Training Guide and Workshop

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

EDD Executive Director Training Guide and Workshop

Statement of Purpose

The Missouri Association of Councils of Government (MACOG) — the statewide association comprising all 19 of Missouri's regional planning commissions and councils of government — is requesting proposals from qualified firms to prepare an Executive Director Training Guide and facilitate an Executive Director Training Workshop for EDD Executive Directors. Eighteen (18) of the 19 Missouri regional planning commissions and councils of governments are federally designated Economic Development Districts (EDD) under the United States Department of Commerce: Economic Development Administration (EDA) Partnership Planning Program. This project will provide a detailed resource and training to Missouri's EDD Executive Directors to maximize fundamental understanding and technical skills of EDD organizational management and specific key project and program implementation.

The proposed work will support and be primarily funded by this grant, EDA Award #ED23DEN0G0004 — 11.303 Economic Development Technical Assistance, and the selected contractor will be required to comply with any and all terms and conditions associated with the EDA Federal Assistance Award.

Issue Date: February 16, 2024

Proposals Due: March 15, 2024

Notice of Award: April 4, 2024

Contract Start Date: April 8, 2024

Period of Performance: Nine (9) months

Background Information

The Executive Directors of Missouri's federally-designated Economic Development Districts (EDD) are key to the successful operation and full value of their respective organizations. This project will provide additional, detailed professional development training to each of Missouri's EDD Executive Directors so they have the necessary skills and knowledge to bring full value to their districts. This effort will be key in providing for the long-term sustainability of the respective organizations.

Missouri's EDD network has experienced a higher than average transition in the Executive Director positions over the past five years. The relative short tenure of these new Executive Directors has raised challenges in regards to expected program implementation, including EDA Partnership Planning programs, and fundamental organizational management. While targeted support is helpful in addressing individualized situations, a comprehensive training and resource support approach will bring significant value to both the new Executive Directors and to those of longer tenure.

This project will leverage existing, related Executive Director training resources, from the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) and other resources, to prepare a executive director guide and to conduct an on-site executive director training workshop, for Missouri EDDs, specific to the issues, challenges and project activities in Missouri.

Scope of Work

The Consultant Scope of Work is divided into two main objectives with pricing being requested for each separately. The first of which being the completion of an EDD Executive Directors Training Guide to be provided to all EDD Executive Directors. The second is to conduct an in-person EDD Executive Director Training Workshop based on the developed training guide.

Objective 1 — EDD Executive Director Guide

The Consultant will develop, print and distribute an EDD Executive Director Guide for Missouri's EDD Executive Directors. The guide will provide a comprehensive resource of operational details and best practices of projects, programming, and planning activities specific to EDDs in the State of Missouri.

The EDD Executive Director Guide will include the above-noted elements related to these specific activities and programs specific to Missouri and to Missouri's EDDs:

1. MACOG organization — structure, function, participation, dues, by-laws.
2. MACOG Minimum Regional Planning Commission Standards, Non-Compete Agreement, Financial Management Certification.
3. EDD organization — structure, function, Board of Directors engagement, stakeholder communications/engagement, financial practices, dues, code of ethics, annual report, EDD membership.
4. EDA — EDD, Partnership Planning Grant, Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, invoicing/reporting, EDA grants, peer review, revolving loan fund, disaster recovery programs.
5. Transportation Planning — Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT): Statewide Transportation Planning Framework, Transportation Advisory Committee, annual work program, regional transportation plan, human service transit plan, sidewalk inventory, bridge replacement program, Missouri Local Training and Resource Center (LTAP), Missouri Local Public Agency (LPA), Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP), traffic engineering assistance program, Blueprint for Highway Safety, invoicing/reporting.
6. State Aid to RPCs — Office of Administration application and process
7. Missouri Department of Public Safety (MoDPS): State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) — Hazard Mitigation Plans, mitigation grants, invoicing/reporting
8. MoDPS: Office of Homeland Security (OHS) — Homeland Security Regionalization Framework, Regional Homeland Security Oversight Committees, associate RPC engagement, regionalization grants, inventory, Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA), annual work program, management and administration, invoicing/reporting.
9. Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MoDNR): Solid Waste Management Districts — Solid Waste Advisory Board (SWAB), grant call, invoicing/reporting.
10. MoDNR — Brownfields program, Section 604(b) grant, State Revolving Fund programs, Financial Assistance Center
11. Missouri Department of Economic Development (MoDED): Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, related community development programs.
12. United States Department of Agriculture: Rural Development — housing programs, infrastructure programs, revolving loan funds.
13. Small Business Administration (SBA) — loan referral program.
14. Workforce Investment Boards
15. Broadband planning and implementation

EDD Executive Directors and staff will be assigned to assist the consultant with preparing information for each specific activity and program. The consultant will work with MACOG to identify EDD Executive Directors and staff that can assist with various portions of the training guide related to specific program expertise.

Objective 2 — EDD Executive Director Workshop

The consultant is to develop and conduct on-site EDD Executive Director Training Workshop for all of Missouri's EDD Executive Directors and key staff. Key topic areas for the training workshop shall include:

• Overview of the EDD Executive Director Training Guide
• EDD organizational management, budgeting, and staffing
• EDD Board of Directors engagement and relationship management
• The purpose, role, and effectiveness of the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS)
• EDA grant application and management
• EDA Revolving Loan Fund management
• Making the connection between economic development and community development
• EDD roles and responsibilities under Missouri's Statewide Transportation Planning Framework
• Creating effective regional housing strategies to support economic development
• Understanding the nature of environmental review processes related to project development
• EDD Board of Directors relationships

MACOG will assist the consultant with the logistics of workshop organizing and scheduling.

Deliverables

The Consultant is to deliver an EDD Executive Director Training Guide, complete with sections pertaining to different aspects of effectively leading an EDD organization and operational details on the specific activities and programs specific to Missouri as mentioned above. Twenty-five (25) printed copies in three-ring binders will be provided. Additionally, the EDD Executive Director Training Guide shall be made available in digital version in both Adobe PDF and an editable Microsoft Word format.

The Consultant is to conduct and facilitate the EDD Executive Director Training Workshop to be conducted in-person at a location in Missouri to be determined and shall include at minimum the items outlined in Objective 2 of this RFP. If upon work on the EDD Executive Director Training Guide the consultant identifies other items that they feel should be added to the EDD Executive Director Training Workshop, that is to be discussed and approved by MACOG.

All work and deliverables are to be completed within nine (9) months of the Notice of Award.

Submittal Process

Interested vendors must submit their proposal on or prior to close of business 5:00 pm CDT on Friday, March 15, 2024. Proposals will be accepted by mail or emailed in digital attachment that is password protected PDF form.

Proposals must contain proposed pricing for each Scope of Work Objective separately.

Proposals must be delivered to:

Missouri Association of Councils of Government (MACOG)

213 East Capitol Avenue

P.O. Box 1865

Jefferson City, MO 65101
planning@macog.org

Evaluation and Award Process

An evaluation committee comprising four EDD Executive Directors (MACOG Board of Director members) will review all complete proposals that are received by MACOG prior to the submission deadline. The evaluation committee will identify the top proposals based on responsiveness of proposal, qualifications of individual, firm or organization and key individuals assigned to the project, ability of individual, firm or organization to complete the scope of work within the contract period, and proposed cost to complete both Objective 1 and Objective 2 in the Scope of Work. Each of the criteria will be weighed equally and the evaluation committee may choose to conduct interviews with top scoring proposals if necessary. The evaluation committee will provide a recommendation on project award to the MACOG Board of Directors for consideration.

Process Schedule

RFP Release Date: February 9, 2024

Deadline for submissions: March 15, 2024

Evaluation of submissions: March 18–April 2, 2024

Award date: April 4, 2024

Point of Contact

Questions regarding this Request for Proposals may be directed to:

Doug Hermes

Statewide Planning Coordinator

Missouri Association of Councils of Government

Telephone: (816) 781-8631

Email: DJHermes@kc.rr.com

MACOG reserves the right to reject any or all proposals. MACOG reserves the right to modify specific terms and conditions in this RFP prior to execution of any contract.

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