This is a service / maintenance or supply contract in Truckee, California. Contact the soliciting agency for additional information.

Introduction The Town of Truckee, hereinafter referred to as "the Town," is seeking proposals from qualified consultants to guide the development of a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Action Plan. This process will include an environmental justice analysis of vulnerable communities in Truckee that may not be identified as disadvantaged by the CalEPA CalEnviroScreen. Background and Objectives The Town of Truckee is a small mountain town, situated in the Sierra Nevada of California, near the Tahoe Basin. Truckee has a population of 17,000, but has many unique challenges due to its natural environment, tourism driven economy, and large second-home owner population. The Town is the local government agency that provides community services including emergency management, police services, snow removal and road maintenance, land use planning, transit services, economic development, sustainability programs, and housing programs. Truckee Town Council adopted five strategic focus areas in 2022, which included a goal to "enhance communication and public outreach to facilitate community cohesion." As a result of this Town Council goal, and the identified need to improve engagement with underserved populations within the community, the Town formed the community engagement division comprised of the Communications Program Manager and its first DEI program manager. In March 2023, Truckee Town Council readopted this same council strategic focus areas, reaffirming its commitment to improving communications and creating an equitable and inclusive Truckee. At this priority setting meeting, four other council goals--all of equal importance--were adopted, which are: workforce housing development; reducing GHG gas emissions and being a leader in sustainability; investing in key infrastructure and community connectivity; and enhancing partnerships and investments for emergency preparedness. The Town is looking to develop an ambitious DEI Action Plan to implement institutional and structural change, so that Truckee can be a place where all people can live, work, and thrive. The DEI Action Plan will include actions the Town can enact to improve the organization's practices and culture, both with external community stakeholders and internally. It will also provide insight and actions the Town can take to improve how it engages with community members, particularly those in underserved communities. In Truckee underserved communities include our Latinx/Hispanic population, people with disabilities and ambulatory challenges, senior citizens, LGBTQ+, and low-income individuals. Proposed Tasks The Town anticipates working with a single firm or consultant team but reserves the right to bifurcate the scope of work based on proposals received. The selected consultant(s) will be responsible for conducting all tasks which may include but are not limited to material preparation, research, surveys, community engagement, facilitation of meetings, information gathering, draft plan development, plan editing, meetings with stakeholders, and presentation of materials including the final plan. Task 1: Environmental Justice Analysis Conduct an environmental justice analysis to identify vulnerable communities in Truckee that may not be identified as disadvantaged by the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA). The consultant will utilize California Office of Planning and Research (OPR) guidance on community-specific data to identify underserved communities, the CalEnviroScreen tool as a resource for data, and any other methodology as identified to be appropriate by the consultant. Findings from this analysis will inform the DEI Action Plan policies and programs. Key Deliverables 1. At least one in-person meeting or workshop with key stakeholders. 2. An analysis of the environmental justice issues in Truckee that will be used to inform policy actions in the DEI Action Plan. 3. An executive summary of the environmental justice analysis to inform leadership, Town Council, and the public about the vulnerable communities in Truckee. Task 2: Organizational Assessment Conduct research, collect qualitative and quantitative information, and synthesize a summary of assessment of racial equity gaps that exist in current practices, both with external community stakeholders and internally, to inform the development of the DEI Action Plan. This assessment may be done by the following practices, but not limited to: reviewing key documents (such as the recently adopted Truckee 2040 General Plan, hiring practices, financial practices, housing programs, the representation of elected and appointed officials, etc), conducting surveys internally and externally, and interviews with community stakeholders. Key Deliverables 1. At least one in-person meeting or workshop with key stakeholders. 2. An organizational assessment that will be used to inform the development of the DEI Action Plan. 3. An executive summary of the organizational assessment to be used to inform leadership and Town Council, and the public about the diversity, equity & inclusion baseline gaps and opportunities. 4 Task 3: DEI Action Plan Development of a DEI Action Plan includes creation of a guiding racial equity, diversity and inclusion statement for the Town of Truckee, a framework and a strategic plan with recommended policies, identifiable actions to achieve key outcomes, measurable metrics, and accountability mechanisms. As part of the development of the DEI Action Plan, the selected consultant will be expected to conduct a robust public engagement process, including internal and external stakeholders. These stakeholders may include, but are not limited to: Town staff, Town elected or appointed officials, special district staff, non-profit partners, and the general public. The consultant will work alongside Town DEI staff, but the consultant will be responsible for leading all efforts related to the DEI Action Plan development. The plan should focus on the following key areas: o Community Engagement o New recommended actions to address findings of the organizational assessment and the environmental justice analysis, including internal practices (ie. Contracting and procurement practices, HR hiring and retention practices) and community programs o Town workforce culture and an internal DEI training plan (this contract does not include staff trainings, but the same consultant may be considered to conduct future trainings upon successful completion of the DEI Action Plan) o Meaningful collaboration with the Washoe Tribe We recognize that we are near the beginning of our journey in racial equity, diversity, and inclusion, and are seeking a consultant who can be a learning partner to provide guidance along the way. If there are elements and processes not currently identified in this Scope of Work that your firm identifies as important to this work, please include these in your proposal. Key Deliverables 1. At least one in-person meeting with internal Town staff. 2. At least one in-person meeting with community stakeholders. 3. A written guiding Racial Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion statement. 4. A written comprehensive DEI Action Plan that has clearly delineated actions, implementation measures, and measurable outcomes. The DEI Action Plan will include strategies to address the findings in Tasks 1 and 2 and any others as identified by the consultant. 5. An executive summary of the DEI Action Plan and a presentation slide deck that will be used to present the DEI Action Plan to Town stakeholders. 6. A minimum of one presentation to Town Council or community stakeholders on the final DEI Action Plan (in-person preferable). Desired Qualifications and experience The ideal consultant(s) will exemplify the following: o Strong community-minded public engagement experience o Expertise and experience in developing racial equity or DEI action plans in similar settings, focused on both internal policies and external audiences o Sensitivity to navigating an organization and community with cross-cultural backgrounds Proposal Submittal Proposals are due to Town of Truckee, by 12:00 PM PST Friday, August 4, 2023. Proposals shall be submitted electronically to Truckee@TownofTruckee.com, or by mail to: Attn: Town Clerk, Truckee Town Hall, 10183 Truckee Airport Road, Truckee, CA 96161. Joint proposals from a consultant and subcontractor team are acceptable. If a consultant is proposing to utilize a subcontractor, they must clearly identify which Scope of Work task(s) are to be performed by the subcontractor. Submitted proposals should not exceed ten (10) pages in length, including attachments, and should include the following: 1) Description of your firm's experience and qualifications in performing similar work, including tasks detailed in the Proposed Tasks. 2) An itemized Scope of Work summarizing your proposed approach and methodology, and project timeline. The Scope of Work should include the tasks and sub-tasks listed above in the Proposed Tasks section, as well as any additional tasks not identified above that you believe to be important components of the proposed project. Three (3) references for consultant's work on related projects or programs. For each reference, please include reference organization, contact information, and brief project description. If the proper is utilizing a subcontractor, three (3) references shall also be included for the subcontractor. 3) A proposed itemized budget for the project including all expenses and an hourly rate and the estimated number of hours required to complete each of the work tasks and sub-tasks listed in the Scope of Work. Selection Criteria The Town anticipates working with a single firm or consultant team but reserves the right to bifurcate the scope of work based on proposals received. The proposal will be reviewed utilizing the information submitted with the Request for Proposal. The selection process may include an interview of top candidates, or the Town may waive interviews, at its sole discretion. A formal scoring methodology will not be used; The Town Manager will make the final decision based on the following criteria (not necessarily in order of importance): o Understanding of the work required; 6 o Experience with emphasis on completing similar projects in a satisfactory manor, within budget and on schedule; o Quality and responsiveness of proposal; o Demonstrated ability to lead community-minded public engagement and stakeholder engagement o Demonstrated competence and professional qualifications necessary for satisfactory performance of the work required; o Recent experience in successfully performing similar services, especially for similar types of organizations; o Proposed approach in completing the work; o References; o Background and related experience of the specific individuals to be assigned to this project; and o Cost of the proposal. Please direct any questions related to the RFP, by July 31, 2023, to Erica Mertens, DEI Program Manager, at emertens@townoftruckee.com or (530) 582-2909