REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

Transcription

1 REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS Program and Fiscal Monitoring Services RFP Release Date: 10/13/2017 Proposal Due Date: 11/9/2017 No Later Than 3:00 PM (CST) Tarrant County Local Workforce Development Board 1320 S. University Dr., Suite 600 Fort Worth, Texas A proud partner of the network

2 THE TARRANT COUNTY WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD The Tarrant County Workforce Development Board (dba Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County), the Board, is a volunteer board appointed by the chief elected officials of the Tarrant County Workforce Development Area (TCWDA). The TCWDB is composed of a majority of representatives of private sector employers, along with representatives of labor, education, childcare, social services, community based organizations, rehabilitation agencies and other local interests. For additional information about the structure and services provided by the Board, please refer to our website at SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED/SCOPE OF ACTIVITY The Board plans to engage a firm to carry out program monitoring services and a firm to carry out fiscal monitoring services during the period January 1, 2018 through September 30, 2018, for Fiscal Year The Board may elect to renew the contracts for up to three (4) additional years, pending successful contract completion, a review, and funding availability. It is the Board s intent to enter into two monitoring service contracts, as follows: * One contract for program monitoring services, and * One contract for fiscal monitoring services. Organizations and entities who wish to compete for both contracts must submit a separate proposal for each service. The Board will engage the firms to perform the following services, and others as identified as necessary, as they relate to the Board s fiscal and program compliance monitoring responsibilities: Implement the monitoring plan; Report outcomes of monitoring to the Workforce Development Board staff as the monitoring plan is implemented; and Recommend solutions to problems as they are identified. A risk assessment appraising the relative risk of fiscal compliance problems from the Board and each subcontractor; a risk assessment appraising the relative risk of programmatic compliance problems from the Board and each subcontractor; a monitoring plan based upon the risk assessment; and a Fiscal Integrity Plan will be completed by the firms prior to monitoring onsite and producing reports based on findings. The scope of monitoring services procured through this process will include: A. Financial monitoring of all Board subcontractors. These will include: FY18 Program/Fiscal Monitoring Services RFP Page 1 of 17

3 * Workforce Center Services contractor (Adult and Youth Programs) * Child Care Management Services contractor * Adult Education and Literacy Providers * Adult and Youth Ancillary Services contractors B. The Program Monitoring contract will be awarded separately and will provide for monitoring of the Child Care contractor and the Board. Note that the Program Monitoring contract will not include programmatic monitoring of the Workforce Center Services contractor. Board staff will be responsible for programmatic monitoring of Workforce Center programmatic activities. The proposal should include services to be performed to implement the monitoring plan. The proposed plan should use the most recent monitoring guides from the Texas Workforce Commission and from relevant federal agencies as a resource, and should cover such topics as: Child Care Program Operations, Including Client Eligibility Provider Documentation Provider Referrals Parent Contributions Attendance Tracking Client Case Management Recoupment and Fraud Board Compliance With TWC Administrative Requirements, Including: Board Member documentation, files, and submittals to TWC Equal Opportunity and Disabilities Compliance Consultant Contracts Procurement and Contracting Certified Training Provider System Subcontractor Financial Management Systems Accounting Systems Re-allotment/De-obligations Program Income Stand-in Costs Budget Bank Reconciliation Internal Controls Internal Control Analysis of Separation of Duties Indirect Cost Cost Allocation Plans Transfer of Funds Payroll Travel/Transportation FY18 Program/Fiscal Monitoring Services RFP Page 2 of 17

4 Insurance General Liability Automobile Insurance Casualty Insurance Allowable and Unallowable Cost Incentive Funds Audit Subcontractor Cash Management Cash Forecasting Analysis of Cash Draw Downs Cash Management-Subcontractor Level Cash Management-Petty Cash Subcontractor Property Control and Accountability Property Subcontractor Procurement Systems Written Procurement Procedures Procurement Files Small Purchases Sealed Bid Non-competitive Negotiation (Sole Source) Monitoring During the period of the contract awarded through this RFP, the Board will administer approximately $60 million, and will implement programs through approximately fifteen subcontractors. The Board and its Primary Service Provider/Workforce Center Operator, contract with local public schools, community colleges, local governments, community-based organizations, and agencies to operate programs and provide services for eligible clients. Services include the entire range of allowable employment and training activities. The Workforce Center Operator operates and manages the local workforce centers at sites throughout Tarrant County. These centers are the focal points for entry into program services, and provide access to a variety of employment and training services. There are additional sites where TCWDB-funded activities are conducted. A thorough, well-executed risk assessment will be developed for an effective monitoring of this system. The following chart details the service provider contracts that are expected to be in place during Board Fiscal Year 2018: Planned Service Providers for FY 2018 ( through ) Estimated Contract FY18 Program/Fiscal Monitoring Services RFP Page 3 of 17

5 Category / Contractor Services Provided Fund Sources Amount Workforce Center Services Selection Pending Adult and Youth Workforce Services WIA Adult, Youth & Dislocated, TANF, SNAP, TAA, NCP, ES and Vets 11,100, Child Care Services Child Care Associates CCMS Operations, Direct Care Placement & Payment, Quality CCDF, FPS, Quality, Local Match 36,500, Adult Ancillary Services Family Pathfinders Mentoring TANF 135, Guinn Healthcare Technologies Mental Health TANF, Adult, Dislocated, NCP 75, Women's Center Intensive Case Mgmt. TANF 240, Adult Ancillary Total 450, Youth Ancillary Services Catholic Charities Youth Alternative High WIOA Youth 185, School Goodwill Industries Youth Earn & Learn WIOA Youth Work Exp. 165, Youth Ancillary Total 350, Adult Education & Literacy Arlington ISD AEL Services Adult Ed & Literacy - Mixed 665, Arlington Public Library AEL Services Adult Ed & Literacy - Mixed 180, Birdville ISD AEL Services Adult Ed & Literacy - Mixed 241, Fort Worth ISD AEL Services Adult Ed & Literacy - Mixed 2,386, Learning Ctr N. Tx. AEL Services Adult Ed & Literacy - Mixed 43, Tarrant County College AEL Services Adult Ed & Literacy - Mixed 499, Tarrant Literacy Coalition Call Center/Referral Services Adult Ed & Literacy - Mixed 122, ,138, Total 52,538, Sites are located throughout Tarrant County, and the monitor will travel to program sites to make site visits, conduct interviews with service provider staff members and program participants, and observe program operations. The monitor will conduct a standardized survey of physical accessibility at all program sites and conduct an equal opportunity assessment of each service provider, according to instructions from TCWDB. The monitor will also make follow-up visits to entities. All monitoring visits will be scheduled by and through TCWDB. TCWDB will negotiate with the organizations or individuals selected as the monitoring contractor(s) to schedule eligibility reviews during the program year. TCWDB may, at its FY18 Program/Fiscal Monitoring Services RFP Page 4 of 17

6 discretion, assign TCWDB staff members to accompany the monitor and assist in regular monitoring activities. The monitor will prepare written reports of each monitoring visit and submit these reports to TCWDB no later than 15 working days following the last day of the monitoring visit. TCWDB may specify the report format. In some cases, TCWDB may ask the monitor hold entrance conferences and exit conferences to make immediate verbal reports of findings to TCWDB and the contractor. The reports submitted will be structured to address not only whether a system or procedure exists and is performed in compliance with applicable standards, but will also provide insight and suggestions that TCWDB may employ to enhance overall quality of performance. The usefulness and value of the reports toward addressing the Board s desire for information pertinent to its quality assurance goals will be of major concern and will be a factor in determining the contractor selected and a consideration for contract renewal. The monitor will submit supporting documentation, including notes, completed monitoring guides, copies of relevant participant or service provider documents, and other appropriate information, to support the monitoring report and any findings contained in the report. The monitor will conduct entrance and exit interviews with service providers at the entity s site(s) and/or the Board Office. At the exit interview, the monitor will inform the entity and the Board of any findings and recommendations. The monitor will be directed by and report all results to TCWDB. TCWDB will provide service providers with written reports of the monitor's findings. The organization or individuals selected as the monitoring contractor(s) will develop monitoring instruments in conjunction with TCWDB. TCWDB will specify, at a minimum, certain topics to be monitored and, in some cases, the manner in which a topic is to be reviewed. The instrument should be constructed to incorporate capturing information useful toward TCWDB s quality assurance goals. TCWDB will specify certain items of compliance, program design, or program structure to be monitored across all contracts. Proposals will be evaluated by staff of the Tarrant County Workforce Development Board based upon the following criteria. Results of the staff evaluation will be reviewed by the appropriate Board Committee, which will make a recommendation to the Workforce Development Board. The Workforce Development Board will make the final selection. Monitoring RFP Evaluation Criteria Quality of Program Design/ Responsiveness to Programmatic Objectives Organizational Capability/ Demonstrated Effectiveness 34 Points 33 Points FY18 Program/Fiscal Monitoring Services RFP Page 5 of 17

7 Cost Reasonableness/Cost Effectiveness Total Points Available 33 Points 100 points INSTRUCTIONS FOR DEVELOPING THE PROPOSAL STATEMENT OF WORK AND BUDGET Respondents are requested to design and provide a comprehensive Statement of Work for monitoring services consisting of a precise description of program services to be provided, length of service, activities, staffing and expected outcomes. The statement of work will be submitted in the form of a narrative. The narrative should be composed in a concise, direct style that can readily be converted to a contractual statement of work. Please develop the Statement of Work narrative in conformance with the following content outline, and thoroughly address each element included in the outline. STATEMENT OF WORK Proposed Services Provide a thorough description of the proposed method for providing the monitoring services solicited by the Board, including: 1. Implementation of Monitoring Plan; and 2. Reporting. Address the issues/requested services described under SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED/SCOPE OF ACTIVITY. Organization Capability 1. Demonstrated Effectiveness Describe services your organization has provided in the past three years that demonstrate your organization s capability to carry out the program proposed. Include the nature of the services provided, scope of activities, and the organization for which the service was provided. 2. Capability of Personnel (a) (b) Provide job descriptions for all staff positions responsible for carrying out the proposed services and activities. Job descriptions should include duties, required education and experience. Job descriptions and qualifications should relate to the activities proposed, and titles should match the positions listed on the Budget Backup Worksheet related to Personnel. Include resumes for all personnel who will be responsible for delivering the services and activities of the proposed program, if already hired. FY18 Program/Fiscal Monitoring Services RFP Page 6 of 17

8 3. Organizational Structure BUDGET Briefly describe your organizational structure, including an organizational chart or narrative equivalent. Indicate how the program and its services and activities fit into the organizational structure. General Instructions Line-item Budget Budgets should be thorough and consistent with the descriptions provided in the Statement of Work. All proposers are to submit a line-item budget and detailed budget backup. Proposers must provide thorough detail and address all line-items listed on the line-item budget. The budget backup is required to indicate how the line item costs were calculated and to demonstrate that all costs are reasonable and necessary. Successful proposers may receive a cost-reimbursement contract or a performance-based contract as appropriate. Necessary, Reasonable and Allowable Costs All costs charged to your program must be necessary for its success, reasonable in that a prudent person would pay a similar price under the same or similar circumstances and allowable under applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations. Please provide sufficiently detailed budget backup documentation to allow the necessity, reasonableness, and allocability of the budget to be determined. Budget backup should include the methodology used to compute the costs of each line item. For example, the benefits provided to personnel should be described and cost of each benefit detailed. PREPARATION OF PROPOSAL PACKAGE Instructions for Proposal Cover Sheet, Assurances and Certifications Please complete and sign the Proposal Cover Sheet, Assurances and Certifications (Required Proposal Attachments) and all attachments included with this RFP packet. All attachments and FY18 Program/Fiscal Monitoring Services RFP Page 7 of 17

9 forms may be downloaded at Note that the signer of the Assurances and Certifications certifies that they have authority to bind the proposing organization to contractual obligation. This signatory should execute all forms requiring signature. Proposal Outline and Format Proposers must submit a separate proposal for each project proposed. Submit proposals in conformance with the following outline: I. Proposal Cover Sheet (Attached) II. III. IV. Table of Contents Statement of Work A. Project Description B. Organization Capability (include Job Descriptions and Resumes immediately following the Capability of Personnel section of the narrative) Budget and Budget Back-Up V. Attachments A. Cover Sheet B. Certification of Legal and Signatory Authority C. Assurances and Certifications D. Lobbying, Debarment, and Drug-Free Workplace E. Texas Corporate Franchise Tax Certification F. Texas Sales and Use Tax Certification G. Administrative Management Survey H. Fiscal Management Systems Survey Submit 1 original and three (3) copies of the proposal on white 8½ x 11 paper, bound using binder clips. Proposals should use a typeface of 12 point or larger, and have margins of 1 inch or greater, excepting forms provided in this package. Number pages of the proposal continuously beginning with the cover page, and include a Table of Contents assigning page numbers to elements of the Proposal Outline described above as the second page of the proposal. Label each page with the name of the Proposer and title of the proposed program. Organizations who wish to compete for each contract (fiscal and program) must submit a separate proposal for each. ADMINISTRATION OF THE RFP PROCESS Schedule ACTIVITY DATE RFP Released Friday, October 13, 2017 Proposals Due Thursday, November 9, 2017 Workforce Development Board Approval Wednesday, December 13, 2017 FY18 Program/Fiscal Monitoring Services RFP Page 8 of 17

10 Contract Begins January 1, 2018 Proposal Submission Deadline Proposals may be mailed or hand-delivered to: Judy McDonald, Executive Director Tarrant County Workforce Development Board 1320 S. University Drive, Suite 600 Fort Worth, Texas All proposals (one (1) original and three (3) copies) must be submitted by 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 9, Late proposals will not be accepted nor will any exceptions be granted. Proposers who wish to modify a proposal after submittal may only do so prior to the submittal deadline. A Proposer may withdraw a proposal by submitting a written request to Jack Cummings, Senior Director, Contracts and Reporting, Tarrant County Workforce Development Board, 1320 S. University Drive, Suite 600, Fort Worth, Texas, Conditions of Bid Following are conditions that apply to this Request for Proposals. The award of any contract based on proposals received in response to this request is contingent upon the Tarrant County Workforce Development Board (the Board) receiving adequate funds for the purpose from the Texas Workforce Commission. The Board reserves the right to withdraw, or reduce the amount of an award, or to cancel any contract resulting from this procurement if adequate funding is not received from the TWC. The intent of this RFP is to identify various prospective contract alternatives and obtain estimates of costs of services being solicited. The Board is under no legal requirements to execute a contract on the basis of any proposal received. The Board specifically reserves the right to vary the provisions set forth herein at any time prior to the execution of a contract where such variance is deemed to be in the best interest of the Board, and TWC. Proposals must conform to relevant state and federal laws and regulations governing the use of applicable funds. The Board will negotiate contracts for services from proposals received for funding. The Board reserves the right to require specific modifications to proposals accepted for funding before agreeing to contract, including the increase or decrease in specific line items of cost and numbers of participants to be served, modifications to program design, or other modifications, to bring the proposal into compliance with the Act, the Regulation(s), requirements of this Request, and/or Board policies and strategic plans. FY18 Program/Fiscal Monitoring Services RFP Page 9 of 17

11 The funding of any proposal is contingent upon receipt by the Board of funds from the State of Texas and/or the United States of America. Any costs incurred by the proposer prior to the commencement date of a contract will not be paid from contract funds. Board staff will not assist any proposer in the preparation of the proposal. All proposals and any attachments, appendices, or other information submitted as a part of a proposal become the property of the Board upon submission and may be reprinted, published, or distributed in any manner by the Board according to open records laws, applicable state and federal policies and procedures, as well as those of the Board. The Board reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals received; to cancel this Request in part, or in its entirety; or to reissue the Request. In order to ensure that the needs of the entire Workforce Development Area are adequately met, the Board reserves the right to request additional information and/or negotiate areas to be served prior to making a selection. The Board reserves the right to waive any defect in this procurement process or to make changes to this solicitation as deemed necessary. The Board reserves the right to conduct a review of records, systems, and procedures of any entity selected to receive funding. This may occur prior to or subsequent to the award of a contract. Misrepresentation of the proposer s ability to perform as stated in the proposal may result in cancellation of the contract. The Board reserves the right to contact any individuals, agencies or employers listed in a proposal; to contact others who have experience and/ or knowledge of the proposer s relevant performance and/or qualifications; and to request additional information from any and all proposers. Solicitation and selection of proposals must conform to relevant State and Federal laws and regulations and local policies governing the procurement of supplies, equipment and services. Proposers are responsible for familiarizing themselves with these laws and regulations. Profit margins will be negotiated with for-profit organizations. Profit will be treated as a separate line item within the budget, and must be allocated across the cost categories. A fair and reasonable profit will be determined with consideration of the following: 1) complexity of work; 2) risk borne by contractor; 3) contractor s investment; and 4) quality of past performance. Under no circumstances shall contractor fees, profits and/or program income exceed 10% of the contract amount. Awards resulting from review and evaluation of proposals will be contingent upon satisfactory negotiation of a contract, and upon successful completion of any required pre-award survey. FY18 Program/Fiscal Monitoring Services RFP Page 10 of 17

12 Proposers shall not engage in any activity that will restrict or eliminate competition. Violation of this provision may cause a proposer s bid to be rejected. This does not preclude joint ventures or subcontracts. All proposals submitted must be the original work product of the proposers. Copying, paraphrasing, or other use of the work products of others, submitted in response to this request as the original work of the proposers, is not permitted unless proper and appropriate permission is granted. Failure to adhere to this instruction may cause the proposal(s) to be disqualified and rejected. The contents of a successful proposal may become a contractual obligation, if selected for award of a contract. Failure of the proposer to accept this obligation may result in cancellation of the award. No plea of error or mistake shall be available to successful proposer(s) as a basis for release of proposed services at stated price/cost. Any damages accruing to the Board as a result of the proposer's failure to contract may be recovered from the proposer. A contract with the selected proposer may be withheld, at the Board s sole discretion, if the proposer currently has outstanding issues of questioned/disallowed costs or non-compliance with relevant statutes, regulations, or contracts, until such issues are satisfactorily resolved. Contract awards may be withdrawn by the Board if resolution of these issues is not satisfactory to the Board. Administrative Requirements Following are general administrative requirements that apply to all Board grantees/contractors. 1. Nature of Agreement. All Board grantees/contractors secured from this Request are considered to be vendors as defined in the Governor s Uniform Grant and Contract Management Standards (UGCMS) and the Texas Workforce Commission s Financial Manual for Grants and Contracts. 2. General Rule. Board grantees must comply with cost principles and administrative requirements set out in the federal Uniform Guidance found at 2 CFR 200 as supplemented by the final rules promulgated by the Texas Office of the Governor under the Uniform Grants and Contract Management Standards (UGCMS) and the Texas Workforce Commission s Financial Manual for Grants and Contracts. 3. Financial Systems. The Board seeks to secure the services of an organization with a demonstrated ability to effectively manage and cost allocate across multiple funding streams, and with a demonstrated ability to operate and manage multiple programs with various mandatory performance outcomes. a. General requirements. Board contractors must have financial systems that, at a minimum, meet the following standards: (1) GAAP. In accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, financial systems must include: (a) information pertaining to any sub grant or contract FY18 Program/Fiscal Monitoring Services RFP Page 11 of 17

13 awards, obligations, unobligated balances, assets, expenditures, and income, (b) effective internal controls to safeguard assets and assure their proper use, (c) a comparison of actual expenditures with budgeted amounts, (d) source documentation to support accounting records, and (e) proper charging of costs and cost allocation. (2) Sufficient system. Financial systems must be sufficient to (a) permit preparation of required reports, (b) permit the tracing of funds to a level of expenditure adequate to establish that funds have not been used in violation of the applicable restrictions on use of such funds, and (c) permit the tracing of program income, potential standin costs, and other funds. (3) State requirements. The State of Texas is allowed to impose additional requirements on sub recipient financial systems. The selected proposer from this Request will be provided financial requirements for grant management established by the State of Texas. (4) Accrual accounting. Financial systems are to be designed in order to report Board contract costs as accruals or modified accruals. b. Financial reports. The Contractor will be required to provide financial reports to the Board on a regular, monthly basis in such detail and on such forms as required by the Board. The deadline for each month's financial report will be the 15th day of the month following the month for which the report is made. Failure to make reports on time may result in de-obligation of funds or termination of contracts. c. Contract advances. The Board may authorize contract advances to the Contractor, provided the Contractor has and maintains sufficient financial systems and demonstrates the need for advance funds. Advances will not exceed 20% of the total contract amount and will be liquidated by the end of the sub contract performance period. 4. Audit a. The Contractor may be required to have an audit made in accordance with the federal Uniform Guidance found at 2 CFR 200. b. Independent audit. The Board reserves the right to conduct or cause to be conducted an independent audit of all funds received under the Board s contract, notwithstanding the requirements above. The audit may be performed by a local government audit staff, a certified public accounting firm, or other auditors that the Board will designate. Such audit will be conducted in accordance with applicable federal rules and regulations, contractual guidelines, and established professional standards and practices. 5. Property management standards. The successful Contractor must maintain an inventory of all equipment and property purchased with funding received from the Board. The Contractor must also maintain, manage, and dispose of any property FY18 Program/Fiscal Monitoring Services RFP Page 12 of 17

14 purchased with workforce funds in accordance with the Board s policies. All nonexpendable property purchased with funds from the Board contract is considered to be the property of the Board, the State of Texas, or the federal government. 6. Records and records retention. The Contractor is required to prepare and maintain participant and financial records in accordance instructions from the Board. The Contractor is required to retain all records of a program year for a minimum of four years past the date upon which the Board accepts a grant/contract close out. 7. General reporting. The Contractor must provide such reports on participants, finances, and program operation as required by the Board. 8. Grievances/Protest Procedure. The Board is the responsible authority for handling complaints or protests regarding the proposal selection process. No protest shall be accepted by the State Grantor Agency (Texas Workforce Commission) until all administrative remedies at the grantee (Board) level have been exhausted. This includes, but is not limited to, disputes, claims, protests of award, source evaluation or other matters of a contractual nature. Matters concerning violation of law shall be referred to such authority, as may have proper jurisdiction. The Workforce Solutions Board would like to have the opportunity to respond to any inquiry or resolve any dispute prior to the filing of an official complaint by the protester. The protester should contact, in writing, Ms. Judy McDonald, TCWDB Board Executive Director at (817) , 1320 S. University Drive, Suite 600, Fort Worth, Texas 76107, so that arrangements can be made for a conference between the Board and the protester. When the Board has agreed upon a selection, all proposers will be notified, in writing, of the results. Proposers not selected by this procurement process may appeal the decision by submitting, within ten (10) calendar days of receipt of Board notification of the procurement decision, a written request for debriefing to obtain information on the procurement process and how their proposal or offer was received and ranked. The Board shall acknowledge receipt of the Request for Debriefing in writing within ten (10) calendar days of receipt, along with the date and time of the scheduled debriefing. The debriefing shall be scheduled as soon as possible, and no later than ten (10) calendar days from the receipt of the request for debriefing. PLEASE NOTE: the Board extends the courtesy of offering a debriefing to any proposer who is not selected for funding. The ten (10) day time frame must be adhered to only if a proposer is considering an appeal. The purpose of the debriefing is to promote the exchange of information, explain the proposal evaluation system, and help unsuccessful proposers understand why they where not selected. Board staff will meet with the appealing party and review the proposal evaluation process or the criteria for selection of proposals under the RFP, and how the appealing party s proposal was scored and/or ranked. The goal of this exchange to provide the proposer with a better understanding of the procurement process and with information on how to improve their proposal, and to provide Board staff with important feedback that can be used to improve future procurements. FY18 Program/Fiscal Monitoring Services RFP Page 13 of 17

15 Proposals not selected for funding may be appealed only with respect to any fault or violation of law or regulation regarding the review process. Appeals must be filed with the Board Executive Director within ten (10) calendar days of the debriefing. Appeals must be in writing and sent to the Board at the following address: Tarrant County Workforce Development Board Attn: Judy McDonald, Executive Director 1320 S. University Drive, Suite 600 Fort Worth, Texas The appeal must include, at a minimum, the following information: 1) A description of the Board action being appealed, 2) A citation of the law or regulation allegedly violated that forms the basis for the appeal, 3) A thorough explanation of the appeal, and 4) an original signature by the appealing organization s authorized representative. Appeals submitted by way of fax or will not be accepted. If the appeal does not include the minimum required information, the appealing organization will be notified and requested to respond accordingly before the deadline arrives in order for the appeal to proceed. The filing of the complete appeal with the required time frame is a condition precedent. No exception will be made to an appealing organization that does not file their appeal within the published deadline. Upon receipt of a complete and properly submitted appeal, the Board Executive Director will arrange for a meeting with the appealing organization s representatives (not to exceed three persons), and the Board s representatives, with a neutral, objective party present to mediate and resolve the process. The third party will provide a written disposition of the protest within 30 calendar days via certified mail to the lead organization representative, the Board representative(s), and the WDB Board members. Protest of the third party s disposition of the protest must be filed in writing via certified mail within ten (10) calendar days of receipt of the resolution of the initial protest. This communication should contain a thorough explanation of the reason for the protest of the objective third party s decision. Upon receipt of the protest, the Executive Director will contact the organization s representative to schedule a meeting with a committee of the Tarrant County Workforce Development Board. The committee will review the protest and the written disposition and will formulate a recommendation that will be forwarded to the Board at its next regularly scheduled meeting. The protest will be considered by the Board at its next regularly scheduled meeting, at which time the protester will be provided the opportunity to address the Board in accordance with the Board by-laws. The Board s disposition of the protest will be provided to the organization s lead representative in writing via certified mail, and will be final. In accordance with Board Bylaws, the Board s disposition of the protest will be provided to the organization representative in writing via certified mail, and will be final. Contractors must use the grievance system provided by the Board for resolving complaints that arise under any Board contracted program. FY18 Program/Fiscal Monitoring Services RFP Page 14 of 17

16 9. Accessibility. Contractors are required to ensure that all facilities in which services are conducted or performed pursuant to an executed contract are in compliance with the requirements of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 with respect to physical and program accessibility. 10. Nondiscrimination and Equal Opportunity. Contractors must conduct all programs in accordance with provisions of the following laws, as they apply to specific programs or activities: Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as amended; The Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended; Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended; Non-traditional Employment for Women Act of 1991, as amended; and with all applicable rules and regulations issued under these laws. Contracts will not deny benefits of any program, activity or service to any person, and are prohibited from discriminating against any employee or applicant for employment, because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, temporary medical condition, political affiliation or belief. Contractors will ensure that the evaluation and treatment of employees and applicants for employment are free of such discrimination. 11. Bonding a. Bonding. The Contractor is required to maintain fidelity bonds on their staff members who handle grant funds. The bonds may be a position or a blanket and must cover at least the maximum amount of a monthly payment under a Board contract. 12. Organizational capacity. Proposers must demonstrate that they have the organizational capacity to administer a program in accordance with the requirements in this Request for Proposals. The Board reserves the right to conduct a pre-award survey of each proposer approved from this Request in order to determine the capacity of the proposer's organization to operate a program, meet administrative requirements, and maintain an adequate financial system. The Board also reserves the right to deny a contract to any proposer approved for funding which does not make timely changes required by the Board, as a result of a pre-award survey, to bring its systems into compliance. FY18 Program/Fiscal Monitoring Services RFP Page 15 of 17

17 DEFINITIONS Allowable Costs - Those costs which are necessary, reasonable, allocable and allowable under applicable Federal, State and local law for the proper administration and performance of services to participants. Child Care Management System (CCMS) A system providing for centralized administration of multiple funding sources for child care to economically disadvantaged individuals and welfare recipients. The Child Care Development Block Grant of 1990 is a principal funding source. Contractor - Proposer selected to provide services under the terms and conditions of an executed contract with the Tarrant County Workforce Development Board. FY18 Program/Fiscal Monitoring Services RFP Page 16 of 17

18 Cost Reimbursement Contracts - This is an agreement format, which provides for the reimbursement of all allowable costs, which have been identified and approved in the contract budget. Contractors must maintain the documentation necessary to support the costs. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (used to be called food stamps) Employment and training programs for Food Stamp recipients, authorized under the Food and Nutrition Act of Workforce Investment Act (WIA) - The Workforce Investment Act, as amended. Participant - An individual who has been determined eligible for receipt of services under a categorical program, and has completed objective assessment. Profit - An amount excess of the cost necessary to operate a program. Profit is allowable under a cost reimbursement contract to the extent it is determined reasonable during contract negotiations. It includes that amount which is associated with proprietary materials included in the cost of the program. Profit may be allocated among the cost categories for JTPA related costs. It is treated differently by other fund sources. The Tarrant County Workforce Development Board has established a policy allowing for up to 10% profit. Program Income - Income generated by contract funded by State or Federal funds, as a result of fees, rental, real or personal property, the sale of commodities or items developed with contract funds and revenues in excess of costs earned by organizations. Program does not include profit earned by for profit agencies and identified and agreed to in the contract budget Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) - Temporary Assistance to Needy Families. One of the four federal block grants under the new federal welfare reform law, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of FY18 Program/Fiscal Monitoring Services RFP Page 17 of 17