Kathie Ebaugh | JBPro
Allara Mills-Gutcher | TPC
Jason Green | Axis Infrastructure
What is your project?
Why are you doing this project?
What is the budget, timeframe, and key components?
How do you engage stakeholders?
RFQ/RFQ Solicitations
What solicitation tool—RFQ or RFP—best fits your project?
How do you communicate your project to prospective responders?
Are you creating a level playing field? RFQ vs. RFP
Be sure to be clear, yet concise. The responder must clearly understand your needs.
How do you prepare for a project—before the proposal is released?
How do you develop your project team?
Designing your planting plan
Make it your own
Build project champions
Save money on project changes
Create realistic timeline
Foundation for results
• Participants, Roles, Engagement Stakeholders
• Staff, Consultants, Roles Team
• Costs, Outcomes, Timing Research
• Budget, Timeframe, Priorities Framework
• Vision, Goals, Framework Statement
• Community, Leadership, Electeds Commitment
Local values and perspectives
Unified community interests
Civic and organizational goals
Fun and engagement activities
Invested project champions
Identify project manager
Develop core team/associate members
Determine consultant expectations
Establish officials’ roles
True costs
Project tools
Prioritize outcomes
Leadership buy-in
Think ahead—not yearly
original construction, along as adjacent elementary school construction (East J).
Scoping Phase
Procurement Phase
Design & Construction Phase Riverdale HS
FMTC
Define community need
Outline key issues & priorities
Establish programs & deliverables
Set clear expectations
Remodeling of 5 buildings in a phased approach to relocate programs as the buildings are renovated. New roofs on all remodeled buildings.
Veteran's Park Academy of the Arts Update/Renovate VPAA and 'old LAMS' into a consolidated campus. Creating 3 Academies (K-3, 4-6, 78). 1481 Elementary stations, 1486 stations. Possible performing arts center.
Cypress Lake Middle School
Rebuilding entire campus for 1481 Elementary, 1486 Middle school stations. Evaluating a possible K8 model on that campus.
East J Elementary (Adjacent to New LAMS) Prototype Elementary
East/Gateway Middle
Orangewood Elementary
CCTC
Create a middle school with 800-1200 student stations in the Gateway/Lehigh area by purchasing, renovating, and expanding the capacity at Gateway Charter or a 'New' build on a purchased property.
HVAC system update Tina Silcox
Phase 1: Creation of new building for Auto and Marine Technician programs. Phase 2: Creation of
Public Service Academy (PSA) Exploring options to increase space for improved and increased program capacity.
Franklin Park Raze campus (excluding Bldg 16), and rebuild elementary and expand programs to include community wrap-around services. Students will be relocated to portables (location TBD) while campus is being built.
Bonita Springs Elementary
Create a PK-3 Primary Learning Center with a focus on ELL and connection to District's ESOL Dept.
G. Weaver Hipps Pre-K Addition of a PreK (20 classrooms, 360 station) building. Steve Hanna
AAAA PreK-8 Estero
Innovation PreK-8
Transportation Facility expansion
Cape Coral HS Athletic Facility
Varsity Lakes Middle School Sidewalk Expansion
S. Fort Myers HS CTE Outdoor Classroom
Build a school that creates Innovative leaders and lifelong learners who positively impact an ever-changing society.
Discussing potential opportunities to improve athletic complex facilities w/restrooms, improved irrigation, turf FB field, etc.
Establish realistic budget
Set reasonable timeline
Identify shared priorities
Set clear expectations
Identify community need
Consider alternatives
Listen concerns and demands
Adopt planning priorities
Scope
Project Collusion
Interest Conflicts
Lack of Full Disclosure
Program Inequities
Scoping Unfairness & Dishonesty
Growing your project
How to prepare RFP/Qs that enable prospective consultants to successfully cultivate your scope of work.
RFQ = asks for the qualifications of the firm.
• Firm selected is the best fit for the job
• Negotiate fees later (not a bidding process)
• Based on experience and ability to perform
• Project scope may not be fully defined
• Used for continuing services
RFP = asks for the cost for the consultant to perform the service outlined. Lowest bid is accepted under 287.057(1)(a)4.
“{service} can be specifically defined and the agency is capable of identifying necessary deliverables.” 287.057(1)(b)
Required for amounts over $35,000 (2023), but check locally adopted procurement policies.
287.055 Acquisition of professional architectural, engineering, landscape architectural, or surveying and mapping services; definitions; procedures; contingent fees prohibited; penalties.—
(1) SHORT TITLE.—This section shall be known as the “Consultants’ Competitive Negotiation Act.”
Factors used to determine “qualified”:
287.055
• Capabilities
• Adequacy of personnel
• Past record
• Experience of the firm or individual
287.055
Evaluation criteria:
• All listed prior AND
• Whether the firm is a Certified Minority Business Enterprise
• Other factors determined to be applicable.
(CMBE is defined in 288.703)
287.055
(a) Evaluate qualifications and performance data; and conduct discussions with/may require public presentations by no fewer than three firms to discuss: Qualifications
Approach to the project
(b) Select in order of preference no fewer than three firms based upon qualifications that may include:
Ability of professional personnel
If a firm is a Certified Minority Business Enterprise
Past performance
Willingness to meet time and budget requirements
Location
Ability to furnish the required services
Recent, current, and projected workloads of the firm
Volume of work previously awarded to firm by the reviewing agency
• Background/Purpose and General info
Who, What, Why, Where, When? • Calendar/timeline/schedule:
What are the deliverables?
Consultant Presentations (if elected) to Selection Committee July 2, 2022
Final Decision by the City Council July 23, 2022
Notice of Award to Consultants July 25, 2022
When are the bids opened, and is that event open to the public?
Respondents should document their:
Outline project deliverables/scope by task or phase
− Include a timeline for task deliverables
E1. Expertise and work experience in developing and/or modifying LDRs especially in coastal communities in Florida similar in scope and size to the City of Alpha.
E2. Prior work experience in facilitating stakeholder input.
E3. Quality of previous work, to include references.
Experience of firm
− E.g., How many comparable projects in the past X years?
− Consider Comprehensive Plans and other large projects can take 18 mon. to 2 years, so requiring five (e.g.) in the last few years inhibits some firms.
How are you evaluating and approving responses?
− Point system? Administratively approved?
• Insurance Requirements
•
Cone of Silence
• Who can we contact for clarification?
− When is the deadline
− How are answers distributed?
• Requirements of submittal
− Limit on size of submission? Provide a checklist of contents, identify by tab or section numbers.
• Delivery of Proposal
− How many hard copies? How many digital?
Submit via a portal? Due date?
“The consultant should include a plan for public engagement in their proposal. A variety of methods shall be used to encourage broad and diverse public involvement, some of which could include stakeholder interviews, a steering committee, and interactive website, presentations to the Board of Adjustment and Code Enforcement and City Council, open houses and public workshops or meetings. “
Why? So when the proposals come in, they are all in the same playing field.
Example of expectation (vague):
• The consultant will process the Plan through the Local Planning Agency and City Council hearings through adoption.
Example of expectation (specific):
• The consultant will process the Plan through the Local Planning Agency and City Council hearings through adoption. Three (3) Local Planning Agency and five (5) City Council hearings or workshops shall be included as part of the task.
The latter description provides certainty so we understand what’s expected of our services in a response.
How many points are awarded for this portion of the proposal? (e.g. Visioning Study task is worth 25 points.)
How many methods?
This language was a cut and paste from another RFQ. Upon inquiry, the local government was not seeking a form-based code. Is it unfair to require said project types?
All of the list?
How many presentations?
(g) Project List/References: Provide a list of comparable projects (with an emphasis on form-based code re-writing projects) to which the firm participated in providing professional services as a consultant or subconsultant. The individual project details shall include:
At least three (3) persons to review and/or negotiate.
− Must have experience and knowledge in the program/service requirements.
− Reviewers must attest in writing they have no conflicts of interest.
− Additional requirements if the value of a contract is over $1 million, and additionally again over $10 million.
Also review 287.057 – Procurement of Commodities or Contractual Services
• Access to info that is relevant, but not available to all competitors (not public info) and would assist the responder in obtaining the contract.
• See 287.057(25) for language required to be included in the RFP/Q regarding the “cone of silence” time period, which is the time between release and 72 hrs. after the notice of the intended award.
• Someone (firm/subconsultant) who drafts the proposal cannot subsequently respond.
• See 287.057(19)(c).
“As public officials or public employees, we shall not engage in private communications with planning process participants if the discussions relate to a matter over which we have authority to make a binding, final determination.”
#9 –
Harvesting your project
Lessons Learned
Pictures with People!
Accomplishments
Less is More
Straightforward
