REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FROM LINCOLN CHATER SCHOOL FOR STRATEGIC PLANNING CONSULTANTS
PURPOSE
Lincoln Charter School has initiated a Request for Proposal (RFP) process to identify qualified consultants to guide, develop, and publish a five to ten year comprehensive strategic plan for our governing board, schools administration, and community stakeholders.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO RESPOND?
Lincoln Charter School seeks consultants who demonstrate a strong overall understanding of the structure and purpose of charter schools as nonprofit organizations, have strong facilitation skills and have proven experience with nonprofit strategic planning. In addition, consultants should have knowledge of the Pennsylvania School System along with state and federal funding requirements. An emphasis and experience in engagement with person-centered-practices is highly preferred.
ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION
Lincoln Charter School services K-5th grade and hopes to offer York City/County families a 6-8th grade program pending the approval of the Lincoln Charter School Annex Charter Application. Lincoln Charter School Annex will be a program extension of the current successful school, Lincoln Charter School. Over the last 20 years, Lincoln Charter School program has shown and continues to show strong academic growth in the areas of Math, Science, and Reading, while outperforming the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in many of the different categories regarding academic growth. Lincoln Charter School’s mission is to create innovative pathways for students pursuing careers in entrepreneurship-focused areas in Leadership, Business & Human Services, The Arts, and Technology while providing a world-class, 21st century education.
Lincoln Charter School believes that by not only collaborating with but serving our surrounding community, including students, staff, parents and residents (regardless of whether those residents attend our school), we have discovered the balance between education and nurture. As a program, we prescribe to teach the student by providing them with basic needs, belonging, safety, love, and respect in order for the student to become the best version of themselves as world-class digital focused citizens and beyond. The infusion of these ideals and best practices allows our school to achieve our mission of developing 21st-century leaders of tomorrow by providing a world-class education.
Our program instills in our students core student values:
Core Values:
Responsibility, Justice, Hope, Humanity, Global Mind-Set, Innovation, Flexibility, Courage, Respect, and Belief while teaching our students to adhere to our student code of conduct/ethics.
Student Code of Conduct/Ethics:
"As a student at Lincoln Charter School, I (C.A.R.E.), Cooperate, Act Responsibly, Respect Myself and Others, Encourage and Support Others."
Overall Program Expectations:
- "Our Students: are respectful and work to achieve all that they can to become the leaders of tomorrow."
- "Our Staff: set a positive culture and set high expectations for themselves and their students."
- "Our Parents: strive to support the school while being respectful, responsible, and maintaining a positive attitude."
- "Our School Board: pledges to be a supportive and visible presence in the school and community to promote school-wide growth."
SCOPE OF WORK & DELIVERABLES
We expect the project to include:
1. Project Management and Facilitation
2. Design & execution of a strategic planning process that meets the criteria outlined in this RFP
3. Development of a five-ten year strategic plan (2021-2031) that includes a budget for implementation
4. Development and execution of a support structure for plan implementation
Deliverable Focus Points:
- Financial & Fiscal Planning and Structure
- Finance, Operation, and Structure
- Grants and Alternative Funding Sources
- Financial Planning and Budgeting
- Future Investment Opportunities/ Investment Portfolios
- Salary Scale
- Capital Project and Fund Balance Planning/Structure
- Authentic Learning and Programming
- Academic Program Structures and Safeguards
- Program Wide Professional Developments and Growth Opportunities
- Remote Program Development and Continuity of Education
- Holistic Child Wellness, Social & Emotional Health
- Efficient and effective school and classroom
- Effective and Efficient Community and Corporate Engagement
- Cultural Competence
- How do we as an organization become more “Cultural Competence” in this new day and age?
- Target Audience and Recruitment
- How to Value and Effectively Implement Diversity
- Conducting Cultural Program (Staff, Students, Parents, & Community) Self-Assessment
- Understanding the Dynamics of Difference
- Institutionalizing Cultural Knowledge
- Adapting to diversity.
- Recommended safety and security measures
The proposal should include:
1. A project plan that demonstrates a clear understanding of the work to be performed, estimated hours, and other information relevant to the project
2. Qualifications of all consulting staff who will be assisting with the project such as; education, position within consulting firm, years & type of experience.
3. List of Client Reference
4. Time and Cost projections
PROJECT GOALS AND TARGET AUDIENCE
Lincoln Charter School & Lincoln Charter School Annex envisions the scope of work to be completed in three stages. Work completed in each of the stages will be summarized in a report to the Board of Directors and stakeholder community.
1. Stage 1- Pre-planning
This stage requires the consultant to research and report the following in preparation for the strategic planning session. Items to be considered:
• Review of organization’s history and overall assessment through gap or SWOT analysis of the organization to evaluate opportunities or concern
• Benchmarking the nonprofit in alignment with the Association of Regional Center Agencies (ARCA) strategic plan along with strategic plans of other Regional Centers with a similar focus
• Interviews, surveys & focus group polling to receive partner & community input
• Development of a shared understanding of the current status of the Regional Center system along with current federal and state guidelines and funding requirements.
2. Stage 2- Strategic Planning Creation
At this stage, the consultant helps the nonprofit identify strategic goals and create an actionable strategic plan. The plan will include:
• An executive summary
• A comprehensive plan that identifies:
➢ Shared Mission and Vision
➢ SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-limited) Goals
➢ Objectives
➢ Strategies
➢ Tactics
➢ Listing of responsible parties & roles
➢ Outcomes
➢ Measurable
• Optional items to the plan would include
➢ Resource Development strategies
➢ Recommendations for enhancement of current financial, technological, and human capital.
➢ Communication strategies
3. Stage 3- Implementation & Evaluation follow-up
This stage requires the consultant to assist the nonprofit by providing oversight of the implementation & evaluation process. This process should include:
• Follow-up sessions with nonprofit leadership to gauge the progress of the implementation at 3 and 6-month points after plan delivery
• Gathering of any measurables that would give indication of successful implementation
OWNERSHIP AND CONFIDENTIALITY
All intellectual property will become the property of the nonprofit organization receiving services. All data remains the sole property of the nonprofit organization. The consultant shall agree to keep information related to this process in strict confidence, including, but not limited to, the terms of the contract and any confidential business information or proprietary information that has been gathered on this project.
PROPOSAL FORMAT
Please include the following information in your proposal:
• Your approach to strategic planning
• A summary of your strategic planning experience
• Identify specific nonprofit sectors in which you have conducted strategic planning
• Three Client references
• Sample project timeline with major tasks and milestones
• Detailed project budget
• Sample project plan
• Identification of those on your team who will be involved with the project which should include their role and experience
The proposal must also include the following specific information:
General information- The proposal should provide the name of the consultant, title, address, phone number, email address, and website, if one exists. The name and email address for any team members assisting in the project should also be included.
Consultant Qualifications & Roles- The proposal must describe the consultant’s qualifications such as work activities, expertise, knowledge, and experience. Experience should include examples of similar related nonprofit work.
Some key qualifications that will be considered:
• Education (degree(s) and/or certificate(s))
• Experience in successfully developing strategic plans
• Knowledge of collective impact or collaborative strategic initiatives
• Strong facilitation skills
• Experience in creating a neutral environment for obtaining input
• Experience in gathering and utilizing data to drive the strategic process
• Ability to constructively challenge key stakeholders
• Experience in inspiring others to thinking innovatively
• Project management experience
• Knowledge of Regional Center System, State and Federal Funding Requirements, and Person-Centered Practices
Work Plan- The proposal should include a detailed description of the activities to be conducted by the consultant to complete the work.
• Specific activities to be conducted at each stage
• Sample timeline for the activity at each stage
• List of milestones & deliverables tied to the activities
• Proposed payment schedule tied to project milestones & deliverables
References- Information regarding each reference should include the individual’s name, address, phone number and email address.
Previous Work Product- The proposal should include at least 1 sample of a previously completed strategic plan. Portions may be redacted to protect private information as needed.
SCORING
Proposals will be reviewed and evaluated on the following criteria:
1. Qualifications (35%)
2. Scope of Proposal (25%)
3. Work Plan (25%)
4. Budget (15%)
PROCESS FOR PROPOSAL SUBMISSION AND EVALUATION
Instructions for submission
1. Closing Submission Date
Proposals are due by 3:00pm on Thursday, December 17st, 2020
2. Inquiries
Inquiries concerning this RFP should be directed to:
Dr. Leonard S. Hart Sr.
Principal/CEO Lincoln Charter School
lhart@lincolncharterpa.com
3. Conditions of Proposal
All costs incurred in the preparation of a response to this RFP are the responsibility of the bidder and will not be reimbursed by Lincoln Charter School & Lincoln Charter School Annex
4. Submission Instructions
• All submissions must be on white, standard size (8 ½” x 11”) paper, single-sided only.
• Narrative description of project proposal should not exceed 8 single sided pages.
• Attachments/Forms must be type written. Include additional pages as needed.
• Questionnaire must be type written in 12-point, Times New Roman or Arial font.
• FAX copies will NOT be accepted.
• Do NOT use hardcover binders.
• Submissions will NOT be returned.
All submissions must also include an electronic version sent to: info@lcsyork.com. Electronic submissions cannot exceed 15 megabytes per email. Multiple emails per RFP submission can and will be accepted. An email acknowledgement of each submission received will be sent to the applicant.
All proposals received by the deadline will undergo a preliminary screening. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted for review and rating. Any proposal may be disqualified if it deviates from the submission instructions in the RFP.
5. Reservation of Rights
LCS reserves the right to request or negotiate changes in a proposal, to accept all or part of a proposal, or to reject any or all proposals. LCS may, at its sole and absolute discretion, select no provider for these services if, in its determination, no applicant is sufficiently responsive to the need. LCS reserves the right to withdraw this Request for Proposal (RFP) and/or any item within the RFP at any time without notice. LCS reserves the right to disqualify any proposal which does not adhere to the RFP guidelines. This RFP is being offered at the discretion of LCS. It does not commit LCS to award any grant.
6. Confidentiality
If the bidder deems any material submitted to be proprietary or confidential, the bidder must indicate this in the relevant sections of the response.
7. Ineligibility
Under the following conditions, an individual or entity is ineligible to be a regional center vendor, and therefore may not submit a proposal.
Conflict-of-Interest: Lincoln Charter School will determine, on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the school-wide solicitor, whether an actual or potential conflict of interest exists with the Proposer that bars the Proposer’s proposal from consideration.
8. Notification of Selection and Timeline
LCS will seat the RFP Selection Committee. The evaluation process will include individual committee member evaluation and rating of each proposal, followed by committee discussion and ranking of proposals. After preliminary rating and ranking of proposals, interviews may be scheduled with finalists, particularly if two or more proposals are closely rated and/or more information is needed. References will be contacted for all finalists.
The final recommendation of the RFP Selection Committee will be submitted to the governing board for approval by the LCS Chief Executive Officer and is not subject to appeal. All applicants will receive written notification of LCS’s decision regarding their proposal, and an announcement of the applicant awarded the project will be posted on the school web site, www.lincolncharterpa.com
Additional information may be required from the selected applicant prior to the awarding of the project. Any information withheld or omitted, or failure to disclose any history of deficiencies or client abuse shall disqualify the applicant from award of the project and/or contract. LCS reserves the right not to
select an applicant for project implementation if, in its determination, no qualified applicant has applied or is sufficiently responsive to the service need.
In the event that no proposal is selected, LCS may elect to either not develop the service pending further analysis of alternatives to meet the expressed need, or to issue a new RFP to attempt to expand the pool of potential respondents.
Contact Person
Completed RFP submissions including all elements listed above are due to Lincoln Charter School by 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 17, 2020. Submissions be mailed or delivered to:
Attn: Dr. Leonard S. Hart Sr. –Principal/CEO
Lincoln Charter School
559 West King Street
York, PA 17401
Timeline: |
| Nov. 23, 2020 | RFP Release Date |
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| Dec. 17, 2020 at 3pm | Deadline for receipt of proposals |
Ø Dec. 17 – Dec. 30, 2020 Evaluation of proposals by Selection Committee
Ø | Jan. 6 – 8, 2021 | Interviews with highest-ranking applicants, if applicable | |
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Ø | Jan. 13, 2021 | Notice of selection mailed to applicants | |
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Ø | Jan. 14, 2021 | Notification of project award posted on LCS web site | |
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Ø | Jan. 15, 2021 | Startup contract signed | |
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