Request for Proposals
New Hanover County
Department of Community Assistance
Background: |
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| Due to a budget surplus, the State of North
Carolina has allocated
$500,000 to New Hanover County Department of Community Assistance. This money can be used to
pay for projects that address any important community need. This includes: planning
efforts, pilot programs, demonstration projects, and the development of new programs
(e.g., job training, education, crime prevention, etc.). All proposals for pilot projects
or demonstration projects should have an evaluative component. Any proposal for the
development of a new program will need to identify a source of funding to pay for program
operations in the out years. In order to allocate the funding, New Hanover County is soliciting a request for proposals. This will be a one year grant and all projects must be completed within one year. Each proposal should be for a project which addresses an important community need. Only projects with costs between $50,000 and $250,000 will be considered. There will be a 10% non-county matching requirement. The proposal must be sponsored by a local government organization within the county. However, proposals from nonprofit organizations will be considered provided that they are cosponsored by, and have the active participation of, a local government organization. The proposal will be limited to 10 single spaced pages (plus bibliography and appendices). Each proposal will be evaluated and ranked in accordance with the criteria described below. |
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Problem Addressed by the Project |
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| Each proposal should clearly describe the problem that will be addressed by the proposal. It should discuss why this is an important problem within New Hanover County. It should also discuss why current programs are not adequately addressing the problem. Finally, it should describe how the proposed project will alleviate the problem. | |
Project Description |
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| The proposal should provide a clear detailed description of the proposed activities and all of the organizations and actors involved. It should clearly identify who has responsibility for successfully completing proposed activities and where staff will be located. If multiple organizations are involved, the proposal should describe the mechanisms that will be used to maintain coordination about project staff. The proposal should mention why community involvement was, or was not necessary. It should also discuss why staff and other project costs are necessary to complete the proposed activities. If the proposal is for a plan, pilot program, or demonstration project, the project summary should discuss how the local government agency will ensure the use of the information generated by the project in the future. If the proposal is to create a program that will continue beyond the first year of the project, then the proposal should identify and discuss where future funding for program activities will come from. | |
Merits of the Proposal |
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| The proposal should clearly describe how the project will alleviate the aforementioned problems. It should also should discuss the merits of the proposal relative to its costs. If the benefits will primarily be observed in the out years, why is necessary to incur the project costs today. Accordingly, the proposal should identify all of the outputs produced by the proposed activities. It should also clearly identify what the expected outcomes will be. If outcomes will be observed in the out years, discuss what factors may influence the attainment of these objectives. Finally, the proposal should identify criteria by which the success of the project will be evaluated. | |
Work Program |
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| Each proposal should include a work program that contains a
timeline for the project. It should also identify benchmarks for measuring progress during
the course of the project. It should also discuss any measures that will be taken to
ensure the on time completion of the project (e.g., progress meetings, preparation of
monthly or quarterly reports documenting progress). The proposal should also identify any
critical points that could cause delays in completing the project on time and assess
whether there is a high probability of completing the project on time. Each proposal must include a one page line item budget. This should be accompanied by a narrative description that documents why the costs are necessary for completing the project. All staff activities necessary to complete the proposed project should be funded in the proposal. Each budget should include proposed costs for project staff, overhead (25% limit), contractual work, travel, construction, equipment, supplies, and miscellaneous. Other major expenses should be identified as well. You will also need to identify where the matching funds will pay for project costs. You can make any reasonable assumptions and have flexibility in terms of what you will use as a match. When preparing your budget use the following estimates of staff costs: Supervising Planner/Manager - $60,000/FTE; Mid-range Planner/Manager - $45,000/FTE; Entry level Planner/Manager - $35,000/FTE; Engineer/Other Technical Specialists - $50,000/FTE; and, Clerical/Support/Laborer - $25,000/FTE. You should estimate other project costs, provided they are reasonable. |
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Submission of Proposals |
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| The proposal will be limited to 10 single spaced pages (plus bibliography and appendices). Proposals are due by the close of business on November 29, 2006. Applicants interested in submitting a proposal must submit a 1 - 2 page pre-proposal by the close of business on September 20, 2006. The pre-proposal should provide a brief summary of the proposed project and its costs. Applicants are encouraged to meet with the Director prior to submitting the pre-proposal. | |
Proposal Presentation |
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| All applicants will be required to present their proposals on either November 27 or 29, 2006. Your presentation should discuss the: major issues/problems addressed by the proposal; project being proposed; major tasks and benchmarks involved with the project; project costs; project benefits; technical and fiscal needs addressed by the project; and, the project’s likelihood for successful implementation. You will have no more than 10 minutes to give your presentation. Therefore, it should be well organized (remember, practice makes perfect). Visual aids and handouts may enhance your presentation. For example, you may wish to develop a short one page fact sheet about the project that you can distribute to the class. When appropriate, you should use examples to help clarify main points. Remember, do not read your presentation, make eye contact with the audience, and project your voice. Students should dress appropriately (e.g., no tee-shirts or baseball hats). | |
Review of Other Proposals |
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| Each project team will take on the role of the agency that issued the RFP. Each team will examine each presentation and make its determination regarding which projects will get funded. Accordingly, students should take notes and ask critical questions during the presentations. | |
Grading |
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| Your group grade on this project will be based on the quality and professionalism of your presentation and the technical and professional quality of the written proposal as determined by me. Failure to follow directions will adversely affect your group grade. | |
Helpful Hints |
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| Groups are encouraged to meet with me periodically throughout the semester to discuss your proposals and show me drafts of the proposal. Groups can view proposals prepared by previous classes during my office hours to get ideas. When preparing your proposal, you can make any assumptions necessary to complete the proposal provided that they are reasonable and justified. If you are unsure whether your assumptions are reasonable, please see me. | |
| Due Dates | Pre-proposal - 9/20 Final Proposal - 11/29 Presentations - 11/27 & 29 |