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ADDENDUM #1

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS NO. WENCS1516

FOR

CALWORKS WORK EXPERIENCE AND COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAM

REVISIONS

Request For Proposal No. WENCS 1516 - Specification Terms and Conditions- Revisions

Cover Sheet

1. RFP Response due by 1 p.m. on August 27, 2015.

2. RFP Section B., Program Overview, Funding (Page 9):

Funding for the contract(s) offered through this RFP is budgeted beginning January 4, 2016 October 1, 2015 and ending December 31, 2016 June 30, 2016, and may be renewed for up to two more years depending on funding availability and performance.

3. REVISED CALENDAR OF EVENTS

EVENT DATE/LOCATION

Request Issued Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Written Questions Due Thursday, July 30, 2015 @ 4:00 p.m.

Networking/Bidders’ Conference #1

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

@ 10:00 a.m. –12:00 p.m.AT: Alameda County Public Works Dept. Auditorium(Across From Room 113)399 Elmhurst Street Hayward, CA 94544

Networking/Bidders Conference #2

Thursday, July 30, 2015

@ 10:00 a.m.—12:00 p.m.

AT: Alameda County Social Services Agency North Oakland Self-Sufficiency Center 3rd FloorBerkeley Room A/B (#331)2000 San Pablo Ave.Oakland, CA 94612

Addendum Issued Week of August 10, 2015

Response Due Thursday, August 27, 2015 by 1:00 p.m.

Evaluation Period August 31, 2015 - September 11, 2015

Vendor Interviews September 15, 16 & 17, 2015

Board Letter November 2015

Recommending Award Issued

Board Consideration Award Date

November 2015

Contract Start Date November 2, 2015

Exhibit A, Attachment No. 1, Bid Response Packet- Revisions

1. Cover Sheet RFP Response due by 1 p.m. on August 27, 2015.

2. Last bullet (Page 2):

IF BIDDERS ARE MAKING ANY CLARIFICATIONS AND/OR AMENDMENTS, OR TAKING EXCEPTION TO POLICIES OR SPECIFICATIONS OF THIS RFP, THESE MUST BE SUBMITTED IN THE EXCEPTIONS, CLARIFICATIONS, AMENDMENTS SECTION OF THIS EXHIBIT A—BID RESPONSE PACKET AS AN APPENDIX IN ORDER FOR THE BID RESPONSE TO BE CONSIDERED COMPLETE.

4. RFP Pre-screening Response Checklist, Response Package Section, Item 1 (Page 7):

Bidder Information and Acceptance Forms (page 5) (Pages 1-6), Exhibit A, Response Packet (Attachment No. 1)—are signed

5. Proposal Narrative Section, Project Staff (Page 9):

Complete the boxes below for up to 6 employee classifications (classification type, not individual employees) to be involved in the DVCA Support Services CalWORKs Work Experience and Community Service program.

6. First Paragraph (Page 11):

COSTS SHALL BE SUBMITTED ON EXHIBIT A AS IS. NO ALTERNATIONS OR CHANGES OF ANY KIND ARE PERMITTED is changed to: BIDDERS ARE TO SUBMIT COSTS ON THE EXHIBIT A BUDGET FORM BELOW AND MAY INSERT ADDITIONAL BUDGET CATEGORIES IF NEEDED…The costs quoted below shall include all taxes and all other charges, including travel expenses, and is the cost the County will pay for the three year initial 9-month term and possible 2 additional 12-month terms of any contract(s) that may be let as a result of this bid.

2

BIDDER ATTENDANCE LIST

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

From Bidders Conferences

7

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FROM RFP BIDDERS’ CONFERENCES1 Question: Is it possible for the county to provide historical outcome data for the CalWORKs

Work Experience and Community Service program?Answer: On average over the prior 5 year period, the program has produced the following annual

outcomes: Placements—between 160 to 210 CalWORKs participants attaining employment

annually. The average hourly wage attained at job placement ranges from $11 to $12 hour. The weekly average hours at job placement are 33 hours/week. 70%of the placements attained 90-day retention. Depending on referrals to the service providers, 60% to 80% of the daily slots on

average are occupied on a daily basis.

2 Question: Is the expectation that the contractor develop a funded partnership with the Fathers Corps?

Answer: No.

3 Question: Is the five year requirement consecutive or is it acceptable for five years in the history of the organization?

Answer: As technological advances continue to impact this field, the County is looking for the organizations to demonstrate their recent experience, in the last five years.

4 Question: Can a bidder submit separate applications to operate in all three regions?

Answer: Yes.

5 Question: Would a bidder qualify if a partner(s) with a signed MOU has the requisite experience?

Answer: Yes.

6 Question: Are there minimum hour/staffing expectation for services sites?

Answer: Yes. It is expected that the contractor(s) would operate a Monday to Friday daily schedule with average business hours from (for example) 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

7 Question: Are there major new sources of referrals expected – e.g., new groups/types of people seeking services?

Answer: No.

8 Question: Are clients selected for Federal WPR samples expected to be given additional monitoring for that sample month?

Answer: It is possible that selected clients might require additional monitoring during a Work Participation Rate (WPR) sample month.

9 Question: What is the expected percentage of non-English speaking Clients?

Answer: Approximately 15 to 20 % of the CalWORKs could be considered to be limited and/or non-English speaking clients.

10 Question: What are the languages?

Answer: The following represent the most common languages: Farsi, Spanish, Arabic, Tigrigna (or Tigrinya), Nepali, Dari, Burmese, Karen.

11 Question: Is there a maximum number of clients that can be referred to a region?

Answer: No.

12 Question: Will all required data reporting be entered in CalWIN?

Answer: No. Satisfaction surveys are to be completed on-line by participants. 180-day job retention data

will be included in a different type of a formatted report. 8

13 Question: For the vocational training component, what is the expected, if any, financial aid (loan or grant) a client will be expected to use or access?

Answer: Clients will need to explore financial aid options with the training program they are interested in attending. The county does not provide financial aid options like grants and loans to clients. The county will assist eligible CalWORKs clients who are approved by the County to attend stated, approved educational and vocational training programs with the following ancillary services: transportation costs, school books and training supplies/equipment, and child care.

14 Question: Will there be specific funding for short-term training programs?

Answer: No.

15 Question: Who are the current WEN/CS providers?

Answer: Lao Family Community Development, Inc. and Abode Services

16 Question: The budget form does not have a subcontractor line. Can one be inserted?

Answer: Yes see attached revised Bid Form below. We have added a subcontractor line you may use if needed. Please add additional lines if you have more than one subcontractor.

17 Question: Do we include the wages for paid work experience in our budget proposals?

Answer: No. Do not include wages for paid work experience in your budget proposals.

18 Question: Can a CalWORKs’ participant enter the program as a reverse referral?

Answer: Participants must be referred to this program directly by their Employment Counselor. If a service provider knows of a CalWORKs’ client who would benefit from attending the WEN/CS program the provider may encourage the client to meet with their Employment Counselor to discuss this option.

19 Question: Define what categories of clients are included within the 200 daily slots?

Answer: Social Services Agency (SSA) staff will refer eligible CalWORKs’ clients to the WEN/CS contractor(s). The contractor(s) will need to assign clients to a daily slot at a worksite to do an unpaid, paid or community service activity. SSA will inform the contractor(s) of the number of hours the client will be required to do at a worksite and whether it is a paid, non-paid or community service activity.

Some of these clients might also be required by SSA to attend an educational or vocational training program in addition to their daily slot assignments.

20 Question: Does the agency need to have existing partnerships with educational and business partners within the region they are applying to or instead can the bidder demonstrate they have organizational capabilities of establishing such partnerships in other previous projects/contracts?

Answer: Bidders do not have to have existing partnerships in the region(s) they wish to submit a bid(s). Bidders are welcome to demonstrate their capacity to establish linkages and partnerships with educational (schools) and business communities within or outside of the region(s) they have selected to bid on.

21 Question: Can we use program allocated funds from the WEN/CS program to support fathers that have children on CalWORKs but who they (the Fathers) are not on CalWORKs.

Answer: No. The funding for this WEN/CS program is only allocated for CalWORKs’ clients referred by the county.

22 Question Can a bidder submit a proposal to service less than 200 daily slots in a region?

Answer No. Each regional bid must be able to accommodate up to 200 Daily Slots for referred CalWORKs’ recipients. 9

23 Question Please clarify the expected number of participants to be served annually?

Answer The county estimates that in the coming fiscal year there could be approximately 1,500 to 2,000 CalWORKs’ participants per region that will benefit by participating in an educational and/or work experience activity. Bidders should estimate that by providing 200 daily slots for WEN/CS-related activities throughout the contracted fiscal year, they would be able to meet the regional needs of that number of CalWORKs’ participants.

24 Question Are agencies expected to serve participants outside of the agencies targeted age range?(youth employment providers)

Answer Yes, regardless of a client’s age, it will be the Social Services Agency that will determine the eligibility of all CalWORKs’ participants that are to be referred to the contractor(s).

25 Question Would the county consider removing the five year requirement which would attract a broader range of competent providers? For example, a bidder may have all the required components but not the five years.

Answer The county requires all potential bidders adhere to the five-year qualification requirement as stated in RFP Section D, Bidder Qualifications, 1, Bidder Minimum Qualifications, a. and b., on pages 24 and 25.

26 Question While the objective outcomes are relevant to the purpose of the program, will the county be open to a contractor including quality of life indicators – especially for clients who may not rise to the RBA (Results Based Accountability) outcomes?

Answer The primary objective and focus of this RFP is to attract service providers (contractors) that can assist the county with meeting the employment objectives on pages 28 and 29 of the RFP, under Section E., Deliverables/Reports, 1. Performance Outcomes. In addition to these outcomes, bidders may include other outcomes they would like to achieve in their proposals.

27 Question While the RFP is well-written, it has the appearance of being a renewal application for existing contractors. That said, would the county consider extending the response due date and relax or eliminate the five-year minimum qualification standard?

Answer The RFP is not by any means “a renewal application for existing contractors.” And no, the county will not consider extending the RFP proposal response due date or eliminate the five-year minimum qualification standard.

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RFP-RELATED QUESTIONS RECEIVED PRIOR TO BIDDERS’ CONFERENCES AND ANSWERS

RFP Section

RFP Page Question

II.A, Intent

- & -

Exhibit A, Attachment No. 1, Bid Response Packet

Social Services AgencyResponse

7 of 50

9 of 50

- & -

11 of 18

Please clarify what project term Bidders should calculate and present on the Bid Form:

Nine months Two years and nine months Three years

The 6th paragraph on page 7 of the RFP reads:

The County intends to let a nine (9)-month initial contract for the period of October 1, 2015 through June 30, 2016. However, SSA reserves the option to extend any contract entered into as a result of this RFP solicitation for up to two (2) additional years if the County receives adequate additional Federal and State funding to continue program operation, and if the project has achieved demonstrable success by meeting the Project’s performance benchmarks as described in the contract.

The last paragraph on page 9 of the RFP reads, in part:

Funding for the contract(s) offered through this RFP is budgeted beginning January 4, 2016 and ending December 31, 2016, and may be renewed for up to two more years depending on funding availability and performance. No obligation or commitment of funds will be allowed beyond this grant period.

The Bid Form on page 11 of the Bid Response Packet (Exhibit A, Attachment No. 1) states the following, in part:

The costs quoted below shall include all taxes and all other charges, including travel expenses, and is the cost the County will pay for the three-year term of any contract that is a result of this bid.

________________________________________________________

Bidders should use a 12-month term for proposals submitted on the Bid Form. The initial contract term for this RFP process is projected to be nine months to coincide with Alameda County’s fiscal year and proposed annual funding will be prorated accordingly.

11

RFP Section

RFP Page Question


Social Services Agency Response

--- Please clarify how the Agency would like the Bid Response Packet (Exhibit A, Attachment No. 1) to be presented in the Bidder’s proposal response.

Following the RFP Pre-screening Response Checklist on page 7 would omit pages 1-5 of the Bid Response Packet, the RFP Pre-screening Response Checklist on page 7, and pages 13 to 18 (Exhibits B, C and D). Presenting the items in order shown in the Checklist would also require reordering the pages (for instance, the References Form being presented prior to the Bid Form).

The Proposal Narrative (Sections 2, 3, 4 and 5) must be provided as attachments, as there are no form fields in the Bid Response Packet for responses. The required tab separators would also make it impossible for the Bid Response Packet to remain intact.

Our initial inclination is to provide a complete copy of the Bid Response Packet immediately following the Table of Contents, denoted as Tab A, with pages 1, 2, and 7 completed, but all other pages and forms left blank, followed by Sections 1 to 8, as detailed in the Pre-screening Response Checklist, with all forms completed and signed as required.

Please indicate if this method of presentation would be acceptable.

_______________________________________________________

Response Package Section of RFP Pre-Screening Response Checklist (RFP PSRC)

Pages 1-6 of the Response Package constitute Item 1 of the Response Package Section of the RFP PSRC.

Item 2 is up to 3 pages inserted after Item 1, separated by a tab.Item 3 is up to 6 pages inserted after Item 2, separated by a tab.

Bidders should follow this same format for each of the RFP PSRC items.

Proposed Narrative Sections

The Bid Response Package (BRP) was not designed to include form fields for the Proposed Narrative Sections. Each section should be labeled and presented on separate pages, in the order requested on the RFP Pre-Screening Response Checklist (RFP PSRC). As noted above, tabs should be used to designate and separate each narrative section.

While the Bid Form appears before the Current References Form in the Bid Response Packet, Bidders are to follow the order requested (Current References Form first) in the RFP PSRC when submitting proposals.

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RFP Section

RFP Page Question

II.C.12, Program Services


18 of 50 Please provide the average number of clients that will be assigned to each region at any point in time and the average/ maximum number of referrals each Region will receive on a monthly basis.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On average, the County expects to refer approximately 30 to 50 participants per region each month to each of the 3 regional sites. It is expected that each region will be able to provide approximately on average 200 daily slots on any given day as defined in the RFP on page 8.

II.B, Program Overview


8 of 50 Please clarify that the expectation is that 200 participants will be engaged in a community service, Paid Work Experience or Unpaid Work Experience slot at any point in time.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The term “daily worksite slots” is used to identify the number of program seats available to participants who are enrolled and receiving services on a daily basis, based on the participant’s start and projected program end date. These 200 slots would have individuals who would be in paid/unpaid work experience or an unpaid community service activity. They could also be attending school while in one of these activities.

II.C.8, Paid Work Experience (PWEN)


16 of 50 What is the anticipated average number of slots for Paid Work Experience slots? Please confirm that the salary for these positions should be paid by the contractor and built into the submitted budget document.

The estimate average number of slots for Paid Work Experience (PWEN) could be in the range of 30 to 40% of the total daily 200 slots. The PWEN salaries will be paid using a special state funding source titled AB 74 which is set aside for subsidized employment programs. The initial budgets submitted by potential bidders should not include costs associated for PWEN wages.

General Question


--- Are there any restrictions to activities that can be performed by a sub-contractor for the prime contract? Can the employer of record function be subcontracted?

Yes.

13

RFP Section

RFP Page Question

General Question


--- As this population has been defined as difficult to engage, will there by a process to initiate sanctions for those who fail to engage after intensive outreach?

Yes.

General Question


--- Please clarify that the distribution of all supportive services, such as child care benefits, transportation allowances, Vocational Education and Training cost, books and other ancillary benefits will be completed by the WBA and are not the responsibility of the contractor.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Correct. The distribution of support services will be distributed by WBA and not the contractor.

II.C.12, Program Services


21 of 50 Is an electronic case file acceptable or does the County require a hard copy file?

An electronic case file is acceptable as long as the file contains all the required information about a participant.

II.C.10, Vocational Training and Education (VTR)


17 of 50 How will the County compute the rate for the WPR Outcome required? At what point does a new referral factor into the denominator? How will non-compliant participants be handled in regards to the WPR Rate?

The Social Services Agency will determine the hourly requirements for all referred CalWORKs participants.

14

RFP Section

RFP Page Question



9 of 18 References required states “references for the provision of services similar to those proposed that started within the past five years.” Is it acceptable to use a reference for a similar service that is currently provided but has been provided for more than 5 years?

Yes.

General Question


--- What is the available funding?

________________________________________________________

The County’s approach will be to fund the bidder(s) who demonstrate a program that has the potential to provide the needed services as stated in the RFP. The County will take into account the service model and the budget costs that are proposed by the bidder(s).



2 of 18 The last bullet on page 2 of the Bid Response Packet (Exhibit A, Attachment No. 1) states:

IF BIDDERS ARE MAKING ANY CLARIFICATIONS AND/OR AMENDMENTS, OR TAKING EXCEPTION TO POLICIES OR SPECIFICATIONS OF THIS RFP, THESE MUST BE SUBMITTED IN THE EXCEPTIONS, CLARIFICATIONS, AMENDMENTS SECTION OF THIS EXHIBIT A – BID RESPONSE PACKET IN ORDER FOR THE BID RESPONSE TO BE CONSIDERED COMPLETE

The Bid Response Packet does not contain the referenced Section. Are Bidders free to include an Exceptions, Clarifications, Amendments Section as an appendix?

________________________________________________________

Yes.

15

RFP Section

RFP Page Question



7 of 18 The RFP Pre-screening Response Checklist lists the following for Response Package, Item 1:

Bidder Information and Acceptance (page 5) of Exhibit A Response Packet (Attachment No. 1) – signed

The Bidder Information and Acceptance form is on page 6. Will the Agency be issuing a revised page 7?

Yes, as part of the first RFP Addendum.



9 of 18 The Project Staff description on Exhibit A, page 9, reads, in part:

Complete the boxes below for up to 6 employee classifications (classification type, not individual employees) to be involved in the DVCA Support Services program.

The project title is incorrect. Will the Agency be issuing a revised page 9?

Yes, as part of the first RFP Addendum.

16

BID RESPONSE PACKET

REVISED RFP PRE-SCREENING RESPONSE CHECKLIST

(PAGE 7 0F 18)

17

RFP Pre-screening Response Checklist

All of the specific documentation listed below is required to be submitted with the Exhibit A Attachment No.1 – Bid Response Packet in order for a bid to be deemed complete. Bidders shall submit all documentation, in the order listed below and clearly label each section with the appropriate title (i.e., Table of Contents, Letter of Transmittal, Key Personnel, etc.).

Any material deviation from these requirements may be cause for rejection of the proposal, as determined at the County’s sole discretion. Please verify each item below that it is correctly submitted as per the RFP specifications and check ( ) its corresponding Check Box.

Item 1. One (1) original proposal marked “Original” plus five (5) copies of the proposal marked “Copy”.

2. The “original” bid response must be signed in BLUE ink with an authorized signature.

3. The “original” bid response is to be either loose-leaf or in a three (3)-ring binder, not bound.

4. Proposals must be printed (double-sided preferred), on white 8 ½” by 11” paper. The font must be at least 12-point type in “Times New Roman” or equivalent font. Lines shall be single-spaced. Margins must be 1-inch from the top, bottom, left and right.

5. Table of Contents: Bid responses shall include a table of contents listing the individual sections of the quotation/proposal and their corresponding page numbers. Tabs should separate each of the individual sections.

6. Bidders must also submit an electronic copy of their signed proposal. The electronic copy must be a single file, scanned image of the original hard copy with all appropriate signatures, and must be on disk or USB flash drive and enclosed with the sealed hardcopy of the bid.

Response Format: Check Boxes

Response Package: Check BoxesItem

1. Bidder Information and Acceptance Form (pages 1-6) of Exhibit A Response Packet (Attachment No. 1) – signed

2. Agency Description – three pages are allowed

3. Prior Experience – six pages are allowed

4. Cost Efficiency/Fiscal Management – three pages are allowed

5. Administrative/Organizational Capacity/Program Design – six pages are allowed

6. Projected Staff – two pages and up to six employee classifications are allowed

7. Current References – one page is allowed

8. Bid Form – one page is allowed

Please review the Evaluation Criteria / Selection Committee section of this RFP for specific questions that will be used to evaluate and score the submitted proposal narrative composed of the following categories:

RFP No. WENCS1516—Exhibit A (Attachment No. 1)Page 7 of 18

18

BID RESPONSE PACKET

REVISED PROJECT STAFF FORM

(PAGE 9 0F 18)

19

3. Describe your methods used to tract client outcomes and the type of reports that will be generated.REFERENCES: Complete the attached Current References for provision of services similar to those proposed that started within the last five years. Contracts cited will serve as references for this RFP. Please contact all references to verify their current telephone number and email address and their willingness to answer questions about your performance.

PROJECT STAFF: Complete the boxes below for up to 6 employee classifications (classification type, not individual employees) to be involved in the CalWORKs Work Experience and Community Service program. Two (2) pages are allowed.

Job Title: Number of employees:

Minimum Qualifications & Licenses:

Functions on the Project:

Job Title Number of employees:

Minimum Qualifications & Licenses:Functions on the Project:







20

BID RESPONSE PACKET

REVISED BID FORM

(PAGE 11 0F 18)

21COUNTY OF ALAMEDA-BID FORMRFP NO. WENCS1516 (Page 11 of 18)

BIDDERS ARE TO SUBMIT COSTS ON THE EXHIBIT A BUDGET FORM BELOW AND MAY INSERT ADDITIONAL BUDGET CATEGORIES IF NEEDED. Bid responses that do not comply will be subject to rejection in total. The costs quoted below shall include all taxes and all other charges, including travel expenses, and is the cost the County will pay for the initial 9-month term and possible 2 additional 12-month terms of any contract(s) that may be let as a result of this bid. As stated in the last paragraph of page 7 of the RFP, Section II, Statement of Work, A. Intent: “Bidders must also provide a Budget Outline in their proposal that clearly identifies cost allocation methods used to delineate those administrative and program costs associated with the three month start-up implementation period, as well as the costs associated with providing full services that will start on January 4, 2016.” Bidders may use multiple pages for the Budget Outline. Please attach the Budget Outline to this Bid Form.

Quantities listed herein are annual estimates based on past usage and are not to be construed as a commitment. No minimum or maximum is guaranteed or implied.

Bidder hereby certifies to County that all representations, certifications, and statements made by Bidder, as set forth in this Bid Form and attachments are true and correct and are made under penalty of perjury pursuant to the laws of California.

BUDGET CATEGORIES LINE ITEM DESCRIPTION GRANT REQUEST

Personnel Salaries

Taxes & Benefits

Consultant Fees

Mileage Travel

Air Travel

Rental Fees

Utilities

Training Fees or Materials

Letters/Postage

Supplies/Copies/ Faxes

Equipment Purchases

Equipment Rental

Space Rental

Advertising

Phone or Internet Charges

Sub-Contractor(s) -if needed

Other

Total

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