**IMPORTANT NOTICE**
§ The format of this RFP has been simplified.
§ Only the following page requires signature:
· EXHIBIT A – Bid Response Packet (ATTACHMENT No.1), Bidder Information and Acceptance
· Page # 5 Must be signed by Bidder
Please read EXHIBIT A – Bid Response Packet (ATTACHMENT No. 1) carefully, INCOMPLETE BIDS WILL BE REJECTED. Alameda County Social Services Agency will not accept submissions or documentation after the bid response due date.
COUNTY OF ALAMEDA
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
No. SSA-CEC-2014
For
Career and Employment Centers
NETWORKING/BIDDERS CONFERENCES
10:00 am- 12:00 pmon
December 2nd, 2013
at
Alameda County Social Services Agency
2000 San Pablo Ave
Oakland Room, 2nd Floor
Oakland, CA 94621 / 1:00 pm-3:00 pm
on
December 6th, 2013
at
Alameda County Social Services Agency
24100 Amador Street
Cal Poppy Rooms 225-226
Hayward, CA 94544
For complete information regarding this project, see RFP posted at: http://www.acgov.org/gsa_app/gsa/purchasing/bid_content/contractopportunities.jsp http://alamedasocialservices.org/public/departments/agency_administration/finance/funding_opportunities/index.cfm
or contact the County representative listed below.
Thank you for your interest!
Contact Person: Najia Osmani – Program Financial Specialist
Phone Number: (510) 267-9439
E-mail Address:
RESPONSE DUE
by
2:00 p.m.
on
01/08/2014
at
Alameda County Social Services Agency
Finance Department - Contracts Office
2000 San Pablo Avenue, 4th Floor, Suite 451B
Oakland, CA 94612
Attention: Najia Osmani or Marcia Mayberry
Alameda County is committed to reducing environmental impacts across our entire supply chain.
If printing this document, please print only what you need, print double-sided, and use recycled-content paper.
COUNTY OF ALAMEDA
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL No. SSA-CEC-2014
SPECIFICATIONS, TERMS & CONDITIONS
for
Career and Employment Centers
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
I. ACRONYM AND TERM GLOSSARY…………………………………………………….…...4
II. STATEMENT OF WORK 5
A. INTENT 5
B. SCOPE and BACKGROUND 5
C. BIDDER QUALIFICATIONS 7
D. SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS 8
E. DELIVERABLES / REPORTS 19
III. CALENDAR OF EVENTS 22
F. NETWORKING / BIDDERS CONFERENCES 22
IV. COUNTY PROCEDURES, TERMS, AND CONDITIONS 23
G. EVALUATION CRITERIA / SELECTION COMMITTEE 23
H. CONTRACT EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT 31
I. NOTICE OF RECOMMENDATION TO AWARD 31
J. BID PROTEST / APPEALS PROCESS……………… ……….………………………..32
K. TERM / TERMINATION / RENEWAL 34
L. AWARD 34
M. METHOD OF ORDERING 36
N. INVOICING 36
O. ACCOUNT MANAGER / SUPPORT STAFF 37
V. INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS 34
P. COUNTY CONTACTS 37
Q. SUBMITTAL OF BIDS 38
R. RESPONSE FORMAT………………………………………………………………… 40
ATTACHMENTS
EXHIBIT A – BID RESPONSE PACKET (SEE ATTACHMENT No. 1)
EXHIBIT B - FORMER REFERENCES – INTENTIONALLY OMITTED
EXHIBIT C – INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS
EXHIBIT D – CBO MASTER CONTRACT
EXHIBIT E – EXCEPTIONS, CLARIFICATIONS, AMENDMENTS – INTENTIONALLY OMITTED
EXHIBIT F – VENDOR BID LIST – INTENTIONALLY OMITTED
I. ACRONYM AND TERM GLOSSARY
Unless otherwise noted, the terms below may be upper or lower case. Acronyms will always be uppercase.
Bid / Shall mean the bidders’/contractors’ response to this RequestBidder / Shall mean the specific person or entity responding to this RFP
Board / Shall refer to the County of Alameda Board of Supervisors
CalWORKs / Shall refer to California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids
CSC / Shall refer to County Selection Committee
Contractor / When capitalized, shall refer to selected bidder that is awarded a contract
County / When capitalized, shall refer to the County of Alameda
CDSS / California Department of Social Services
CFR / Code of Federal Regulations
Child Welfare Worker / Alameda County employees who provide services to help children; such as adoption placements, child welfare, foster arrangements, and protection of abused or neglected children
Federal / Refers to United States Federal Government, its departments and/or agencies
GA / General Assistance
FY / Fiscal Year
Labor Code / Refers to California Labor Code
Non Case Management / Information, Referrals, and Support
Proposal / Shall mean bidder/contractor response to this RFP
PO / Shall refer to Purchase Order(s)
Quotation / Shall mean bidder’s response to this RFP
Request for Proposal / Shall mean this document, which is the County of Alameda’s request for contractors’/bidders’ proposal to provide the goods and/or services being solicited herein; also referred herein as RFP
Response / Shall refer to bidder’s proposal or quotation submitted in reply to RFP
RFP / Request for Proposal
SLEB / Small Local Emerging Business
SSA / Shall refer to Social Services Agency
State / Refers to State of California, its departments and/or agencies
WTW / Welfare-to-Work
WBA / Workforce and Benefits Administration Department
II. STATEMENT OF WORK
A. INTENT
It is the intent of these specifications, terms, and conditions to describe qualified vendors who have the expertise and capacity to set up and manage Employment Services Centers sites within the County of Alameda. The sites will be utilized to provide career planning and employment placement and retention services specifically tailored for participants in ACSSA’s California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) Welfare-to-Work (WTW) Program and the General Assistance (GA) Program.
The County intends to award a 12 month initial award period of July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2015. However, SSA reserves the option to extend any contract entered into as a result of this solicitation for up to two (2) additional years if the County receives adequate additional Federal and State funding to continue program operation, and if the project has achieved demonstrable success by meeting the Project’s performance benchmarks as described in the contract.
It is the intent of these specifications, terms and conditions to procure the most environmentally preferable products with equivalent or higher performance and at equal or lower cost than traditional products. Specific requirements from the County’s Sustainability Program that are related to this Bid are included in the appropriate Bid sections.
B. SCOPE and BACKGROUND
The RFP calls for a selected vendor to effectively and efficiently set up Employment Services Center sites. The sites will specifically serve CalWORKs and General Assistance recipients with career counseling, employment plan development, job preparation, and job search skills which will ultimately lead to the attainment of sustainable employment. Through this RFP, the Workforce and Benefits Administration (WBA) Department seeks to expand and diversify the service delivery approaches for serving hard-to-employ CalWORKs and General Assistance participants, including, but not limited to non-English speaking and limited English speaking participants, participants with limited work histories and education experiences, participants with gaps in employment due to a history of incarceration, substance abuse, mental health, domestic violence, and/or other barriers.
The required outcome for this program as funded under this will focus on achieving full time permanent employment. Part time or temporary employment may be a strategic first step for certain individuals and occupational types; however, bidders proposing such strategies must make a compelling argument in their favor.
1. Overview of Services
The selected candidates will be expected to provide a year-round, Monday through Friday, open entry service delivery program schedule at each of their sites. Each site will be expected to have the capacity to provide the career planning upfront services of Orientations, Appraisals, and Assessments to approximately 75 new participants on a weekly basis; and a six-week Job Search program to approximately 75 participants on a daily basis.
.
2. Location of Services
The SSA will fund a maximum of three (3) qualified proposals under this RFP solicitation, one for each region. Bidders must submit separate proposals for provision of services in Region 1, Region 2 or Region 3 Bidders who submit one proposal for provision of services in more than one service region will be rejected as – not meeting the specifications of this RFP.
a. Region 1 is comprised of the northern portion of Alameda County and is served by the Social Services Agency’s (SSA’s) San Pablo Avenue in Oakland.
North County Self-Sufficiency Center
2000 San Pablo Ave
Oakland CA 94612
510-891-0700
b. Region 2 is comprised of the central portion of Alameda County and is serviced by the Eastmont Towne Center Self-Sufficiency Center in Oakland.
Eastmont Self-Sufficiency Center
6955 Foothill Blvd Suite 100
Oakland CA 94605
510-383-5300
c. Region 3 is comprised of the southern and eastern portions of Alameda County and is served by the SSA’s Hayward-based Eden Area Self-Sufficiency Center and its two satellite offices in Fremont and Livermore.
South County Self-Sufficiency Center
24100 Amador Street
Hayward, CA 94544
510-670-6000
3. Funding
All awards are subject to funding availability. Final contract amounts are subject to contract negotiations with the Alameda County Employment Services Workforce and Benefits Administration Department (WBA). State and federal funding levels are uncertain and subject to change. The actual funding allocation may be increased or reduced and the agencies selected through this RFP may be required to increase or reduce planned program expenditures accordingly. The SSA may exercise its authority to terminate the contracts at any time if contractors do not meet contract performance targets or if contractors act in a manner that places the SSA at fiduciary risk. Funding for the contracts offered through this RFP is budgeted for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2014 and ending June 30, 2015, and may be renewed for up to two more years, depending on funding availability and performance. No obligation or commitment of funds will be allowed beyond this grant period.
C. BIDDER QUALIFICATIONS
1. BIDDER Minimum Qualifications
a. Bidder shall have an existing expertise, capability, and capacity to manage an Employment Services Program at sites for at least 3 year. The program must be capable of delivering workforce development employment services specially tailored to CalWORKs and General Assistance participants that are referred by WBA. No funding is available for inexperienced contractors.
b. Bidders shall have at least 3 years of demonstrated experience program design, management and successful delivery of specialized employment services needs within an employment center model for the re-entry population, veterans, substance abusers, domestic violence victims, non-high school/GED graduates, and other individuals with multiple barriers to employment including older Individuals, people with limited English-speaking ability, and people with physical and/or mental disabilities within their program structure.
c. Bidder shall be a non-profit and for profit providers of training and education services who can demonstrate they have the capacity to provide and manage one or more ) Employment Services Centers that will accommodate upfront career planning activities and six weeks of employment services. In addition, accessibility for participants will be a key evaluation criterion.
d. Bidders who already have access to appropriate facility space for care
center services to be located in Service Regions 2 and 3 may propose utilization of that facility space as part of their submitted bid/proposal and service delivery strategies.
e. Bidder shall possess all permits, licenses and professional credentials necessary to supply product and perform services as specified under this RFP.
D. SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS
1. Facility
It is the intent of the Alameda County to maintain and be the holder of all leases for any and all facilities to be provided for services to be delivered as specified in this RFP.
It is not the intent of this RFP to procure facilities, actual service center space, or offices to be utilized for Employment center service delivery in particular for Services Regions 2 and 3.. The SSA working with County General Services Agency – Real Estate Division will identity and procure appropriate and adequate space for intended service delivery.
For Region 1, the north county Employment Services Center will be located at the current self-sufficiency site on the second floor at 2000 San Pablo Avenue in Oakland. The site, which will be provided by County has a total of 3,000 square feet of office, classroom, and computer lab space, furniture, and other require equipment, etc necessary to provide the range of services specified. Bidders for this Services Region are also required to provide a service site within the City of Alameda for delivery to participants residing in that geographical area. This may be accomplished by either sub-contracting with a local provider in the City of Alameda who already has appropriate and existing facility/service space or the bidder may provide that space themselves if that space is already in use by the bidder. SSA will not provide additional rental resources for service delivery within the City of Alameda. .
For Region 2, the central county Employment Services Center site will be located at the existing facility located at the Eastmont Self-Sufficiency Center on 6955 Foothill Blvd, or in a space located in close distance to the SSA facility at Eastmont.
For Region 3, the southern and eastern County Employment Services Center, currently the Eden Self Sufficiency Center at 24100 Amador Street, Hayward, will be located in adjoining or nearby space. The space/spaces, like for Region 2, is anticipated to be approximately 6,000 square feet and will be located within the Current Eden/Hayward facility, or in a new space located in close distance to the SSA facility at Eden . Bidders for this Services Region are also required to provide a service site within the South Hayward/Tennyson area for delivery to participants residing in that geographical area. This may be accomplished by either sub-contracting with a local provider in the South Hayward/Tennyson area who already has appropriate and existing facility/service space, or the bidder may provide that space themselves if that space is already in use by the bidder. SSA will not provide additional rental resources for service delivery within the City of Hayward.
2. Eligible Participants
The Workforce and Benefits Administration Department (WBA) will determine eligibility for all participants enrolled in the programs described below. The bidder will be expected to work with WBA for referrals and must demonstrate that they have the capacity to address eligible program participants’ common barriers to employment.
a. The following service populations will be referred by WBA to the three (3) Employment Services Centers to receive career planning and employment and retention services:
(1) CalWORKs participants who are subject to welfare-to-work requirements hour requirements:
Single-parent with a child under the age of 6 years—20 hours per week
Single-parent with no child under the age of 6 years—30 hours per week
Two-parent families—35 hours per week
(2) General Assistance participants who voluntarily enroll in employment services hour requirements: