Department of Family and Support Services
Workforce Investment Act, Youth Services
Submission and Proposal Information
Deadline and Bidders Conference
The due date for this RFP is May 28, 2010. One original and two copies should be submitted to:
Carmen E. Alicea-Reyes
Deputy Commissioner of Youth Services
Department of Family and Support Services
1615 West Chicago Avenue, 2nd Floor
Chicago, Illinois 60622
Proposals will be accepted prior to the due date, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday – Friday at the same location. All proposals must be complete. Incomplete proposals may not be reviewed. In-person or bonded messenger delivery of proposals is encouraged. Time stamped receipts will be issued as proof of timely submittal.
No proposal will be considered complete and therefore reviewed unless the original copy is delivered and received at DFSS offices.
Proposals received after the due date and time may be deemed NON-RESPONSIVE and, therefore, subject to rejection.
Questions
Respondents are strongly encouraged to submit all questions and comments related to the RFP via e-mail. Please direct any questions to the appropriate liaison. For answers to all program-related questions EXCEPT the youth program please contact:
Lucretzia Jamison: , 312-746-7123
Patti Prado: , 312-743-1856
All other questions regarding the administrative aspects of this RFP may be directed to: Julia Talbot, .
Bidders Conference
A pre-proposal conference will be held on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. at DFSS offices at 1615 W. Chicago Ave. on the 2nd Floor –Room 249A.
To request reasonable accommodation for the pre-submittal conference; please contact, Monica Rafac at . Requests for accommodations will be accepted up to 48 hours prior to the event.
PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS
Formatting
Submitted proposals must adhere to all of the following requirements:
· One original and two copies will be submitted for each proposal
· One complete set of the proposal containing original signatures in blue ink signed by an authorized representative of the organization will be marked “Original”
· Recycled paper
· 8 1/2 x 11 letter size
· Double-sided printing
· One inch margins
· Double-spaced
· 12-point font
The narrative portions of this proposal should be no longer than 15 pages in length.
Process for Evaluation of Proposals
Each proposal will go through the following review process:
A. Substantive Review: A panel of employment and training professionals selected by DFSS will review all proposals. Panel members may include staff from DFSS, CWIC, WIA partners and CWIC members. The panel will perform an in-depth review of the proposals based on the evaluation criteria outlined in the following section. DFSS reserves the right to request interviews with potential grant recipients and conduct site reviews to confirm physical and programmatic accessibility. DFSS also reserves the right to award grant agreements on the basis of proposals received, without further discussions. Failure to submit a complete proposal and/or to respond fully to all requirements may cause the proposal to be deemed unresponsive and, therefore, subject to rejection.
B. Fiscal Review: DFSS will conduct a fiscal review on qualified proposals. Selected DFSS staff will review proposal budgets, cost allocation plans, agency audits and responses to questions related to fiscal operations. DFSS reserves the right to review and request further information on the respondent’s financial situation, if not sufficiently outlined in the submitted audit(s).
C. Past Performance Review: Through this process, DFSS will review a respondent’s performance on any previous and/or existing DFSS grant agreement(s). Achievement of grant agreement goals such as WIA benchmarks, number of enrollments, placements and job retention of enrollees along with compliance with programmatic and fiscal guidelines and timelines will be evaluated.
D. Risk Assessment: DFSS reserves the right to perform an assessment of the risk that any recent, current or potential litigation, court action, investigation, audit, bankruptcy, receivership, financial insolvency, merger, acquisition, or other event (as discussed below in Section VII) might affect an organization’s ability to operate the requested program.
E. Final Selection: Through this process, DFSS will select respondents for recommendation to the CWIC, which will approve the final selections. After this process is completed, the City may award grant agreements to successful respondents. DFSS may also seek references from the respondent’s other current or recent contracts as part of the evaluation.
Evaluation Criteria
Each application will be reviewed using the following criteria:
A. Organizational Capacity
The extent to which the respondent has the resources and expertise to manage a federally funded workforce development program of comparable size and scope. This includes the respondent’s fiscal (including financial management systems), technological, management, administrative and staff capabilities along with physical space, location and capacity of the program site. DFSS’ risk assessment of the respondent and the respondent’s skill in delivering services in the proposed geographic area among other providers and businesses will also be considered.
B. Program Design and Scope
The extent to which the respondent’s proposed plan meets the expectations outlined in the scope of services. This includes the respondent’s capacity to provide comprehensive services that respond to the needs of the business and job seeker customers and the respondent’s experience and capacity to work in collaboration with other entities in a service delivery system. Expertise of current staff, staffing plan and capacity to serve both the employer population and job seeker population are also included in this section. Key innovations identified in the proposal, and the quality, scope and value-added to Chicago’s WIA network of those innovations, will also be measured as well as what is being leveraged and what relationships with other providers have been secured.
Applicants should be sure to demonstrate the extent to which the respondent’s proposed plan shows a clear understanding and capacity to serve a specific population or community and the respondent’s capacity to serve as an active and contributing member of both the Out of School Time Initiative and Chicago’s WIA network in providing services to the target population or target community.
More specifically:
§ How does your program address the needs of youth in your community?
§ Narrative adequately describes the proposed program;
§ Includes a detailed schedule of activities, hours and days of operation, and location of program activities;
§ Includes a plan to evaluate the program.
C. Demonstrated Capacity
The extent to which the respondent demonstrates a history of successfully implementing workforce development programs and achieving benchmarks. This includes evidence of established and strong youth, community, educational and employer relationships, demonstrated experience placing youth into employment and previous experience and performance on grant agreements of similar size and scope. Experience networking and coordinating services with Out of School Time Initiative providers, mandated WIA partners, and other Chicago WIA providers will be considered.
D. Financial Plan and Outcomes
The extent to which the proposed budget will realistically finance the services and goals of the program. This includes the likelihood that the proposed service strategy will result in achieving the proposed goals; the accuracy of the budget; the direct-staff-to-customer ratio; the amount and type of funds that will be leveraged towards achieving program outcomes and the overall cost effectiveness of the proposed services as well as the overall financial stability of the organization will be taken into account.
More specifically:
§ Professional qualifications and specialized experience in this area necessary for sound fiscal management;
§ Demonstration of past and/or proposed fiscal performance;
§ Budget consistent with Program Design;
§ Cost Allocation Plan (CAP) – Please include if one has been done in the past two years.
§ Demonstration of fund-raising capability and history
GENERAL PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS/CHECKLIST
In addition to the proposal narrative, budget pages and application sheet, respondents will need to complete and submit the following forms and narratives:
A) Articles of Incorporation
B) The organization’s list of Officers and Board of Directors.
C) The current By-laws and Charter
D) A copy of Certificate of Good Standing from Secretary of State.
E) A copy of IRS Not-for-profit designation if respondent is a not-for-profit entity
F) Certificate of Insurance (see Appendix A).
Please note: All respondents will be required to submit these supplemental documents prior to entering into a contract with DFSS
Department of Family and Support Services
Workforce Investment Act – Youth Services
Agency Proposal Information Sheet
Legal Name of Respondent Agency / Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN)Administrative/Mailing Address / Ward / Community Area
Executive Director / Executive Director’s Phone Number
Executive Director’s Fax Number / Executive Director’s Email Address
Contact Person for Proposal / Contact Person’s Phone Number
Contact Person’s Fax Number / Contact Person’s Email Address
Type of Organization (check one)
Not-for-Profit Agency / For-Profit Agency / Faith-Based AgencyOther, if yes Description:
Please check the ONE program applied for in this proposal packet.
___ Work-Based Learning Programs
___ Innovative Programs
___ Career Development
Those applying for multiple programs must submit individual proposals for each program being applied for.
Amount Requested: $______
Agency Statement of Certification
This proposal has been duly authorized by the governing body of the proposed. The proposed activities, dates, availability of resources, staff, cost, and all statements made are true and correct. The respondent will comply with all rules and regulations of the funding agency and will revise this proposal if necessary.
Authorized Signer’s Name / Authorized SignatureAuthorized Signer’s Title / Date Signed
Executive Summary
Please attach an Executive Summary, which briefly describes your organization’s qualifications and proposed program under this RFP. The Executive Summary may be no more than two pages. The Executive Summary must include:
· The total amount requested for the proposed program/services.
· A commitment to provide the requested services.
· An overview of the qualifications of the respondent and any other organization(s) that will provide or will significantly contribute to the requested services and a description of how the proposed program will enhance or expand on the current services available in the area.
· If applicable, list multiple service address locations.
· The name and telephone number of the lead contact person for the proposal.
Questions
Please answer the following questions about your intended WIA program in no more than 15 pages.
1. General Questions for all Respondents.
Agency Capacity
1. Describe the respondent’s (network or consortium’s) history in operating the desired program and serving the targeted population. Please describe your previous experience designing and implementing a WIA youth program
2. Describe the respondent’s (network or consortium’s) programmatic, fiscal and administrative capacity for operating the program (including providing regional oversight of services) and managing the grant, if funded.
3. Describe how your agency assures the quality of services.
4. Describe how your agency assures the confidentiality of all client information and records.
5. Describe your agency’s client information tracking system.
6. Describe how the program’s effectiveness will be monitored. What methods will your agency use to monitor program quality internally keeping all necessary documentation needed for customer files and IWDS reporting needs?
Contracting Experience
7. Please attach a table outlining all of your current grants relevant in size and/or scope to the program you are applying for (expand as necessary).
Name of program / Source of funding (please be as specific as possible) / Grant Amount / Grant start/end dates / Data tracking software used8. List three references with knowledge of your organization’s performance and experience, including name, organization, title, phone and email address.
Staffing
9. Please describe your staffing pattern, including job descriptions, resumes, and the number of new jobs that will be created through this program (including the number of people that can be re-hired if the agency has had recent lay-offs). Explain the staffing patterns and how it fits within your service delivery plan. Please attach an organizational chart showing staff levels and functions and where the Chicago Department of Family and Support Services’ WIA Youth Program will fit into the organizational structure.
10. Describe participating agencies’ processes for hiring, training and retaining qualified staff, and the agencies’ process for ensuring continuous training for staff.
11. Explain your organization’s administrative capabilities that will ensure a successful WIA Youth program. Please provide an explanation of how your organization will ensure full time positions included on the contract remain active to the program requirements throughout the contractual time. If a contracted employee terminates employment, explain the agency’s plan to replace the committed service to continue program success.
Flow Chart of Service Provision
12. Please attach a flow chart of service provision.
13. Provide a short description of your agency’s computer capacity.
Program
14. Please describe how your agency will incorporate the chosen program model described in the related RFP. Describe the staff and partnership resources for the program, and how the program model currently relates to your normal services provided to youth. Explain how the proposed program model will successfully implement the grant objectives.
15. Provide process and outcome objectives and deliverables for the program. Objectives are measurable statements that demonstrate what will be achieved. WIA’s performance measures are: Placement in employment or education rate (PEER), attainment of a degree or certificate rate (ADC), and literacy and numeracy gains rate (LNG).
16. Describe your organization’s vision of a youth employment assistance program for your area and explain how you will engage and maintain the involvement of the stakeholders to support that vision. Specifically address how your organization will successfully engage other community-based agencies, governmental entities, the education community, and private sector businesses to effect positive change. (Please attach a list of established relationships that would be used for employment placement, post secondary education, and attainment of a degree or certificate for eligible WIA Youth.)
17. What strategies will you use to recruit youth to enroll in the proposed WIA program and maintain an active caseload? How will your agency replace youth who have been exited out of the program or have not returned for services?
Budget Instructions
BUDGET SUMMARY- Form 1
The purpose of this form is: 1) to summarize, by item of expenditure, the total budget of a program or project to be funded in whole or in part with WIA funds; and 2) to specify the share of total cost charged to the awarded grant program and the share of total cost charged to other matching or supplemental funding sources. For-Profit applicants please note that there is no profit line for this application.