Other Agencies and Organizations, Florida is for Veterans Inc.

 

OTHER AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS

Florida is for Veterans Inc.

Veterans Florida Strategic Planning Request for Proposals

Date of Request: June 30, 2017

Responses Due: July 21, 2017 by 5:00 p.m.

Presentations for selected respondents is required on August 2, 2017

Contact Information:

Bobby Carbonell

Executive Director, Veterans Florida

[phone]

[e-mail]

Physical Address: 930 Thomasville Rd, Suite 100, Tallahassee, FL 32303

1.                 Objective

Veterans Florida seeks a qualified, experienced, professional consultant or consultant firm to coordinate, compile data, and help facilitate a comprehensive agency strategic planning effort resulting in a updated three-year Strategic Plan addressing both sustainability of organizational efforts and opportunities for engagement in new initiatives consistent with the Veterans Florida mission and identified legislative goals.

Background

Veterans Florida is a non-profit corporation created by the State of Florida to help veterans fully transition to civilian life in the Sunshine State. We connect veterans to employers, grant funds to employers to hire and train veterans, and educate veterans on how to open their own businesses in Florida. The Board of Directors commissioned the organization's initial strategic plan in early 2015 which covered the organizations startup period and initial years. The Board has requested that the plan be updated to reflect the current structure of the organization, its programs and services, and the competitive landscape of veterans organizations. A copy of the current strategic plan is available on our organization's website: http://www.veteransflorida.org/about-us/

2.                 Scope of Work

The consultant or consultant firm selected by Veterans Florida to facilitate a comprehensive strategic planning effort that take into account:

●                     All requirements, goals, restrictions, and deadlines identified in Florida Statutes 295.21-23 relating to Veterans Florida.

●                     Current level of funding and sources of funding for Veterans Florida

●                     The current programs and services offered by Veterans Florida

●                     The target markets and stakeholders served by the programs and services

●                     An environmental scan of competitors in the veterans transition assistance, workforce placement and entrepreneurship space

●                     Analysis of Veterans Florida’s unique competitive advantages

The successful respondent will prepare a detailed facilitated strategic planning session or sessions to be conducted through interviews with staff and board members and a workshop held during a publicly noticed Board of Directors meeting. The expected time of completion for the entire strategic planning effort is October 9th, 2017. The successful respondent will keep detailed notes and/or transcripts of the strategic planning sessions for future use by the board of directors. The successful respondent will compile the results of the strategic planning session into a new three-year strategic plan document.

3.                 Project Tasks and Deliverables

The deliverables should consist of, but are not limited to the following:

1.                   The contractor will facilitate a strategic planning session or sessions that culminates in the publication of a three-year strategic plan document.

2.                   The final plan document will outline the primary efforts of Veterans Florida for the next three years. The document should meet the below criteria:

(1)                 Be user-friendly, visionary, and recognize the current needs of the state and transitioning veterans’ needs while allowing for flexibility to address future trends and needs of the state.

(2)                 Provide performance measures that the elected state leadership can use to judge the corporation’s accountability. Performance measures can include metrics based on data collected by other state government entities.

(3)                 Identify and differentiate the corporation’s roles and responsibilities from other state agencies or entities.

(4)                 Identify fundraising opportunities, charitable solicitations, and other potential funding sources.

(5)                 Identify points of confluence and friction between the corporation’s roles and missions and other state entities. The document should include recommendations for memorializing points of confluence and mitigating points of friction.

(6)                 Identify important milestones for the corporation’s successful completion of the tasks assigned by the legislature to the committee.

(7)                 Include specific staffing and budget recommendations for the life of the plan.

(8)                 Include specific recommendations for potential changes to the corporation’s governing statutes F.S. 295.21-23

5. Submittal Content Requirements

1. Cover Letter:

a. The cover letter shall also contain the name of the organization, contact person, title, address, telephone number and website address.

2. Table of Contents:

The Table of Contents should identify locations of all sections in the submittal.

3. Submittal Information:

a. Firm’s Qualifications:

(i)                  Prior experience working with corporations that were established by state government.

(ii)                Experience in facilitating strategic planning sessions.

(iii)              Experience with public planning including the use of social media and other technologies and methods.

(iv)               Firm has history and experience relevant to Veterans Florida’s needs that should be identified including a description of the firm’s direct experience with contracts of similar size, scope and complexity.

(v)                 Responses to this section should identify similar projects undertaken by the firm or team within the last five years. The firm or team member’s specific role in those listed projects must also be documented. The appropriate references, names and telephone numbers should be provided.

     4. Staff Qualifications:

a. This section shall contain the firm’s staffing plan, which shall identify the Project Manager and other key staff who would be assigned to the contract, and shall list the direct qualifications and experience of each key individual. At a minimum, this section should include a short biography and experience of each key employee proposed by the firm or team and summary of relevant experience. A roster and resumes of key personnel (limited two pages per person), to include each individual’s title and assigned office location.

b. A Project Manager must be identified with an indication of how much time will be committed to this project. The Project Manager shall coordinate all necessary consultation, data collection, hearings and meetings with Veterans Florida staff. Key staff must also be identified. No changes in key personnel listed in the quote are to be made without written notification to and concurrence by Veterans Florida.

c. The response must include a proposed project management plan, identifying project staff (including sub-consultants) for this project by major task activity. An estimate of hourly time commitments to those major work tasks must be provided. An organization chart must be provided. Time requirements availability for those persons identified must be provided.

5. Approach and Work Plan:

a. A description of the project approach should be provided. In this project approach, an understanding of the technical work required under the Scope of Services in this RFP should be demonstrated. The methods that the consultant will utilize to approach the work effort should be described, as well as any recommended changes to the Scope of Services. Submit a timeline schedule to demonstrate how consultant will meet required deadlines.

b. The response to this section should also contain a description of the level of familiarity with the State of Florida’s governmental structure and veteran population especially with regard to education and workforce issues veterans’ face in transitioning from service to civilian life.

6. Cost Schedules:

Cost responses must include the number and type of staff assigned to each component of the plan, the number of hours and the hourly rate assigned to each plan component. Also the total cost for the complete project.

7. Submissions must be delivered via emailed to the Executive Director, Bobby Carbonell at email: [e-mail].

6. Response:

Interested vendors should respond to this RFP by submitting a quote that includes, at a minimum, the information identified above such as qualifications and methodology for performing the above-described services and cost structure associated with providing the services.

7. Project Timeline:

     1. July 21, 2017 by 5:00pm ET: Responses due.

     2. July 28, 2017: Vendor notified of selection for presentation.

3. August 2, 2017: Interested firms should be prepared to present their proposals to Veterans Florida’s staff in person in Tallahassee, FL. Each firm has 15 minutes to present their proposals followed by a 10 minutes of question and answer session.

4. August 4, 2017 Veterans Florida notifies vendor of final selection.

5. August 9, 2017: Start of strategic planning interviews and preliminary work.

6. September 25 2017: Board strategic plan workshop held in Tallahassee, FL (date and location subject to change)

7. October 9, 2017: Final strategic plan document due to Veterans Florida

8. November 13, 2017: Presentation of Final strategic plan to Board of Directors, held in Tallahassee, FL (can be accomplished telephonically or through video conferencing)

8. List of Contractor Responsibilities

1.                 The contractor will meet with the staff and conduct interviews with the members of Board and stakeholders to gather information relating to the strategic plan.
2.                 The contractor will be responsible for facilitating a strategic planning session during a publicly noticed Board of Directors meeting. This facilitation must be done in-person and cannot be done via video, internet or telephone conference.
3.                 The contractor will produce a strategic plan document as outlined in the Project Tasks and Deliverables.

9. AWARD: Award of this contract shall be made to the lowest quoted, most responsive and responsible respondent submitting the quote deemed to be in the best interests of Veterans Florida (all factors considered). All determinations of same are to be made solely at the discretion of Veterans Florida. Nothing contained in the quote documents is intended or does create an entitlement of property interest in the award of contract in the low respondent. The apparent low respondent is not necessarily entitled to the award of the contract. The Purchase Order and/or Agreement shall be considered the binding contract.

10. ORAL PRESENTATIONS: Oral presentations will be required of vendors selected to provide a presentation. The oral presentations will be scheduled for 15 minute periods on August 2nd, 2017.

11. INVOICES and PAYMENT: Contractor shall submit an invoice, to the attention of the corporation’s appointed project manager. The vendor’s Federal Employment Identification Number must appear on all invoices. Invoices shall be submitted in detail sufficient for a proper pre-audit and post-audit thereof. The corporation’s project manager or their successor shall be responsible for monitoring performance of the contract terms and conditions and he shall serve as liaison with the contractor and shall approve all invoice prices for payment.

12. MODIFICATIONS: This RFP represents what Veterans Florida believes to be in the best interest of the corporation. Veterans Florida reserves the right to change, add, or delete any requirements from the RFP if Veterans Florida deems it to be in its best interest.

13. REJECTION OF QUOTATIONS: Veterans Florida may reject a quotation if:

a. The respondent misstates or conceals any material fact in the Quote, or;

b. The Quote does not conform to the law or requirements of Quote, or;

c. Veterans Florida may reject all Quotes, with or without cause, whenever it is deemed in the best interest of Veterans Florida to do so. Veterans Florida may waive minor informalities or irregularities if it chooses. Veterans Florida will determine what constitutes "minor" dependent upon its needs and best interests.

d. Veterans Florida, in its sole discretion, shall determine whether or not a respondent is responsible and/or responsive.

14. WITHDRAWAL OF A QUOTATION: Quotes may not be withdrawn after the time/date the Quote is due. Quotes may be withdrawn prior to the Due Date/Time provided the request to withdraw is provided to the Purchasing Officer or designee, in written form.

15. LATE QUOTATIONS OR MODIFICATIONS: Quotations and modifications received after the Due Date/Time are not accepted. Written modifications received prior to the Due Date will be considered if received at least two working days in ad