Request for Proposals for The Emily Dickinson Museum Interpretive Plan Date of Solicitation: December 10, 2018 Closing: December 27, 2018 The Emily Dickinson Museum is committed to purchasing goods and services to ensure the best overall value. Procurement is conducted with due regard to applicable laws, regulations, trade agreements, internal policies, environmental considerations and competitive processes. Please ensure that you have read all procurement documents carefully and that your response includes all of the information requested. 1
Purpose The Emily Dickinson Museum (EDM) is accepting proposals from qualified planning consultants interested in providing professional services for the development of a comprehensive interpretive plan. Scope of Services A qualified consultant will work with a project team to address goals, objectives, and strategies in order to develop a comprehensive interpretive plan. The plan will guide the development of new interpretive efforts at the EDM while addressing inclusivity for a diverse audience, and considering the most effective interpretive themes, interpretive media, and services. The interpretive plan will address but not be limited to the following topics: Audience o Who is the existing audience for the museum, collections, and programming o How does the current audience interact with the museum campus, collections, and programming o How can the EDM use interpretation to attract new audiences o Are there trends that are impacting existing or potential audiences Planning o What are the interpretive goals, visions, and objectives for the site o What are the priorities for the potential reinterpretation of the museum o What is an appropriate staffing level and budget for implementation o What interpretive challenges and opportunities do the differing states of preservation and restoration work at the Homestead and The Evergreens present Themes and experience o What are the primary interpretive themes o What are the unique stories and ideas that can be conveyed at the EDM o How does the visitor experience enable connections to these themes/ideas Supporting Programming o How can the supporting programs and exhibitions be improved, presented and marketed Suggestions for further research and evaluation The consultant will facilitate working groups of scholar advisors, EDM staff, and other constituents in this process. This work culminates in the preparation of a written interpretive plan which will guide future EDM interpretive programs. Emily Dickinson Museum Background: The Emily Dickinson Museum was created in 2003 when the Dickinson Homestead and The Evergreens merged under the ownership of Amherst College. Prior to that year, the Dickinson Homestead and The Evergreens, adjacent properties on Amherst s Main Street, were separate historic sites, the latter owned and administered by the Martha Dickinson Bianchi Trust and the former by Amherst College. The College has since designated the sole use of the Homestead and The Evergreens as a historic site perpetuating the legacy of poet Emily Dickinson. By means of a formal Memorandum of Understanding dated June 30, 2003, the museum is governed by a quasi 2
independent Board of Governors and is responsible for its own strategic plans and fundraising for operations, programs, and capital projects. On October 1, 2016, the Board of Governors approved a new mission statement for the Emily Dickinson Museum: to spark the imagination by amplifying Emily Dickinson s revolutionary poetic voice from the place she called home. The Dickinson Homestead, built in 1813 by Emily Dickinson s grandfather, was the poet s birthplace, principal residence, and writing studio where she penned nearly 1,800 poems. The Homestead was purchased by Amherst College, which opened portions of the house for public tours and used other areas as a faculty residence until the 1990s. It is listed on the state and national registers of historic places and is a National Historic Landmark. Periodic projects in this house aim to restore it to our period of significance, 1855 1886. The Evergreens, built in 1856 by Emily Dickinson s father on property adjacent to the Homestead, was the home of the poet s brother and his family. It was occupied by Dickinson family heirs until 1988 and has remained virtually unchanged since the early 20th century. It is also listed on the state and national registers of historic places. In 1991, The Evergreens passed to a private testamentary trust, the Martha Dickinson Bianchi Trust (named in honor of Emily Dickinson s niece), which began developing The Evergreens as a museum. The merger in 2003 of the houses and their shared three acre landscape restored the property to a configuration that Emily Dickinson herself had known and furthers the College s long standing associations with the Dickinson family and its stewardship of the poet s manuscripts in its Archives and Special Collections and her material legacy at the Museum. Open to the public from March through December, the Emily Dickinson Museum offers guided tours, public programs, and educational opportunities for students of all ages and the general public. The Museum s primary interpretive program is a guided tour of the Dickinson houses and property. Current interpretive themes focus on Dickinson s poetry; the influence of education, religion, family, and friendships on the poet; And the connection of the Dickinson family to the broader economic, social, and political climate of 19 th century Amherst and the nation. The Museum maintains an active and varied schedule of 40 public programs each year, which often include a focus on contemporary creativity. An audience of 15,000 visitors per year includes Emily Dickinson fans from all over the world, poetry and history enthusiasts, visitors to and classes from the five area colleges (Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, Smith, and UMass Amherst), school groups, and bus tours. The Museum employs a full time staff of five and part time staff of approximately 35, depending upon the season. The Museum s operating budget is funded by gifts and grants (47%), earned income (31%), Amherst College (13%), and investment income (9%). The EDM holds the largest and most varied collection of non manuscript objects associated historically with the poet and her family at the Homestead and The Evergreens. The collections of approximately 6,500 objects represent a range of themes in cultural and social history from the first half of the 19th century through the middle of the 20th century: women s history, domestic life, horticulture, fine arts and decorative arts, architecture, and landscape architecture. The collections include fine art, silver, ceramics, furniture, toys, clothing, decorative textiles, household equipment, and more. The Museum rarely makes acquisitions. Its collecting policy recognizes objects with clear Dickinson family provenance as eligible for acquisition, but such items become available infrequently. Because the Museum is working to document and provide appropriate environments for its current collection, it does not actively seek to enlarge its holdings. Approximately fifteen 3
percent of the Museum collection is on view in the houses. Eighty five percent of the collection is stored at a nearby climate controlled, secure art storage facility. Available Resources The EDM has not had a comprehensive interpretive plan since the houses merged in 2003. At that time the interpretive themes were revisited and have been the basis of our interpretation since. Tour outlines and other training materials illustrate the way tours function currently. A 2007 furnishings and exhibit plan, funded by an Institute for Museum and Library Services grant, guides the Museum s use of collections to tell Emily Dickinson s story. A 2007 Landscape Interpretive Plan, funded in part by an IMLS Museums for America grant, set forth restoration plans and interpretive themes for a formerly underutilized resource: the 3 acre landscape upon which the two EDM buildings sit. The EDM evaluates the tour program regularly to discern visitor demographics, and gather qualitative feedback from tours. This winter, a marketing firm is working with the EDM to survey constituents, gathering quantitative data about visitor engagement and learning. The process of interpretive planning will necessarily involve two public groups: a cohort of scholar advisors, and constituent groups of local educators, EDM volunteers, program partners, poets, etc. The scholar advisors will represent the latest in Dickinson scholarship, and will provide feedback on the poet s relevance to the humanities. The constituent group(s) will offer perspective on Dickinson s relevance to contemporary lives, and her significance in the community. Project Team: Brooke Steinhauser, EDM Program Director, is the Project Director (hereinafter PD) for interpretive planning at the EDM. All project reporting will go through the PD to appropriate staff and board members. The PD will be responsible for coordinating on site efforts with EDM staff, the consultant, and project advisors. Client: Emily Dickinson Museum Project Director: Brooke Steinhauser, EDM Executive Director: Jane Wald, EDM Scholar Advisor Committee: TBA EDM Program Committee chair: Wendy Kohler Museum Consultant: TBD Reporting: The consultant will report to the PD. The consultant shall be expected to do the following: Attend meetings and workshops as required Prepare and lead presentations, working groups Prepare and coordinate reviews and approvals Prepare a monthly report on progress and risks to the timely completion of the plan Completion Date The EDM is applying to fund this project through the National Endowment for the Humanities Public Humanities Planning for Historic Sites grants program. The project start date is contingent upon funding. Notification for the NEH grant is expected to occur by August 30, 2019 and would fund a one year project 4
spanning September 1, 2019 through August 2020. Substantial completion is due one year from the grant disbursement date. Project Outcome The interpretive plan will: Offer a comprehensive plan for interpretation of the entire EDM site Reflect the mission of the EDM Use inclusive methodologies, including consideration of multilingual experiences at the EDM Be based on sound scholarship and creative principles that engage visitors according to modern museum pedagogy Engage the expertise of EDM team members, scholar advisors, and constituents Communicate a narrative that resonates with contemporary visitors Deepen visitor understanding of Emily Dickinson s story Outline experiences that are unique, engaging, stimulating, and captivating Have a lifespan of 10 years Ensure that suggestions for exhibits, technology, and programming are both easy to maintain and sustainable Make recommendations for the implementation phase to follow interpretive planning Deliverables will include ten hard copies of the interpretive plan as well as an electronic copy in both Word and PDF formats. Budget The budgeted amount for these services is $20,000 all inclusive. RFP and Award Schedule Date of Solicitation: December 10, 2018 Closing: December 27, 2018 Notification of Award: January 4, 2019 Letter of commitment and CVs due to PD: end of day January 7, 2019 In person interviews: Selected proposals may be chosen for in person interviews on a rolling basis prior to January 4, 2019. Interviews must occur at the EDM if at all possible and will likely take half a day. 5
Proposals: The proponent must submit a proposal with all information requested in this section of the RFP. The proposal should not exceed 12 pages in length. Please provide a table of contents, and letter signed by a legal member of the lead firm. Submit complete applications as an electronic copy via PDF emailed to BSteinhauser@emilydickinsonmuseum.org no later than 5 p.m. December 27, 2018. All proposals submitted will become the property of the EDM. 1. Company Information Legal firm or consultant name: Full address: Telephone number: Email address for main contact: Name and title of person authorized to sign on behalf of the firm (Type or Print): If a consortium or team submits a proposal, then a clear lead must be identified who will be responsible for the contract. Authorized Signature 2. Understanding of Project and Visitor Experience 3. Commitment What is your role in ensuring the vision for the project? How will an updated interpretive plan make the visitor experience rich, deep, and meaningful? Provide examples and reference the material provided. Provide a statement outlining your understanding of the essential aspects of the project including opportunities and challenges and the criteria by which its success would be measured. Provide a statement of commitment, outlining the time commitment level of each team member working on this project. Indicate other projects that such individuals are currently working on. Please note that those individuals named to the project in the Proponents submission are expected to work on the project. 4. References Provide up to three (3) project examples with references of completed interpretive plans by your team of similar size, scope, and nature (if possible) to the project described in this RFP. Demonstrate your ability to deliver projects on time and on budget. Include a brief description of the project responsibilities, timeframe to complete the project, completion/opening date, total dollar value of the project, and its relevance to the EDM project. For the references, provide the client s name and contact information to confirm performance and the services provided. 6
5. Work Plan and Schedule Provide a schedule for delivery of the tasks as outlined in the scope of work in this RFP. Outline all tasks you deem are required in each phase, expected deliverables, presentations, and approval points. The EDM and the project director are interested in any efficiency that the consultant may propose in order to meet the deadline. The consultant should illustrate how budget and schedule will be achieved at the quality expected by the EDM. Provide a concise written work plan/methodology of your process and how you will deliver the project from award of contract to delivery of the plan. Ensure that all tasks and deliverables are clearly communicated. How will you organize the work? What key functions are required? How will you manage communication? 6. Budget Provide a budget for the project. Proponents should provide as much detail as possible including but not limited to fees, administration, expenses, contingency, etc. Fee will be evaluated on a best value basis. Fee Structure. Breakdown fees in as much detail as possible. Provide fixed/lump sums for, administrative costs, disbursements, etc. Such lump sums will form the basis of contract negotiation. Allowances must be clearly defined and described. List of Exclusions and Assumptions as related to your fee structure and fixed sums. Provide a statement that illustrates your understanding of budget control. Are there any challenges with the budget identified for this project? If so, what are your recommendations and comments? How will your team control budget throughout the design process in order to avoid redesign scenarios? Outline your approach for carrying and managing contingencies. Please note: this is not a formal budget submission. Inquiries: All inquiries regarding the proposal solicitation should be submitted by email by December 20, 2018 at 5:00 p.m. Questions received after this time may not be answered. Direct enquiries to: Brooke Steinhauser, Program Director Emily Dickinson Museum BSteinhauser@EmilyDickinsonMuseum.org All inquiries and other communications with EDM staff other than the PD during the solicitation period are not permitted. Proponents shall promptly examine all documents and addenda comprising this RFP and shall report any errors, and seek clarification of apparent errors, ambiguities, or other problems. It is the proponent s responsibility to avail themselves of all the necessary information to prepare a compliant proposal in response to this RFP. The EDM is under no obligation to seek clarification of a proposal from a proponent. 7
Method of Evaluation The submitted proposals will be reviewed based on the evaluation factors noted below. Each proposal will be evaluated by a selection committee. A short list of proponents will be asked to meet with project staff at the EDM. Upon approval of the selected consultant by the EDM project team, a letter of commitment and CVs for key personnel from the consultant must be submitted to the EDM as soon as possible for inclusion in the N.E.H. grant application. Proposals will be evaluated and a consultant will be selected based on the following criteria: Experience with historic house museums Past performance Ability of professional personnel Willingness to meet time and budget requirements Familiarity with EDM, Amherst, Massachusetts Recent, current, and projected workloads of the persons and/or firms Project understanding, issues, and approach Demonstrated ability to facilitate public engagement in interpretive planning process Appropriateness of maintenance and sustainability of ideas for implementation General Conditions All costs and expenses incurred by the proponent related to the preparation of the proposal shall be borne by the proponent. The EDM is not liable to pay such costs and expenses or to reimburse or to compensate the proponents under any circumstance. The EDM shall not be responsible for any costs related to any delays in the RFP, in awarding the contract, or costs associated with any review or the approval process, or with obtaining any government approvals. The EDM reserves the right to enter into a supplementary agreement to have the firm selected perform any additional work not currently assigned 8