Request for Qualifications for Management & Administration Services

Due Date: Friday, October 25, 2024 by 4:00 p.m. EST

Document Type: Request for Qualifications

Posted Date: Tuesday, September 3, 2024

Response Due Date: Friday, October 25, 2024 by 4:00 p.m. EST

Contract Period: 1 year with possibility for renewal (expected start date of July 1, 2025)

Contacting Office Address and Point of Contact:

Chris Chiles, DDAA President
PO Box 939
Huntington, WV 25712
cchiles@region2pdc.org
304.529.3357

Request for Qualifications

The Development District Association of Appalachia (DDAA) is requesting statements of qualifications from experienced firms or persons to perform management and administrative services including serving as the DDAA Executive Consultant. The selected contractor shall be responsible for all expenses incurred while performing services. Compensation which shall include related expenses will be negotiated, but will include consideration for experience.

Background & Description

The successful RFQ respondent will manage the association as the Executive Consultant under the general supervision of the DDAA Board of Directors.

The Development District Association of Appalachia (DDAA) seeks an Executive Consultant to carry out the mission, vision and goals of the DDAA (www.appalachiandevelopment.org). The Development District Association of Appalachia (DDAA) is a membership organization of the 74 Local Development Districts (LDD's) serving the 423 counties of the Appalachia Region of the United States. The DDAA works to strengthen LDDs and their member governments and to provide leadership to support the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) federal-state-local partnership. Membership is on an annual basis.

Local Development Districts (LDDs) are multi-jurisdictional planning and economic development organizations that provide administrative, professional and technical assistance to local governments and citizens throughout Appalachia. Appalachia is a federally designated geographic area covering parts of twelve states and all of West Virginia. An LDD is the Appalachian Regional Commission's (ARC) name for the multi-county planning and development organizations which from State to State may be otherwise known as regional councils, councils of governments, area development districts, regional development centers, or regional planning commissions. LDD's are the local partner in the ARC's Federal-State-Local partnership, and they serve the member counties and municipalities within their designated regions in efforts aimed at achieving the goals of the ARC.

Scope of Services

As the principal contact of DDAA, the Executive Consultant reports directly to the DDAA Board of Directors/Officers. The consultant travels as necessary to meet with partners, members and legislative representatives, and to represent the DDAA at conferences, public functions and other meetings. The Executive Consultant assists the membership with state and federal economic development efforts and facilitating interagency cooperation. S/he will work with the membership to assure that the goals of the DDAA Strategic Plan are met (for reference, the Strategic Plan is an addendum to this RFQ). This position provides a central point of contact for any private or public entities seeking information about or contacting the DDAA.

The Executive Consultant serves as a liaison between the DDAA, and partners including but not limited to the following: the Appalachian Regional Commission; the State Alternates and Program Managers for each of the 13 Appalachia states; National Association of Development Organizations (NADO); etc.

This is an independent contractor/consulting position. The Executive Consultant will be offered a contract of up to 1 to 3 years, which may be extended based on the mutual agreement of the parties.

The firm or person selected should be flexible and able to work independently, able to structure their own workdays, and able to complete their work or submit updates within the general timetable established by the Board of Directors per the contract. Annual travel requirements primarily consist of the Summer and Winter DDAA Board Meetings alternating between different cities in the Appalachian Region, the Spring Annual Conference in the Washington D.C. area, and 1-2 other trips to the Washington D.C. area to meet with stakeholders. The consultant does not have to be located in the Washington D.C. or Appalachian Region, but preference will be shown to a firm with intimate knowledge and experience in one or both of those areas.

Tasks and Responsibilities

Below is an example Work Program that details activities which may be conducted on an annual basis.

Association Planning and Operations

1. Provide staff support to the DDAA Board of Directors
   1. Organize, prepare for, and attend quarterly board meetings, plus committee meetings as required
   2. Provide the Board with periodic updates and respond to special Board requests
   3. Create and maintain an operational progress dashboard (i.e., summary of DDAA finances, membership status, event participation, communications efforts, advocacy and outreach impacts, and other key performance areas)
2. Provide office and financial management services for DDAA
   1. Maintain official association records and documents for the Board of Directors
   2. Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations related to managing a nonprofit organization
   3. Collaborate with DDAA Treasurer and Finance Committee to prepare and manage the budget
   4. Manage and execute operations according to board-approved annual budget according to board policies and procedures
   5. Maintain financial records, produce quarterly financial reports, coordinate annual audit and tax filing by a third-party auditor, and manage payables, receivables, and assets, including appropriate back-ups and/or safe storage of historical records

Membership Communications and Customer Service

1. Develop and maintain on-going relationship with DDAA members
   1. Manage membership services and accounts
   2. Acquire and report continuous membership feedback for use in Board of Director decision making for programs, activities, events, communications and positions
2. Publicize the activities of the organization, its programs and goal achievement
   1. Coordinate and update DDAA membership and event marketing materials
   2. Manage the existing DDAA website and regularly update content
   3. Expand DDAA's social media presence to retain membership and build the association's identity
   4. Produce a monthly best practices e-newsletter
   5. Develop key messages (including developing one-page talking points) focused on Board priorities

Annual Conference and Training

1. Coordinate with National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) on planning, development, and implementation of joint NADO/DDAA Annual Conference
   1. Convene DDAA committee meetings to help develop an agenda and recruit speakers
   2. Assist the Board in finalizing the conference agenda and in recruiting speakers
   3. Develop marketing materials and provide supplemental outreach in support of the conference marketing campaign
   4. Manage logistical efforts as needed, including online registration or related support
2. Organize one Training Conference/Professional Development Seminar per year for LDD staff
   1. Engage Board Members to identify training topics or in developing training
   2. Support the Training Committee in developing an agenda and securing instructors and speakers
   3. Identify targeted audience and implement marketing plan
   4. Support meeting logistics and registration support

Issue Education and Advocacy

1. Manage DDAA's advocacy for ARC and the Appalachian Region
   1. Monitor and inform the Board and membership about key legislative and policy issues affecting DDAA, ARC, and/or the Appalachian Region
   2. Serve as DDAA liaison with key audiences on behalf of the Board and the membership
   3. Collaborate with the DDAA Board and members to identify legislative priorities and action plan

Procedure for RFQ Submittal

Firms interested in being considered for selection should respond by submitting an electronic copy of the Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) listed below to cchiles@region2pdc.org by 4:00 p.m. EST on Friday, October 25, 2024. The subject line should read: DDAA Executive Consultant – (Name of Firm Applying).

Responses not received by 4:00 p.m. EST on the response due date will not be considered. All questions should be directed to: Chris Chiles, DDAA President, by email at cchiles@region2pdc.org or phone at (304) 529-3357.

Qualification Statements

Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) should include the following:

• Qualifications, Experience and Capabilities: Describe the qualifications and capabilities of implementing management and administration services as outlined in the scope of services. Include services associated with developing & managing federal & state grants, association management, working with board of directors and/or multiple stakeholders, leadership capacity and administrative abilities. Include experience developing and/or managing educational/ training/professional development programs. Include experience with website content management and knowledge and use of various forms of social media accounts. Include knowledge and familiarity with the people and socio-economic conditions of the Appalachia Region of the United States. Include project summaries of relevant projects completed. Summarize the scope of work and provide client contact information.
• Key Staff Assigned to Project: Provide an organization chart identifying personnel assigned to the DDAA, including their roles and anticipated level of involvement. Personnel identified in the proposal must be the principal staff that will work with the DDAA and represent the majority of hours billed. Resumes shall not exceed 3 pages in length.
• History of Company: Full disclosure regarding the company status, and status of parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, and subcontractors as potential responsible parties, including but not limited to:
  • Business Background
  • Legal name of business
  • Age of business
  • Names, addresses, and position of all persons having a financial interest in the company
  • State of formation
  • Number of employees
  • Licenses and certifications relevant to the described work
• Professional Practice (Limited to the Project Team, all employees assigned to this project):
  • Ever been cited by any authority for unscrupulous practice?
  • Have any past or present suits with any current or former clients? Explain as necessary.
  • Including parent company, subsidiaries, affiliates, and subcontractors, ever been or are currently disbarred from receiving Federal funds?
  • Any certification indicating that staff assigned to this project is equipped to carry out the provisions of this proposal
  • Three (3) references from clients for which the firm or person has provided similar services
  • Other: Provide any other information that may be useful when reviewing this proposal

Consultant Selection

Proposals will be evaluated and ranked based on the selection criteria outlined below. The DDAA may ask the top ranked firms or persons to attend a presentation and/or interview as part of the evaluation process. At the conclusion of the evaluation process, the firms or persons will be ranked in priority order with the highest-ranking firm or person being selected to negotiate a contract and scope of work with the DDAA. If a contract satisfactory to both parties cannot be negotiated, the DDAA will then enter into negotiations with the next highest-ranking firm or person and so on until an agreement is reached.

In the event the DDAA elects to negotiate a contract with a selected firm or person, the DDAA reserves the right to negotiate such terms and conditions of the contract, including, but not limited to scope, role, price, and staffing which may be in the best interests of the DDAA.

The selected firm or person shall provide written proof of insurance coverage for personal injury and property damage, including comprehensive general and automobile liability and contractual liability.

Development District Association of Appalachia (DDAA) member organizations are not eligible for consideration under this RFQ.

Selection Criteria

DDAA will evaluate the qualifications based upon the following criteria:

• Experience and ability to complete the work
• Demonstrated experience including successful management and administration of similar clients
• Approach and understanding of the scope of work
• Proven track record of effective engagement with stakeholders

Rights Reserved

The DDAA reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to reject all submissions, reissue a subsequent RFQ, terminate, restructure or amend this procurement process at any time. This RFQ is not a bid. Evaluation criteria contained herein shall be used in evaluating qualifications of interested firms or persons for selection. The DDAA may contact any consultant after receiving its submittal to seek clarification on any portion thereof. The DDAA reserves the right to request additional information from any consultant if the DDAA deems such information necessary to further evaluate the consultant's qualifications. The DDAA reserves the right to select several consultants to perform tasks under the contract. All RFQ material submitted to the DDAA becomes property of the DDAA and will not be returned to the vendor.