Engaging Impacted Communities in Listening Sessions for the Built Environment Program

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is conducting an Intermediate Procurement for a contractor to engage impacted communities through listening sessions for the Built Environment Program. The primary objectives include designing and facilitating listening sessions, leading an outreach strategy to engage impacted communities, and assisting in developing a proposed work plan for the program. Key deliverables involve conducting a minimum of 30 listening sessions across Oregon, with a focus on gathering input from impacted communities to inform the program's projects for 2023 and beyond. The contractor will be responsible for developing an engagement strategy, co-facilitating sessions, disbursing participant stipends, and preparing a final report. Proposals will be evaluated based on three primary criteria: Project Plan, Project Team/Key Persons Experience and Work Samples, and Price. The RFP was posted on June 17, 2022, with proposals due by July 20, 2022, and the project timeline spans from August 2022 to March 2023, with an initial 12-month contract term and potential extensions up to 2 years.

The procurement includes a Certified Disadvantaged Business Outreach Plan (Attachment F), requiring offerors to indicate if they are an Oregon certified firm and describe steps to solicit certified firms for potential subcontracting opportunities. Offerors must complete a Responsibility Inquiry (Attachment G), providing details about their financial resources, past contract performance, and required licenses. A Pay Equity Certificate is mandatory for companies employing 50 or more full-time workers with a contract price exceeding $500,000. The anticipated budget for the contract, including participant stipends, is approximately $120,000. While the RFP does not specify strict set-aside requirements, it emphasizes centering the perspectives of impacted communities in program development. The contract will be awarded to the most advantageous proposal, considering the contractor's approach to communication, relationship-building, and engagement with community stakeholders across Oregon.