Houston-Galveston Area Council2009 Summer Jobs for Youth

Request for Proposals

Section 1.0 General Information

Section 2.0 Proposal Instructions

2.1 Summer Jobs Projects2.2 Payroll Service2.3 Work Sites

Section 3.0 Resources

Houston-Galveston Area Council3555 Timmons Lane, Suite 120, Houston, Texas 77027P.O. Box 22777, Houston, Texas 77227-2777713.627.3200 voice 713.993.4578 faxhttp://h-gac.com

Houston-Galveston Area Council2009 Summer Jobs for Youth

Request for Proposals

PurposeThe Houston-Galveston Area Council, the staff for the Gulf Coast Workforce Board, solicits proposals from qualified organizations to provide summer jobs for youth. We are looking for organizations that can:

Recruit young people from low income families for subsidized summer jobs, develop work sites and/or activities, prepare participants for work, match them to work sites, counsel young people, and manage (or oversee) work sites; or

Administer the payroll function and payment of other financial aid for young people who are working in the summer jobs; or

Serve as a work site and offer meaningful summer jobs for young people in our communities.

Proposal Submission RequirementsDeadline

The deadline for receiving responses is no later than 12:00 noon Central Daylight Time, Friday March 27, 2009. H-GAC will not accept late proposals and will make no exceptions.

Submitting a ProposalBidders may deliver proposals in print or on electronic or CD storage media. All proposals must be assembled in the order outlined in the individual part of this request to which a bidder is responding.

For printed proposals: (1) Format using a 12-point font and 1.5 line spacing, (2) Staple or bind hard copies in the upper left hand corner, and (3) provide three complete copies of your proposal.

For proposals on computer disc: (1) Use a standard CD-RW disc, (2) Provide your proposal in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format (do NOT password protect files), and (3) include one set of signed original proposal submission documents (proposal cover page and all declarations, assurances and certifications pages with original signatures). H-GAC is not responsible for unreadable computer discs.

Mail proposals to Carol Kimmick, Human Services Department, Houston-Galveston Area Council, Post Office Box 22777, Houston, Texas 77277-2777. Be sure your submission is postmarked by no later than Wednesday, March 25, 2009.

Deliver proposals by hand to H-GAC offices at 3555 Timmons Lane, Suite 120, Houston, Texas from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday. Address your submission to Carol Kimmick, Human Services Department, Houston-Galveston Area Council.

After the deadline, H-GAC will notify each bidder in writing of our receipt of its proposal.

Bidders’ ConferenceH-GAC will host a bidders’ conference in the second floor San Felipe Room at the Hilton Post Oak Hotel, 2001 Post Oak Boulevard, Houston, Texas, on Thursday, March 12, 2009. The conference will start at 10:00 a.m.

Where to Find the Request for ProposalsThe Request and attachments can be found on the Workforce Solutions and H-GAC websites at http://wrksolutions.com and http://h-gac.com.

Bidders may request a paper version of the request by writing, emailing or calling Carol Kimmick, Human Services Department, Houston-Galveston Area Council, Post Office Box 22777, Houston, Texas 77227-2777, carol.kimmick@h-gac.com, 713.627.3200.

Gulf Coast Workforce SystemThe Gulf Coast workforce system is made up of the Gulf Coast Workforce Board and its operating affiliate, Workforce Solutions. We serve a 13-county region that includes Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Walker, Waller and Wharton counties and the City of Houston.

The Gulf Coast Workforce Board is a volunteer board of directors, led by business and appointed by local chief elected officials. In addition to area employers, its membership includes representatives of education, organized labor, economic development organizations, and local community organizations. The Board sets the agenda for the region’s workforce policy and determines the strategic direction and operational guidelines for its operating affiliate. The Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) is the Board’s staff and serves as the home office for the affiliate contractors, providing fiscal and management services.

During the last year, Workforce Solutions served more than 350,000 area businesses and residents with almost $200 million in resources through its Employer Service Division and 28 local career offices. Workforce Solutions contractors include Arbor E&T; Employment and Training Centers, Inc.; Houston Works; Interfaith of the Woodlands; and Neighborhood Centers, Inc.

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Summer JobsAs a part of the nation’s economic stimulus efforts, the Gulf Coast Workforce Board will sponsor summer jobs for youth in the Houston-Galveston area. Although we do not have final information on available funds or all requirements, we expect to be able to provide meaningful work for 3,500 to 4,000 young people during the 2009 summer months.

We are looking for organizations to help recruit and employ young people at area non-profit, school and local government sites to provide them useful work. Our dollars can pay for the costs of recruitment, development of work sites and matching participants to work sites, preparation for work, counseling and oversight, as well as the actual wages and benefits for work. We also expect to help some young people with expenses related to continuing their education, including costs for summer school.

We’re particularly interested in receiving proposals from community-based non-profit organizations, or a consortium of organizations that has significant participation by community-based non-profits within the consortium.

While 2009 summer jobs are part of the Workforce Solutions system, we are specifically soliciting proposals from organizations that are not already our system’s affiliated contractors.

We’re requesting separate bids to administer payroll and financial aid (e.g. education expenses) for youth working in the 2009 jobs. A bidder cannot bid to manage the summer jobs projects and provide the payroll function.

We want to provide work or work-related activities for:

14 to 15 year olds – Work appropriate and allowable for 14 to 15 year olds must conform to child labor law requirements or be work-based learning activities. Work-based learning can include projects that help improve basic skills while providing an environment that simulates work.

16 to 17 year olds – Work for individuals at these ages must also conform to child labor law requirements.

18 to 24 year olds – Individuals at these ages are considered adults and may perform work allowed for adults, within applicable health and safety standards and with appropriate instruction and supervision.

We expect work activities to average between 30 and 35 hours per week for approximately eight weeks this summer. Duration of work activities will depend upon the needs of a particular work site.

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Work sites will be at non-profit organizations, community-based organizations or local government (including city, county, school districts and special districts).

All work is subject to the requirements of the Fair Labor Standards Act, particularly the child labor provisions, and applicable federal minimum wage standards.

If you plan to use money from this request to fund summer jobs at for-profit businesses, please be aware that federal requirements apply to such activity and that we will have to approve arrangements before allowing you to move forward.

Workforce Solutions career offices will determine applicants’ eligibility for summer jobs. We expect the summer jobs project managing organizations to work with the offices to accomplish this task. We cannot provide a summer job for an applicant unless he or she is eligible.

Workforce Solutions career offices will provide a “career day” activity for all summer jobs participants, scheduled throughout the summer. Workforce Solutions offices can also provide Landing Your First Job! – a workshop designed to help prepare youth for looking for and going to work for customers if a summer project managing organization requests it.

We will assign summer project managing organizations to Workforce Solutions career offices to coordinate all data entry and tracking for project participants.

The payroll contractor will pay young people for their work, based on timesheets completed and authorized by participants and their supervisors at the various work sites. The payroll contractor will also provide financial aid payments for education expenses or needs. We do not anticipate having more than one payroll contractor for the region.

We’ve divided our region into four sub-areas for this request. A bidder may submit a proposal to operate in any area or several areas.

We encourage proposals from consortia that include at least 30% participation by community-based non-profits. We expect that a lead contractor in a consortium will deliver direct service to youth and not just act as a funder or overseer for the consortium.

Funds and customers are estimates only and may change after we learn how much money we’ll have for summer jobs.

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2009 Summer Jobs Estimated Funds Available

Region Funds Customers

Austin, Colorado, Fort Bend, Waller and Wharton Counties

$1,200,000 330

Liberty, Montgomery and Walker Counties

$1,110,000 300

Brazoria, Galveston, and Matagorda Counties

$1,432,000 390

Chambers and Harris Counties $9,210,000 2,470

Sections 2.1, 2.2 and 2.3 have the instructions on how to submit proposals

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Evaluation CriteriaSelection and Evaluation

H-GAC will review and evaluate proposals on the basis of:

Relevant experience in managing an operation that delivers similar service, including qualifications of personnel (30 points)

Approach to the project, including community-based partners (40 points) Financial terms and the financial stability of the bidding organization (30 points)

H-GAC’s evaluation process includes: review and scoring by Workforce Board staff members; review and recommendations from the Board’s Procurement Committee; review and approval by the Workforce Board; and review and approval by the H-GAC Board of Directors.

Board staff may arrange for bidders to make presentations and answer questions before the Procurement Committee’s review. We will notify bidders if we choose to do this.

H-GAC will notify all bidders in writing of results of the review process.

Performance PeriodH-GAC will negotiate a contract with successful bidders to begin on or around May 1, 2009 for up to five months.

Notification and ProtestH-GAC will notify all bidders in writing of (1) the receipt of their proposals at H-GAC and the status of these proposals in the review process, (2) the date, place and time of Workforce Board and H-GAC Board of Directors' meetings, and (3) the final outcome of the review process.

Bidders who believe that they have been treated unfairly or that there is a violation of federal law or regulation may file a protest. The following procedures govern the filing of all protests.

1. A bidder may file a protest after the Procurement Committee makes its recommendations. A bidder must file the protest in writing to: Rodney Bradshaw, Director, Human Services, Houston-Galveston Area Council, 3555 Timmons, Suite 120, P.O. Box 22777, Houston, Texas 77227-2777, 713.627.3200, at least three working days before the scheduled meeting of the Gulf Coast Workforce Board meeting at which the funding recommendations will be reviewed. Bidders who file a protest are encouraged to attend the full Board meeting and to address the Board in open session.

2. Following the Workforce Board meeting, a bidder may file a protest by writing to Jack Steele, Executive Director, Houston-Galveston Area Council, 3555 Timmons, Suite 120,

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P.O. Box 22777, Houston, Texas 77227-2777, 713.627.3200, at least three working days before the scheduled meeting of the H-GAC Board of Directors at which the Workforce Board’s decisions will be reviewed. Bidders who file a protest are encouraged to attend the full Board meeting and to address the Board in open session.

3. Following the final decision by the H-GAC Board of Directors, a bidder may file a protest with the Texas Workforce Commission. The Commission reviews protests only after H-GAC’s process has been exhausted. Protests filed with the Commission are limited to the following issues: (a) violation of federal law and regulation, and/or (b) violation of protest procedures or failure to review a protest. To file a protest on this level, write to Millie Foster, Oversight Coordinator, Houston-Galveston Area Council, Post Office Box 22777, Houston, Texas, 77227-2777, 713.627.3200.

Bid RequirementsConditions of Bid

1. H-GAC may accept or reject any or all responses under this request.

2. H-GAC is not obligated to contract with any respondent to this request.

3. H-GAC may change any part of this request at any time prior to the submission deadline.

4. H-GAC will not pay for any expenses incurred prior to the execution date of a contract or any expenses incurred after the termination date of the contract.

5. A bidder may submit a bid for more than one geographic region. A bidder may not submit a bid to provide services to youth and manage work sites and the payroll/financial aid payment function.

6. Consortia must clearly demonstrate in the proposal narrative that all contractual responsibility rests solely with a primary bidder.

7. The primary bidder (lead contractor) assumes full responsibility for ensuring that work which is subcontracted is complete and delivered on-time.

8. Materials submitted to H-GAC as a part of this proposal are considered public information unless otherwise noted in the proposal itself as trade secret or proprietary information. H-GAC is not responsible for the return of any part of a submission, including creative examples of work.

9. Funding of any contract is contingent upon receipt of funds from the State of Texas and/or the United States.

10. H-GAC will negotiate contracts from bids selected under this request and may alter any part of a proposal in negotiating the contract.

11. No employee, member of a Board of Directors or other governing body, or representative of a bidder who submits a proposal under this Request may have any contact outside of the formal review process with any employee of H-GAC, any member of the Gulf Coast Workforce Board, or any member of the H-GAC Board of Directors for purposes of

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discussing or lobbying on behalf of bidder’s proposal. This contact includes written correspondence, telephone calls, personal meetings, email messages, or other kinds of personal contact. H-GAC will reject proposals of those bidders who violate this condition.

12. No employee, member of a Board of Directors or other governing body, or representative of a bidder who submits a proposal under this Request may offer any favor, gratuity, inducement, or anything of monetary value to any employee of H-GAC, any member of the Gulf Coast Workforce Board, or any member of the H-GAC Board of Directors for purposes of influencing the evaluation of a proposal submitted under this Request. H-GAC will reject proposals of those bidders who violate this condition.

Assurances and CertificationsPlease complete and sign the following forms and attach them to your proposal: (1) certification for debarment, (2) certification for lobbying, (3) certification for a drug-free work place, (4) certification for Texas Corporate Franchise Tax, (5) certification for state assessments, and (6) general assurances and certifications.

Conflict of Interest QuestionnaireChapter 176 of the Texas Local Government Code requires vendors and consultants contracting or seeking to contract with H-GAC to file a conflict of interest questionnaire (CIQ) if they have an employment or other business relationship with an H-GAC officer or an officer’s close family member. The CIQ must be completed and filed with the bid/proposal response if an employment or business relationship defined in the law exists.

We have attached the questionnaire. You may also obtain the form and read more about it at http://www.ethics.state.tx.us/whatsnew/conflict_forms.htm. H-GAC’s Board of Directors and officers are listed at http://h-gac.com .

Houston-Galveston Area Council Contact InformationCarol KimmickHouston-Galveston Area CouncilPost Office Box 22777, Houston, Texas 77227-2777713.627.3200 phone 713.993.4578 faxcarol.kimmick@h-gac.comhttp://h-gac.comhttp://wrksolutions.com

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Section 2.1 Summer Jobs Projects

Successful Bidders We expect successful bidders for summer jobs to:

Have knowledge and experience of your communities and young people’s needs for work

Be able to work successfully with other organizations to accomplish a single task

Know how to build, staff, and manage a summer jobs project Provide high quality, customer-oriented service Keep accurate, up-to-date, complete records of the services and

financial aid you provide your customers.

How to Submit A Proposal

Submit your proposal in the following order:

1.0 Proposal Cover Sheet2.0 Information about your organization3.0 Information about your bid4.0 Budget and staffing summary5.0 All Certifications6.0 Copy of organization’s most recent audit and audited financial

statements

Information About Your OrganizationProvide the following information for us in a narrative that is no more than 8 pages:

1. A description of the organizational structure and why it is structured this way. Is the organization for-profit or non-profit? (no more than 1 page)

2. An organization chart that shows graphically how your organization operates. (no more than 1 page)

3. Information about any governing boards such as a board of directors or advisory boards. Provide the names and terms of Board members. Include information about affiliated organizations such as subsidiaries

or parent companies, and specifically describe relationships. (no more than 1 page)

4. A list of the key staff for your organization. Identify the principals and leadership and describe their responsibilities, experience and length of service with your organization. Which principals, if any, would be assigned to work on the summer jobs project? Who controls the management of your organization? (no more than 2 pages)

5. A description of your financial stability and any comments you wish to make about your credit rating, your payment policies, and any recognition you may have received from accrediting or other bodies for organization or financial excellence. Has your organization experienced any financial difficulty in the past five years? (no more than 1 page)

6. Include references from at least three organizations that have contracted with your organization to provide services similar to those proposed (name of organization, contact person, telephone/email, amount of contract, service provided).

Information About Your ProposalProvide the following information for us in a narrative that is no more than 17 pages:

1. How will you build your project so that you can help young people start working by mid-June, 2009? How quickly can you be ready to recruit and determine applicants eligible for service? (no more than 2 pages)

2. If your proposal includes a consortium, tell us who all the member organizations are and what role each will play. Who is the lead contractor? (no more than 1 page)

3. Tell us when and how you plan to recruit applicants for summer jobs. How will you work with career offices to make sure applicants are eligible for Workforce Investment Act services before they start to work? (no more than 2 pages)

4. How and when will you develop work sites to provide the summer jobs? How will you make sure each work site has (1) job descriptions for every young person who will work, (2) adequate supervision for the young people at the site, and (3) access to required clothing, equipment or tools for the young people? How will work sites acquaint young people with the policies for working in a summer jobs project, including the work rules for the work site? (no more than 4 pages)

5. How will you arrange workers’ compensation insurance coverage – or like coverage – for young workers at all sites? (no more than 1 page)

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6. Describe the activities and work sites will you develop for 14 to 15 year olds. (no more than 2 pages)

7. Describe how you will screen eligible young people for assignment to work sites. How will you determine which young people go into which jobs? (no more than 1 page)

8. How will you regularly check on work sites and the young workers? What will you do for youth who are ill and cannot work? How will you handle conflicts at a work site? How will you make sure work sites are not violating Fair Labor Standards Act requirements or putting young workers into dangerous situations? (no more than 4 pages)

9. What arrangements will you make to provide emergency medical care if needed for a young worker at a work site?

10. Tell us how you will close work sites that prove to be unacceptable and what you will do for young workers at these sites. (no more than 1 page)

Budget and StaffingUse the Budget and Staffing forms provided for in the Resources section of this request and provide a narrative back-up which describes in detail your budget line items. Read the General Budget Requirements page in the Resources section before preparing a budget.

Assurances and Certifications

Use the forms provided in this request. Be sure to include all required forms (certifications for debarment, lobbying, and drug-free workplace; Texas franchise tax; Texas state assessments; the general assurances and certifications; and the conflict of interest questionnaire), and be sure that all are properly signed by an authorized representative of your organization.

Audit and Financial Statements

Attach a copy of your organization’s most recent audit as well as audited financial statements.

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Section 2.2 Payroll Service

Successful Bidders We expect successful bidders for the payroll function for summer projects to:

Have experience in providing payroll service or like services for large numbers of participants

Be able to work across the 13-county Gulf Coast region Be able to pay project participants on-time Be able to process timesheets or other time keeping records, keep

accurate and up-date pay records, pay required state and federal taxes, and provide timely financial reporting

How to Submit A Proposal

Submit your proposal in the following order:

1.0 Proposal Cover Sheet2.0 Information about your organization3.0 Information about your bid4.0 Budget and staffing summary5.0 All Certifications6.0 Copy of organization’s most recent audit and audited financial

statements

Information About Your OrganizationProvide the following information for us in a narrative that is no more than 8 pages:

1. A description of the organizational structure and why it is structured this way. Is the organization for-profit or non-profit? (no more than 1 page)

2. An organization chart that shows graphically how your organization operates. (no more than 1 page)

3. Information about any governing boards such as a board of directors or advisory boards. Provide the names and terms of Board members. Include information about affiliated organizations such as subsidiaries

or parent companies, and specifically describe relationships. (no more than 1 page)

4. A list of the key staff for your organization. Identify the principals and leadership and describe their responsibilities, experience and length of service with your organization. Which principals, if any, would be assigned to work on the summer jobs project? Who controls the management of your organization? (no more than 2 pages)

5. A description of your financial stability and any comments you wish to make about your credit rating, your payment policies, and any recognition you may have received from accrediting or other bodies for organization or financial excellence. Has your organization experienced any financial difficulty in the past five years? (no more than 1 page)

6. Include references from at least three organizations that have contracted with your organization to provide services similar to those proposed (name of organization, contact person, telephone/email, amount of contract, service provided).

Information About Your ProposalProvide the following information for us in a narrative that is no more than 11 pages:

1. Describe how you will get ready to provide payroll services for approximately 3,500 young workers across the 13-county region by June 1, 2009. (no more than 2 pages)

2. Tell us how you will work with summer jobs project organizations to collect required forms from young workers, set up payroll accounts, process time records and pay young workers. (no more than 5 pages)

3. How will you handle errors and omissions on time records? (no more than 1 page)

4. What methods will you use to pay young workers – direct deposit, debit cards, paper checks? If you plan to use debit cards, please describe how you will make sure recipients are not charged fees for the use of the cards and what precautions you will take against fraud. (no more than 5 pages)

5. What is your experience in providing this kind of service? (no more than 2 pages)

Budget/CostsWe estimate $9 to $10 million will be used for wages and benefits, although this amount may vary.

Please provide us a budget for your costs of delivering the payroll service only; do not include wages and benefits estimates.

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Describe in detail your pricing structure for: (a) implementing and administering an electronic system for gathering and processing participant time records for payroll processing, including a specific timeline for achievement of full implementation prior to June 1, 2009; (b) preparation and delivery of payroll (automatic deposit, debit card, check); (c) preparation and delivery of all required payroll taxes to appropriate governmental agencies in a timely manner; (d) preparation and delivery of required financial reporting information; and (e) fee or markup for providing all services, including complete detail and justification.

Assurances and CertificationsUse the forms provided in this request. Be sure to include all required forms (certifications for debarment, lobbying, and drug-free workplace; Texas franchise tax; Texas state assessments; the general assurances and certifications; and the conflict of interest questionnaire), and be sure that all are properly signed by an authorized representative of your organization.

Audit and Financial StatementsAttach a copy of your organization’s most recent audit as well as audited financial statements.

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Section 2.3 Work Site

If you are an organization that does not want to act as a summer jobs project manager, but you would like to sponsor one or several young workers in summer jobs, we’d like to hear from you.

Please give us the following information in a short narrative:

1. Tell us who your organization is and what you do. Do you have a board of directors or other governing body? Who are they? How long has your organization existed?

2. Who are the key people in your organization? If you sponsored young workers with summer jobs, how would these workers be managed and supervised?

3. What jobs would you have the young workers do? Do you have formal job descriptions for these jobs? What kinds of clothing, equipment or tools would the young workers need?

4. Would you plan any special project work or activities, such as a community improvement project, for the young workers this summer? What would it be?

5. Do you have personnel policies and procedures in place that cover temporary and part-time workers like the young people who might work for you this summer? Do you have liability insurance coverage at the site or sites in which you would employ the young workers?

6. A contact name, address, telephone/fax number and email address for your organization.

We appreciate you offering to help the young people of our region with meaningful work this summer!

Section 3.0 Resources

3.1 Proposal Cover Sheet

3.2 Assurances & Certifications

3.2.1 Assurances & Certifications

3.2.2 Statements regarding debarment, lobbying, drug-free workplace

3.2.3 State franchise taxes and assessments

3.2.4 Conflict of Interest Questionnaire

3.3 Budget and Staffing Summaries

3.4 Other References

3.4.1 Fair Labor Standards Act references, including child labor provisions found at http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/childlabor.htm

3.4.2 General Budget Information

3.4.3 Financial Management Standards