Consultant

~ The Bay Foundation (TBF), is a 501(c)(3) non-profit environmental group founded in 1990 to restore and enhance Santa Monica Bay through actions and partnerships that improve water quality, conserve and rehabilitate natural resources, and protect the Bay’s benefits and values. ~

The purpose of the Foundation is to support the work of the Santa Monica Bay National Estuary Program (SMBNEP) through its Bay Restoration Plan (BRP), in partnership with the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission (SMBRC). SMBNEP is one of 28 National Estuary Programs (NEPs) of the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) tasked with local implementation of USEPA priorities through community-based resource management, funded in part by the Clean Water Act §320. (For more information on TBF, click here, and for more information on the SMBRC, please click here).

Position Overview

TBF is seeking to hire an individual or entity (“Consultant”) to assist with specific temporary services. The Consultant will support the efforts of SMBNEP to evaluate and revise its structure as part of a significant revision of its guiding policy document, the BRP, also known as a Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP). The CCMP is a living document, with updates or revisions occurring once every five years and is a model of adaptive management. SMBNEP’s CCMP is currently undergoing a major revision process.

This process includes the recent release of a new draft action plan which incorporates climate change into planning and will include many other components. A requirement by USEPA is that the CCMP revision process also include a description of the current NEP’s Management Conference and membership with any proposed changes, and an explanation of how the structure will support the NEP’s ability to oversee and promote CCMP implementation. This will include discussions about involving the public and various stakeholders in its programs.

The structural evaluation of the SMBNEP as part of the CCMP revision will be based on recommendations within USEPA guidance and FAQ documents, and may be informed by historical organizational documents, information from partners, examples of structure from other ‘sister’ NEPs throughout the United States, and other research.

Responsibilities

• The Consultant will coordinate feedback by multiple entities and four stakeholder groups on structural suggestions and comments to identify an appropriate and effective partnership structure for the SMBNEP. The four stakeholder groups that will be engaged at four regularly-scheduled and noticed public meetings are as follows: SMBRC’s Executive Committee, Governing Board, Technical Advisory Committee, and Watershed Advisory Council. Meetings of these groups will take place as scheduled over the coming months.
• The Consultant shall use surveys and/or receive comments online via email following each of these meetings for a duration of one week each time. The Consultant shall document and retain all pertinent communications. To ensure transparency, all documents will be submitted along with the final report.
• The Consultant shall present cursory findings at the January 2019 Executive Committee meeting and thereafter draft and circulate a report on recommended structural elements for the SMBNEP for consideration at the February and April 2019 SMBRC Governing Board meetings. The report will be circulated within the existing network that comprises the SMBNEP for consideration, will be posted on the web, and will be used to generate a recommended structure for the future SMBNEP.

Qualifications

• Experience in multi-party facilitation.
• Experience with consensus-based decision making.
• Experience with proper tracking, reporting and communication commensurate with public processes
• Knowledge of public processes.

Additional Information

Proposal Submission Instructions:

• Qualifications and experience of the individual(s) that will be working on the proposed project. 
• Technical approach. Including any research on NEP guidance, NEP structures, and proposed approach to meet the goals described in the Scope of Project. The technical approach should discuss methods proposed for communication and coordination with TBF’s and SMBRC’s staff and Management Conference members. The approach shall include a timeline for completion.
• Budget should be based on the tasks described and estimated consultant(s) time in the technical approach.

Points of contact for clarification of the specifications contained in this RFP are:

• Tom Ford, Executive Director, TBF; (310) 216-9827
• Dr. Guangyu Wang, Chief Administrative Director, SMBRC; (213) 576-6639

Schedule:

• Proposals must be received by October 12, 2018.
• Selected interviews based on preliminary evaluations by October 23, 2018.
• Final evaluation and selection will be made by October 26, 2018.
• Contract will be awarded, and work will commence by October 31, 2018.

Evaluation Process and Criteria:

The evaluation and selection team will be composed of one TBF staff and one SMBRC staff. The criteria and scoring system will be based on the following:

• Qualification and Experience. Scoring based on the likelihood that it will meet the requirements of the Scope of Project. (10 pts.)
• Technical approach evaluation. Scoring based on a solid and convincing approach. (30 pts.)
• Budget. Each proposal will be rated on its proposed cost. (10 pts.)

Submittals will be reviewed by the two members of the evaluation and selection team on responsiveness to the requirements above. Interviews will be conducted, either in person or over the phone. The evaluation and selection team will evaluate the proposals and candidates based on, but not limited to, the requirements of this RFP, but may include criteria-based policies and procedures of TBF.

Other Considerations:

The Consultant shall:

• Submit regular written reports to the employer once a month or as requested.
• Provide her or his own assistants, if needed.
• Provide her or his own business and travel expenses and tools, including transportation, computer, materials, etc.
• Be able to work from outside the employer’s premises.
• Be able to furnish evidence of liability and worker’s compensation insurance.

The Employer shall:

• Provide email lists to initiate communication.
• Provide background documents including:
  • US EPA FAQ’s for NEP Governance.
  • SMBRC Enabling Legislation.
  • Draft CCMP Action Narrative.
  • Santa Monica Bay Nomination Package.
  • Community-Based Watershed Management: Lessons from the National Estuary Program.

To Apply

Please click "Apply" below to submit RFP requirements to Marcelo Villagomez, Administrative Director, TBF, or by mail:

Marcelo Villagomez
Administrative Director
8334 Lincoln Blvd. #310
Los Angeles, CA 90045