Attachment A
024-2017-2
WORK STATEMENT
1. Objectives.
General. The Governor’s Center for Local Government Services (GCLGS) is seeking a contractor for a Capacity Building Training Program that includes in-person and online educational training sessions. Program development will be undertaken through consultation with GCLGS regional office staff, Act 47 recovery plan coordinators, Early Intervention Program (EIP) consultants and municipal officials of the municipalities identified in this ITQ.
2. Nature and Scope of the Project
The Capacity Building Training Program is presented as a plan for the Contractor to successfully provide local government officials with timely and reasonable opportunities to receive information and to develop skills; to promote effectiveness and efficiency of municipal operations as a key component of fiscal recovery; and promote intergovernmental cooperation as a means to improve government services and decision making processes. Additionally, this plan is designed to assist GCLGS in accomplishing objectives set to assist distressed and fiscally troubled municipalities toward recovery. The Contractor’s staff time will be dedicated to program development and to meeting the needs of distressed communities in the areas of sustainability and good government. Additionally, time will be dedicated to community outreach and program promotion.
3. Requirements
The Capacity Building Training Program will include municipalities in Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Washington and Westmoreland Counties. In addition, all Act 47 and EIP municipalities in the 10-county region of Southwestern PA plus Cambria County will be served by this program.
The Capacity Building Training Program is for a three-year period of time, to start August 2017 and end June 30, 2020, and will consist of in-person and online training sessions.
The Contractor is strongly encouraged to include in its proposal mechanisms to lower the cost of the services requested under this ITQ, such as: applying for philanthropic grants, seeking out county and corporate support, and charging reasonable tuition.
GCLGS staff will serve as a resource for this project and shall be kept apprised of progress and completion of key activities in this process. Written reports shall accompany all requests for reimbursement for activities and services rendered through the capacity building program.
The contractor should have a familiarity with municipal governments and municipal requirements. It will be important for the Contractor to work closely with the staff at the Southwest Regional Office of the GCLGS, while coordinating training with GCLGS technical staff in Harrisburg to ensure the project's success and avoid conflicts. In order to ensure that the project is operating effectively, frequent communication, correspondence and periodic meetings will take place.
4. Evaluation
The Contractor must constantly evaluate and update the Capacity Building Training Program in order to provide the maximum experience for participants. In order to determine the impact of instruction and assess additional local government training needs, the Contractor must follow these procedures:
1. Interact with participants during the program.
2. Direct participants to complete an evaluation form at each training session, including a section on securing ideas for future training programs.
3. Conduct selected follow-up telephone surveys on ideas implemented as a result of attending programs.
The above process will also be helpful in determining the need for follow-up training for distressed municipalities.
The Contractor will communicate progress of the project to GCLGS on a regular or as-needed basis, and provide a report on the status of the training projects, program attendance figures and a summary of significant activities with each request for payment.
5. Tasks.
Task A: In-Person and Online Educational Programs
The Contractor shall develop five new in-person and online training programs identified below. These trainings and educational programs will be offered to local government elected and appointed officials and municipal employees and will encompass a wide range of topics. The training program will be offered in a combination of classroom, webinars, and online instructor-led programs.
These Programs include:
How to Perform a Sustainability Assessment – The purpose of this training is to help participants identify potential areas for assessment and provide instruction on selecting consultants. The areas of assessment will be aligned with the Sustainable Pennsylvania Community Certification requirements and will introduce concepts, define terminology, and offer case studies to synthesize the ideas to be presented.
Food Security – The purpose of this training is to provide answers to the following questions: what is a municipal food security program; how to start a community garden program; how to establish a farmer's market program that supports both food security and economic development; and how to incentivize a food economy (restaurants, stores, CSA's).
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion – The purpose of this training is to provide human resource management training to: develop employment policies fostering diversity and inclusion; establish municipal employment systems that expand opportunity; address local government workforce needs; and modernize employment policies and manuals to reflect equal opportunity.
Analyzing Fleets and Facilities for Reduction in Carbon, Pollution, and Costs – The purpose of this training is to review subjects, such as: how to perform a greenhouse gas inventory of entire operations (with a specific emphasis on vehicles in use for public works and public safety) and how to conduct and use energy audits of facilities (to identify savings and develop capital improvement plans).
Energy Efficiency and Green Buildings – The purpose of this training is to: promote the International Construction Code and International Green Construction Code as good government standards above and beyond the PA Uniform Construction Code and expand capacity for issuing building permits for construction techniques that exceed the state minimum standards.
Task A Deliverables:
1. Develop and Deliver the five new in-person and online training programs identified above, which programs must include all of the above requirements.