REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS & FEDERAL LOBBYING SERVICES Organization: Contact: Association for Commuter Transportation One Chestnut Square, 2 nd Floor, Sharon, MA 02067 Phone: (202) 792-5801 www.actweb.org David Straus Executive Director dstraus@actweb.org Date of RFP: February 16, 2018 Deadline Date: Proposals submitted by 5:00PM ET, Friday, March 16, 2018. Decision Date: By April 13, 2018 Background: The Association for Commuter Transportation is a 501c (6) organization that was established in 1985 and is now the nation s leading organization for transportation demand management professionals. Our 875 members and 12 regional chapters represent a diverse range of sectors including private employers, institutions of higher education, hospitals, city and state agencies, non-profits, service providers, and consultants. ACT strives to get the most out of our transportation system by empowering the people, places, and organizations working to advance TDM to improve the quality of life of commuters, enhance the livability of communities, and support economic growth. Achieving this mission requires ACT to successfully advocate for federal and local policies and funding that support the efforts of ACT and our members. Currently, ACT s public policy efforts are guided by ACT s Public Policy Committee, which is made up of Board approved representatives from ACT s chapters and councils. ACT s Public Policy Committee, currently meets monthly via web conference. The meeting includes both a briefing to the membership and a business meeting for committee members to discuss and vote on items needing committee approval. Our consultant will take the lead in developing the agenda for the meeting with our Committee Chair. Our consultant also presents 5-20 minute updates at each meeting (8 per year) of the Board of Directors including at least two (2) in person meetings. With this RFP, ACT is seeking proposals from qualified firms, teams, or individuals (the Consultant ) interested in leading ACT s government affairs and federal lobbying efforts. To help us in our selection, please take the time to review our desired scope of work, which is based on services currently provided to ACT and incorporate these details into your proposal. As well, we encourage you to raise and respond to additional questions that we did not include but you feel will assist us in our decision-making process. Guidelines and Budget: - Please keep in mind all suggested page limits. - Please use a minimum font size of 11pt. - Budget of $60,000 - $72,000 dependent on specific costs related to the staffing and support of ACT s government affairs and lobbying activities. - Payments will be made in equal monthly payment and include all costs for labor, profit, and overhead fees.
- Costs related to travel to ACT s in-person Board Meetings will be covered by ACT separately and not included in this budget. - Email proposal to David Straus dstraus@actweb.org Scope of Work: The selected Consultant will act as an extension of ACT s staff, serving as ACT s government affairs department and federal lobbyist. Working closely with ACT staff and members, Consultant will: 1. Lead efforts to shape ACT s public policy and government affairs efforts and priorities, working with ACT staff, Board of Directors, and Public Policy Committee. 2. Develop strategies and advocate for opportunities to influence federal legislation and policy that advances ACT s mission to increase support and funding of TDM programs, and work with chapters/members on local TDM-related issues as time permits and is approved in advance by Executive Director. 3. Monitor, report, and advise on development of TDM related legislation, regulations, or policy directives at the federal, state, and local levels that are pertinent to ACT and ACT members. 4. Serve as ACT s liaison, represent ACT and assist in developing relationships with Congress, members of staff of transportation and other relevant committees and federal agencies, including but not limited to, the US Department of Transportation and its subdivisions (FTA and FHWA) and US EPA. 5. Conduct activities necessary to carry out ACT s goals with respect to the passage, defeat, or amendment of proposed legislation and the development of federal regulations. 6. Arrange appointments, meetings, and invitations to speak with members of Congress and federal agencies as required. 7. Assist with and monitor participation in relevant coalitions, organizations, and forums, and keep ACT staff informed of significant developments. 8. Work closely with Public Policy Committee Chair to lead the efforts and meetings of the Public Policy Committee. 9. Be available as needed to provide timely updates to ACT staff, Board of Directors, and Policy Committee members related to the advancement of ACT s policy goals. 10. Provide a written monthly status report with invoice no later than the 10 th of the month (or other agreed upon date) to ACT on pending legislation, agency activities, meetings held on ACT s behalf, and other developments at the federal level that may be of interest to ACT; assist with and provide content for ACT s monthly policy newsletter and website. 11. Provide monthly briefings to ACT members via web conference (typically 30-60 minutes). 12. Work with Public Policy Committee to lead the development of three 90-minute sessions at ACT s International Conference. 13. Create position papers, legislative briefs, talking points, testimony, and comment letters regarding legislation or policy issues when deemed necessary. 14. Work with ACT staff to coordinate an annual public policy event in DC, which may range from a fly-in (scheduled this year for May 15-16) to policy summit (spring 2019) depending on year and desires of the policy committee/board of Directors. 15. Assist ACT in efforts to advance policy agenda on the local level through our chapters and councils, including our 25x20 campaign aimed at increasing the number of cities/regions adopting transit benefit ordinances. 16. Maintain a level of awareness and knowledge of issues of interest to ACT and our members. 17. Develop agreed upon performance metrics for government affairs and public policy efforts.
Minimum Qualifications: The selected Consultant will be an experienced legislative advocacy firm or individual with a demonstrated track record of quality work and successful client relationships. To be considered for selection for award of contract, Consultant must clearly meet the following requirements: 1. Results oriented experience in congressional and administrative activities, federal policies, and regulations relating to transportation matters; a demonstrated ability as an effective advocate; and a reputation of respect and credibility with members of congress and federal transportation agencies. 2. Experienced staff members, who possess comprehensive knowledge of congressional activities, policies, and regulations relating to transportation matters. 3. Demonstrate knowledge, interest, and specific recent experience in the areas of transportation demand management (TDM) and the transportation fringe benefit. 4. Direct experience and knowledge regarding federal transportation authorization. 5. Primary staff assigned to the ACT account must be located in the Washington, DC area. 6. Able to work collaboratively with ACT staff, Board of Directors, Public Policy Committee, and members and represent ACT in a professional manner. Required Contents of Submittal: Each submittal shall include the following elements in the sequence listed below: 1. Cover Letter (max 1 page) Provide a description of your firm; your firms interest in and commitment to performing services; acknowledgement of firms offer to enter into contract if selected. 2. Firm/Individual Profile (max 1 page) Briefly describe the firm/individual, including the form of organization, nature of services offered, number of employees, and location of offices. State whether your firm has any outstanding client related legal matters or disputes. Provide proof (not included in page limit) of any required registrations for lobbying and insurance coverage. 3. Understanding of Scope of Services (max 4 pages) Provide a demonstrated knowledge and understanding of the services identified within the RFP s Scope of work. 4. Qualifications and Experience (max 3 pages) Provide a brief description of qualifications for the proposed scope of services, including any previous experience or related work performed for transportation organizations or transportation service providers. Detail specific experience pertaining to transportation demand management and the transportation fringe benefit (section 132f of the Internal Revenue Code). 5. Client References (max 1 page) Provide 3-5 client references including email and phone information for the project manager. Provide a brief summary of work performed. 6. Proposed Staff (max 2 pages, full resumes may be included as attachments) Describe the proposed staff who would be directly engaged in the performance of the scope of work, including: name, title, years of experience in government affairs/advocacy, relevant experience with transportation and TDM, their proposed role in fulfilling our scope of work (including percent of time), and fully burdened hourly rate. 7. Cost Proposal Submit a binding cost proposal for services for the base three-year term and the two-year option. Included in the monthly fee shall be labor, ordinary travel expenses (parking, mileage, transit fare, etc), profit, administrative and overhead fees, and other direct costs, including the cost of obtaining any required licenses, registrations, insurance, etc, as required by law or this agreement. No markup allowed for direct expenses. 8. Conflict of Interest Disclosure Provide a list of current clients and those served during the twelve (12) months preceding the submission date and a declaration of any actual, potential, or perceived organizational conflicts of interest between those clients and ACT. Selection Process: 1. Selection Committee ACT will establish a selection committee that will be responsible for evaluating all submissions to determine the selection of Consultants to conduct phone/web interviews.
2. Interviews Phone or web conference will be used to conduct interviews, to compare strategies for providing services and seek clarification regarding the submitted proposal. 3. Committee Recommendation: The selection committee will make a recommendation of the best value firm based on the following criteria: a. Thoroughness and understanding of work to be completed b. Overall experience of staff assigned to the work c. Recent experience conducting similar government affairs work for an association d. Interpersonal compatibility with ACT staff and leadership e. Cost proposal
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS & FEDERAL LOBBYING SERVICES Cost Proposal Form Year Dates Proposed Monthly Months Proposed Annual Fee Fee 1 April 15, 2018 April 30, 2019 $ X 12.5 $ 2 May 1, 2019 April 30, 2020 $ X 12 $ 3 May 1, 2020 April 30, 2021 $ X 12 $ 4 May 1, 2021 April 30, 2022 $ X 12 $ 5 May 1, 2012 April 30, 2023 $ X 12 $ Total five-year cost of contract $ Included in the monthly fee shall be labor, ordinary travel expenses, profit, administrative and overhead fees, and other direct costs, including the cost of obtaining any required licenses, registrations, insurance, etc, as required by law or this agreement.