REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS Paint Stewardship Program Public Awareness Study

Transcription

1 REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS Paint Stewardship Program Public Awareness Study July 20, 2015 OVERVIEW PaintCare and the Product Stewardship Institute (PSI) are soliciting proposals from qualified parties to develop, conduct, and analyze a survey of adults to determine public awareness of the architectural paint stewardship program in Oregon. PROJECT GOALS To determine the level of public awareness of the architectural paint stewardship program in Oregon, which will assist in establishing annual awareness goal. The public awareness survey will be conducted in Oregon, however the survey instrument and methodology proposed should be useful in all states that have implemented paint stewardship legislation. BACKGROUND Paint Stewardship in the United States Most Americans will at some point face the question of what to do with leftover paint. In 2007, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimated that 10 percent of all paint purchased in the United States goes unused around 64 million gallons annually. Proper management of leftover consumer paint costs municipalities an average of $8 per gallon for collection, handling, recycling and/or disposal. To properly manage all of the leftover paint in the U.S. would cost over half a billion dollars annually. Since 2003, PSI has facilitated a national dialogue among the American Coatings Association (ACA), state and local government officials, the U.S. EPA, retailers, recyclers, and other stakeholders, aimed at reducing the quantity of leftover paint that consumers generate, while increasing reuse and recycling opportunities. Leftover paint can be collected for reuse, recycling, energy recovery, and safe disposal. However, doing so requires sustainable funding and convenient and effective infrastructure. With the support of ACA, PSI proposed an extended producer responsibility (EPR) model to provide sustainable financing and coordinated infrastructure for post-consumer paint management through a built-in fee incurred at the time of final purchase. In 2007, more than 200 paint manufacturers, government agencies, paint recyclers, painting contractors, and others signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish and roll-out an industryfunded paint stewardship program. Under the agreement, architectural paint manufacturers would implement a nationally coordinated, cost-effective, and environmentally-sound program for managing Paint Stewardship Public Awareness Study RFP July 20, 2015 Page 1 of 11 PaintCare, Inc. & Product Stewardship Institute, Inc.

2 post-consumer architectural paint. ACA created PaintCare, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit stewardship organization, to manage the program. The first paint stewardship law was passed in Oregon in 2009, and the PaintCare Program was started in Since then, similar laws have passed in California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Maine, Minnesota, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Education and Outreach PaintCare, through the model legislation, is required to conduct public education and outreach to promote the paint stewardship program. PaintCare s educational and outreach materials identify collection opportunities for leftover paint; explain the paint stewardship assessment; and promote the source reduction, reuse, recovery, and recycling of post-consumer architectural paint. Measuring Public Awareness of the PaintCare Program Oregon s paint stewardship law requires the paint industry s designated stewardship organization, PaintCare, to establish and provide for the development and implementation of goals in the program plan, including the goal of increasing public awareness of the architectural paint stewardship program. Paint stewardship laws in other states require PaintCare to evaluate the effectiveness of its outreach efforts or materials. To address these statutory requirements, and more generally evaluate public awareness of paint source reduction, reuse, recycling, and disposal options over time, PaintCare has conducted an annual awareness survey in each state with paint stewardship legislation. (See Appendix B for a list of questions included in PaintCare s 2014 public awareness survey.) PaintCare is now seeking the services of a survey research firm/ practitioner to conduct a public awareness survey of the Oregon Paint Stewardship Program. PROJECT SUMMARY Project Tasks PaintCare and PSI seek to contract with a qualified party to conduct paint stewardship program awareness survey. The selected consultant will complete the following tasks: (1) Work with PaintCare and an Advisory Committee to prepare a survey questionnaire to assess public awareness of the Oregon program (a draft list of survey questions is included in Appendix A). (2) Conduct the survey in the state of Oregon using the methodology outlined in the proposal. A primary aim of the survey will be to ascertain whether awareness of the program has changed from year to year. The survey should be representative of the population and provide a high degree of assurance that any observed changes reflect actual changes in awareness (see Proposal Contents and Evaluation Criteria, below, for more details). (3) Provide a written analysis of the survey results, which will include demographic breakouts as outlined in the project scope of work. Partner Roles and Coordination Paint Stewardship Public Awareness Study RFP July 20, 2015 Page 2 of 11

3 The consultant will work in collaboration with an advisory committee of state and local government representatives from the eight states with paint stewardship legislation, PaintCare program managers, and PSI staff. To date, this Advisory Committee has provided feedback on the study scope including review of this Request for Proposal. The Advisory Committee, which is facilitated by PSI, will be involved in the selection of the consultant and will provide ongoing support throughout the contract period. The selected consultant will meet with the full Advisory Committee twice during the contract period via conference call, once at the start of the project to review and finalize the survey design, and once at the end of the project to review results. The consultant will also meet at least twice with staff from PSI and PaintCare to review progress on the survey. Timeline RFP issued: July 20, 2015 Pre-proposal conference call: August 20, 2015 RFP response deadline: September 18, 2015 Consultant notification and contract negotiation deadline: October 16, 2015 Survey results submitted in report format: December 15, 2015 PROPOSAL CONTENTS AND EVALUATION CRITERIA At a minimum, all proposals should contain the information requested below. Additional information that the proposers deems relevant to the selection process may be included, within the ten page limit described below. Proposals will be ranked according to the weighted criteria below. Responsiveness to this RFP will be a primary selection criterion, including clarity and efficacy of the approach to achieve objectives, and thoroughness of the proposed work scope. Only proposals that demonstrate experience, qualifications, relevant project work, and an ability to accomplish significant work in a timely manner will be ranked by the Advisory Committee. 1. Proposed Approach (30%) Describe the approach that will be used to measure public awareness of the paint stewardship program in Oregon. At minimum, the approach proposal must address the following questions: Survey instrument design: How will the survey be conducted? (phone-based, mail-based, online, and mixed-media survey instruments will all be considered) Sample selection technique: How will the survey sample be generated (e.g., random sampling versus panel survey)? Sampling representation: What methods will be used to ensure that the sample selected is representative of the adult population of Oregon? What subpopulations may be underrepresented through the proposed technique and to what extent? Response rate: What is the anticipated response rate? Paint Stewardship Public Awareness Study RFP July 20, 2015 Page 3 of 11

4 Margin of error: What is the proposed margin of error? Please provide a rationale. Improvement over prior survey: In what ways, if any, will the proposed survey method provide a more accurate assessment of public awareness than PaintCare s previous awareness survey? (See Appendix B for a summary of PaintCare s 2014 Oregon awareness survey.) Proposals will be evaluated on the extent to which the proposal demonstrates the capacity to conduct a public awareness survey that is representative of the adult population, and provides a high level of assurance (95% or 90% confidence level) that observed changes in awareness are not due to sampling or other controllable errors. 2. Experience, Qualifications and Background (30%) Provide a brief overview of the individual(s) or entity that will assume all contract responsibilities and identify all proposed subcontractors. Briefly describe the applicable experience and qualifications of the team that would be assigned to this project including all subcontractors. Provide examples of relevant projects completed by the project proposer and key project team members within the last five years. For each relevant project, describe the proposer's responsibility, the contract amount, and completion date; identify any proposed team members who were responsible for the cited project work and their roles in the project; and, include the name, title and phone number of the client reference. Provide an organization chart that identifies the individuals (including subcontractors, if applicable) who would be assigned to and responsible for which aspect(s) of the work scope. Include each individual s job title and the percent effort each individual will allocate to this project. Provide short bios for each key staff member that demonstrates how their experience and background relates to their proposed assignment on the proposed project. Attach resumes of key staff to the proposal (resumes will not count toward the proposal 10 page limit). Proposals will be evaluated on the demonstrated capabilities and technical expertise of the proposer s project team in the specialized areas required for completion of the project. Rankings will also consider other factors that demonstrate ability of the proposers to meet project objectives in a responsible manner, including information derived from reference checks. 3. Project Timeline and Project Team Availability (15%) Per the Project Timeline (p. 3), final survey results must be submitted by December 15, The proposal must demonstrate that the performance of proposed services shall be completed by project team members with expertise in the areas required to accomplish the work in a timely manner. The proposer should submit an estimate of the anticipated timeline for developing, conducting, and analyzing the public awareness survey. Paint Stewardship Public Awareness Study RFP July 20, 2015 Page 4 of 11

5 Proposals will be evaluated on the demonstrated commitment to assignment of project experts and supporting staff to accomplish the project on schedule. 4. Cost Schedule (25%) Provide a detailed budget estimate, including number of hours and associated costs per individual per project task, (see Project Tasks on p. 2) and any other costs (such as travel, facility or equipment services) that are necessary to complete the work using the proposed survey methodology to obtain a 95% level of confidence. Provide an estimate of the cost differential to obtain a 90% level of confidence. Proposals will be evaluated on the reasonableness of the fee proposal relative to proposed work scope. This project is being funded by PaintCare. The contract will not necessarily be awarded to the firm submitting the lowest bid. PROPOSAL GUIDELINES Interested parties are invited to submit their proposal for the Paint Stewardship Program Public Awareness Study in accordance with the requirements outlined in this RFP. The selected applicant will be required to enter into a formal contract agreement for the subject services with the Product Stewardship Institute, PaintCare s primary consultant for this project. Note that insurance certificates and other pertinent information must be submitted in order to enter into the formal agreement (see Insurance Requirements, below). This solicitation in no way obligates PaintCare to award a contract for the services described in this RFP. Any liability for the costs incurred in the preparation and transmittal of proposals, interviews, or any related costs in response to this solicitation is solely the responsibility and obligation of the individual(s) or firm(s) preparing the proposals. Interested parties are invited to submit their proposals via to Sydney Hausman-Cohen: sydney@productstewardship.us. The electronic copy submitted must be prepared to allow printing on standard 8 1/2 by 11 inch paper and be a PDF or Microsoft Word document. To be considered, proposals must be received no later than 5:00 pm Eastern Time on September 18, Please include in the subject line: PaintCare Public Awareness Survey. Proposals must not exceed 10 pages, 12 pt font, including the fee proposal. Resumes are not included in the 10 page limit. A conference call to answer questions regarding this Request for Proposal is scheduled for Thursday, August 20 th from 2:00-3:00 pm EDT. The conference call number is (866) and passcode is Requests for clarification may be ed to sydney@productstewardship.us, and must be received by Friday, September 11 th at 5 pm EDT. All proposals received shall be considered final and will be used as the basis for selecting the consultant and developing an agreement with the consultant to perform the required services. PaintCare and PSI reserve the right to not accept a proposal, or to reject any or all proposals submitted, or any part of the Paint Stewardship Public Awareness Study RFP July 20, 2015 Page 5 of 11

6 proposals, to waive defects or irregularities in any proposal, and to recirculate the RFP at PaintCare and PSI s discretion. A uniform proposal ranking matrix will be used by the Advisory Committee in selecting a consultant. If final terms and conditions cannot be agreed upon with the selected consultant, a different, qualified consultant may be selected from among the other applicants and there will be no obligation by PaintCare or PSI with the original selected consultant. Insurance Requirements At the consultant s expense, the consultant must obtain and maintain throughout the term of the contract, and during the time that any provisions exceed the term of the contract, the following insurances, as applicable: General Commercial Liability Insurance of not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence covering bodily injury, property damage, and completed products and operations. Automobile Liability Insurance (if appropriate to scope of work) of not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence covering bodily injury, death, and property damage combined. Workers Compensation (if consultant has one or more employees) that complies with state law in the state in which the consultant s employees work. Consultant must submit, with the signed contract, certificate(s) of insurance for the above policies. Certificates of insurance must list PaintCare and the Product Stewardship Institute, Inc. as additional insured, but only insofar as the operations of the contract are concerned. Additional Information Minority and Women s Business Enterprises (MBE and WBE) are encouraged to respond. Paint Stewardship Public Awareness Study RFP July 20, 2015 Page 6 of 11

7 Appendix A List of Questions for Public Awareness Survey on the Architectural Paint Stewardship Program Public Awareness Survey Questions included in Prior PaintCare Awareness Surveys 1. How much leftover paint is in your home? 2. Where did the paint come from? 3. What did you do with leftover paint? 4. If you had unwanted paint, what would you do with it? 5. Did you know that paint can be recycled? 6. Have you ever taken paint to be recycled or disposed? If yes, when? 7. Do you know where to take unwanted paint? If yes, where? 8. How far is the closest paint store? 9. How far would you drive to get rid of unwanted paint? Possible Additional Survey Questions How and when did you learn about what to do with leftover paint? What is your biggest impediment to recycling paint? Before you could drop off leftover paint at a retail store, where would you have taken your paint? OR What would you have done with your paint in the past? Do you know of a paint recycling option near you? How old is the paint in your home? Have you seen or heard a PaintCare advertisement in the newspaper, online, or on TV or radio? Additional Topics to Address Awareness of both public and retail collection sites Awareness of source reduction and reuse Awareness of collection hours and seasonal availability Paint Stewardship Public Awareness Study RFP July 20, 2015 Page 7 of 11

8 Appendix B Summary of PaintCare s 2014 Oregon Paint Usage & Disposal Survey Paint Stewardship Public Awareness Study RFP July 20, 2015 Page 8 of 11

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