Commissioners
Los Angeles County Supervisor
Yvonne Burke
Chair
Jonathan E. Fielding, M.D., M.P.H.
Vice Chair
Nancy Au
Jane Boeckmann
Neal Kaufman, M.D., M.P.H.
Marvin J. Southard, D.S.W.
Evangelina R. Stockwell, Ed.D.
Corina Villaraigosa
Carolyn R. Wilder
Ex Officio Members
Jacquelyn McCroskey, D.S.W.
Connie Russell
Deanne Tilton
Harriette F. Williams, Ed.D.
Executive Director
Evelyn V. Martinez
750 N. Alameda Street
Suite 300
Los Angeles, CA 90012
PH: 213.482.5902
FAX: 213.482.5903
www.first5la.org
A public entity.
May 27, 2008
Dear Prospective Applicant:
First 5 LA is issuing this Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to qualified groups or individuals interested in working with staff and Commissioners to assist in the facilitation/implementation of the Cycle One grants for the Community Opportunities Fund.
The consultant(s) must have extensive expertise in the fields of grantmaking, organizational capacity building and/or policy and advocacy work, and program implementation. The successful applicant(s) should have strong knowledge of systems and programs serving children 0-5 and their families.
In response to this Request for Qualifications, applicants are requested to submit a cover letter, a curriculum vitae or resume, proposal, budget and references to First 5 LA no later than 5:00 pm on June 13, 2008. Following a review of all submitted materials, qualified applicants will be invited for an in-person or phone interview during the week of June 30 – July 3, 2008.
Please submit 1 original and five (5) copies of your curriculum vitae or resume, proposal, budget and a cover letter to:
Evelyn V. Martinez, Executive Director
First 5 LA
750 N Alameda Street, Suite 300
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Attention: Community Opportunities Fund Grantee Technical Assistance Facilitator
ALL SUBMISSIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY 5:00 PM, June 13, 2008. NO FAXED OR E-MAIL SUBMISSIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED.
For additional information or further questions, please contact Lee Werbel, Program Officer, at (213) 482-7554 or .
Thank you for your dedication to children and families and for supporting the vision and mission of First 5 LA.
Sincerely,
Evelyn V. Martinez
Executive Director
Community Opportunities Fund Technical Assistance Consultant(s) RFQ Page 10
About First 5 LA
In 1998, California voters passed Proposition 10, which levied a 50-cent per pack tax on all tobacco products. The resulting tax revenues were earmarked for the creation of a comprehensive system of information and services to advance early childhood development and school readiness within each county in California. In Los Angeles County, First 5 LA was formed as a public entity to develop and oversee various early childhood initiatives and to manage the funding from Proposition 10 (http://www.first5la.org/). First 5 LA champions health, education, and safety issues benefiting young children and families. Since 1998, First 5 LA has invested $800 million to support initiatives in all three of its goal areas.
The Community Opportunities Fund Background
First 5 LA’s Community Opportunities Fund (COF) establishes a new funding mechanism for the Commission. COF reflects a responsive giving approach with a focus on funding sustainable change within both organizations and communities. A total of $13 million was allocated to COF with $3.25 million available for each of the four funding cycles.
COF was developed out of the Open Grantmaking investment area, approved in November 2005 by the Commission through the Next Five Strategic Plan, to address changing social trends and allow flexibility to respond to community-specific needs. Therefore, while COF has outlined the specific Commission approved funding priorities and long-term outcomes in order to assess the cumulative impact of the fund, and has identified two broad funding approaches, a large degree of flexibility in project design has been included.
COF has been designed to address the following three funding priority areas identified within the Next Five Strategic Plan:
· Supportive Parents/Caregivers
· Good Health
· Prevention of Intentional Injuries
Funding Cycles Timeline[*]
LOI Due / LOI Decision Made/ Proposals Requested / Proposal Due / Staff Review Complete / Commission Review / Project Start DateFirst Funding Cycle (Incorporates learning time between end of first and beginning of second cycles)
Sept. 14, 2007 / Nov. 2, 2007 / Dec. 21, 2007 / March 2008 / Apr. 2008 / July 1, 2008
Second Funding Cycle
August 2008 / Oct. . 2008 / Dec. 2008 / Mar. 2009 / April 2009 / July 2009
Third Funding Cycle
June 2009 / Aug. 2009 / Sept. 2009 / Dec. 2010 / Jan. 2010 / April 2010
Fourth Funding Cycle
May 2010 / July 2010 / Aug. 2010 / Oct. 2010 / Nov. 2010 / Feb. 2011
Types of Grants
Because COF is intended to initiate sustainable and systematic change at the organizational and community levels, COF is not designed to fund direct services. Instead, two specific types of support are funded: (1) organizational capacity building and (2) policy and advocacy grants.
Organizational Capacity Building
Organizational capacity building is defined within the COF Funding Guide as organizational development activities that build and sustain growth and effectiveness. The funding of organizational capacity building activities is intended to achieve sustainable and meaningful results in an organization’s target community by improving its overall management or programmatic capacities. Eligible agencies may apply for a maximum of $150,000 to be distributed over no more than three years.
Policy and Advocacy
Policy and advocacy are defined as generally related activities that build public support for private and/or public goals. Policy is a plan that guides decisions and actions, while advocacy is the effort to raise public awareness and influence public policy through various forms of persuasive communication and education. The funding of policy and advocacy activities is intended to increase community awareness and support for policies that improve the quality of life of children prenatal to age five and their families. Eligible agencies may apply for a maximum of $500,000 to be distributed over no more than five years.
It is the intent of COF that all funded projects lead to long-term sustainable impact on one of the following three Funding Priority areas: supportive parents and caregivers, good health (nutrition, physical activity, and oral care), or prevention of unintentional injuries.
Grants have been awarded to 14 agencies through the first cycle of the Community Opportunities Fund (COF). The 14 awards consist of 11 Capacity Building projects and 3 Policy and Advocacy projects. Contracts are expected to be executed in July 2008.
In order to best support the COF grantees and help ensure success and sustainability of the efforts beyond the grant, the following grantee support activities will be implemented in coordination with the roll out of the grants. First 5 LA will select up to two consultants (either one with expertise in capacity building and one with policy and advocacy knowledge or one with expertise in both areas) based upon the response to this RFQ to provide support for grantees’ implementation of their projects.
Types of Grantee Support
Grantee Technical Assistance
Consultants will work with grantees to provide intermediary support in grantees’ project implementation. Assistance will be focused on grantee utilization of data from a baseline organizational self-assessment (described below), as well as the expressed needs identified within the COF proposal, and the remaining needs to be addressed to support the scope of work.
The provision of technical assistance (or third party support) is important in order to maintain a healthy separation between First 5 LA program officers and Technical Assistance providers.
Grantee Self-Assessment
Each grantee will be required to complete an organizational self-assessment using TCC’s CCAT Organizational Assessment at the beginning of the award period as well as prior to the close of the grant. The TCC CCAT was selected because of its thoroughness and its focus on both utilizing the strengths of an agency as well as addressing its capacity building needs. The CCAT is an online, anonymous and confidential self-assessment of the organization’s four core capacities—Adaptive, Leadership, Management, and Technical Capacities, along with a written report analyzing the organization’s strengths and providing specific recommendations for future growth and change.
The consultant(s) will assist grantees with the reading and interpreting of the report, scores for each capacity area, and the recommendations for building organizational capacity.
Group/Peer Learning
First 5 LA will convene grantees to provide group trainings and opportunities for peer learning regarding issues common across COF-funded agencies, and to address gaps in organizational effectiveness as identified through the self-assessments. It is expected that Capacity Building and Policy and Advocacy grantees will require different types and/or levels of assistance. Because of the responsive nature of the COF, specific needs will not be determined until the grantees are selected, and their scopes of work are reviewed.
It is intended that group technical assistance will be designed to additionally provide an opportunity for grantees to learn from one another as peers and to network with each other. This is an opportunity that is especially important for Policy and Advocacy grantees, as successful advocacy is often achieved through coalition building.
The selected consultant(s) will either conduct the trainings or select guest speakers who are experts in areas of organizational effectiveness and capacity building to provide the important learning experiences.
Consultant Scope of Work and Qualifications
Summary
First 5 LA is seeking one or two consultants (either one with expertise in capacity building and another with policy and advocacy knowledge; or one with expertise in both) to provide the technical assistance support outlined above as “Grantee Technical Assistance.” Additionally, depending on qualifications, the selected consultant(s) will be requested to also develop and facilitate the grantee group trainings.
Consultants would provide assistance on reconciling the results of the baseline organizational self-assessment with the needs identified within the COF proposal, and identify what needs remain to be addressed to support the scope of work. Consultants will provide periodic consultations with grantees to assess needs and provide recommendations regarding ongoing implementation. Although consultants will not provide assistance for the specifically funded project (will not be responsible for the implementation); however, they will provide linkages to experts in the field (fund development, board development, strategic planning, evaluation, etc.) and help organizations move along the submitted project logic model. It is proposed that approximately 20 hours of consultation per year be provided for each grantee which includes a total of approximately 4 hours coordination and consulting with First 5 LA (the selected applicant will provide approximately 24 hours of support per month for all 14 grantees).
It is also proposed, depending on qualifications, that the consultant(s) design and facilitate grantee group trainings and opportunities for peer learning regarding issues common across COF-funded agencies, to address gaps in organizational effectiveness as identified through the self-assessments.
Deliverables
Under the direction of, and in coordination with First 5 LA staff, provide technical assistance to COF grantees, along with designing and facilitating grantee group trainings. Specifically, selected consultant(s) will be responsible for the following components of the Community Opportunities Fund for one or more cycles:
Grantee Technical Assistance
1. Provision of technical assistance to COF grantees (either onsite or by telephone) regarding ongoing project implementation (expressed needs with the COF proposal) and organizational self-assessment results. Estimated 20 hours of technical assistance per grantee over the 12 month period which includes a total of approximately 4 hours coordination and consulting with First 5 LA (FY 2008-2009). This averages out to approximately 24 hours of support per month for all 14 grantees.
2. Review results of organizational self-assessment tool (CCAT) with grantee.
3. When appropriate or needed, match organizational needs to an outside consultant. Refer grantees for other specific technical assistance.
Grantee Trainings
4. Facilitation of up to two (2) grantee group trainings regarding issues common to all or a majority of grantees and/or to address gaps in organizational effectiveness as identified through the self-assessments per year.
Coordination with First 5 LA
5. Coordination and tracking of grantee consultancies including providing an outline and timeline of each grantee technical assistance project and relevant deliverables.
6. Ongoing feedback and communication to First 5 LA; troubleshooting, best practices and recommendations for additional capacity building technical assistance support for grantees. (Frequency and method of feedback to be determined.)
7. Interaction and communication with COF initiative-wide evaluation consultant who will be responsible for providing grantees technical assistance in developing and implementation their project evaluation plan.
8. The consultant(s) may also be asked to provide additional training, consultation and support related to capacity building and/or policy and advocacy support to grantees. First 5 LA staff will identify and communicate the need for any related training, consultation and support to the consultant.
Eligibility
Applicants must have the qualifications, experience and competency, and ability to successfully carry out the Community Opportunities Fund technical assistance and peer learning activities/grantee group trainings. Applications will be considered from individuals, not-for-profit and for-profit agencies, or public and private organizations. Applicants should have a presence in California, the capacity to work in Los Angeles County and have familiarity with conducting similar technical assistance and trainings.
The ideal applicant(s) will be familiar with the fields of organizational capacity building, strategic planning, nonprofit management, fundraising and policy and advocacy and will have extensive experience providing technical assistance and group training. Knowledge of systems and services for children 0-5 and their families is also important. Selected applicants will be invited for an interview with First 5 LA staff.
Desirable Community Opportunities Fund Technical Assistance Consultant(s) Qualities
· Engaging and effective facilitation and technical assistance provision skills.
· Ability to design, manage and track multiple technical assistance and group training projects.
· Ability to work independently without direct supervision.
· Ability to work effectively with individuals and teams with diverse strengths and varying backgrounds.
· Ability to initiate and facilitate conversations with multiple stakeholders.