Request for Proposals for Case Management and · PDF fileNHA Request for Proposals- Case Management Services Page 1 The Housing Authority of the City of Norwalk, CT Request for Proposals

NHA Request for Proposals- Case Management Services Page 1

The Housing Authority of the City of Norwalk, CT

Request for Proposals for Case Management and Supportive Services

Coordination

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. GENERAL 3 2. PROJECT BACKGROUND 3

2.1. Executive Summary 3 2.2. NHA and Washington Village 4 2.3. The Choice Neighborhoods Initiative Program 5 2.4. Status of the Project 6

3. SCOPE OF CASE MANAGEMENT AND COORDINATION SERVICES 7 3.1. Program Objectives 7 3.2. Program Size 8 3.3 Location of Operation 8 3.4 Tasks, Services and Deliverables 9

3.4.1 Resident Outreach and Communication 9 3.4.2 Supportive Services Program Management and Coordination 9 3.4.3 Case Management Assessment, Baseline and Ongoing Data Collection 11 3.4.4 Individual Family Action Plans 11 3.4.5 Case Management/Personal Counseling and Coaching 13 3.4.6 Client Tracking 14 3.4.7 General and Ongoing Requirements 15 3.4.8 Reporting 15 3.4.9 Sustainability Plan 16

3.5 Confidentiality 16 3.6 Additional Provisions 16

4. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS 16 4.1 Submission Instructions 16 4.2 Inquiries 17 4.3 Contact with Residents 17 4.4 Proposal Requirements 17

5. SELECTION PROCESS AND CRITERIA 19 5.1. Selection Process 19 5.2. Selection Criteria 19 5.3. NHA Options 20 5.4. Equal Opportunity Employment 20 5.5. Procurement Schedule 21


5.6. Award of Contracts 21

6. ATTACHMENTS

Attachment I: Washington Village Resident Survey Attachment II: Fee Proposal Form Attachment III: HUD Form 5369B- Instructions to Offerors Non-Construction Attachment IV: HUD Form 5369C- Certifications and Representations to Offerors, Non-

Construction Contract Attachment V: HUD Form 5370C- General Conditions for Non-Construction Contracts Attachment VI: HUD Form 2992- Certification Regarding Debarment and Suspension


The Housing Authority of the City of Norwalk, CT

Request for Proposals For Case Management and Coordination Services

1. GENERAL

The Housing Authority of the City of Norwalk, CT (NHA) requests proposals from qualified responders to assist the NHA in the development, coordination and implementation of a Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI) case management program. The goal of the case management program is to help Washington Village residents achieve self-sufficiency and economic independence, to the greatest extent possible. Through the CNI program, NHA will establish a case management program that will offer an array of supportive service options, such as early education and after school programs, employment preparation and training, health services, etc. While the exact nature of the CNI program is undefined at this time, NHA anticipates that the case management component will include a combination of direct service provision and coordination of, and referral to, services that are targeted to each resident. The selected organization will be hired under a contract for a 4.5 year term renewable for one year at NHA’s option. The provision of these services is contingent upon the award of a Choice Neighborhoods Implementation grant.

2. PROJECT BACKGROUND

2.1. Executive Summary

NHA and its Planning Coordinator, EJP Consulting Group, are exploring revitalization options for the Washington Village public housing site and the surrounding neighborhood. NHA expects to create a comprehensive CNI Transformation Plan and pursue a 2013 (or 2014) CNI Implementation Grant from HUD, with a request for significant funding toward the redevelopment of this currently obsolete public housing development. Based on the needs of Washington Village residents and the current requirements of the CNI program, NHA anticipates that the Washington Village Transformation Plan and CNI Implementation Grant application will include a plan for a new sustainable mixed-income community, including both market rate and subsidized rental and for-sale units, commercial/retail development opportunities, recreational/community/educational facilities and infrastructure improvements to be developed on the Washington Village site and in the surrounding neighborhood. Two adjacent city-owned parcels are anticipated to be included as part of the redevelopment effort


A key component of the Washington Village Transformation Plan will be a comprehensive “People” program that will set forth strategies for the delivery of community and supportive services, including case management. The services will be made available to residents who occupy the Washington Village development at the time of the CNI grant award, residents living in the surrounding neighborhood, and new residents that take occupancy after revitalization. These services may include early education and after school programs, employment preparation and training, health services, etc. Services will be provided based on the needs of residents, as determined by a comprehensive needs assessment that was completed in 2011 at Washington Village. Please refer to Attachment I for a copy of the Resident Survey Results.

2.2. NHA and Washington Village

NHA. NHA is a public housing authority as established under federal and state law. NHA currently owns approximately 853 public housing units and administers approximately 680 Section 8 vouchers. Washington Village. The Washington Village site is located in the South Norwalk neighborhood at the southernmost tip of Norwalk’s Downtown corridor. Constructed in 1941, Washington Village is the oldest public housing development in the State of Connecticut. It is comprised of 136 obsolete public housing units, and is fully occupied. There are approximately 303 persons residing in 134 households at Washington Village.

Data Summary Table # % Total # Households 134 -- Total # Individuals 303 -- # Households With Children 69 51% # of Disabled Individuals 39 13% # of Elderly Individuals 27 9% Primary Language English 249 82% Primary Language Spanish 21 7% Primary language Creole 16 5% Primary Language Unknown 17 5% Average Household Income $16,720 Households earning < $10K 103 34% Households earning < $20K 212 70%

Please refer to Attachment I for a detailed survey of Washington Village resident needs.


2.3. The Choice Neighborhoods Initiative Program

The Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI) employs a comprehensive approach to neighborhood transformation. The program helps communities transform neighborhoods by revitalizing obsolete public and/or assisted housing and investing and leveraging investments in well-functioning services, high quality public schools and education programs, high quality early learning programs and services, public assets, public transportation, and improved access to jobs. CNI will ensure that current residents will be able to benefit from this transformation, by preserving affordable housing or providing residents with the choice to move to affordable and accessible housing in another existing neighborhood of opportunity.

CNI is focused on three core goals:

1. Housing: Transform obsolete public and assisted housing into energy efficient, mixed-income housing that is physically and financially viable over the long-term;

2. People: Support positive outcomes for families who live in the target development(s) and the surrounding neighborhood, particularly outcomes related to residents‟ health, safety, employment, mobility, and education; and

3. Neighborhood: Transform neighborhoods of poverty into viable, mixed-income neighborhoods with access to well-functioning services, high quality public schools and education programs, high quality early learning programs and services, public assets, public transportation, and improved access to jobs.

With regard to the People Objective above, HUD expects that there be an improvement in the quality of life of the families who live in the housing and neighborhood transformed through CNI. In particular, there are two sets of resident groups to be considered.

(1) Baseline Residents. All residents residing at the Washington Village site at the time of the CNI application are considered baseline residents and are the priority for the supportive services program and case management strategy. These families will be tracked throughout the CNI period, regardless of where they live. HUD’s expectation is that the tenants who relocate find housing and neighborhood opportunities as good as or better than the opportunities available to tenants who return to the redeveloped site, and that all residents of the targeted redevelopment site experience improvements along all of the indicators below relative to their pre-redevelopment circumstances.

(2) Revitalized Development Residents. New families who move into new housing in the neighborhood will be included in the caseload and tracked over the life of the grant. HUD’s goal is that, over time, the average incomes at the site rise, residents experience a safe living environment, children have access to high quality early learning programs and services and high quality schools that prepare students to graduate from high school college- and career-ready


and perform well on standardized tests relative to the state average, there is good access to parks and recreation, and residents have access to quality health care.

(3) Neighborhood residents. To the extent possible, services should also be made available to residents of the broader South Norwalk neighborhood.

Outcomes for both the baseline residents and the residents of the revitalized developments will be measured along the following dimensions:

(1) Housing Location, Quality, and Affordability. HUD’s expectation is that baseline residents who, by their own choice, do not return to the development have housing and neighborhood opportunities as good as or better than the opportunities available to those who occupy the redeveloped site. This is consistent with HUD’s strategic plan objective to increase the proportion of HUD-assisted families in low-poverty and racially diverse communities.

(2) Resident Health. HUD’s expectation is that health for residents over time is as good as or better than that of other households with similar economic and demographic conditions at baseline.

(3) Resident Safety. HUD’s expectation is that residents are living in a safer environment as evidenced by the revitalized neighborhood having dramatically lower crime rates than the neighborhood had prior to redevelopment and maintaining a lower crime rate over time.

(4) Employment. HUD’s expectation is that the income of baseline residents and residents of the revitalized development, particularly wage income for non-elderly/non-disabled adult residents, increases over time. This is consistent with HUD’s strategic plan objective to increase the average income of existing HUD-assisted households.

(5) Education. HUD’s expectation is a high level of resident access to high quality early learning programs and services so children enter kindergarten ready to learn, significant improvement in the quality of schools attended by targeted residents that prepare students to graduate from high school college- and career-ready, and significant growth in existing individual resident educational outcomes over time relative to the state average.

NOTE: HUD has not yet released the 2013 CNI Implementation NOFA. However, respondents are encouraged to review the 2012 CNI Implementation NOFA for information on last year’s application and program requirements. A copy can be obtained through HUD’s website at http://www.hud.gov.

2.4. Status of the Project

NHA is currently in the process of exploring redevelopment options for Washington Village, and developing a comprehensive Transformation Plan for the neighborhood which will form the basis of a CNI Implementation Grant application to HUD. As part of the planning process, NHA will develop a “People” program that is responsive to the needs of Washington Village residents. NHA has implemented a resident survey, achieving a 96% percent response rate. The resident survey will inform

http://www.hud.gov/


the application planning process, and will be used to develop a comprehensive “People” program. The survey results can be found in Attachment I. Upon award of a CNI Implementation Grant from HUD, NHA will implement the “People” program. The Transformation Plan will outline the specific program, strategies, goals and outcomes of the “People’’ component. NHA expects to select a case management provider in time to provide input and review of the final transformation plan prior to HUD submission.

3. SCOPE OF CASE MANAGEMENT AND COORDINATION SERVICES

This Scope of Services is intended to reflect the range of case management, supportive services and other program coordination services that are required as part of the Washington Village Transformation Plan People Component. The Contractor (“Contractor”) shall be required to perform the following services (“Services”), minimally, in accordance with the further requirements of the Transformation Plan and in accordance with all HUD and CNI requirements, upon award of a CN Implementation Grant.

3.1 Program Objectives

The overall objective is to provide HUD-mandated case management and supportive services to all eligible residents. Activities will include, but are not limited to the following:

1. To develop and implement a resident outreach plan to enroll eligible residents into the case management program;

2. To assist all adult residents and their dependents to identify and overcome barriers to economic

and housing self-sufficiency; 3. To refer residents to programs that help them obtain and maintain employment, further

education or training, and connect to vocational services, community activities, or community service placements;

4. To link residents to homeownership preparation education and counseling programs; 5. To link children 0-5 years old to high-quality early education services; The goal is that not less

than 65% of eligible children will enroll in early learning programs; 6. To link school age children to high quality education and youth development programs; 7. To communicate with residents about supportive services and education programs; 8. To leverage resource and develop and maintain partnerships with other service providers in the

community;


9. To work collaboratively with other key stakeholders in the Transformation effort including the Norwalk Housing Authority (NHA), its Family Self-Sufficiency program staff, and a range of other partners to ensure a seamless integration of services and supports for targeted families.

10. To track resident-level outcomes for families being served by the Initiative. 11. To implement a high-quality, outcomes-oriented human services strategy that meets the needs

of all impacted families in Washington Village.

Case managers will comprehensively assess all adults and their dependents, develop Individual Family Action Plans, refer residents to local service providers, and work to motivate residents to accomplish their individual goals. In implementing these program objectives, the Contractor will work as a team with NHA staff and a network of local social service providers. In particular, the Contractor is expected to work closely and collaboratively with NHA to build upon the existing Family Self Sufficiency program and partners to avoid redundancy and ensure a seamless set of services for Washington Village residents.

In addition to providing direct case management services, the Contractor will coordinate the network of service providers that are involved in the Transformation Plan people component. The Contractor will be responsible for working with committed education and service providers to ensure that a broad array of services is available to all residents, identifying gaps in services, and working with NHA and the network of service providers to fill apparent gaps in services. The Contractor will also be responsible for developing a sustainability plan, in collaboration with NHA and its partners, to ensure that case management and human services are sustained beyond the initial CNI grant period.

3.2 Program Size

The number of households and individuals who are actively case managed through the program is expected to vary during grant implementation. Initially, there are 134 households and 303 individuals in these households. Over time, households may leave the program and new households will be added. NHA will provide a client list to the Contractor.

3.3 Location of Operation

NHA intends to identify space on the Washington Village site or the neighborhood resource center for a case management office so that staff is readily accessible to residents in the community. However, should appropriate space not be available, NHA will work with the Contractor to fund alternative office space in the vicinity of the Washington Village site.


3.4 Tasks, Services and Deliverables

3.4.1 Resident Outreach and Communication Resident outreach is critical to the success of the program. The Contractor will submit a resident and community outreach plan within 30 days of CNI grant award. The plan will outline a proposed strategy for working with Washington Village families, families who live in the neighborhood and new families who may eventual move into new housing in the neighborhood. In conjunction with NHA, the Contractor will conduct outreach to all eligible residents to inform them about the program and the range of opportunities available. The effort will provide residents with an overview of the services available and inform residents that every adult age 19 and older that enrolls in the program is required to complete a comprehensive family-based needs assessment. NHA’s goal is that not less than 80% of Washington Village (baseline residents) families will be engaged in the supportive services program.

The outreach plan should include:

1. A strategy and schedule for initial outreach and enrollment in the program, as well as ongoing outreach to maintain active participation in the program even during relocation, including a strategy for reaching resident with Limited English Proficiency.

2. A strategy to work with the education partner to ensure that residents are connected to the continuum of education opportunities ranging from early childhood education through post-secondary education and vocation skills training.

3. A strategy for outreach to new residents who move into redeveloped units when they come online.

4. A strategy to outreach to and maintain engagement by special needs populations

including youth, the elderly and disabled.

5. Initial and ongoing communications medium that will be utilized by the Contractor.

3.4.2 Supportive Services Program Management and Coordination

1. The Contractor shall develop for review and approval by NHA, a ‘People’ management and implementation plan for the administration of case management and coordination of all people and related services. The management plan should be submitted to NHA within 30 days of the CNI grant award. The management plan should include an organizational chart showing clear lines of staff responsibility, process and workflow, staffing plan, case management policies and protocols, and implementation tools or schedule to develop such tools. The management plan must also include a description


of how the Contractor plans to manage the network of supportive service partners and leverage services for residents, clearly identifying services that will be provided directly by the Contractor v. leveraged. The plan should also outline how the Contractor will triage and manage the caseload, using the HUD recommended system or similar system.

2. The Contractor should identify gaps in services and make recommendations to NHA about how to fill those gaps.

3. In collaboration with NHA, work directly with committed People Partners to leverage commitments made. This involves:

a. Finalizing and managing all MOUs and commitments or other agreements with Service Partners;

b. Working with Service Partners to determine per unit/per person costs associated with services provided to residents;

c. Proactively identify new partners and establishing agreements with new service partners for the duration of the grant; and

d. Tracking and reporting partner financial/leverage commitments (and changes in commitments) over time.

4. Proactively work with residents to enroll or otherwise engage them in services provided

by the network of service providers.

5. Work closely with the network of service providers to coordinate referrals and service deliver to residents. Case management staff will be in contact with each service provider on a regular basis to discuss the program and specific client referrals.

6. Maintain updated referral and contact information for all service providers.

7. Maintain a database of all services in the area, along with eligibility requirements and

restrictions for each service.

8. Participate in and assist NHA to facilitate quarterly (or more frequent, if necessary) collaboration meetings with partnering service agencies. These meetings will be used as an opportunity to: (1) coordinate the provision of services to residents; (2) respond to provider and stakeholders’ questions and suggestions; (3) monitor progress of the partner network; (4) monitor outcomes of the program; and (5) plan for future programs, events, and services.

9. Conduct regular outreach to service providers that can fill service gaps and get them involved in the program.


10. Track the services provided by all partners. The Contractor will provide service tracking information to NHA on a monthly basis.

11. Track accurately all financial and leveraged/in-kind service commitments from all People partner agencies for the duration of the grant and report this information to NHA on a monthly basis.

3.4.3 Case Management Assessment, Baseline and Ongoing Data Collection

1. Work with NHA and its partners to develop an initial case management intake assessment tool that builds upon NHA’s existing Family Self Sufficiency assessment tool. The assessment tool should identify the household’s skills, barriers to economic and housing self-sufficiency, and preliminary service needs at baseline. This initial assessment can supplement data collected during the CNI planning period.

2. Complete initial assessments with each adult age 19 and older within the first 6 months of grant award . The assessments will gather information about the status and needs of each adult and their dependents.

3. Update information on household needs on a quarterly basis through routine case management activities.

4. Working collaboratively with NHA and its evaluation partners, administer annual

household assessments as needed. These assessments will be used to track resident satisfaction as well as specific programmatic outcomes not routinely tracked by day-to-day case management interactions.

3.4.4 Individual Family Action Plans

1. Work with residents to develop Individual Family Action Plans (FAPs) for each adult (19+), which incorporate incremental goals to address identified needs. As appropriate, each FAP must include specific objectives related to job readiness, education, job training, job placement, child care, transportation, health care, substance abuse treatment, mental health counseling and other relevant concerns. The Plan must provide explicit action steps that the participant needs to take to achieve each objective. As this is a strengths-based model, NHA assumes that residents will be fully engaged in developing and executing these FAPs.

2. For residents who are unemployed, receiving TANF/AFDC or other public assistance, the FAP must include strategies to address barriers to employment and to obtain living wage jobs. Staff will work with the residents and other local agencies to encourage full


participation in local welfare-to-work and other employment and training programs. Staff will identify and establish communications with case management and services staff from other agencies (AFDC/TANF, Workforce Development, WIA, etc.) to coordinate services for the residents.

3. For residents who are already gainfully employed in full-time positions, the FAP must include a plan to upgrade skills and/or education and to assist with wage progression to at least a “living wage” standard.

4. For residents who are elderly, disabled, and/or have mental health issues, the FAP must include a plan to maximize independent living capabilities, and, as appropriate, to obtain living wage jobs, or vocational or community service placements. As appropriate, staff will identify and establish communications with other providers to coordinate services to the resident.

5. For residents with children ages 0 – 5, the FAP must include a strategy for enrollment in high-quality early education programming.

6. For school-age children, the FAP must include a strategy for connecting children to high quality education programs.

7. For residents with children 6 years and older, the FAP must include a strategy to address child care needs, including summer and after school activities designed to promote success in school and general youth development programs that bolster motivation to remain in school and to obtain training and education after high school.

8. For residents with youth aged 16-19 who are out of school, the FAP must include a

strategy to support a successful transition back to education by connecting students to social services and other resources as needed (e.g., childcare) to ultimately obtain a high school diploma or GED.

9. For residents without a high school diploma or GED, the FAP must include a plan to obtain a GED to the extent that this action will assist the resident in meeting their employment goals.

10. For residents with a substance abuse or addiction issue, the FAP must include a strategy to obtain the necessary counseling and/or treatment to overcome the dependency.

11. For residents with Limited English Proficiency, the FAP must include a plan to enroll residents in English as a Second Language classes.


12. For all residents, the FAP must include objectives that residents meet all of their lease responsibilities including timely rent payment, utility payment, housekeeping, and harmonious relations with neighbors.

13. For residents interested in working towards homeownership, the FAP must include a plan to improve their financial and credit standing and enroll in homeownership counseling/education. The FAP should utilize the Family Self-Sufficiency program and other NHA programs as appropriate.

14. As appropriate, the FAP will include goals to assist families to transition to unsubsidized housing.

15. The FAP must also include strategies to ensure coordination with relocation specialists to ensure that before, during and after relocation, families make sound relocation decisions and remain stably housed. The Contractor will work to augment the relocation counseling to ensure a seamless transition for each resident, will continue to support the resident in their new relocation unit and will provide counseling and other services as needed to assist the resident in maintaining Good Standing status so they may eventually return to the redeveloped site.

3.4.5 Case Management/Personal Counseling and Coaching

1. Following development of the FAP, the Contractor will work continuously to assist residents in achieving their goals. Case managers will work with clients according to the level of need.

2. On an ongoing basis, staff will work to develop relationships based on trust with each resident and to serve as a positive motivating force. Staff will be expected to help “coach” residents to meet their FAP objectives. This may include one-on-one coaching or creative group activities.

3. The Contractor staff will maintain regular contacts with other service agency staff (including other agency case managers) to review resident progress and to help coordinate support activities. For example, if residents are participating in a training activity, new job placement, etc., the Contractor staff will be expected to help support these efforts in creative and motivational ways including assisting the resident address transportation and child care barriers. Case managers may also need to help residents cope with program and/or employer demands.

4. For residents who are already receiving case management services through another agency, the Contractor staff should independently determine if the existing level of


support is sufficient for the resident’s needs and meet with the resident and the external case manager to coordinate services. The intent of coordination is to ensure that: (1) the resident is receiving adequate case management services; (2) the resident is informed about supportive services activities and opportunities; (3) the Contractor is able to gather information (either from the resident or case manager) to monitor the resident’s progress; and (4) minimal case management service requirements are met (i.e. number of contacts, referrals, etc.).

5. The Contractor will refer clients for clinical case management diagnosis and treatment, as appropriate.

3.4.6 Client Tracking

1. The Contractor will be responsible for providing an electronic case management and tracking data base to maintain all resident-level data that is approved by the NHA and capable of meeting all of the HUD requirements for data collection. The Contractor will actively track all residents’ needs, service referrals, service utilization, employment status, and outcomes over the life of the contract period. The Contractor will track the following data for individual and households:

a. Baseline demographic information; b. Baseline needs data; c. Referrals made and services received by residents, whether provided by the

Contractor or other service providers; d. Case notes that document household progress and status; e. Resident progress toward achieving goals in FAP, including outcomes for dependent

children; f. All employment placements and retention must be tracked for at least 12 months

after employment placement; g. Resident outcomes, such as changes in household income, employment status,

education achievement, family composition, etc.; h. Educational outcomes for all children; i. Progress of children 0 – 5 who are enrolled in early education programs; and j. All people-related outcomes in the Transformation plan and any other relevant

resident data that impacts success in the program.

The Contractor is responsible for ensuring that data is complete for each resident, entered into the MIS/database and available to NHA in ‘real time’.

2. Collaborate with NHA and its People Partners to facilitate access to services and resident data, as requested. NHA, People partners and its evaluation partner must have


ongoing real-time access to the supportive services database. The database and all client data remain the property of NHA.

3. Collaborate with NHA’s Education Partners to facilitate access to services and resident data needed to support this other critical component of the CNI plan which seeks to ensure access to high-quality early learning programs, schools and education programs that will improve key measurable outcomes for HUD-assisted and other school-aged children and youth in the neighborhood.

4. Maintain files for individual households in an orderly, confidential and secure manner. Client files remain the property of NHA. NHA reserves the right to periodically audit files.

3.4.7 General and Ongoing Requirements

1. Coordinate case management activities with the NHA and all other principal CNI Team members.

2. Meet with the NHA CNI leadership on a regular basis, including participating in mandatory team meetings, stakeholder and other required project meetings, as necessary.

3. Work with NHA to develop incentive programs and creative ways to encourage residents to participate in the program.

4. Participate in all evaluation and independent tracking initiatives and make data readily available for such purposes. Provide access to resident demographic and case management data, make staff available for interviews with the evaluators/program monitors, as requested, provide any other pertinent information requested by NHA.

5. Participate in resident and stakeholder meetings.

6. Meet and/or exceed Section 3 goals as outlined in the Transformation Plan.

3.4.8 Reporting

1. On a monthly basis, prepare and submit detailed performance reports in a format acceptable to NHA. These reports will minimally include information on contacts with residents, resident progress in meeting FAP objectives and program indicators, and other key data such as the number of residents obtaining jobs, participating in specific programs, and the resulting in-kind leverage generated through partner agencies, etc.

2. Provide any other report requested by HUD for review and submission by NHA.


3.4.9 Sustainability Plan

The Contractor will work collaboratively with NHA and its principal People partners to develop a Sustainability Plan. The plan will outline specific strategies to sustain program investments and strategies to identify and secure additional funding to support continued People investments. NHA expects to select a Contractor with a demonstrated track record in developing and implementing successful sustainability plans and the Contractor should clearly articulate its strategy for how it will develop and implement the sustainability plan.

3.5 Confidentiality

The Contractor will protect residents’ information under the confidentiality provisions of the State of Connecticut and/or Federal law as it applies to NHA. The contractor shall, as part of the Case Management Plan (see Section 3.42) provide NHA with documentation of its confidentiality policy that governs the conduct of all staff assigned to this project.

3.6 Additional Provisions

NHA recognizes that The Contractor may be under contract to other agencies to provide social services in addition to the direct services it provides under this Agreement. These other programs may have some applicability and usefulness to Washington Village residents. The Contractor should refer residents to these programs when appropriate, and as outlined in the leverage commitments provided by the Contractor. The Contractor should also ensure that there is no double billing for case management or other social services.

4. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

4.1 Submission Instructions

Interested parties should submit an original, and 8 copies of the proposal to the Housing Authority of the City of Norwalk, CT to be received no later than 4:00 p.m., on Friday, July 20, 2012. Each proposal must be in a sealed envelope, marked with the Proposer’s name, address and telephone number and clearly identified as a Proposal for CNI Case Management and Coordination Services. Any submission received by the NHA later than the designated time and date above specified shall be considered non-responsive and will be disqualified from consideration. The package should be addressed to:

Mr. Curtis O. Law, Executive Director Norwalk Housing Authority

24 ½ Monroe Street South Norwalk, CT 06854


4.2 Inquiries

Questions regarding this RFP will be accepted in writing until 12:00pm on Friday, June 29, 2012 and should be submitted to Patricia Marsden-Kish, Planning Facilitator by mail 24 1/2 Monroe Street Norwalk, CT 06854 or email (preferred) [email protected]. Responses by the NHA will be forwarded in writing to all Proposers in the form of an addendum to this RFP. In the event that NHA, in its sole discretion, determines that the RFP or any attachment thereto requires clarification, interpretation, explanation, correction and/or modification, the NHA shall communicate such clarification, interpretation, explanation, correction and/or modification by issuance of written addenda prior to the proposal deadline. Addenda shall be sent to every individual or firm on record having received the RFP from the NHA. Proposers much acknowledge any and all addenda issues with respect to this RFP with its submitted proposal; therefore it shall be the Proposer’s responsibility to confirm the correct number of addenda issued prior to submitting its proposal.

4.3 Contact with Residents

Unless give prior approval by NHA, Proposers shall not be in contact with the residents of Washington Village. All communications prior to contact award must be directed to the NHA. Direct or indirect contact with residents will disqualify the Proposer. 4.4 Proposal Requirements

Proposals should be specific and concise. Although the NHA has not set a page limit for proposals, it prefers efficiently worded, substantive proposals to lengthy responses containing more general boilerplate language. Acceptable proposals shall include the following components: Case Management Approach and Philosophy, Experience and Qualifications, Staffing Plan and Management Approach, References, Budget and Costing Approach, Expectation of NHA. Proposals that do not conform to these requirements may be rejected. To be eligible for contract award, Proposers shall submit the following information:

1. Case Management Approach and Philosophy. Provide a detailed description of the case management approach you propose to accomplish the scope of work. This section should detail all case management principles that will govern this contract, including strategies for working with special needs population such as the elderly, persons with disabilities, those with Limited English Proficiency and the hard-to-employ. Describe proposal for collaborating with NHA and service providers to ensure a seamless delivery of services to residents.

mailto:[email protected]


2. Experience and Qualifications. Provide detailed information on the professional and technical competence and experience of the team. This section should clearly delineate management and coordination experience from experience in case management provision and outreach and address each of the following:

a. Experience and past performance on at least three similar projects where the team had

primary responsibility for day-to-day services coordination and program design, including the CNI or HOPE VI programs and/or within the City of Norwalk. One of the examples may be a project that is still underway as long as implementation activities have been initiated and measurable outcomes have already been realized. Include quantifiable outcome data (past 3 years) to evidence strong results and a strong evidence base for your approach.

b. Experience collecting, using and analyzing data for planning, evaluation and ongoing

improvement of supportive services, particularly in each of the three project examples. Provide information about the specific database systems used, their pros and cons and their adaptability to this project, if applicable.

c. Experience working successfully with very low-income or disadvantaged populations,

and with unemployed individuals and public housing residents in particular. d. Experience working collaboratively with relocation staff to implement supportive

services pre, during and post relocation. e. Leverage and coordination of services from a diverse set of partner organizations,

including community- and faith-based organizations that are broadly representative of resident needs as identified in the attached Resident Survey. Provide information on amount of funding leveraged per project.

f. Experience sustaining and expanding successful service strategies over time. Provide

documented experience of successful sustainability efforts and status of such efforts.

3. Staffing Plan and Management Approach. Provide an overview of the key personnel that will be involved in the project, including a description of their experience and credentials. Provide a description of your proposed case management staffing ratio. Provide a description of the language proficiency of case management staff, primarily Spanish and Creole. We encourage the respondent to include an organization chart. Provide resumes of proposed staff (if already on staff) or job description of key positions proposed.

4. References. NHA requires at least three references.


5. Budget and Costing Approach. Provide a detailed line item budget per year and cumulative utilizing the attached fee proposal form (Attachment II). Responders are expected to price 4.5 years of services, with up to one twelve-month extension contingent on successful performance and availability of funds.

6. Expectation of NHA. Provide a detailed description of any assumptions regarding NHA staff,

office space and data.

5. SELECTION PROCESS AND CRITERIA

The purpose of this RFP is to solicit responsive proposals so that NHA may select, from among a range of proposals, one that best meets its needs and requirements. NHA urges all interested proposers to carefully review the requirements of this RFP. It is the intention of the NHA to select the most qualified case management contractor based on the criteria established herein and, if awarded a CNI grant, to negotiate a performance-based contract for case management services.

5.1. Selection Process

A Selection Committee will be established which will be made up of NHA staff, a resident representative from Washington Village, and a representative from the CN People Task Force. All proposals will be reviewed by the Selection Committee and ranked in accordance with the evaluation criteria contained in this RFP. Interviews may be conducted with the top-ranked firms. The specific evaluation criteria and their respective weights are detailed below in Section 5.2. NHA reserves the right to conduct negotiations with one or more proposers if, in the sole opinion of NHA, that method will provide the greatest benefit to NHA.

5.2. Selection Criteria

The evaluation panel will use the following five criteria to evaluate each proposal and assign a point score to each criterion. The maximum score for each criterion is indicated below. The range of points that can be given to any proposal is 0 to 100. Respondents will be ranked by their total scores with the highest score receiving the highest ranking.

1. Competence of the team. Expertise and experience in the direct provision of case

management services or referrals to services; expertise in management and coordination of a case management and supportive services delivery system. Maximum score: 30 points.


2. Experience working successfully with very low-income or disadvantaged populations, and with underemployed individuals and public housing residents in particular. Maximum points: 10 points.

3. Experience collecting, using and analyzing data for planning, evaluation and ongoing

improvement of supportive services. Maximum score: 10 points.

4. Leverage and coordination of services from a diverse set of partner organizations, including community- and faith-based organizations that are broadly representative of resident needs as identified in the Washington Village Resident Survey. Maximum score: 10 points.

5. Case management approach, philosophy and staffing plan proposed by the team to accomplish the work. Maximum score: 25 points.

6. Appropriateness of budget or alternate costing approach. The budget must include a fee proposal in the format provided by NHA in Attachment II. Maximum score: 15 points.

5.3. NHA Options

NHA reserves the right to cancel this RFP, or to reject, in whole or in part, any and all proposals received in response to this RFP, upon its determination that such cancellation or rejection is in the best interest of NHA. NHA reserves the right to request additional information as needed. NHA further reserves the right to waive any minor informalities or the failure of any proposer to comply therewith if it is in the public interest to do so. NHA will reject the proposal of any proposer who is debarred by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development from providing services to public housing authorities. The determination of the criteria and process whereby proposals are evaluated and the decision as to who shall receive a contract award or whether or not an award shall be made as a result of this RFP shall be at the sole and absolute discretion of NHA, and its Board of Commissioners.

5.4. Equal Opportunity Employment

NHA will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, sexual preference, religion, age, disability, national origin, marital or familial status, or any other legally protected status.


5.5. Procurement Schedule

The following is the anticipated schedule for this procurement process. (Note: All dates are subject to change at the discretion of NHA.)

Issuance of RFP

June 15, 2012

Final day to provide written questions June 29, 2012

Proposals due July 20, 2012

Proposal review, reference check, and initial ranking

August 3, 2012

Competitive firms notified of interview date, if needed

August 3, 2012

Interviews conducted and further reference checks conducted, if required

Week of August 13, 2012

Select top-ranked Case Management Contractor

Subject to Board of Commissioners’ schedule

5.6. Award of Contracts

Any procurement hereunder will comply with applicable HUD directives, the Laws of the State of Connecticut, and NHA Procurement policies. Proposers will be responsible for all costs incurred in preparing a response to this RFP. All material and documents submitted by responders will become the property of the NHA and will not be returned. Proposers selected for further interviews and negotiations will be responsible for all costs incurred during these processes. Implementation of a contract will be dependent upon award of a CNI Implementation grant from HUD, and shall be made by resolution of the Board of Commissioners of the NHA. No contractual rights shall arise out of the process of negotiation until such time as NHA and the selected contractor have signed an agreement. Parties further agree that in the case of a CNI grant being awarded, the agreement must be approved by HUD and consistent with the Grant Agreement entered into by NHA with HUD. The Contractor must begin providing case management services immediately upon contract execution so that residents who will be relocated have time to participate in and benefit from services before leaving the site. In no event may the Contractor begin work later than 30 days after NHA receives it notice of funding award from HUD.


6. ATTACHMENTS

Attachment I: Washington Village Resident Survey Attachment II: Fee Proposal Form Attachment III: HUD Form 5369B- Instructions to Offerors Non-Construction Attachment IV: HUD Form 5369C- Certifications and Representations to Offerors, Non-

Construction Contract Attachment V: HUD Form 5370C- General Conditions for Non-Construction Contracts Attachment VI: HUD Form 2992- Certification Regarding Debarment and Suspension

Documents

Request for Proposals for Case Management and · PDF fileNHA Request for Proposals- Case Management Services Page 1 The Housing Authority of the City of Norwalk, CT Request for Proposals