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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 09-20-2022; 6-a - Authorization to Release a Request for Proposals for Strategic Planning Services and Defining the Board’s Role in the Selection Process 1 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: September 20, 2022 Action Agenda Item No. 6-a SUBJECT: Authorization to Release a Request for Proposals for Strategic Planning Services and Defining the Board's Role in the Selection Process DEPARTMENT: County Manager ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: Draft Request for Proposals Travis Myren, 919-245-2308 PURPOSE: To review and authorize the release of a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a consultant to facilitate a comprehensive, Countywide Strategic Plan, and to define the role the Board will serve in the consultant selection process. BACKGROUND: At the Board's retreat in June 2022, the Board asked staff to draft an RFP for a consultant to facilitate the development of a comprehensive, Countywide Strategic Plan. The retreat was facilitated by Lydian Altman who serves as an Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina — Chapel Hill's School of Government. Professor Altman specializes in consulting with elected and appointed leaders to create strategic plans, teaching leadership topics, and facilitating retreats for governmental and nonprofit organizations and cross-sector community groups to help them plan and work together to solve public problems. Professor Altman provided guidance to the Board on the critical elements of a Strategic Plan and facilitated a discussion about the Board's goals for the planning process. Scope of Services The scope of services for the plan (attached as Section 5 of the RFP) was designed to be responsive to the goals articulated by the Board during the retreat and to include the critical elements described in Professor Altman's presentation. Some of those goals included: • Collecting broad based community input • Using a big picture approach that ties all County initiatives together and aligns them • Developing central set of goals to guide the Board at the policy level • Creating a living document that can be responsive to changing conditions • Defining how the Board will strategize and prioritize to achieve each goal • Applying racial equity principles to all elements of the plan 2 • Serving as a communication tool that helps educate and engage the community • Defining a clear vision for the future of the County • Using data and trend analysis to inform the plan, especially demographic changes and trends both locally and regionally • Defining performance measures that can be tracked over time to ensure priorities are met The scope was also derived from a review of plans from other jurisdictions in North Carolina such as Cabarrus County, Catawba County, Iredell County, Gaston County, Buncombe County, Brunswick County, Wake County, and Durham County, as well as Fairfax County, Virginia. Of those plans, four best reflected the goals of the Board: Buncombe County https://www.buncombecounty.org/governing/commissioners/strategic- plan/default.aspx Durham County https://www.dcomanagingforresuIts.org/about-us/about-the-strategic-plan Gaston County https://www._ aq stongov.com/970/FY21-23-Gaston-County-Strategic-Plan Fairfax County, VA https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/strategicplan/ The Board's discussion on the scope of the plan will be used to refine the draft approach and project elements. Scoring Criteria The RFP includes the criteria that will be used to score the written proposals. The proposed scoring criteria is a customized version of the standard criteria used to score other proposals submitted to the County for other services. Criteria Maximum Point Value 1.Vendor experience as it relates to the scope of services of the RFP. 15 2.Technical approach to the project and proposed tasks and timeline to complete work 25 3. Project organization as it relates to executing the scope of services 25 4.Vendor has the appropriate staffing and capacity to perform project 15 5.Total cost of proposed services(Section 4.2) 20 Total 100 The Board's discussion will be used to refine the criteria if needed and potentially revise the point values. Timeline for Review and Selection If the Board authorizes the release of the RFP at the September 20 meeting, proposals would be due in late October. The selection process would be conducted in mid-November through early December. Contract negotiations would then take place during the month of December, and a contract could be ready for Board approval in January. Once the project commences, the planning process would occur over the next nine (9) to twelve (12) months. 3 Board Participation in the Selection Process Unlike other vendor selection processes which are purely administrative in nature, the selection of a consultant for the Strategic Plan could be different. The Board could choose to delegate the selection process to staff, or assign one to three Commissioners to participate in the selection process. This process typically involves a two-week review of written submittals, a meeting of the selection committee to discuss scoring, and interviews with a subset of vendors most qualified to perform the work. FINANCIAL IMPACT: The solicitation of proposals and selection of a consultant will produce a cost proposal and contract that will specify a cost that will be subject to Board approval. Once that cost is defined, staff will propose potential funding sources. SOCIAL JUSTICE IMPACT: The following Orange County Social Justice Goals are applicable to this item: • GOAL: FOSTER A COMMUNITY CULTURE THAT REJECTS OPPRESSION AND INEQUITY The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race or color; religious or philosophical beliefs; sex, gender or sexual orientation; national origin or ethnic background; age; military service; disability; and familial, residential or economic status. • GOAL: ENSURE ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY The creation and preservation of infrastructure, policies, programs and funding necessary for residents to provide shelter, food, clothing and medical care for themselves and their dependents. • GOAL: CREATE A SAFE COMMUNITY The reduction of risks from vehicle/traffic accidents, childhood and senior injuries, gang activity, substance abuse and domestic violence. • GOAL: ESTABLISH SUSTAINABLE AND EQUITABLE LAND-USE AND ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of people of all races, cultures, incomes and educational levels with respect to the development and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, policies, and decisions. Fair treatment means that no group of people should bear a disproportionate share of the negative environmental consequences resulting from industrial, governmental and commercial operations or policies. • GOAL: ENABLE FULL CIVIC PARTICIPATION Ensure that Orange County residents are able to engage government through voting and volunteering by eliminating disparities in participation and barriers to participation. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: The following Orange County Environmental Responsibility Goal impacts are applicable to this item: • ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND WASTE REDUCTION Initiate policies and programs that: 1) conserve energy; 2) reduce resource consumption; 3) increase the use of recycled and renewable resources; and 4) minimize waste stream impacts on the environment. • CLEAN OR AVOIDED TRANSPORTATION Implement programs that monitor and improve local and regional air quality by: 1) promoting public transportation options; 2) decreasing dependence on single-occupancy vehicles, and 3) otherwise minimizing the need for travel. • RESULTANT IMPACT ON NATURAL RESOURCES AND AIR QUALITY Assess and where possible mitigate adverse impacts created to the natural resources of the site and adjoining area. Minimize production of greenhouse gases. 4 RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board authorize staff to release the Request for Proposals (RFP) for a consultant to facilitate a comprehensive, Countywide Strategic Plan; and that the Board discuss and define the role the Board will serve in the consultant selection process. 5 ORANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA Orange County Government Request for Proposal RFP#: 367-OC 53... Request for Proposals to Create a Countywide Strategic Plan Date of Issue: Proposal Opening Date: At 4:00 P.M. ET Direct all inquiries concerning this RFP to: Jovana Amaro Purchasing Agent Phone: 919-245-2651 Email: jamaro orangecountync.gov 1 6 s ORANGE COUNTY NORTH CAROLINA ORANGE COUNTY Request for Proposal #:367-005310 For internal processing, including tabulation of proposals, please provide your company's Federal Employer Identification Number or alternate identification number (e.g. Social Security Number). Pursuant to G.S. 132-1.10 (b) this identification number shall not be released to the public. This page will be removed and shredded, or otherwise kept confidential, before the procurement file is made available for public inspection. This page is to be filled out and returned with your proposal. Failure to do so may subject your proposal to rejection. ID Number: Federal ID Number or Social Security Number Vendor Name Electronic responses ONLY will be accepted for this solicitation. 2 7 1. PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND Orange County, North Carolina is seeking proposals from qualified individuals and firms to facilitate a data driven strategic planning process that is grounded in the principles of equity, responsive to the concerns and priorities of the community, positions the County to address the challenges of the future, and is fiscally sustainable. The outcome of this process will be a comprehensive strategic plan that presents the planning process and approach, community engagement process, relevant data and analysis of trends, identification of opportunities and strategies, a process to prioritize and focus County programs and services, and an implementation plan with performance measures that track progress on achieving the goals of the plan. The successful proposer will have broad experience and knowledge in public sector strategic planning, community engagement, plan implementation, and performance measurement. The successful proposer will also have knowledge of the roles, responsibilities, and authorities of county government and its programs and services as well as the roles and responsibilities of the Board of County Commissioners. Further, the successful individual or firm will have a thorough understanding of the legislative, governmental, administrative, financial, programmatic, and support functions of county government. The successful proposer will possess excellent facilitation, consensus building and communication skills. Individuals or firms responding to this solicitation will be expected to provide solid references and examples of strategic plans created for other public sector entities. Proposals shall be submitted in accordance with the terms and conditions of this RFP and any addenda issued hereto. 2.0 GENERAL INFORMATION 2.1 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL DOCUMENT The RFP is comprised of the base RFP document, any attachments, and any addenda released before Contract award. All attachments and addenda released for this RFP in advance of any Contract award are incorporated herein by reference. 2.2 NOTICE TO VENDORS REGARDING RFP TERMS AND CONDITIONS It shall be the Vendor's responsibility to read the Instructions, Orange County's terms and conditions, all relevant exhibits and attachments, and any other components made a part of this RFP and comply with all requirements and specifications herein. Vendors also are responsible for obtaining and complying with all Addenda and other changes that may be issued in connection with this RFP. If Vendors have questions, issues, or exceptions regarding any term, condition, or other component within this RFP, those must be submitted as questions in accordance with the instructions in Section 2.4 PROPOSAL QUESTIONS. If Orange County determines that any changes will be made as a result of the questions asked, then such decisions will be communicated in the form of an RFP addendum. 2.3 RFP SCHEDULE The table below shows the intended schedule for this RFP. Orange County will make every effort to adhere to this schedule. Event Responsibility Date and Time Issue RFP OC To be determined Hold Pre-Proposal Meeting OC To be determined 3 8 Submit Written Questions Vendor To be determined Provide Response to Questions OC To be determined Submit Proposals Vendor To be determined Contract Award OC To be determined Contract Effective Date OC To be determined 2.4 PROPOSAL QUESTIONS Upon review of the RFP documents, Vendors may have questions to clarify or interpret the RFP in order to submit the best proposal possible. To accommodate the Proposal Questions process,Vendors shall submit any such questions by the above due date. Written questions shall be emailed to jamaro(cD_orangecountync.gov by the date and time specified above. Vendors should enter"RFP#: 367-OC 5310: Questions" as the subject for the email. Questions submittals should include a reference to the applicable RFP section. Questions received by the deadline date, Orange County's response, and any additional terms deemed necessary by the Orange County will be posted in the form of an addendum to Orange County website and shall become an Addendum to this RFP. No information, instruction or advice provided orally or informally by any Orange County personnel, whether made in response to a question or otherwise in connection with this RFP, shall be considered authoritative or binding. Vendors shall rely only on written material contained in an Addendum to this RFP. 2.5 PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL IMPORTANT NOTE: This is an absolute requirement. Vendor shall bear the risk for late submission due to unintended or unanticipated delay. Any proposal-submitted after the proposal deadline will be rejected. Vendors should enter "RFP#: 367-005310: as the subject for the email. Electronic (PDF Format) submittals should be less than 15MB in size and submitted by 2:00 p.m. EST on . Electronic submittals shall be emailed to jamaro(a_orangecountync.gov by the date specified above. Critical updated information may be included in Addenda to this RFP. It is important that all Vendors proposing on this RFP periodically check the Orange County's website for any Addenda that may be issued prior to the bid opening date. All Vendors shall be deemed to have read and understood all information in this RFP and all Addenda thereto. 2.6 PROPOSAL CONTENTS Vendors shall populate all attachments of this RFP that require the Vendor to provide information and include an authorized signature where requested. Vendor RFP responses shall include the following items and those attachments should be arranged in the following order: a) Cover Letter(Identify Project Manager) b) Title Page: Include the company name and Federal ID number or Social Security number. 4 9 c) A written narrative response to address the Project Organization d) A written narrative response to address the Technical Approach e) Vendor Experience and Qualifications f) Total cost for the proposed services and a cost for each work element or project phase g) Acknowledgement of receipt of any addenda. h) E-verify attachment i) Non-Discrimination Certification 3.0 METHOD OF AWARD AND PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS 3.1 METHOD OF AWARD All qualified proposals will be evaluated, and awards will be made to the Vendor(s) meeting the RFP requirements and achieving the highest and best final evaluation, based on the criteria described below. While the intent of this RFP is to award a Contract(s)to a single Vendor, Orange County reserves the right to make separate awards to different Vendors for one or more work elements, to not award one or more of those elements or to cancel this RFP in its entirety without awarding a Contract, if it is considered to be most advantageous to the County to do so. Orange County reserves the right to waive any minor informality or technicality in proposals received. 3.2 CONFIDENTIALITY AND PROHIBITED COMMUNICATIONS DURING EVALUATION During the evaluation period—from the date proposals are opened through the date the contract is awarded—each Vendor submitting a proposal (including its representatives, sub-contractors and/or suppliers) is prohibited from having any communications with any person inside or outside the using agency, issuing agency, other government agency office, or body (including the purchaser named above, department secretary, agency head, members of the general assembly and/or governor's office), or private entity, if the communication refers to the content of Vendor's proposal or qualifications, the contents of another Vendor's proposal, another Vendor's qualifications or ability to perform the contract, and/or the transmittal of any other communication of information that could be reasonably considered to have the effect of directly or indirectly influencing the evaluation of proposals and/or the award of the contract. A Vendor not in compliance with this provision shall be disqualified from contract award, unless it is determined in Orange County's discretion that the communication was harmless, that it was made without intent to influence and that the best interest of Orange County would not be served by the disqualification. A Vendor's proposal may be disqualified if its sub-contractor and supplier engage in any of the foregoing communications during the time that the procurement is active (i.e., the issuance date of the procurement to the date of contract award). Only those discussions, communications or transmittals of information authorized or initiated by the issuing agency for this RFP or general inquiries directed to the purchaser regarding requirements of the RFP (prior to proposal submission)or the status of the contract award (after submission)are excepted from this provision. 3.3 PROPOSAL EVALUATION PROCESS Orange County shall review all Vendor responses to this RFP to confirm that they meet the specifications and requirements of the RFP. Proposals will be received from each responsive Vendor according to the method of submission specified in Section 2.5 of this RFP. 5 10 All proposals must be received by Orange County no later than the date and time specified on the cover sheet of this RFP. At their option, the evaluators may request oral presentations or discussions with any or all Vendors for clarification or to amplify the materials presented in any part of the proposal. Vendors are cautioned, however, that the evaluators are not required to request presentations or other clarification—and often do not. Therefore, all proposals should be complete and reflect the most favorable terms available from the Vendor. Proposals will generally be evaluated according to completeness, content, and experience with similar projects, ability of the Vendor and its staff, and cost. Specific evaluation criteria are listed in 3.4 EVALUATION CRITERIA, below. Vendors are cautioned that this is a request for offers, not an offer or request to contract, and Orange County reserves the unqualified right to reject any and all offers at any time if such rejection is deemed to be in the best interest of the County. Upon completion of the evaluation process, the County will make Award(s) based on the evaluation and post the award(s) to IPS under the RFP number for this solicitation. Award of a Contract to one Vendor does not mean that the other proposals lacked merit, but that, all factors considered, the selected proposal was deemed most advantageous and represented the best value to the County. 3.4 EVALUATION CRITERIA All qualified proposals will be evaluated and an award made based on the following criteria, to result in an award most advantageous to Orange County: Criteria Maximum Point Value 1. Vendor experience as it relates to the scope of services of the RFP and project 15 deliverables 2. Technical approach to the project, proposed tasks, and timeline to complete work 30 (Section 5.2) 3. Project Organization (Section 5.3) 15 4. Vendor's capability and capacity to perform project 15 5. Total cost of proposed services (Section 4.2) 25 Total 100 6 11 4.0 REQUIREMENTS 4.1 CONTRACT TERM The Contract shall commence on the date of contract award (the"Effective Date").Work shall be performed in accordance with specific dates as listed in this RFP with all work completed by 4.2 PRICING Proposal price shall constitute the total cost to Orange County for complete performance in accordance with the requirements and specifications herein, including all applicable charges, handling, administrative and other similar fees. Vendor shall not invoice for any amounts not specifically allowed for in this RFP. The contractor shall provide both a total cost to perform all work and a cost for specific project elements or phases to perform this work. The cost by project element or phase would be used as a basis to modify the scope of work and associated costs if deemed necessary by the County. 4.3 INVOICES Invoices must include an accurate description of the work for which the invoice is being submitted, the invoice date, the period of time covered, the amount of fees due to the Vendor and the original signature of the Vendor's project manager. The County will authorize payments, as outlined in the scope of services, to the vendor. (Also, noted as a percentage of the entire contract). Invoices shall be sent to: Orange County County Manager's Office 300 West Tryon Street Hillsborough, NC 27278 4.4 VENDOR EXPERIENCE In its Proposal,Vendor shall demonstrate experience with public sector clients of similar or greater size and complexity to Orange County. Vendor shall provide information as to the qualifications and experience of all executive, managerial, legal, and professional personnel to be assigned to this project, including resumes citing experience with similar projects and the responsibilities to be assigned to each person. Vendor shall provide access to strategic plans the vendor has developed for other public sector organizations. 4.5 REFERENCES Vendors shall provide at least three (3)references for which your company has provided services of similar size and scope to that proposed herein. Orange County may contact these users to determine the services provided are substantially similar in scope to those proposed herein and Vendor's performance has been satisfactory. The information obtained may be considered in the evaluation of the proposal. 7 12 COMPANY NAME CONTACT NAME TELEPHONE NUMBER 4.6 PERSONNEL Vendor shall not substitute key personnel assigned to the performance of this Contract without prior written approval by the Contract Lead. Vendor shall notify the Contract Lead of any desired substitution, including the name(s) and references of Vendor's recommended substitute personnel. Orange County will approve or disapprove the requested substitution in a timely manner. Orange County may, in its sole discretion, terminate the services of any person providing services under this Contract. Upon such termination, Orange County may request acceptable substitute personnel or terminate the contract services provided by such personnel. 4.7 VENDOR'S REPRESENTATIONS a) Vendor warrants that qualified personnel shall provide services under this Contract in a professional manner. "Professional manner"means that the personnel performing the services will possess the skill and competence consistent with the prevailing business standards in the industry. Vendor agrees that it will not enter any agreement with a third party that may abridge any rights of Orange County under this Contract. Vendor will serve as the prime contractor under this Contract and shall be responsible for the performance and payment of all subcontractor(s)that may be approved by the County. Names of any third party Vendors or subcontractors of Vendor may appear for purposes of convenience in Contract documents; and shall not limit Vendor's obligations hereunder. Vendor will retain executive representation for functional and technical expertise as needed in order to incorporate any work by third party subcontractor(s). b) If any Services, deliverables,functions, or responsibilities not specifically described in this Contract are required for Vendor's proper performance, provision and delivery of the service and deliverables under this Contract, or are an inherent part of or necessary sub-task included within such service, they will be deemed to be implied by and included within the scope of the contract to the same extent and in the same manner as if specifically described in the contract. Unless otherwise expressly provided herein, Vendor will furnish all of its own necessary management, supervision, labor, facilities, furniture, computer and telecommunications equipment, software, supplies and materials necessary for the Vendor to provide and deliver the Services and Deliverables. c) Vendor warrants that it has the financial capacity to perform and to continue perform its obligations under the contract; that Vendor has no constructive or actual knowledge of an actual or potential legal proceeding being brought against Vendor that could materially adversely affect performance of this Contract; and that entering into this Contract is not prohibited by any contract, or order by any court of competent jurisdiction. d) A sample of the Services Contract — RFP/RFQ that will be executed with the selected vendor is included. 8 13 5.0 SCOPE OF WORK The consultant will assist the Board of Commissioners and County leadership in developing a comprehensive strategic plan for Orange County, North Carolina. The Plan is intended to direct efforts and resources toward a clearly defined vision for the future using strategic planning framework. The Plan will be data driven, grounded in the principles of equity, responsive to the priorities and concerns of the community, position the County to address the challenges of the future, and will be fiscally sustainable. The Plan will articulate a vision, mission,core values, priorities, goals and objectives, implementation plans, performance measures, and a procedure for Plan review and maintenance. The County realizes that each vendor may have a different perspective, approach, and model to develop a comprehensive strategic planning document. The proposal should discern the approach that will best enable the County to achieve its organizational goals. With that flexibility in mind, the scope of work should include but not necessarily be limited to the following elements: • A process that allows for general alignment and focus among the Board of Commissioners, County leadership, staff, residents, business interests, community groups, etc. to foster a sense of inclusion and cohesion in the County's strategic direction. • A timeline and schedule for the project that identifies major milestones, opportunities for meaningful information sharing, and decision points. • Data on demographic, economic, social, and environmental factors and trends that are impacting or are expected to impact County residents, institutions, programs, and services. The proposal should include the capacity to conduct a statistically valid community survey that evaluates residents' demographics, perceptions of the County, satisfaction with County services and communications, priorities for core County services, and priorities that will be most important in the future. The survey should be designed so that it also informs the upcoming update to the County's Comprehensive Plan. • Comprehensive outreach and community engagement that gathers information from residents, community groups, major employers, and key partners such as the University, school districts, nonprofit community, and municipalities in the County. The proposal should specifically include creative and effective approaches to gather input from traditionally marginalized communities. This outreach should also be designed to be useful in the update to the County's Comprehensive Plan. • A schedule and format to provide information and receive guidance from the Board of Commissioners that complies with North Carolina's Open Meeting Law. The proposal should include an estimated number of facilitated discussions with Board of Commissioners in order to accomplish the development of the desired strategic plan • Engagement with County leadership and employees as stakeholders in the Plan and as subject matter experts in strategy and initiative development and performance measurement. • A framework to align other Countywide plans such as the long term COVID-19 recovery plan, racial equity plan, climate action plan, transit plan, facilities plan, master aging plan and others to the comprehensive strategic plan. • A decision making framework that helps the Board of Commissioners set priorities. 9 14 • An effective, considered, innovative, and fiscally sustainable strategic plan document that prioritizes County initiatives and resources to achieve specific goals within a specific period of time. • Goals and objectives and/or initiatives that support the vision, mission, and values of the Plan. • An implementation plan that transforms conceptual goals into realistic, achievable targets. • Performance measures or key indicators and outcomes that will serve as the basis for measuring progress in Plan implementation. • Analyses of any potential partnerships that could be leveraged to more efficiently and effectively advance the Plan. • Tactics for effectively communicating the outcomes of the strategic planning process and for providing ongoing information on progress to improve transparency and accountability during Plan implementation. • A recommended process for periodic plan reviews, updates, and/or other plan maintenance. 5.1 TASKS/DELIVERABLES The successful consultant will be required to attend a kickoff meeting with the Board of Commissioners and other key county personnel to understand the goals and purpose of the project, identify potential issues to resolve, gather financial, demographic and related documents and data, and develop a detailed timeline based on schedules of applicable personnel. • The successful consultant will engage the Board of Commissioners in facilitated discussions and work sessions as often as needed in order to achieve the required project scope. • The successful consultant will meet with a project management team as often as needed in order to achieve the required project scope within the project timeline. • The successful consultant will prepare a comprehensive strategic plan including a clear and concise executive summary of the plan. • A draft plan will be provided to the County electronically in Microsoft Word format. That draft will be presented to the Board of Commissioners to receive input and direction prior to finalizing the plan. • The successful consultant will present the final plan to the Board of Commissioners and prepare and execute a communications plan to introduce the final strategic plan to the community, key stakeholders, and the other jurisdictions. • Project Timetable—To be determined o Issue Request for Proposal o Proposers Questions Due o Responses to Questions Due o Proposals Due o Evaluation of Proposals 10 15 o Interviews of Selected Firms o Proposal Award o Tentative Contract Execution Date o Draft Strategic Plan provided to County o In-person presentation of the Draft Strategic Plan to Board of Commissioners o Presentation of Final Strategic Plan to Board of Commissioners o Project completion and final delivery of all work products 5.2 PROJECT ORGANIZATION Vendor shall describe the organizational and operational structure it proposes to utilize for the work described in this RFP and identify the responsibilities to be assigned to each person the Vendor proposes to staff the work. 5.3 TECHNICAL APPROACH Vendor's proposal shall include, in narrative, outline, and/or graph form the Vendor's approach to accomplishing the elements outlined in the Scope of Work section of this RFP. A description of each work element and deliverable and the schedule for accomplishing each shall be included. CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION 6.1 PROJECT MANAGER AND CUSTOMER SERVICE The Vendor shall designate and make available to Orange County a project manager. The project manager shall be the County's single point of contact for contract related issues and issues concerning performance, progress review, scheduling and service. 6.2 POST AWARD MANAGEMENT REVIEW MEETINGS The Vendor, at the request of Orange County, shall meet monthly with the County for Project Review meetings. The purpose of these meetings will be to review project progress reports, discuss Vendor and the County's performance, address outstanding issues, review problem resolution, provide direction, evaluate continuous improvement and cost saving ideas, and discuss any other pertinent topics. LIVING WAGE & E-VERIFY Living Wage Orange County is committed to providing its employees with a living wage and encourages agencies it funds to pursue the same goal. A copy of Orange County's Living Wage Contractor Policy is included at the end of this RFP. E-Verify HB789 imposes E-Verify requirements on contractors who enter into certain contracts with state agencies and local governments. The legislation specifically prohibits governmental units from entering into certain contracts"unless the contractor and the contractor's subcontractors comply with the requirements of Article 2 of Chapter 65 of the General Statues." (Article 2 of Chapter 65 establishes North Carolina's E-Verify requirements for private employers.) It is important to note that the verification requirement applies to 11 16 subcontractors as well as contractors. The new laws specifically prohibit governmental units from entering into contracts with contractors who have not(or their subcontractors have not) complied with E-Verify. 12