UPDATED with Q&A Received – RFP: Organizational Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Consultants – Due 12/21

Proposals are due on Monday, December 21st at 12:00 PM EST. Please use the “Apply for This Job” section at the bottom of this page. You can include your entire proposal with supporting documents under the “Additional Document” upload link.

To read the responses to all questions received during the informational session on December 9th, click here.

OPPORTUNITY

FUSE Corps is committed to becoming a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and anti-racist organization. We have set goals and objectives to: 

• Lead a process to define what DEI and anti-racism mean to FUSE as an organization
• Embed DEI in every part of FUSE as an organization, including culture and work with staff, fellows, and government and external partners
• Create a blueprint for how DEI will be embedded in all aspects of our work and central to every department
• Actively address and implement practices and measures to hold FUSE accountable to dismantling existing ideologies and inequities in every aspect of our work 
• Create and foster feedback loops for the team’s work and for staff 
• Provide input on issues and initiatives brought to the team by internal and external groups
• Foster an inclusive working environment for all staff, fellows, partners, and members of the FUSE community

To that end, FUSE seeks to partner with an experienced consultant or firm to integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion and infuse an anti-racist lens within our operations. The consultant will a) conduct an organizational assessment of our internal culture, policies, and practices b) create a strategic plan to provide direction and support in making concrete improvements in the areas of DEI and c) provide education and training opportunities for staff to support learning.  

ABOUT FUSE

FUSE is a national nonprofit that partners with local government agencies to more effectively address the most pressing challenges facing their communities. In pursuit of this mission, FUSE runs an executive-level fellowship program in civic innovation that is focused on accelerating cross-sector collaboration and community-based problem solving. FUSE partners with city leaders to identify key strategic challenges and then recruits entrepreneurial professionals who spend a year working in local government to address those challenges. Typically FUSE Fellows have an average of 15-20 years of professional experience and are uniquely qualified for their individual projects as well as the program as a whole. FUSE Fellows are uniquely positioned to achieve transformative impact across issues areas such as education, health, social services, economic development, public safety, and the environment. 

As a mission-driven organization dedicated to the success of urban communities, FUSE has always had a deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. It has been at the core of the organization’s values since our founding and has been a central element of how we develop strategic projects with governments, recruit executives as program participants, provide training and coaching to our staff and fellows, and communicate through storytelling about our work.

This year, FUSE Fellows have been at the frontline of local government response across the country, working to ensure communities emerge more resilient and equitable from the numerous crises affecting our nation. 

In July 2020, FUSE launched a DEI task force that includes a racially diverse array of representatives from every level of the organization and functional departments. This group will be working closely with the Board, staff, fellows, and alumni to assess the organization’s current state of diversity, equity, and inclusion in order to make recommendations for organizational improvement, and dismantle practices that do not amplify our core values. We know that dismantling institutional racism, bias, and inequity will require structural reforms. This is a moment of organizational evaluation and accountability. We acknowledge that these reforms cannot happen without the intentional inclusion of our staff as we aim to provide a work environment where our employees feel empowered to show up each day as their best selves. As part of this effort, FUSE is committed to creating thoughtful, strategic plans and implementations centered around diversity, equity and inclusion, with an anti-racist lens, for our internal organizational operations and practices. 

In 2021, we are redoubling our focus on dismantling systemic racism and advancing racial equity through our work with local governments, national philanthropic partners like the Ford Foundation, and high-profile supporters. 

SCOPE OF WORK

Through this RFP, FUSE seeks to engage a qualified consultant to a) conduct a full organizational assessment of our internal culture, policies, and practices around diversity, inclusion, and equity, b) create a strategic plan which would provide the assessment’s findings and a short and long-term roadmap for making concrete improvements in the areas of DEI and c) provide education and training for staff. FUSE anticipates the project to be long-term. FUSE will evaluate the length of the contract based on the deliverables completed within the first 4-6 months. 

The following scope of work represents the anticipated short and longer-term deliverables. 

• Strategy for participation and communication: Create a strategy to ensure high participation from staff at all levels, fellows, and members of the broader FUSE community and generate buy-in for this process. Develop a strategy to keep stakeholders informed of progress.
• Organizational assessment: Conduct an organizational assessment of FUSE’s current culture, practices and policies and level of DEI awareness and competency. This includes, but is not limited to, overall company culture, internal and external communications, HR/hiring practices and policies, and vendor/contractor processes and procedures. The assessment should include organizational strengths, weaknesses, opportunities for improvements, and barriers. 
  • HR/hiring practices and policies: This includes but is not limited to equity-focused HR policies, safe office spaces, equity-related hiring goals, equitable hiring practices for staff and vendors, exit interviews, employee retention, and exploration of Affirmative Action Employer vs. Equal Opportunity Employer. 

• Strategic plan and roadmap for implementation: Develop a strategic plan that includes analysis of findings, recommendations, and a short and long-term roadmap to create a more inclusive and equitable culture, both internally for staff and fellows, and externally for stakeholders. The roadmaps should include targeted goals, benchmarks, and an action plan. This action plan includes ownership, priorities, estimated time frames, and tools and resources needed in terms of staff and cost. Additionally, the roadmaps should include methods of long-term monitoring and evaluation for success. The plan must align with our mission, values, and programs, and serve FUSE staff, fellows, and our Board.
• DEI Purpose Statement: Strengthen our shared language and framework, including a purpose statement regarding DEI for FUSE, that enhances the organization’s ability to execute its mission, operations and strategic direction.
• Education and Training: Develop and implement a training strategy to increase staff DEI competencies, skills, and capacity. Provide or coordinate live and online training sessions. Education and training should be for staff at all levels and directly correspond with the goals and benchmarks laid out in the roadmap.
• Best practices: Provide insight and knowledge on DEI best practices in the workplace with a particular focus on nonprofit and government agencies.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Must have a minimum of five (5) years of successful track record in DEI strategic planning, development and execution of organization-wide DEI assessment, training and implementation efforts. 
• Have effectively conducted an internal structural inclusion audit to provide a report/s of the strengths and opportunities to create inclusive policies.
• Demonstrated hands-on experience guiding non-profit, start-ups, multi-state organizations and/or government agencies through the planning, implementation and successful completion of organization-wide DEI learning and transformation.
• The ability to think deeply about organizational culture and turn that thinking and analysis into actionable plans that can be implemented to achieve concrete success in meeting our diversity, equity, and inclusiveness goals.

RESPONSE GUIDELINES 

Selection Process 

FUSE Corps will review the vendors based on the review process detailed below. Proposals must score satisfactorily in each level of review in order to move on to the next level of review or for final selection, as applicable.

• Step 1 Initial Review: FUSE Corps will evaluate all proposals for completeness and minimum requirements. Basic requirements include: timely receipt of proposal, submission of all required attachments, and adherence to eligibility requirements. Proposals with omissions of any required documentation are subject to disqualification. FUSE Corps reserves the right to request additional information, if needed, to validate eligibility and/or and minimum requirements.
• Step 2 Information Session on 12.9 at 1pm EST/ 10am PST: FUSE Corps will conduct a question and answer session for all vendors who have received the RFP.  This will be the opportunity for vendors to ask any clarifying questions about the RFP or any question that will support a complete and accurate response to the RFP. Additional questions will be received via email ([email protected]) until one week before the response deadline. All questions from all vendors and all answers provided will be provided to all responding vendors. Click here to register to join our December 9, 2020 Information Session occurring at 01:00 PM EST/ 10:00 AM PST. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
• Step 3 Final Submission & Review: Vendors submissions will be sent to [email protected] and received by December 21, 2020 at 12pm Eastern Time.  Failure to submit ALL required documents by 12 p.m. ET may constitute an incomplete proposal and may be grounds for disqualification. Vendor responses will be reviewed and scored by the FUSE RFP review panel applying a preset selection criterion. 
• Step 4 Selection of Finalist and Interviews: Three finalists will be selected from the list of vendors submitting complete and accurate proposals.  The finalist will be invited to participate in solution presentations with the RFP Review Panel the week of January 11, 2021. Tentative interview dates are subject to change at FUSE Corps’s sole discretion. Only key personnel on the proposed RFP can participate in the presentation. Interviews will be held virtually via video teleconference. Specific connection information will be shared with the finalists.  The RFP Review Panel will participate in a calibration session prior to finalizing scores. Further written materials may be requested prior to or after the interview. FUSE Corps reserves the right to schedule additional interviews/meetings should additional questions arise.
• Step 5 Reference Checks: Reference checks will be completed after the Vendor Solution Presentations. Information obtained through reference checks will complement the results of the presentations and may impact the final decision for award. FUSE Corps must be able to contact two references provided by the vendor. If two references cannot be reached, FUSE Corps may deem the proposer ineligible for this opportunity. The highest scoring vendor from the selection process will be awarded the contract. Vendors must score satisfactorily in the presentations to be considered for award by FUSE Corps.

Required Documentation

The documents listed in this section are required to respond to this RFP. Omission of any document/form will constitute an incomplete proposal and may be grounds for disqualification. Applications that exceed FUSE Corps’s page limitation requirements will be adjusted by the removal of page(s) from the application.

• Proposed Work Plan: The proposed work plan must address the following:
  1. Describe the general approach, tools, and strategies that you would propose in carrying out the scope of work including your staffing, work phases, and any requirements of FUSE Corps.
  2. If you recommend a different approach to the project as outlined in the scope of work, please describe.
  3. Describe your company’s general philosophy in regards to providing the scope of work.
  4. Describe how you would assess the DEI competence of our organization and staff at the beginning of the engagement and how improvement and learning would be assessed and measured throughout the project.
  5. Provide a timeline for a potential engagement that is both rigorous and realistic. FUSE Corps intends to invest considerable time in this work. However, we must also be mindful of staff juggling many priorities. Timeline should include but is not limited to:
     1. How the project will be managed and scheduled and potential ways to phase this work aligned to the approach.
     2. Focus especially on details of the first 3 to 4 months of the engagement, with higher level plans for subsequent months.
     3. This timeline should also account for any work that needs to be phased in and at what level (executive, managers, staff, etc.).
  6. Describe how and when data and materials will be delivered to FUSE Corps.
  7. Describe the ideal working relationship between you/your firm and FUSE Corps and how you or your firm would approach communication and coordination with FUSE Corps.
• Qualifications, Staffing and Subcontracting (15-Page Maximum)
  1. Provide a brief description of your firm, including but not limited to the following:
     1. Firm’s history and type of services provided
     2. Number of years providing successful organization-wide DEI assessment, planning and implementation efforts.
     3. Identify what makes you or the firm uniquely qualified for this work.
     4. Name(s) of the principles(s) of your firm.
     5. Number of employees at the firm, if any.
     6. If applicable, the branch office or other subcontractor that will perform, or assist in performing, the work of your proposal.
  2. If subcontractors are contemplated, identify those persons or firms, the portions and monetary percentages of the work to be done by the subcontractors, how they were selected and why, and a description of how subcontracted work will be controlled, monitored, and evaluated.
  3. Describe your firm’s prior experience with non-profit, local government or government agencies, if any.
  4. Describe your experience in developing, facilitating and supporting implementation of organizational culture change initiatives.
  5. Describe your Instructional Design expertise. According to the Association for Talent Development, Instructional Design is the creation of learning experiences and materials in a manner that results in the acquisition and application of knowledge and skills. The discipline follows a system of assessing needs, designing processes, developing materials and evaluating their effectiveness. In the context of workplace learning, Instructional Design provides a practical and systematic process for effectively designing effective curricula.
  6. Describe the DEI assessment tool you use, what it measures, the basis for its selection, and use(s) for shaping and measuring a DEI strategy.
  7. Describe your most challenging DEI assignment and what made it challenging.
  8. Provide up to three examples of DEI assessments and plans your firm has developed.
  9. Provide up to three examples of training/education and coaching components your firm has created/provided on DEI.
  10. Resumes. (No Page Maximum) a. Provide resumes and qualifications for all proposed project personnel, including all subcontractors. Indicate which of these individuals you consider key to the successful completion of the project. Identify only individuals who will do the work on this project by name and title. b. Explain where these personnel will be physically located during the time they are engaged in the work.

• Budget/Pricing: The cost of services is one of the factors that will be considered in awarding this contract. The information requested below is required to support the reasonableness of your fees.
  1. Provide a cost proposal for providing the scope of work. The cost proposal should include:
     1. List of key personnel and their hourly rates and a list of other reimbursable expenses, etc., to support the scope of work. Hourly rates should include overhead costs.
     2. Overall cost of proposed services including justification.
• References: Provide three (3) references (previous or current clients) who can speak to your experience and competencies in similar work, particularly with philanthropic and government clients.

Failure to submit all required attachments may constitute an incomplete proposal and may be grounds for disqualification. Vendors are responsible for any errors or omissions in their proposals and applications. In order to respond to this RFP, please complete and submit your proposal and all required documents to FUSE Corps no later than 12:00 p.m. ET on December 21, 2020. Proposals received after this deadline will not be considered. It is the responsibility of the proposer to ensure, prior to submission, that its proposal reflects the requirements of this solicitation.