RFP Document.pdf

Request for Proposal Page 1 SDDOT 2024 Statewide Customer Satisfaction Assessment

South Dakota Department of Transportation Request for Proposal Project SD2024-01

Title: SDDOT 2024 Statewide Customer Satisfaction Assessment

Problem Description: The South Dakota Department of Transportation (SDDOT) has commissioned statewide customer satisfaction assessments in 1997, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2011, 2015, 2018, and 2021.

These surveys identified SDDOT’s key products and services and assessed perceptions of their importance and quality of delivery. Survey findings raised SDDOT’s awareness of customers’ concerns, provided valuable insights into their degree of satisfaction, influenced SDDOT’s strategic plans, and allowed SDDOT to gauge progress in addressing customers’ priorities. Some of the assessments included comparisons with similar assessments in other states in the region.

Important recurring questions the SDDOT’s assessment intends to address:

Have perceptions of SDDOT’s performance changed significantly? If so, how?

Have SDDOT’s responses to issues identified in prior surveys been effective? Are more proactive or effective responses possible?

Do key customer segments perceive SDDOT's services and performance differently from the population at large? Do perceptions vary by age, region or between urban and rural populations?

Have new issues emerged that are important to the Legislature, the general public, or key customer segments?

In light of increasing costs and constrained funding, have customers’ perceptions changed regarding the need for and relative priority of capital improvements, maintenance, operations, and other services?

How have external factors, such as demographic changes, rural and urban development, agricultural and shipping practices, and technological developments affected customers’ perceptions of the need for and relative priority of SDDOT’s services?

Have changes in SDDOT business processes, such as increased use of consultants, remote work arrangements, traveler information systems, and its external communications plan affected customers’ perceptions of the quality of service delivery?

How have customers’ needs, preferences, and satisfaction levels regarding communication with SDDOT changed?

How can SDDOT increase customers’ interest, trust, and engagement?

How effectively does SDDOT conduct business with key business partners, particularly the contracting industry?

Does the SDDOT respond innovatively and effectively to issues and concerns important to stakeholders?

What is the public’s perception of driver behavior and the transportation safety culture in South

Dakota?

SDDOT’s emphasis on strategic planning and its participation in the Baldrige Excellence Framework assessment process elevates the need to reassess perceptions of SDDOT’s performance and to identify how SDDOT can effectively respond.

Importance: This research is needed to track SDDOT’s progress in identifying and addressing customer concerns. Findings will help SDDOT determine whether actions undertaken through its strategic planning processes are effective and may suggest new emphasis areas for upcoming strategic planning efforts.

Literature Summary: Results of SDDOT's prior surveys (SD1997-01, SD1998-17, SD2002-07, SD2003- 12, SD2006-03, SD2010-03, SD2015-07, SD2018-01, and SD2021-02) are available at https://dot.sd.gov/inside-sddot/forms-publications/reports. Other states have completed similar assessments.

https://dot.sd.gov/inside-sddot/forms-publications/reports

Request for Proposal Page 2 SDDOT 2024 Statewide Customer

Research Objectives

1. Assess the opinions of the public and key customer groups regarding the composition, importance, and delivered quality of the SDDOT’s key products and services.

2. Assess the opinions of the highway construction industry regarding the effectiveness of SDDOT’s business practices and relationships.

3. Assess progress in identifying and addressing customer concerns through SDDOT’s ongoing efforts to develop and execute strategic plans and other departmental plans and actions.

4. Identify specific actions SDDOT can take to improve its performance and the perception of customer groups and business partners regarding its performance.

5. Identify critical needs and opportunities for improved communication and outreach to customer groups.

Research Tasks

1. Meet with the project’s technical panel to review the project’s scope and work plan.

2. Prepare and submit for review the project’s technical panel discussion outlines to be used in interviews and focus groups.

3. Interview selected managers and staff of SDDOT to identify potentially important issues related to customer service and to identify actions taken in response to SDDOT’s prior customer surveys.

4. Conduct focus groups or interviews with members of the general public and key customer groups— which may include commercial vehicle operators, older drivers, younger and newer drivers, the agricultural industry, emergency vehicle operators, construction contractors, and state legislators—to identify significant issues that should be addressed quantitatively through a statewide survey.

5. Summarize the findings of interviews and focus groups and present them to the technical panel and the Department's Executive Team.

6. Based on findings from the interviews, focus groups, and direction from the technical panel, develop and submit for approval a survey plan and one or more quantitative survey instruments to reach representative samples of each targeted group of customers and business partners.

7. Upon approval of the survey instruments and plan, conduct quantitative surveys to assess perceptions concerning the composition, importance, delivered quality, and opportunity for improvement of SDDOT’s key products and services.

8. Submit, and present to the project’s technical panel and SDDOT’s executive management team, a comprehensive analysis of findings from the surveys, including recommendations on how SDDOT can improve its products and services, customer perceptions, and communication with customers.

9. Prepare a final report summarizing research methodology, findings, conclusions, and implementation recommendations, including recommendations for survey instrument(s) to be used in future assessments.

10. Make executive presentations to SDDOT's Research Review Board and SDDOT employees at the conclusion of the project.

Potential Implementation: If successful, this research will reassess current opinion of the public and key customer segments and identify practical actions SDDOT can take to respond to customer concerns. The survey will provide data essential to tracking key performance measures identified in SDDOT’s strategic plan. Upon completion of the project, the project’s technical panel will recommend implementation actions to the Executive Team, who is expected to incorporate selected actions into SDDOT’s strategic planning processes and other departmental plans and processes.

SDDOT Involvement: SDDOT will provide access to available data from prior assessments and make appropriate managers and staff available for interviews.

Available Funding: $130,000 Anticipated Start Date: September 15, 2024 Duration: 8 months

Terms of Payment: Payment for study services will be made upon SDDOT’s acceptance of key project deliverables. For this study, percentages of total project cost will be paid upon satisfactory completion of the following tasks:

Request for Proposal Page 3 SDDOT 2024 Statewide Customer

Task % of Total Cost 2 10% 5 30% 8 30%

All Tasks 30% Total 100%

General Information: The South Dakota Department of Transportation solicits proposals from colleges, universities, research institutes, foundations, consultants, federal, state, and local agencies, and others with demonstrated capability and experience in the subject area.

The South Dakota Department of Transportation gives public notice of its policy to uphold and assure full compliance with the non-discrimination requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related Nondiscrimination authorities. Title VI and related Nondiscrimination authorities stipulate that no person in the United States of America shall on the grounds of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability, income level or Limited English Proficiency be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance. Any person who has questions concerning this policy or wishes to file a discrimination complaint should contact the Department’s Civil Rights Office at 605-773-3540.

Proposals must remain valid for at least 120 days after the submission deadline. All submitted proposals become the property of the South Dakota Department of Transportation. SDDOT has the right to use all information presented in any proposal unless it is specifically annotated as being proprietary. SDDOT considers all information contained in proposals to be privileged and reserves the right to maintain its confidentiality.

South Dakota state statute requires the winning proposal, with proprietary information redacted, to be posted online along with the corresponding contractual agreement.

SDDOT reserves the right to reject any proposals submitted. SDDOT may negotiate with a selected proposer to address specific weaknesses in the selected proposal prior to contract award.

SDDOT is not responsible for any costs, including proposal preparation, incurred by researchers prior to the execution of a contract.

Certification Relating to Prohibited Entity: For contractors, vendors, suppliers, or subcontractors who enter into a contract with the State of South Dakota by submitting a response to this solicitation or agreeing to contract with the State, the bidder or offeror certifies and agrees that the following information is correct:

The bidder or offeror, in preparing its response or offer or in considering proposals submitted from qualified, potential vendors, suppliers, and subcontractors, or in the solicitation, selection, or commercial treatment of any vendor, supplier, or subcontractor, is not an entity, regardless of its principal place of business, that is ultimately owned or controlled, directly or indirectly, by a foreign national, a foreign parent entity, or foreign government from China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Cuba, or Venezuela, as defined by South Dakota Executive Order 2023-02. It is understood and agreed that, if this certification is false, such false certification will constitute grounds for the State to reject the bid or response submitted by the bidder or offeror on this project and terminate any contract awarded based on the bid or response. The successful bidder or offeror further agrees to provide immediate written notice to the contracting executive branch agency if during the term of the contract it no longer complies with this certification and agrees such noncompliance may be grounds for contract termination.

Restriction of Boycott of Israel: For contractors, vendors, suppliers, or subcontractors with five (5) or more employees who enter into a contract with the State of South Dakota that involves the expenditure of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) or more, by submitting a response to this solicitation or agreeing to contract with the State, the bidder or offeror certifies and agrees that the following information is correct:

The bidder or offeror, in preparing its response or offer or in considering proposals submitted from qualified, potential vendors, suppliers, and subcontractors, or in the solicitation, selection, or commercial

Request for Proposal Page 4 SDDOT 2024 Statewide Customer treatment of any vendor, supplier, or subcontractor, has not refused to transact business activities, has not terminated business activities, and has not taken other similar actions intended to limit its commercial relations, related to the subject matter of the bid or offer, with a person or entity on the basis of Israeli national origin, or residence or incorporation in Israel or its territories, with the specific intent to accomplish a boycott or divestment of Israel in a discriminatory manner. It is understood and agreed that, if this certification is false, such false certification will constitute grounds for the State to reject the bid or response submitted by the bidder or offeror on this project and terminate any contract awarded based on the bid or response. The successful bidder or offeror further agrees to provide immediate written notice to the contracting executive branch agency if during the term of the contract it no longer complies with this certification and agrees such noncompliance may be grounds for contract termination.

Certification of No State Legislator Interest: Offeror (i) understands neither a state legislator nor a business in which a state legislator has an ownership interest may be directly or indirectly interested in any contract with the State that was authorized by any law passed during the term for which that legislator was elected, or within one year thereafter, and (ii) has read South Dakota Constitution Article 3, Section 12 and has had the opportunity to seek independent legal advice on the applicability of that provision to any Agreement entered into as a result of this RFP. By signing an Agreement pursuant to this RFP, Offeror hereby certifies that the Agreement is not made in violation of the South Dakota Constitution Article 3, Section 12.

Proposal Deadline: Proposals are due to the SDDOT by 5:00 pm CDT on Friday, June 21, 2024. This deadline is firm. Extensions will not be granted.

Proposals must be submitted as an e-mail attachment in Portable Document Format (PDF) not exceeding 14MB. The email must be addressed to andy.vandel@state.sd.us and margo.mcdowell@state.sd.us.

Proposers should send the e-mail using “Delivery Receipt” and “Read Receipt” options to verify successful delivery.

Proposal Guidelines: Proposals must fulfill the requirements listed in the document entitled RESEARCH PROPOSAL PREPARATION, SUBMISSION, AND EVALUATION and dated October 28, 2022.

Proposal Evaluation: Proposals will be evaluated by a technical panel knowledgeable in the problem area.

Selection will be made in consideration of criteria listed in RESEARCH PROPOSAL PREPARATION, SUBMISSION, AND EVALUATION.

Project Management: Margo McDowell is responsible for the management of this project and can be reached at margo.mcdowell@state.sd.us to answer inquiries.

mailto:andy.vandel@state.sd.us mailto:margo.mcdowell@state.sd.us mailto:margo.mcdowell@state.sd.us