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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
$1,000,000 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 and a
plan for funding 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 of the receipt of funds. Each proposal should be for a project which addresses an
important community need. Only projects with costs between $50,000 and $500,000 will be
considered. There is a 15% 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 is limited to 15 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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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Work Program
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| Each proposal should include a work program that contains a
timeline for the project. It should also clearly identify the project's
goals or objectives and 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, 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. |
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Submission of Proposals
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| The proposal will be limited to 15 single spaced pages (plus
bibliography and appendices). Proposals are due by the close of business on
April 15, 2008. Applicants interested in submitting a proposal must submit a 1 - 2 page
pre-proposal by the close of business on February 12, 2008. 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. |
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Proposal Presentation
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| All applicants will be required to present their proposals on
April 15, 2008. 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 only 10 minutes to give your
presentation. Failure to adhere to the time limits and
make a professional presentation will impact your final project grade.
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. |
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Review of Other Proposals
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| After presenting the proposals, each project team will take on the role of the agency that
issued the RFP. Each team will collectively rank the other group's proposals
and make its determination with respect to funding other projects. Accordingly, students should take notes and ask
critical questions during the presentations. |
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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. |
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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. |
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| Due Dates |
Pre-proposal
- 2/12/08
Final Proposal -
4/15/08
Presentations -
4/15/08 |
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