action plan

• Final assessment and action plan that addresses input from the two stakeholder workshops in Task 2 and that is 508-compliant for posting on NHCP website.

B. Reporting The consultant shall provide one (1) interim project progress report and one (1) final report summarizing major project outcomes completed during the project award period and covering the following reporting periods:

• Expected contract start date: June 2025

• Interim Report: June 2025 to September 30, 2025 (due on October 15, 2025)

• Final Report: June 2025 to March 13, 2026 (due along with final invoice on March 28, 2025)

Upon completion of this project, all information, data, documents, photos, computer records, and other materials of any kind acquired or developed by the consultant pursuant to this project shall be the property of NHCP and can be made publicly available as required by the laws of the State of New Hampshire and federal government.

C. Budget and Funding Source The budget for the proposal may not exceed $100,000, inclusive of labor, subcontract, and all project expenses related to the scope of work.

Funding for this effort is provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office for Coastal Management under the Coastal Zone Management Act in conjunction with NHCP.

Standard Terms and Conditions of the State of New Hampshire; Department of Commerce Financial Assistance Standard Terms and Conditions; and Office of Management and Budget Guidance Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards apply.

SECTION 4 – PROPOSAL INQUIRIES AND SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

A. Proposal Inquiries All inquiries concerning this RFP (e.g., requests for clarification, questions, etc.) must be submitted via email by 4:00 PM EST on Friday, January 31, 2025, to the following designated RFP Points of Contact:

TO: Jennifer Gilbert, NHCP Resilience Project Manager, jennifer.r.gilbert@des.nh.gov.

CC: Becca Katz, NHCP Resilience Grants Specialist, rebecca.a.katz@des.nh.gov

All questions and responses will be posted to the New Hampshire Department of Administrative Services Statewide Bids and Proposals Website by 4:00 PM EST on February 7, 2025.

B. Submission Instructions Consultant proposals must be submitted via email by 4:00 PM EST on Monday, March 10, 2025 to the following designated RFP Points of Contact:

mailto:jennifer.r.gilbert@des.nh.gov mailto:rebecca.a.katz@des.nh.gov https://apps.das.nh.gov/bidscontracts/ https://apps.das.nh.gov/bidscontracts/

TO: Jennifer Gilbert, NHCP Resilience Project Manager, Jennifer.R.Gilbert@des.nh.gov.

CC: Becca Katz, NHCP Resilience Grants Specialist, rebecca.a.katz@des.nh.gov

Consultant proposals must be submitted in PDF format with a maximum file size of 10MB.

SECTION 5 – REQUIRED PROPOSAL COMPONENTS

Consultant proposals must not exceed 10 pages and include the following required components:

A. Project Team Description The proposal will describe the relevant experience and qualifications of all key personnel (staff and subcontractors) assigned by the consultant to manage and implement project tasks. The proposal will also describe the roles and responsibilities and level of effort that each team member will perform as part of the project.

B. Summary of Project Tasks The primary tasks and deliverables for this project are provided above in Section 3 for guidance purposes. In their proposal, the consultant should describe their preferred approach for completing the work, clearly describing any changes or alternatives to the proposed scope of work in their response to this RFP.

C. Project Schedule The consultant will provide a detailed project schedule and schedule narrative. The project schedule should show project activities for each task laid out in a Gantt chart that identifies the duration, activity interdependencies, activity start and completion dates, and key project milestones. The schedule narrative should describe the proposed phasing and workflow. Contingent upon successful negotiation and Governor and Executive Council contract approval, the project is expected to start in June 2025. The completion date for the proposed scope of work set forth in Section 3 is March 13, 2026.

D. Project Budget The consultant will provide a detailed proposed project budget and budget narrative, not to exceed $100,000. The proposed budget should itemize the cost of performing the work at the activity level. This will entail providing estimated hours for each activity for each person/role as well as the hourly rates for each person/role. The budget should show sub-contractual fees and any associated markup, as well as stipends/compensation for community participants.

E. References or Examples of Similar Projects The consultant will provide references who can speak to the consultant’s experience. The consultant will provide examples of similar projects completed, particularly those that demonstrate experience with policy and program assessment, disaster recovery, state government, non-profit organizations, coastal management and stewardship, and equitable community engagement.

mailto:Jennifer.R.Gilbert@des.nh.gov mailto:rebecca.a.katz@des.nh.gov

F. Confidentiality Statement Each proposal will include a confidentiality statement covering all firms and individuals involved in this project. The confidentiality statement will prohibit the use, distribution or discussion of collected information for any purpose other than development and documentation of the whole community engagement plan and regional flood recovery assessment and action plan. Consultants must also identify any aspects of their proposed work and deliverables that will be proprietary.

SECTION 6 – Selection Criteria

A. Scoring of Proposals Consultants will be ranked based on: (1) Responsiveness to Proposal Requirements; (2) Experience and Qualifications (3) Previous Related Work and References; (4) Strength of Proposed Scope of Work; and

(5) Project Schedule and Budget for a maximum total of 100 points. Rankings will be based on the following evaluation criteria and weightings:

• Responsiveness to Proposal Requirements (10 Points) NHCP will rate the responsiveness of the applicant’s proposal, evaluating whether all required components of the proposal are included and whether the proposal is easy to review.

• Experience and Qualifications (25 Points) NHCP will rate the applicant, or team of applicants, on their experience and knowledge.

Consultants should demonstrate an outstanding ability to collaborate with diverse partners, synthesize and present information in an accessible and inclusive manner, and build collaborative relationships.

• Previous Related Work and References (15 Points) NHCP will evaluate references who can speak to the applicant’s previous experience, as well as examples of similar projects completed by the applicant, particularly those that demonstrate experience with policy and program assessment, disaster recovery, state government, non-profit organizations, coastal management and stewardship, and equitable community engagement.

• Strength of Proposed Scope of Work (35 Points) NHCP will rate the applicant on their descriptions of the activities required to complete the project tasks and their understanding of how the components of the tasks fit together to prepare communities in an equitable and resilient manner.

• Project Schedule and Budget (15 Points)

NHCP will rate the applicant’s project schedule and budget. Selection will not be determined by lowest cost; instead NHDES will evaluate if the project schedule and budget are both realistic and appropriate. A detailed schedule and budget which propose discrete segments of work will be favored.

B. Interviews and Final Selection After scoring the proposals, NHCP will choose consultants to continue through interviews. Interviews will be held during the week of March 24, 2025, and conducted remotely via an online meeting platform or in-person at NHCP offices in Portsmouth, NH. NHCP will then rank the interview candidates based on a structured review of proposals and interviews. NHCP will notify the highest-ranked consultant that NHCP intends to engage in contract negotiation.

NHCP will negotiate with the highest-ranked consultant to determine final project scope and cost based on fair and reasonable compensation for the services required. Negotiations may entail eliminating, amending or adding activities, and therefore a detailed schedule and budget that propose discrete segments of work will be favored. NHCP and the consultant will determine the most effective means of completing the project tasks given the budget, workflow and staffing conditions during final contract negotiations.

If no agreement is reached on scope of services and price, NHCP will terminate negotiations and begin negotiations with the next-highest ranked consultant until a contract has been successfully negotiated.

SECTION 7 – DISCLAIMER

This RFP does not commit NHCP to award a contract or pay any costs incurred during the preparation of the proposal. NHDES reserves the right to reject any or all proposals. NHCP reserves the right to reduce the scope of work to meet its budget or to ensure continuity of the overall project. NHCP also reserve the right to eliminate the need for the selected consultant to complete one or more tasks, based on the outcome of preceding activities or tasks.

SECTION 7 – DISCLAIMER