RFQQ_2025-25_Addendum_01_Q&A_FINAL.pdf

All amendments, addenda, and notifications related to this procurement will be posted on the

OSPI website (if this was an open procurement) and on the Washington Electronic Business

Solution (WEBS) website. Additional questions concerning this procurement must be submitted to contracts@K12.wa.us. Communication directed to other parties will be considered unofficial and non-binding on OSPI, and may result in disqualification of the Consultant.

The following list captures the questions received, and agency answers provided, during the

Pre-Bid Conference, which was held on December 19, 2024:

1. Question: Are you able to share the Smartsheet form and checklists have been shared with schools?

Answer: The checklist is available on OSPI’s 2024–25 Statewide Civil Rights Review webpage. OSPI is limiting access to the Smartsheet form to local education agencies

(LEAs), but the content mirrors what is included on the checklist.

2. Question: Must a bidder be licensed to practice law in Washington?

Answer: No. “Legal education or training, or Bar Association member in good standing” is a desirable qualification, not a minimum qualification.

3. Question: The RFQQ restricts school district employees. Would this include staff who may be on a school district substitute roster?

Answer: A minimum qualification is the “Ability to act in a neutral capacity, including not a current employee of a school district or active advocate on behalf of school districts or on behalf of students and families against school districts.” For the purpose of this

RFQQ, OSPI considers a bidder who acts as a substitute with a Washington LEA during the performance period of this contract to not be neutral.

4. Question:

Do we need to identify every member of our team with resumes and work experience, or just the qualifications of the primary contractor?

Answer: Yes, the management proposal must describe the experience of the consultant and any and staff or subcontractors that will be working on the project.

5. Question: Does the sample letter need to be from an investigation?

Answer: No, the sample letter can be from an investigation or other compliance report or audit. The RFQQ requests evidence of “strong interpersonal written and oral communication skills that demonstrate accuracy, clarity, civility, and professionalism as

Request for Qualifications and Quotations No.

2025-25

Addendum 01 – Q&A https://www.k12.wa.us/about-ospi/contracting-ospi/competitive-procurements https://pr-webs-customer.des.wa.gov/ mailto:contracts@K12.wa.us https://ospi.k12.wa.us/policy-funding/equity-and-civil-rights/resources-school-districts-civil-rights-washington-schools/2024-25-statewide-civil-rights-review

OSPI RFQQ No. 2025-25 | Addendum 01 Page 2 of 3 demonstrated by the submission of an original sample letter of ten (10) pages or less detailing a fictitious or redacted (school and personally identifiable information removed) investigation or compliance report.”

6. Question: Does OSPI have a back-up plan for timelines if all LEAs do not submit reports by the January 31, 2025 due date?

Answer: Yes, OSPI anticipates that not all reports will be submitted by the due date.

OSPI is planning to review the initial reports over a two month period, which should allow flexibility to receive some amount of late reports without running behind schedule.

OSPI will negotiate timeline adjustments with contractors as needed.

7. Question: Travel is mentioned in the RFQQ. Is that standard RFQQ language or does

OSPI anticipate this contract may include travel.

Answer: OSPI does not anticipate contractors will need to travel for this project. It is intended to be fully remote.

8. Question: Was there an apparent successful bidder in the previous RFQQ 2025-11?

Answer: No, OSPI did not select an apparent successful bidder, but instead re-issued the RFQQ with additional information about OSPI’s needs for this work.

The following list captures the questions received, and agency answers provided, during the procurement’s Q&A period:

1. Question: […] why is the bid/RFQQ reopened again?

Answer: The bids didn’t meet our needs, so we re-scoped the procurement slightly.

2. Question: Specifically, the section mentions submitting an original sample letter of ten

(10) pages or less detailing a fictitious or redacted investigation or compliance report

(with school and personally identifiable information removed). Could you kindly clarify the following: Does the submission need to be based on an actual past or present investigation/compliance report that has been redacted, or can it be entirely fictitious and created for the purpose of this submission?

Answer: The sample letter should be either a fictitious or redacted investigation or compliance report. It can be created for the purpose of this submission, OSPI encourages bidders to submit actual work (with personal details redacted or changed to protect privacy), if they have it, to further demonstrate the bidder’s relevant experience.

3. Question: Specifically, the section mentions submitting an original sample letter of ten

(10) pages or less detailing a fictitious or redacted investigation or compliance report

(with school and personally identifiable information removed). Could you kindly clarify the following: Should the investigation or compliance report focus on specific topics, OSPI RFQQ No. 2025-25 | Addendum 01 Page 3 of 3 such as school personnel misconduct, a compliance audit of hypothetical school policies

(similar to the nature of this project), or another type of investigation?

Answer: The sample letter can be based on any investigation or compliance review topic, especially if it is work that demonstrates the bidders experience in investigations or compliance reviews. However, bidders should keep in mind that desirable qualifications include “Highly advanced understanding of state and federal nondiscrimination laws as they apply to public schools, OSPI’s chapter 392-190 WAC, and OSPI’s civil rights guidelines” and “Experience in K–12 or higher education or workplace monitoring, investigations, or legal analysis.”

No questions or responses included in this document require any changes to the solicitation document; this document stands alone.