Request for Proposal-Market Compensation Study

Lee County, North Carolina is soliciting proposals for a comprehensive market compensation study through a Request for Proposal (RFP) issued on July 7, 2025, with submissions due by July 28, 2025 at 2:00 PM EST. The county seeks qualified consulting firms to conduct a detailed analysis of its position classification and compensation system, covering 16 departments and encompassing 501 full-time and 183 part-time positions across 133 active classifications. Key deliverables include a market salary survey, identification of potential pay compression, comprehensive analysis of the current compensation structure, and recommendations for systematic adjustments. The study must meet legal requirements, ensure non-discriminatory practices, and accommodate potential organizational growth. Required deliverables include a final written report, presentations to county leadership and commissioners, a maintenance manual, and training for implementing the recommended compensation plan. Evaluation criteria will likely focus on the firm's methodology, project timeline, staff involvement strategy, fee structure, and references from similar municipal compensation studies completed within the past three years.

The RFP does not explicitly specify set-aside designations or restrictions on respondent types, suggesting the opportunity is open to a broad range of qualified consulting firms with expertise in municipal compensation studies. The county's current compensation structure consists of 30 salary grades with 18 steps per grade, categorizing positions as 90 non-exempt and 43 exempt. While no incumbent vendor is mentioned, this procurement represents an update to the previous comprehensive classification and compensation study initiated in 2017 and implemented in December 2018. The document does not provide a specific budget range or award value, which will likely be determined through the proposal evaluation process. Interested firms should carefully review the full RFP document to understand the comprehensive scope of work, submission requirements, and the intricate details of Lee County's compensation system analysis needs.