the corporation of the township of ramara documents/quotations_tenders... · 2018-01-15 · o how...

THE CORPORATION OF THE TOWNSHIP OF RAMARA

Terms of Reference and Request for Proposal

Consulting Services

BRAND DEVELOPMENT

Issue Date: January 15, 2018

Proposal Submission Deadline: February 15, 2018

Township of Ramara Building and Planning Services

PO Box 130, 2297 Hwy 12, Brechin, ON L0K 1B0 Telephone: 705-484-5374 or for 689 exchange 1-800-663-4054

Email: [email protected] Fax:705-484-0441

TOWNSHIP OF RAMARA

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL – BRAND DEVELOPMENT

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Township of Ramara Brand Development – Request for Proposals

Table of Contents

SECTION A: TERMS OF REFERENCE ........................................... 3

SECTION B: PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENT ............. 8

SECTION C: GENERAL INFORMATION ...................................... 13

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SECTION A: TERMS OF REFERENCE

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1. Invitation The Corporation of the Township of Ramara invites interested parties to prepare written proposals for the execution of a brand development strategy. All proposals are to be in accordance with this Request for Proposals and the Terms of Reference as provided in this section of this document. The intent of the proposal call is to make an award to a consultant or consulting firm based on an evaluation of relevant information from respondents that have a proven track record and management expertise with similar undertakings.

2. Purpose The Township of Ramara is seeking proposals from qualified consultants or consulting firms to carry out the execution of a brand development strategy to create a new individual identity for the Township and materials to support its delivery. The strategy is anticipated to begin in the spring of 2018 with expectations of completion within a 6 - 8-month timeframe. The study will conclude with the adoption of a new brand identity for the Township of Ramara.

3. Background The Corporation of the Township of Ramara was created on January 1, 1994. Ramara Township is situated in Central Ontario along the north-eastern shores of Lake Simcoe and Lake Couchiching. We are located in Simcoe County, in the heartland of Cottage Country, offering a touch of urban lifestyle in beautiful rural surroundings. Ramara is a gateway to relaxation, recreational activities, and retirement communities. Miles of shoreline properties, clean water, public beaches, cottage rentals, summer resorts, family camping, sporting activities, Casino Rama, conference centres (Geneva Park and Fern Resort), as well as retirement/resort communities (Lagoon City and Bayshore Village). Ramara is proud of its strong agricultural and resource extraction industries. The Township underwent an Organization & Service Delivery Review in 2015 and a list of recommendations was presented to Council. One of the recommendations was for Council to develop a mission, vision, and Strategic Plan which will serve as a guide for all other plans in the Township. The Township is adopted this Corporate Strategic Plan in spring 2017 and is currently undertaking an Economic Development Strategic Planning Exercise. With the new corporate strategic plan in place, the Township would like to develop a brand that is consistent with the municipalities updated direction and identity.

4. Study Area

The study area includes all the lands within the jurisdiction of the Township of Ramara. The review and brand must also consider the location and context of the Township within the north Simcoe area, within the County of Simcoe, and the broader, regional context.

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5. Scope of Work A steering committee will oversee the project. The steering committee consists of members of the

Township’s Economic Development Committee (EDC), municipal staff and representation from

Ontario’s Lake Country and other stakeholders as needed.

The development of the brand strategy should address the following components:

Research

• Assessment of the existing brand

o How the existing brand is perceived today by stakeholders, residents, visitors

and prospective visitors

o Identification of the major demand generators to assist in defining the unique

brand identity

o A competitive analysis of positioning in relation to competing municipal brands

• Review of existing research and resources (may include stakeholder consultation)

Strategy Development – Brand Promise

• This section of the branding process is linked to the research phase. Through analyzing

the research data and conducting consultations with members of council, municipal

staff, members of the Economic Development Committee, stakeholders and the public,

the consultant will identify strengths, challenges, and opportunities, and develop a

“brand strategy” that identifies and promotes what's most distinctively attractive about

Ramara Township. The brand strategy must be relevant to Ramara Township’s present

and future situation, and differentiate Ramara Township from its competitors.

• Results should provide a Brand Identity for Ramara Township that is representative of

the major demand generators, physiography and cultural assets of the township. Brand

identity should support the goals of the Township’s strategic plan.

• Also required is consultation on the brand identity to validate relevance and

effectiveness to achieve acceptance within the communities of Ramara Township and

gain traction for Ramara Township in its major markets.

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Creative Development – Brand Blueprint

• The creative portion of the process is the most visible part of the branding process, and its

success relies on the strength of the first two sections. In this section, the tangible items

that support the brand strategy will be developed and may include:

o logo and tag line that is reflective of the brand identity and for a multi-use platform

o concepts for advertisements, websites, and marketing

• Conduct resident, consumer/visitor and tourism consultations to seek input on the brand

identity, logos and tag lines

6. Available Information The Township can provide if necessary:

• Existing Official Plan (MS Word format)

• Strategic Plan

• Economic Development Strategic Plan (upon completion)

• Existing Zoning Bylaw

• Results and Recommendations of the Organization and Service Delivery Review

• Rama Road Corridor Master Servicing Plan

• Atherley-Uptergrove Secondary Plan Area

• Rama Road Special Development Area Secondary Plan

• County of Simcoe Official Plan

• Any other documents that are reasonably necessary

7. Work Plan

The Proponent shall prepare a detailed methodology, which shall take the form of a description of the steps to be followed to successfully meet the Project’s requirements/objectives. This work plan will indicate the sequencing and staging of tasks, key decision points, public consultation requirements, the expected completion date for each task and the interrelationship between the completion of the tasks and the preparation of the project deliverables. The Work Plan will be subject to approval of the steering committee prior to the commencement of work.

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8. Deliverables

The project, as envisioned, will consist of the following key components. Milestone reports will be

requested to assess progress and ensure relevance of objectives and deliverables. Required

services and experience may include:

• Review of existing brand

• Work with the Economic Development Committee and the Township to determine brand

objectives and brand promise

• Consultation with senior staff, Council, and other key stakeholders within the community to

draw on knowledge and experience

• Research and identify strengths, challenges and opportunities for differentiation that will

promote Ramara Township’s distinctiveness and leverage the Township’s key strengths

• Formulate a brand strategy

• Conduct stakeholder consultations to seek input and validation of brand identity, brand

strategy and creative

• Provide a brand validation

• Develop brand identity creative - logo, tagline, key messaging - including concepts for

stationary, advertising and marketing

• Deliver digital artwork adaptable to a variety of mediums – signage, infrastructure, flags, banners, online

• Compile brand messaging and brand guidelines document in an electronic format for distribution

Timelines and a process for stakeholder and/or public consultations must be identified. Proponents should possess experience in brand development, knowledge of Ramara Township, and marketing and research expertise.

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SECTION B: PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENT

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1. Submission Requirements

The proponent shall submit six (6) copies of its Proposal in a sealed envelope or package, clearly marked as to the contents and identity of the Proponent, and bear the following notation:

Brand Development, RFP

CONFIDENTIAL

Corporation of the Township of Ramara

2297 Hwy 12, P.O. Box 130

Brechin, ON, L0K 1B0

Attention: Dave Wellman, Manager of Building and Planning Services/CBO

The deadline for the submission of a Proposal is February 15, 2018 at 1:00pm EST. Proposals received after this time will not be accepted and returned unopened.

Each proposal should include the following:

• Title page showing the Proponent, contact information and key personnel; • The Proponent’s experience overall and particularly in relation to similar projects,

demonstrating an ability to meet project completion target date; • A description of the Proponent’s understanding of the project, the issues to be

addressed, identifying critical milestones, and a description of the approach that will be used by the consulting team to complete this assignment;

• Any features or advantages uniquely proposed by the Proponent which the Township has not identified in the project deliverables or description;

• A detailed project schedule, including any stakeholder consultation meetings with Council and Township Staff being proposed;

• A summary of the Proponents’ project team (with an organizational chart and resumes) and a description of the corresponding experience of the principle staff in completing similar projects in other municipal jurisdiction;

• List of previous projects and client/references; • Availability of the Proponent’s resources and the estimated time that each assigned

staff person will spend on this project; • Per diem rates for all personnel assigned to this project; • A description of the assistance that the consultant expects to receive from

Township staff throughout the duration of this contract; • Total consulting fee to be charged to the Township of Ramara to complete all of the

required project tasks, which will represent the maximum upset fees that shall not be exceeded (including an itemized breakdown of costs, fee structure, projected expenses and comparative value).

The proposed cost estimate is to be inclusive of all professional fees, travel expenses and

other out-of-pocket expenses. All overhead and support will be the consultant’s

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responsibility. Any revisions to the agreed-upon work, which may require additional expenditures to be made, shall require the written approval of the Chief Administrative Officer.

2. Changes to Proposal

Proponent(s) may not make modifications to their proposals after the proposal submission date except as may be allowed by the Township.

3. Acceptance or Rejection of Proposal

The Township reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and to waive formalities as the interests of the Township may require without stating reasons.

Notwithstanding and without restricting the generality of the statement immediately above,

the Township will not be required to award and accept a proposal:

• When only one proposal has been received as a result of the current Request for Proposals;

• Based on price (i.e., the lowest price);

• When all proposals received fail to comply with the specifications or proposal terms and conditions;

• Where a change in the scope of work or specifications is required; and/or

• Where the proposal documents do not state a definite work schedule and a

submitted proposal is based on an unreasonable work schedule.

The Township will not be responsible for any liabilities, costs, expenses, loss or damage incurred, sustained or suffered by any Proponent by reason of the acceptance or the non-acceptance by the Township of any proposal or by reason of any delay in the acceptance of a proposal except as provided in the proposal document.

4. Proposal Award Procedures

Unless stated otherwise the following procedures will apply:

• The Township will notify the successful proponent of the award within three (3) weeks of the proposal closing.

• Notice of acceptance of proposal will be by telephone and/or by written notice.

• Immediately after acceptance of the proposal by the Township, the successful

Proponent will provide the Township with any required documents within fourteen (14) calendar days of the date of notification of award.

• Following receipt of the documents the successful Proponent will enter into an agreement in the form of a professional services agreement to proceed with the work.

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5. Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act

Any personal information required on the proposal form is received under the authority of the Township of Ramara. This information will be an integral component of the quote submission. All written proposals received by the Township become a public record; once a proposal is accepted by the Township, and an agreement is signed, all information contained in it is available to the public including personal information.

Questions about collection of personal information and the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, M. 56, R.S.O. 1990, should be directed to:

Freedom of Information Coordinator, Township of Ramara, 2297 Hwy 12, P.O. Box 130, Brechin, ON, L0K 1B0 Telephone (705) 484-5374.

6. Confidentiality

The successful Proponent and its employees may have access to information confidential to the Township. This information may include, but is not limited to, terms of this agreement, business methods and systems, contractual terms, pricing, personal information, etc. subject to disclosure by force of law, the successful Proponent agrees that it and its employees who have access to this information will not either during the term of the agreement or at any time thereafter reveal to any third party any of this confidential information or use in any way, whether on the successful Proponent’s behalf or on behalf of any third party, any such information. The successful Proponent will sign a Nondisclosure Agreement provided by the Township. The obligations of this section survive the expiration or termination of this agreement indefinitely.

7. Insurance

The successful Proponent will, throughout the term of the contract, obtain and maintain in force a General Liability Insurance of not less than $2,000,000 (per occurrence) inclusive, to indemnify and hold harmless the Township of Ramara against any liability for property damage or personal injury, including death, which may arise from the Proponent’s operations under this contract.

8. Health and Safety The successful Proponent will be required to abide by the Township’s health and safety policies in addition to the proponents own health and safety policies. The Proponent will be required to enter into a health and safety agreement form with the Township. WSIB information will be required in addition to the health and safety agreement form.

9. Project Communication

The Manager of Building and Planning Services/Chief Building Official will be the representative of the municipality. The municipality will make other staff available for communication with the Proponent’s team, provided that appropriate notice is given. The municipality would prefer to have a single contact on the Proponent’s team (such as the

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Project Manager) for overall communication (review of project progress, etc.), but does expect periodic contact to meet project requirements between other Proponent team members and appropriate members of the municipality’s staff. A plan for communication throughout the project between the Proponent and the municipality should be included in the proposal; it is understood that this plan will necessarily be at a high level as articulated in the proposal but it should be made specific following project start.

10. Evaluation Criteria The Consultant Selection Committee will make its recommendation based on the following evaluation criteria:

• The degree to which the proposal responded to the RFP and Terms of Reference.

• The demonstration of relevant experience in similar studies and the professional reputation of the consultants.

• The demonstration of creative approaches to community consultation and study process.

• The demonstrated ability of the consultant to provide the services defined in this RFP.

• The total cost.

• The overall project timing.

11. Interviews

Consultants may be asked to attend an interview with the Selection Committee prior to final consideration by Council.

12. Granting of Professional Services The final authority to award the Study rests solely with the Council of the Township of Ramara. Consultants are advised that the lowest cost proposal will not necessarily be awarded the contract as the selection will be based on the evaluation criteria and cost is only one of the criteria. The Township will not be responsible for any preparation costs incurred by the Consultant submitting a proposal and will not pay for any travel expenses to participate in interviews or agreement negotiations.

13. Submission Deadline

Proposals must be received by 1:00 p.m. EST on February 15, 2018. Proposals received after this date and time will not be considered.

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SECTION C: GENERAL INFORMATION

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1. Terms of this Request for Proposals

The Terms of Reference for the Study are set out in Section A of this document. The requirements for the Proposal Submission are set out in Section B of this document. General Information for the Proponents is in Section C of this document. All three sections of this document comprise the REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) for the Brand Development for the Township of Ramara.

2. Project Administration and Completion Deadline

The Manager of Building and Planning Services/Chief Building Official will act as the lead for this contract. The Township will commit to making members of staff and Council available to meet with the consultant in a timely manner as required. This project is to be completed within a six to eight-month time frame, or as otherwise mutually agreed by the Municipality and the Consultant, once the consultant has been selected.

3. Questions and Clarifications

Proponents having questions and seeking clarification respecting the RFP shall do so in the following manner: Questions shall be submitted in writing or by email to the Manager of Building and Planning Services/Chief Building Official, Dave Wellman at [email protected] Questions shall be submitted by 1:00 p.m. EST on January 31, 2018. Answers to all submitted questions will be emailed to those posing questions on February 3, 2018. Any proponents wishing to see the Township of Ramara’s current Strategic Plan and other supporting documents can view it on the Township’s website: www.ramara.ca/edo

4. Invoicing

The Township will expect monthly invoices from the Proponent for work performed the previous month. Invoices should clearly state the work performed. It should be noted that the Township’s standard terms of payment are net thirty (30) calendar days upon receipt of goods/services or invoice. There is to be no payment for the preparation and submission of proposals in response to this Request for Proposal. The successful proponent will be required to enter into a professional services agreement for the work as outlined in this RFP.

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.ramara.ca/edo

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5. Internal Use of Proposal

The Township may reproduce the Proponent’s proposal and any supporting documentation for internal use.

6. Errors and Omissions

The Township will not be held liable for any errors or omissions in any part of this RFP. While the Township has used considerable efforts to ensure an accurate representation of information in this RFP, the information contained in the RFP is supplied solely as a guideline for responding Proponent(s). The information is not guaranteed or warranted to be accurate by the Township, nor is it necessarily comprehensive or exhaustive. Nothing in the RFP is intended to relieve Proponent(s) from forming their own opinions and conclusions with respect to the matters addressed in the RFP. Should a Proponent find omissions from or discrepancies in any of the proposal documents or should the Proponent be in doubt as to the meaning of any part of such documents, the Proponent should notify Dave Wellman, Manager of Building and Planning Services/Chief Building Official, without delay. If the Township considers that a correction, explanation or interpretation is necessary or desirable, an addendum will be issued and posted on the Township’s website. No oral explanation or interpretation will modify any of the requirements or provisions of the proposal documents.

7. Indemnification

The successful Proponent will indemnify and save harmless the Township against all claims, demands, loss, cost, damages, actions, suits or other proceedings by whomsoever made, brought or executed by, or attributed to any such damages, injury or infringement as a result of activities under this proposal.

8. Protection of Work and Property

The successful Proponent will provide continuous and adequate protection of all work from damage and will protect the Township’s property from injury or damage arising from or in connection with this work. The successful Proponent will make good any such damage or injury.

9. Regulation, Compliance and Legislation

The successful Proponent will ensure all services and products provided in respect to this proposal are in accordance with, and under authorization of all applicable authorities, municipal, provincial and/or federal legislation.

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10. Expansion/Cancellation of RFP

The Township reserves the right to modify specified target dates and to cancel this RFP for any reason without any penalty or cost to the Township and without incurring any cost or liability for costs and damages incurred by any proponent, but not limited to, any expenses incurred in the preparation of the submission.

11. Cancellation of Project

The Township reserves the right to immediately terminate the contract for sufficient cause, including but not limited to such items as non-performance, late deliveries, inferior quality, pricing problems, etc.

• If the Proponent should neglect to execute the work properly or fail to perform any provision of this award, the Township, after three (3) days’ written notice to the Proponent, may, without prejudice to any other remedy in existence, make good such deficiencies and may deduct the cost thereof from any payment then and thereafter due to the Proponent. Continued failure of the Proponent to execute the work properly will result in a termination of contract. The Township will provide written notice of termination.

• The Township may elect to terminate the agreement if the original terms and conditions are significantly changed, giving thirty (30) days’ written notice to the Proponent.

• Either party may terminate the agreement by giving the other party sixty (60) days’ written notice, giving reasons acceptable to the other and subject to approval by both parties. A period of less than sixty (60) days to terminate the contract may be negotiable if mutually agreeable among the parties involved in the contract.

• Failure to maintain the required documentation during the term of this contract may result in suspension of the work activities and/or cancellation of the contract.

12. Sub-Consultants

The use of appropriate and credible sub-consultants by the Proponent to perform portions of the project is permitted.

13. Ownership

The information, reports, documentation, plans, etc. that are a product of this award by the successful Proponent, will become the exclusive property of the Township. However, intellectual property (such as specific tools, templates, processes, etc.) that the Proponent has provided as part of the deliverables for this project remains the property of the Proponent and the Proponent is free to use any of such material in other contexts and with future clients.

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14. Addenda

The Township reserves the right to make changes, additions or deletions to this RFP. Addenda issued shall be incorporated into and become part of the proposal. If changes are made, revised RFP sections shall be forwarded to all parties.

15. Township of Ramara Responses The Township will evaluate all questions, inquiries and discrepancies and will send supplementary written instructions or explanations to all Proponents if required. Any corrections or amendments to this RFP issued before the due date are to be included in the Proponent’s proposal.

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