December 3, 2024

Question:  On page 5, under section C: Company Background. How much weight will be given to vendors who are a) local to Lake County and b) are currently/have been providing services to the public sector? It's not explicitly stated in the IV: Evaluation Criteria. We are a fully remote team, and have no public sector clients, although we have worked with government agencies and related organizations.

Response:  There is no specific requirement that a company be local to Lake County or have previous public sector experience.  Lake County welcomes proposals from all firms that can meet the requirements identified in the scope of work.  All proposals will be evaluated based on the four evaluation criteria listed on page 7. 

December 4, 2024

Is there an established budget cap?

Response: There is no specified budget for the DEI Operational Assessment. The County welcomes all proposals for consideration.

Question: Are firms outside of your state able to bid on this RFP?

Response: Yes

Question: What is the anticipated time-frame to include a start date and project length?  

Response: The project is anticipated to start in February 2025.  Proposers are asked to provide an implementation plan that will address all of the requirements in the RFP.  The implementation plan should identify a projected schedule that should match up with the deliverables identified in the price proposal of DEI Mission, Vision, Goals and Values, Organizational Assessment, Short and Long-term Implementation Roadmap.

Question: Do you currently have working definitions of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. If so, can you please share them?

Response: Equity is defined in the County’s values.  We partner to create an inclusive community, where everyone is welcomed, diversity is celebrated and the opinions of all are used to develop, support and maintain services that are equitable and accessible.

Question: Do you have a sense of a target demographic with whom this work should center or begin with (women, talent of color, disabled, age, etc.). 

Response: Lake County employs a diverse workforce of approximately 2,500 employees and provides a full range of services including public safety (police, corrections and coroner), water, sewer, stormwater, planning & zoning, refuse and recycling, snow removal, street maintenance, vehicle maintenance, healthcare services and clinics, workforce development, assesses property values and handles taxpayer disputes (Assessor) collects taxes and handles investments (Treasurer), runs elections and maintains vital records (Clerk) and operates the Court System to include but not limited to: prosecution of individuals accused of criminal activity, victim services, provides legal defense for those not able to provide themselves legal counsel and operates a Clerk of Courts Department whose functions as the recordkeeper of the court.   This DEI Operational Assessment should be inclusive of all employees.   

Question: Has the organization engaged in any strengths assessment work (Strengths Finder, DISC, IDI, Enneagram, etc.) in the past? If so, please share when and which instruments. 

Response: Employees may have engaged in strengths assessment in their respective departments, but not implemented countywide.

December 5, 2024

Question: Is there preference for local firms to deliver this project?

Response: No

Question: Does the project include a travel budget to cover site visits? 

Response: The price proposal shall include a total price as a fixed fee for all services delineated in this RFP.  The Proposer will consider all costs (labor, overhead, administration, profit, travel, etc.) associated with providing the services listed in this RFP.

Question: Would you be open to a firm performing the work entailed in the RFP virtually? 

Response: Yes

December 6, 2024

Question: Can you clarify the key stakeholder groups that should be included in the assessment (e.g., employees, leadership, community members), and are there specific underrepresented groups or demographics the County would like us to focus on?  

Response: This DEI Operational Assessment is meant for Lake County employees.

Question: Can you provide more details about any ongoing or previous DEI initiatives the County has undertaken, and are there specific challenges or areas of resistance that have been identified in past DEI-related efforts? 

Response: Information on previous efforts have been provided in the RFP under the background and current state – project sections.

Question: How does Lake County define success for this project in the short-term and long-term, and are there specific outcomes or indicators of success the County would like us to prioritize? 

Response: The County is asking Proposers to submit a short and long-term implementation plan that outlines their recommendations for metrics and measures of success based on their experience and best practices.

Question: Will there be an opportunity to present or clarify components of the proposal in person or via a virtual meeting? 

Response: All clarifications are provided through the addendum process as described in Section V. General Terms and Conditions; Section F. Additional Information.

Question: The RFP says, “we are seeking input and feedback from an equity lens on current policies”. How extensive of a policy review do you want--do you know which or how many policies you would like reviewed?

Response: Proposers will be asked to develop inclusive language and accessibility standards that will provide staff guidelines and specific updates to language that ensure policies use inclusive, non-discriminatory terms and are accessible to all employees.

December 11, 2024

Question: Regarding the interview and site visit process outlined on page 7, section IV, C. We understand that Lake County reserves the right to schedule site visits, including unscheduled visits, as part of the evaluation process. Please confirm whether virtual interviews would be acceptable.

Response: Virtual interviews will be acceptable.

December 13, 2024

Question: Will we have the opportunity to review the current DEI learning and developmental trainings conducted by the third party to understand what the department heads have learned? 

Response: Information can be provided through discussions with department heads.

Question: Is there any expectation that new data is collected from any external stakeholders beyond Lake County staff to inform this work? 

Response: No.

Question: Is Lake County interested in receiving proposals that include actions or initiatives beyond the scope of work as it is written in the RFP?  

Response: Please include and value added services as part of your price proposal.

Question: Does Lake County have its own unique definitions for Diversity, Equity, and/or Inclusion? 

Response: No

Question: Does Lake County have any internal DEI employee work or resource group? 

Response: Various departments may have internal DEI employee work groups.

Question: Is there any preference for in-state bidders over those out-of-state? 

Response: No

Question: Is there an expected duration for this contract? 

Response: No