CITY OF TACOMA Community and Economic Development Department

CITY OF TACOMA Community and Economic Development Department ADDENDUM NO. 1 DATE: March 21, 2017 REVISIONS TO: Request for Proposals Specification No. ED17-0042F Disparity Causation Analysis Study NOTICE TO ALL PROPOSERS: This addendum is issued to clarify, revise, add to or delete from, the original specification documents for the above project. This addendum, as integrated with the original specification documents, shall form the specification documents. The noted revisions shall take precedence over previously issued specification documents and shall become part of this contract. REVISIONS TO THE SUBMITTAL DEADLINE: The submittal deadline remains the same. REVISIONS TO THE GENERAL INFORMATION AND REQUIREMENTS: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS All interested parties had the opportunity to submit questions in writing to Chuck Blankenship, by 3:00 pm, Pacific Time, March 13, 2017. Respondents should consider this information when submitting their proposals. Question 1: Section 3.16.4 Project Approach, bullet one, states, Overall approach to the study and engagement of major stakeholders. Please define major stakeholders. Answer 1: The proposer shall identify the major stakeholders and demonstrate their understanding of the best practices of conducting disparity studies. Question 2: Section 3.16.4 Project Approach, states, identifies the technical processes, tasks, schedules, and costs. Do you want cost information included in this section as well as the Cost Section (identified in Section 3.16.6 of the RFP) of our proposal? Answer 2: All costs should be included in Section 3.16.6. Please delete costs from Section 3.16.4. Question 3: Section 3.16.5 Key Personnel, states, At a minimum include the following key personnel: Project Manager, Chief Researcher, Communication

Personnel Please define Chief Researcher and Communication Personnel as they relate to the job tasks for this project. Answer 3: Chief Researcher is the responsible person(s) who will conduct research for this project. Communication Personnel is the person(s) who will communicate with the City. A person may take on more than one role. Proposer should include personnel titles and descriptions relevant to their proposals. Question 4: Section 3.16.5 Key Personnel, requests resumes. Resumes typically run 1-2 pages, will they be included in the 20-double side page maximum allowed? Or, can they be included as an appendix? Answer 4: The 20 page maximum is exclusive of any Appendices. Resumes may be included in Appendices. Question 5: Section 3.16.6 Cost, requests, Hourly rates by position and expected number of hours for each Do you also want a total cost to complete the project? Answer 5: Yes, include total costs. Question 6: Is there an SBE goal for this project? If so, please provide. Answer 6: There is no numerical SBE goal for the project. But read section 3.16.10 regarding scoring of proposals. Question 7: Are the required forms included in the 20-double side page maximum allowed? Answer 7: Required forms do not count in the 20 page limit Question 8: The Prime Contractor s Pre-Work Form is geared toward construction projects. Since this is not a construction project, is this form required? Answer 8: Yes, this form is required to determine who is working on the project; Though some items may not apply, it is a uniform way to determine the project team working on the project. Question 9: Please explain how prime expenditure data are maintained for the City of Tacoma for January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2016. Are the expenditure data maintained in a centralized system? If not, please explain the system(s) used for the City of Tacoma? Answer 9: Most data is centralized in electronic form in SAP but some data exists in hard copy. Question 10: Please clarify the type of commodity/procurement coding system, such as NAICS, NIGP used by the City of Tacoma for both prime contract and subcontract transactions. How detailed is the coding for the services contracted/procured? For example, if NAICS codes are used, is the coding at the 2-digit level, which is a broader description of services (NAICS code 23=Construction) or at the 6-digit level, which is more detailed (NAICS 238160 =Roofing Contractors). A). Do any of the various City of Tacoma agencies use different procurement

coding structures? If so, please explain the coding structure for each of the agencies. Answer 10: City uses NACIS, 6 digit codes Question 11: Please explain how subcontract data are maintained for January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2016. Are subcontract award data centralized or decentralized? Does the City of Tacoma maintain data on payments made to subcontractors? Are subcontract data maintained on both SBEs/DBEs and non-sbes/dbes? Please explain how the data are maintained, such as in contract files, contract management system, scanned documents. Answer 11: Subcontractor data is maintained but decentralized within each department and not in a central location. Most contract data is maintained electronically through scanned documents either through Microsoft Access, SAP or Microsoft excel. Question 12: Although, the City of Tacoma does not currently have a race or genderconscious program, does the City track the race/ethnicity and gender classifications of firms? Registered vendors? Bidders/Respondents to RFPs/RFQs? Prime contractors/consultants? Subcontractors/Subconsultants? If so, how are these data maintained? Answer 12: The City of Tacoma does not track the race/ethnicity and gender classifications of firms. The City does register vendors and keep bidder information for RFPs/RFQs, prime contractors and consultants. Subcontractor/subconsultants are also maintained within each department. Most race or gender conscious data is kept electronically and decentrialized in each department. The respondent must determine the best method for identifying race/ethnicity/gender of firms. Question 13: Approximately how many prime contracts were awarded and what is the approximate annual spend during the study period? Answer 13: Approximately, 4300 contracts. We have an estimated annual spend of $300,000,000 dollars per year. Question 14: It is important to understand the extent to which the City of Tacoma has collected and retained data on prime vendors and first-tier subcontracts, suppliers, and subconsultants, including non-sbe certified subcontractors, during the study period. Please indicate what information, if any, has been retained for contracts during the study period: a. Business name. b. Contact person. c. Physical address. d. Telephone number. e. Email address. f. Owner s race/ethnicity. g. Owner s gender. h. Funding source (USDOT versus local or state funds). i. DBE goal. j. Industry code for prime vendor and subcontractors (e.g., North American Industry Classification System, National Institute for Government Purchasing, etc.), including non-sbe certified subcontractors.

k. Prime vendor award amounts, change order amounts, and final payment amounts. l. Subcontractor dollar award amounts, change order amounts, final payment amounts, including non-sbe certified subcontractors. Please indicate if the data vary based on the procurement categories of construction, architecture and engineering, goods and services, etc. Answer 14: The data is similar and divided into specific procurement categories of consultant contracts, construction contracts and purchases for goods and services. Question 15: Please indicate if the available prime vendor and subcontractor data can be provided in electronic form (e.g., Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, delimited, etc.)? Answer 15: Yes, in Microsoft Access and Excel. Question 16: Section 3.16.4 requires the submission of labor and non-labor efforts with costs. Are costs to be provided here or only under 3.16.6, Costs? Answer 16: 3.16.4 just lists your approach to project. Put anticipated costs in 3.16.6. Question 17: Is the cost proposal to be submitted under a separate cover? Answer 17: Costs included in proposal. See Section 3.16.6. Question 18: It is critical to allow sufficient time for data collection, outreach and analysis to produce a high quality and legally defensible product for the City. In our experience, that requires at least 12 months, especially when the agency may not have all the necessary records in electronic format and data must be collected directly from prime vendors. Will the City accept a proposal with a 12 month timeline? Answer 18: Please refer to section 3.05 of the RFP Question 19: Section 4.1.B 6), Scope of Work, page 28, states that Analysis of contract award sizes, bid success rates or other relevant indicators of possible discrimination by City of Tacoma offices, agencies or bureaus. Since this is not a legal requirement, has never been required by any court, and is not in conformance with accepted disparity study methodology that follows the National Model Disparity Study Guidelines and cases upholding raceconscious affirmative action programs, will the City of Tacoma accept a proposal that does not attempt to analyze contract award sizes or prime contractor bidding data? Answer 19: Analysis of contract award sizes and prime contract bidding data are needed. See section 1.10 of the RFP. Question 20: Section 4.1.B 13) refers to race-conscious and race-neutral DBE initiatives by the City. Please describe in detail these initiatives or provide links to this information. Answer 20: Small Business Enterprise (SBE) is a race-neutral program; it is income sensitive. Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) is federal requirements for raceconscious initiatives. As directed by WA State Dept of Transportation requirement

dealing with federal funds. Federal funds dictate over 60% of the City of Tacoma contracts? Question 21: The Prime Contractors Pre-Work Form, Contractors Projected Work Force- This Project, appears to refer to construction projects. May we substitute job classifications relevant to consulting firms for the listed classifications on our own revised form? Answer 21: Yes, you may substitute job classifications but use the required form. Question 22: Will the City consider a longer performance period than nine months? Answer 22: Please refer to Section 3.05 of the RFP. Question 23: Will the City consider a budget for the study that exceeds $350,000? Answer 23: No. Question 24: Does the paid leave and minimum wage requirement apply to successful proposers whose place of business is outside the City of Tacoma? Answer 24: Yes, paid leave and minimum wage requirements apply to successful bidders. See city regulation. Refer to Title 18 of the Tacoma Municipal Code for details. For more information visit www.cityoftacoma.org/employmentstandards https://www.cityoftacoma.org/cms/one.aspx?objectid=75860 Question 25: Disparity studies typically take at least a year to complete. Is the City open to allowing 12 months for the study instead of 9 months? Answer 25: Please refer to Section 3.05 of the RFP. Question 26: The Work Plan requires inclusion of costs. Is that to be included with the proposal or in a separate sealed envelope? Answer 26: Include costs in proposal Question 27: The cost proposal asks that hourly rates include travel, lodging and meal expenses. For sake of clarity, no separate estimated travel, lodging, and meal expenses should be shown outside of a per hour rate for each team member? What about expenses not related to team members? Are those to be listed separately? Answer 27: Expenses not related to team members should be part of project scope and be part of overall costs, but listed separately. Question 28: Does the City maintain bidder data (including unsuccessful bidders), subcontractors included in bids (including with unsuccessful bidders), registered vendors, contract awards, all subcontractors awards, P.O.s, and payments? Are all of these databases in electronic format? Do they include commodity codes or other fields that indicate the type work they do or performed? Do they include race/ethnicity/gender status?

Answer 28: Yes, data is, for the most part, maintained in electronic form, but race/ethnic data is compiled but not tracked. The data includes commodity codes that indicate the type of work performed. Question 29: Has the City released any reports over the past few years on SBE or minority and woman business utilization? Answer 29: Yes, Title VI annual reports to the federal government detail minority and women business untilization. But no other reports by the City of Tacoma since the 1992 disparity study. Question 30: Will the study exclude P-card purchases and small purchases under a certain dollar amount? Answer 30: Yes, for amounts five thousand dollars and below. Question 31: In the calendar for this project, for interviews/presentations, it states that the vendor must be available on both days-april 24-25. Does this mean that presentations/interviews take 2 days and vendor must be present in Tacoma for 2 consecutive days? Answer 31: No, only availability is needed for interview dates. Interviews will be held on April 24-25. Each finalist will be interviewed on either April 24 or April 25. We may complete interviews in one day, but need availability just in case we have some interviews set up over to the second day. Question 32: In the Standard Terms and Conditions, section 1.01 on page 5 of 6, it refers to each submittal being intact and bound. Are proposals required to be bound, and if so, what type of binding? Answer 32: Proposal submittals must comply with p. 4, subheading "Submittal Checklist." Yes, please have your proposal bound. No complex binding is necessary. Question 33: In section 1.16, it states that submittals should include a Washington State Business License number, but if not, the number must be obtained prior to award. However, it also says that failure to include the number in the submittal may be grounds for rejection of the submittal. Please clarify whether or not a respondent is required to have the business license number at the time of submittal of the proposal. Answer 33: Licensed at time of award, not bidding. Question 34: Is sales tax applicable to services provided under the contract for this project? Answer 34: Yes, if taxable services. Please reach out to the State of Washington Department of Revenue for specific tax related questions. See www.dor.wa.gov ; http://app.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=82.04. It is the Respondent's obligation to state the correct sales tax percentage and include the applicable Washington state, city and local sales tax as a separate line item(s) in the submittal. Question 35: In section 3.15, it states that the proposal must not exceed 20 pages, single spaced, double-sided, etc., excluding required City forms. Resumes are required for all project personnel in section 3.16.5, Key Personnel. Are

resumes included in the 20-page limit? Please specify exactly what is to be included in the 20-page limit. Also, should resumes comply with the font and margin requirements? Answer 35: Resumes should comply with the font and margin requirements. Please review the questions and RFP for content subject to the 20 page limit requirements. Question 36: Section 3.16.7 References-are actual letters of reference required from the client? Answer 36: Section 3.16.7 of the RFP provides the minimum information required. Actual letters are not required. NOTE: Acknowledge receipt of this addendum by initialing the corresponding space as indicated on the signature page. Vendors who have already submitted their bid/proposal may contact the Purchasing Division at 253-502-8468 and request return of their bid/proposal for acknowledgment and re-submittal. Or, a letter acknowledging receipt of this addendum may be submitted in an envelope marked Request for Proposals Specification No. ED17-0042F Addendum No. 1. The City reserves the right to reject any and all bids, including, in certain circumstances, for failure to appropriately acknowledge this addendum.