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August 14, 2017
HOW TO SELECT AND HIRE A CONSULTING FIRM
B l a c k & V e a t c h
Introductions
B U I L D I N G A W O R L D O F D I F F E R E N C E ®
Bobby Jones – Senior Engineer
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B U I L D I N G A W O R L D O F D I F F E R E N C E ®
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• Modern digital radio systems are more advanced, complex, and expensive than in past years
• Important, informed project decisions are difficult without fully understanding the issues
• Understand the community needs, purchase only what is needed – nothing more, nothing less
Why Hire a Consulting Firm
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• Gather stakeholders and setup a project team
• Include your purchasing department
• Most cities, counties and states require a competitive selection process
• Cooperative Purchasing Programs can save you substantial time (90 – 120 days)
- Houston-Galveston Area Council (HGACBuy*)
- Government Services Administration (GSA)
- Western States Contracting Alliance (WSCA)
• Competitive RFP process
Where Do You Begin?
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• Consultant RFP development requires care
• Quality of the RFP will directly impact proposal responses and your evaluation of those responses
• If the RFP is poorly written, consulting proposals will vary greatly making evaluation and comparison difficult
• The RFP must clearly articulate the characteristics of your project
• Follow these 5 steps
How Do You Select a Firm?
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• Start Fresh
• Develop an Outline
• Focus the Consulting or Engineering Audience
• Define the Scope of Work
• Explain the Evaluation and Selection Process
5 Tips for RFP Development
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• Refrain from “recycling” an old RFP
• Develop a new RFP from your outline
• Use the outline to prepare an RFP that accurately reflects the needs, goals and expectations for the current project
Start Fresh
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• Poorly developed RFPs are confusing
• Agencies should customize outlines for each project
• Public Safety Consulting RFPs should generally include these sections
Develop an Outlinea) Table of Contentsb) Purpose of the Projectc) Project Background
i. Stakeholdersii. Current system environment iii. Goals and objectives
d) Terms and Conditionse) Required Scope of Work & Deliverablesf) Response Procedures, Format, & Content
i. Printing and binding format for the proposal
ii. Overview of the firm and proposed project team
iii. Project work plan and deliverables (scope of work)
iv. Project timelinev. Reference projects and contactsvi. Professional fees and expensesvii. Exceptions to RFP
g) Sample Contract for Consideration 9
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• Differentiate between consulting and engineering services
• Focus respondents’ attention by requesting the following:
• Years in business providing the required services
• Annual revenue/audited financial statement
• Number and location of company offices
• Number and location of full-time, experienced personnel
• Experience in similar projects
• Relevant registrations, certifications and credentials (e.g., PE, PMP, ISO 9001:2015)
• References and past record of performance
Focus the Consulting & Engineering Audience
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Most projects can be completed in three phases:
• Phase I – Needs assessment, development of conceptual system alternatives and cost estimates and preparation of the Phase I Report of findings and recommendations
• Phase II – Development of system specifications (RFP), evaluation of vendor proposals, vendor selection, and contract negotiations, and
• Phase III – System implementation, acceptance testing, and system cutover
Define the Scope of Work
Define required project deliverables
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• Define your proposal evaluation and scoring methods and the weight of each evaluation item
• Sharing the selection criteria helps responders simplify and focus their RFP responses
• It also helps them determine whether or not they should respond to your RFP
Evaluation & Selection Process
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• Develop scoring matrix prior to receipt of proposals
• Review proposals and shortlist best firm(s)
• Conduct oral presentation(s), ask questions
• Finalize scoring and selection
• Negotiate contract for services
• Update elected officials
• Award the contract
• Begin project
Evaluation & Selection Process
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A good consulting or engineering firm can help you:
• Understand the new system technologies
• Proactively identify and avoid project pitfalls and missteps
• Resolve problems when they do occur
• Mitigate vendor conflict, competition is intense, proposal evaluations must be thorough and objective
• Significantly reduce your project risks
• Reduce project costs
• Successfully cutover to a robust new public safety communication system
Make Your Project a Success Story
QUESTIONS?Questions?
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