SIMPLIFIED REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS AHS/DCF

Requisition Number: (filled in by the Business Office)

Title: FAMILY FOSTER CARE LIAISON

Date:January 19, 2011

Requisition Number: (0344010FSD018)

I. BACKGROUND AND SCOPE: The Vermont Department for Children and Families (Family Services Division),(hereinafter called DCF/FSD)is seeking to establish a service agreement with an individual to provide Family Foster Care Liaison services to strengthen and support foster care and kinship care system in Vermont, as well as systems that support families who have adopted through the Vermont foster care system.

A. Program Summary: This RFP seeks an individual to act as an independent state-wide Family Foster Care Liaison for DCF/FSD, the Vermont Foster and Adoptive Parent Association (VFAFA), local foster parent associations, Vermont Kin as Parents (VKAP), and other organizations that support kinship care providers in Vermont. The Liaison will carry out a work plan jointly developed by the VFAFA Board of Directors and State’s System of Care Manager. Day-to-day supervision will be provided by the System of Care Manager. Performance evaluation is the joint responsibility of the VFAFA Board and the System of Care Manager and will incorporate input from key stakeholders.

B. Specifications of Work to be Performed:

  1. In conjunction with the State and the Vermont Foster/Adoptive Family Association (VFAFA), developing quarterly goals to support the overall mission of strengthening the Vermont foster care system. Quarterly goals will include specific activities to be completed in order to support those goals.
  2. Providing staff assistance to the Board of Directors of VFAFA in carrying out its mission. Specific assistance will be determined by the VFAFA Board.
  3. Facilitating communication between the State, VFAFA, and other organizations that support kinship care providers, ensuring the regular flow of information between all entities.
  4. Researching and informing the State and VFAFA of new or cutting edge developments in the areas of Foster/Adoptive Family recruitment, retention, support, and training.
  5. Identifying and recommending changes to the State, VFAFA, and other organizations that support kinship care providers in policy, practice, and training to support best practice for children in DCF custody living with foster and kinship families.
  6. Ensuring, to the extent possible, that the VFAFA Board and members, and other organizations that support kinship care providers, be regularly involved as stakeholders in policy and practice improvement efforts.
  7. Staying informed about national trends pertaining to the reimbursement of costs associated with foster care and adoption subsidies and regularly sharing this information with relevant State parties.
  8. Assisting local State Districts in developing and supporting local Foster/Adoptive Associations or groups and the activities that may be associated with those groups.
  9. Attending and/or serving on committees or groups formed to address issues that may be of concern to foster, adoptive and kinship families.
  10. Coordinating and facilitating the publication of a newsletter devoted to topics of interest to foster/adoptive families. The newsletter will be published as scheduled by VFAFA. Final approval of the newsletter is the responsibility of the VFAFA Board.
  11. Coordinating with VFAFA and the State the annual VFAFA Conference by assisting with the determination of the format, dates and identification of a space; working with the conference facility on reservations, menus, workshop space and audio-visual needs for the workshops; creating a schedule of events; lining up the keynote speaker and workshop facilitators; sending out invitations and arranging for evaluation of the conference by attendees.
  12. Developing and maintaining close working relationships with State District Resource Coordinators in order to enhance their capacity to provide support and assistance to local foster parents and foster parent associations.
  13. Providing State with organization, support, and technical assistance that will aid district recruitment efforts, including child-specific efforts.
  14. On a quarterly basis, provide State System of Care Manager with a report detailing progress on ongoing projects, meetings attended, and any other pertinent information as requested by the System of Care Manager.

C. Performance Based Indicators:

  1. Contractor will meet with local foster parent groups a minimum of one time per year in each State District than has an active foster parent group.
  2. Contractor will attend at least 80% of the VFAFA Board meetings.
  3. Contractor will provide documentation (with measures, if appropriate) of any projects that h/she is involved in through task force or committee work to be included with the quarterly reports.
  4. Contractor will provide recommendations on ways to improve the foster care system (through committee work and/or through quarterly reports as well as at VFAFA Board meetings) at least two times per year.
  5. Contractor will meet with the System of Care Manager on a regular basis (not less than twice monthly) to ensure satisfactory performance on contract services provided to the State.
  6. On a quarterly basis, Contractor will provide a report to the System of Care Manager detailing work undertaken in the previous quarter, as well as progress on ongoing projects, and any other information as requested by the System of Care Manager.
  7. Bi-annually, the VFAFA Board will be asked to complete a “Satisfaction Survey” measuring the Contractor’s (Liaison’s) performance on the contract services performed directly for the Board. Results of the Satisfaction Survey will be shared with the Liaison through the System of Care Manager as part of the bi-monthly program review.

D. Required Skills, Knowledge, and Experience:

  1. Ability to form and maintain effective working relationships with a wide range of individuals and organizations.
  2. Ability to balance a variety of perspectives and priorities.
  3. Flexibility and focus to be able to work on a variety of projects at the same time.
  4. Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
  5. Ability to recognize and ask for assistance and direction when needed.
  6. Understanding of the complexities of a statewide foster care program and the inter-relationships between various components of the system of care.
  7. Knowledge of resources for foster/adoptive families.
  8. Knowledge of challenges and issues of kinship care.
  9. Ability to access, analyze, and report information from a variety of sources to provide consultation to DCF/FSD and VFAFA.
  10. Group facilitation and training skills.
  11. Computer skills including experience with databases, word processing, and telecommunicating.
  12. Experience with, or knowledge of, public relations, marketing, and resource development.
  13. Knowledge of curriculum development and implementation.
  14. Experience and working knowledge of organizational development and change within the public and non-profit sectors.
  15. Ability to work a flexible schedule, including the ability to work some nights and weekends.
  16. Ability to travel regularly through the state and occasionally out of state.
  17. Knowledge of Vermont foster care rules and regulations is desirable, but not required.
  1. CONTRACT PERIOD: Initial contract arising from this request for proposal shall be from April 1, 2011 until March 31, 2012 with a potential option to renew for two additional, one-year periods.
  2. SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT: All communications concerning this Request For Proposal (RFP) are to be addressed in writing to the attention of: Nancy Williams,DCF Family Services,. Nancy Williams will be the sole contact for this proposal. Attempts by bidders to contact any other party could result in the rejection of their proposal.
  3. COSTS OF PREPARATION: The bidder shall be solely responsible for all expenses incurred in the preparation of a response to this RFP and shall be responsible for all expenses associated with any presentation or demonstrations associated with this request and or proposals made. The bidder shall also be solely responsible for the cost preparing responses to scope of work requests submitted by departments over the course of the contract.
  4. Rejection Rights:DCF may, at any time and at its sole discretion and without penalty, reject any and all proposals in any ‘catchment’ area and issue no contract in that area as a result of this RFP. Further more a proposal may be rejected for one or more of the following reasons or for any other reason deemed to be in the best interest of the State:
  5. The failure of the bidder to adhere to one or more provisions established in this RFP.
  6. The failure of the bidder to submit required information in the format specified in this RFP.
  7. The failure of the bidder to adhere to generally accepted ethical and professional principles during the RFP process.
  1. PUBLIC RECORD DISCLOSURE:
  2. All proposals shall become the property of the State.
  3. All public records of DCF are available for disclosure, except for RFPs prior to the release to potential bidders; and proposals and bids received in response to the RFP, until the Contractor and DCF have executed the contract. At that time, the unsuccessful bidders may request a copy of their own score sheets as well as request to view the successful bidder’s proposal at DCF Central Office.
  4. DCF will not disclose RFP records until execution of the contract(s). At that time, all information about the competitive procurement is disclosed except those portions specifically marked by the bidder as falling within one of the exceptions of 1, V.S.A., Ch. 5 Sec. 317.
  5. AUTHORITY TO BIND DCF:The Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner of DCF (in parent AHS Secretary or Deputy Secretary) are the only persons who may legally commit DCF to any contract agreements. The Contractor shall not incur, and DCF shall not pay, any costs incurred before a contract is fully executed.
  6. QUESTION and ANSWER PERIOD:Any vendor requiring clarification of any section of this proposal must submit specific questions in writing to the single point of contact by 4:00pm February 16, 2010. Questions must be e-mailed to the RFP Contact listed in Section III of this proposal. Any question not raised in writing on or before the last day of the initial question period is waived. Responses to the questions sent will be posted to the Electronic Bulletin Board website by 2 pm on February 18, 2010. Also posted to the Electronic Bulletin Board will be Frequently Asked Questions related to this proposal.
  7. Closing Date & Proposal Packet Delivery: Your proposal, (all components including hard copies OR email)whether mailed, hand delivered, or sent electronically through email must arrive at the DCF/FSD Divisionno later than 3:00 PM,February 28, 2010. Late responses shall not be accepted and shall automatically be disqualified from further consideration. The method of delivery shall be at your discretion, and shall be at your sole risk to assure delivery at the designated office. DCF/FSD does not take responsibility for any problems in mail or delivery, either within or outside DCF/FSD. Receipt by any other office or mailroom is not equivalent to receipt by DCF/FSD.
  8. PROPOSAL REVIEW: A review team of knowledgeable individuals will evaluate each proposal. The team members will be composed of key stakeholders, including staff from the central office of DCF. The Revenue Enhancement Unit shall review all proposals for compliance with RFP procedural instructions. If the procedural instructions are not followed, the proposal shall be considered non-responsive. Non-responsive proposals will be eliminated from further evaluation.
  9. Insurance certificate: As part of the proposal packet the Bidder must provide current certificates of insurance of which may or may not meet the minimum requirements laid out in the section 7 of this document.Any questions a bidder may have concerning the necessary insurance coverage must be raised during the question and answer period set out in section VIII (8) of this document. In the absence of a question, and upon contract negotiations the apparently successful bidder must provide a certificate of insurance that meets the minimum coverage specified in section 7 of this document.
  10. Proposal Format:
  11. Use standard 8.5" x 11" white paper. Documents must be single-spaced and use not less than a twelve point font.
  12. If submitting hard copies, send two (2) identical copies of each Program Proposal you are submitting and send a copy by e-mail to the single point of contact as identified in section III. of this document using Microsoft Word or straight text file formats.
  13. State the bidder’s name on each page of your program proposals and on any other information you are submitting.
  14. References: Provide the names, addresses, and phone numbers of at least three contacts or organizations who can speak to your work with foster and adoptive parents. You must include contact names who can speak knowledgeably about your performance.
  15. Bidder packet should include:
  16. A copy of your current resume;
  17. A writing sample (no longer than 1 single-spaced page that demonstrates professional writing skills);
  18. All items requested in Criteria for Scoring Table, below; and,
  19. A completed budget (Schedule A, page 18) that includes total proposal amount and a narrative describing how budget figures were determined.
  20. Interview: In addition to the proposal packet, some bidders will be invited to an interview with key stakeholders. All interviews will take place between March 7th and March 16th. Once a proposal is received, the bidder may be contacted to arrange for an interview.
  21. SCORING:For each program proposal, the foursections outlined in this section (Quality of Bidder Experience, Bidder Capacity,Responsiveness to Specifications, and Budget) must be responded to in your proposal. Proposals will be scored by individual team members. Scoring is intended to clarify strengths and weaknesses of proposals relative to one another and to provide guidance to decision-makers. The sum of the scores of the members will become the proposal’s final score. (See criteria for scoring below.)

CRITERIA FOR SCORING / Total possible points
1 Information from the BIDDER
A. Quality of Bidder’s Experience / 20
  • Provide a description of the bidder’s experience within the past five years providing services to or advocating for foster/adoptive families. Knowledge of Vermont foster care rules and regulations as well as an understanding of the complexities of a statewide foster care program and the inter-relationships between various components of the system of care.
  • Describe the bidder’s experience with DCF and the Vermont Foster/Adoptive Family Association (VFAFA). If not currently operating in this capacity, describe bidder’s experience with foster/adoptive families.
/ 10
  • Describe the bidder’s role in the local community’s system of care for foster and adoptive families. If bidder is not currently established in the community to be served by this proposal, describe the bidder’s role in the community. If bidder is not currently part of the local system of care, include a strategic plan for networking, collaborating and connecting with the local system of care.
/ 10
B. Bidder’s Capacity to Perform / 45
  • Provide a copy of bidder’s current resume and narrative outlining experience in the field of foster care, working with groups, building collaboration among various stakeholders, experience in system change activities, and analysis of data.
/ 10
  • Describe personal accomplishments and/orachievementsworking with foster and adoptive families. Also, describe any recognition received for work with foster and adoptive families.
/ 10
  • The work called for by this RFP requires creating and maintaining relationships with various stake holders around the State. Describe the bidder’s approach to establishing and maintaining these important relationships. Describe bidder’s plan for outreach to constituents and community partners with whom the bidder does not already have relationships.
/ 10
  • Describe how the bidder will approach work with DCF/FSD, including Central Office and the 12-District Offices, as well as the Vermont Foster/Adoptive Family Association (VFAFA).
/ 5
  • Describe how the work described in the RFP draws upon the bidder’s personal and professional mission and/or goals.
/ 10
2 TECHNICAL PROPOSAL/PROGRAM SPECIFICATIONS
A. Responsiveness to Specifications / 15
  • Provide a description of how bidder will respond to program goals and how the bidder will evaluate their performance and quality.
  • Describe how the bidder will ensure that all included services, projects, and activities will be completed and provided in a timely manner.
/ 10
  • Provide a writing sampleof no more than one single-spaced page that demonstrates professional writing skills.
/ 5
B. Budget / 20
  • Use Schedule A (page 18) to itemize proposal budget and include total amount of proposal.
/ 10
  • In narrative form, explain how budget figures were determined.
/ 10
OVERALL TOTAL SCORE / 100

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SIMPLIFIED REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS AHS/DCF

Requisition Number: (filled in by the Business Office)

  1. STATE AND AGENCY CUSTOMARY CONTRACTING PROVSIONS:

ATTACHMENT C

CUSTOMARY PROVISIONS FOR CONTRACTS AND GRANTS

1. Entire Agreement. This Agreement, whether in the form of a Contract, State Funded Grant, or Federally Funded Grant, represents the entire agreement between the parties on the subject matter. All prior agreements, representations, statements, negotiations, and understandings shall have no effect.

2. Applicable Law. This Agreement will be governed by the laws of the State of Vermont.

3. Definitions:For purposes of this Attachment, “Party” shall mean the Contractor, Grantee or Subrecipient, with whom the State of Vermont is executing this Agreement and consistent with the form of the Agreement.

4. Appropriations: If appropriations are insufficient to support this Agreement, the State may cancel on a date agreed to by the parties or upon the expiration or reduction of existing appropriation authority. In the case that this Agreement is funded in whole or in part by federal or other non-State funds, and in the event those funds become unavailable or reduced, the State may suspend or cancel this Agreement immediately, and the State shall have no obligation to fund this Agreement from State revenues.