HomeMy WebLinkAboutRFP - 9084 OUR CLIMATE FUTURERFP 9084 Our Climate Future Page 1 of 34
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
9084 OUR CLIMATE FUTURE
RFP DUE: 3:00 PM MST (our clock), February 25, 2020
The City of Fort Collins (City) is requesting proposals from qualified firms and teams to
support updates to the Climate Action Plan, Energy Policy and Road to Zero Waste, a project
collectively called Our Climate Future (learn more at https://ourcity.fcgov.com/ourclimatefuture).
This planning update is combining three planning efforts that have numerous
interdependencies, opportunities and challenges.
As part of the City’s commitment to Sustainable Purchasing, proposals should be submitted
online through the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System (RMEPS) at
http://www.bidnetdirect.com/colorado/city-of-fort-collins. Note: please ensure adequate time to
submit proposals through RMEPS. Proposals not submitted by the designated Opening Date
and Time will not be accepted by the system.
All questions should be submitted at any time, in writing via email, to Pat Johnson, CPPB,
Senior Buyer at pjohnson@fcgov.com. Final questions shall be submitted no later than 4:00
p.m. MT (our clock) on February 7, 2020. Please format your email to include: 9084 Our
Climate Future in the subject line. Respondent communication regarding the proposal with other
City personnel is prohibited and shall be grounds for disqualification. Responses to all questions
submitted before the deadline will be addressed in an addendum and posted on the Rocky
Mountain E-Purchasing System webpage.
Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System hosted by BidNet
A copy of the RFP may be obtained at http://www.bidnetdirect.com/colorado/city-of-fort-collins.
This RFP has been posted utilizing the following Commodity Code(s):
91841 Energy Conservation Consulting
96131 Energy Comprehensive Performance Services
Prohibition of Unlawful Discrimination: The City of Fort Collins, in accordance with the
provisions of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (78 Stat. 252, 42 US.C. §§ 2000d to 2000d-
4) and the Regulations, hereby notifies all bidders that it will affirmatively ensure that any
contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises will be
afforded full and fair opportunity to submit bids in response to this invitation and will not be
discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an
award.
The City strictly prohibits unlawful discrimination based on an individual’s gender (regardless of
gender identity or gender expression), race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, age
40 years or older, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, or other
characteristics protected by law. For the purpose of this policy “sexual orientation” means a
person’s actual or perceived orientation toward heterosexuality, homosexuality, and bisexuality.
The City also strictly prohibits unlawful harassment in the workplace, including sexual
harassment. Further, the City strictly prohibits unlawful retaliation against a person who
engages in protected activity. Protected activity includes an employee complaining that he or
she has been discriminated against in violation of the above policy or participating in an
employment discrimination proceeding.
Financial Services
Purchasing Division
215 N. Mason St. 2nd Floor
PO Box 580
Fort Collins, CO 80522
970.221.6775
970.221.6707
fcgov.com/purchasing
RFP 9084 Our Climate Future Page 2 of 34
The City requires its vendors to comply with the City’s policy for equal employment opportunity
and to prohibit unlawful discrimination, harassment and retaliation. This requirement applies to
all third-party vendors and their subcontractors at every tier.
Public Viewing Copy: The City is a governmental entity subject to the Colorado Open Records
Act, C.R.S. §§ 24-72-200.1 et seq. (“CORA”). Any proposals submitted hereunder are subject
to public disclosure by the City pursuant to CORA and City ordinances. Vendors may submit
one (1) additional complete proposal clearly marked “FOR PUBLIC VIEWING.” In this version
of the proposal, the Vendor may redact text and/or data that it deems confidential or proprietary
pursuant to CORA. Such statement does not necessarily exempt such documentation from
public disclosure if required by CORA, by order of a court of appropriate jurisdiction, or other
applicable law. Generally, under CORA trade secrets, confidential commercial and financial
data information is not required to be disclosed by the City. Proposals may not be marked
“Confidential” or ‘Proprietary’ in their entirety. All provisions of any contract resulting from
this request for proposal will be public information.
New Vendors: The City requires new Vendors receiving awards from the City to fill out and
submit an IRS form W-9 and to register for Direct Deposit (Electronic) payment. If needed, the
W-9 form and the Vendor Direct Deposit Authorization Form can be found on the City’s
Purchasing website at www.fcgov.com/purchasing under Vendor Reference Documents. Please
do not submit with your proposal.
Sales Prohibited/Conflict of Interest: No officer, employee, or member of City Council, shall
have a financial interest in the sale to the City of any real or personal property, equipment,
material, supplies or services where such officer or employee exercises directly or indirectly any
decision-making authority concerning such sale or any supervisory authority over the services to
be rendered. This rule also applies to subcontracts with the City. Soliciting or accepting any gift,
gratuity favor, entertainment, kickback or any items of monetary value from any person who has
or is seeking to do business with the City of Fort Collins is prohibited.
Collusive or Sham Proposals: Any proposal deemed to be collusive or a sham proposal will
be rejected and reported to authorities as such. Your authorized signature of this proposal
assures that such proposal is genuine and is not a collusive or sham proposal.
The City of Fort Collins reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and to waive any
irregularities or informalities.
Utilization of Award by Other Agencies: The City of Fort Collins reserves the right to allow
other state and local governmental agencies, political subdivisions, and/or school districts to
utilize the resulting award under all terms and conditions specified and upon agreement by all
parties. Usage by any other entity shall not have a negative impact on the City of Fort Collins in
the current term or in any future terms.
The selected Vendor shall be expected to sign the City’s standard Agreement prior to
commencing Services (see sample attached to this Proposal).
Sincerely,
Gerry Paul
Purchasing Director
RFP 9084 Our Climate Future Page 3 of 34
I. INTRODUCTION
The City of Fort Collins (City) is a regional and national leader in sustainability and has a
responsibility to meet the goals set forth through multiple plans, with an emphasis on the
goals set for 2030. Accordingly, the City is requesting proposals from qualified firms and
teams to support the remaining phases of updates to the Climate Action Plan, Energy Policy
and Road to Zero Waste, called Our Climate Future (the Plan) (learn more at
https://ourcity.fcgov.com/ourclimatefuture). This planning update is combining these three
planning efforts that have numerous interdependencies, opportunities and challenges, while
providing flexibility for the final products to be one, two, or three plans. The City is seeking
comprehensive proposals from firms or teams which address the overall scope; however,
the City may accept proposals which address specific scope topics from which the City may
award more than one contract.
The anticipated period of performance for this project is March through December 2020.
II. ANTICIPATED SCHEDULE
The following represents the City’s target schedule for the RFP. The City reserves the right to
amend the target schedule at any time.
• RFP Issuance: January 28, 2020
• Final Day for Written Questions: February 7, 2020 (4:00 pm)
• Addendum Issued in Response to Questions: February 12, 2020 (5:00pm)
• Proposals Due: February 25, 2020 (3:00 pm)
• Interviews (tentative): Week of March 9, 2020
III. PURPOSE AND GOALS
In 2019 and running through 2020, the City is updating three plans: Climate Action Plan,
Energy Policy, and the Road to Zero Waste Plan. These combined planning processes are
being conducted together with the goal of providing a seamless and streamlined
engagement process for the community, where if a community member or business
engages with one plan, they can impact all three. Collectively, these planning updates are
being called “Our Climate Future.”
The City is approaching multiple aspects of the planning, goal and strategy development
through a racial equity lens to better engage historically underrepresented individuals and
groups in Fort Collins, reducing negative impacts and outcomes, while optimizing
opportunities that will benefit all Fort Collins community members. An equity consultant,
Movement Strategy Center, has already been selected to support the overall planning effort.
Movement Strategy Center will act as a key partner with City staff and the selected
Consultant(s) from this RFP to deliver on the project’s outcomes, including, but not limited
to, advising on equitable community engagement practices, equitable approaches to
strategy identification and design, and identifying the tensions and synergies of the selected
Big Moves and First Moves from an equity lens.
These plans will be framed around “Big Moves”, which represent broad outcome areas,
which then inform the “First Moves,” or the first steps that make progress on the “Big
Moves”. See Figure 1 for an example of how these concepts might relate to each other.
RFP 9084 Our Climate Future Page 4 of 34
The goal of this RFP is to identify qualified firms and teams to support the next phase of Our
Climate Future, either in whole or in part, to achieve the following:
a. Support City staff and the community in identifying the “Big Moves” or critical
outcomes that support both the community priorities and the ambitious goals Fort
Collins has set.
Figure 1: This graphic illustrates an example of what the City means by Big Moves and First Moves. For
example, the City has already set a goal of 100% renewable electricity by 2030. This process will
identify the Big Moves needed overall to achieve both the goals set and the community’s priorities, the
strategies needed to achieve them, and the “First Moves” that should be taken to begin achieving the
Big Move.
b. Work with staff, local subject matter experts, and community (through existing and
ongoing input) to identify the “First Moves” that should be taken to achieve more
equitable outcomes, the community’s priorities, and overarching “Big Moves” and
goals.
1. Identification of First Moves should be accompanied by specific strategies
and tactics, indicators to know if they are on track, clarification of the roles for
local government and other stakeholders, methods by which to accomplish
strategies and the most effective scale for action.
c. Review and technical analysis of First Moves, Big Moves and multiple scenarios to
evaluate their impact and likelihood of success on equity, mitigation and resilience
RFP 9084 Our Climate Future Page 5 of 34
outcomes, including tensions and areas of opportunity between strategies.
d. Support City staff in synthesizing the Big Moves and First Moves into a final plan or
plans (plans may be combined or stay separate).
The ideal consultant team and/or teams will have expertise in how leading edge cities are
centering their climate and sustainability planning in equity, the subject areas outlined below
in the “Focus of Effort” section with an emphasis on energy, waste reduction/sustainable
materials management, resilience, and metrics. The winning Consultant(s) will demonstrate
skills navigating the planning complexities of climate mitigation, resilience and equity and
assist staff in strategy identification, scenario design, and technical analysis (feasibility,
impact on goals and community priorities) of the planning processes and final plan
document; and successfully work with the selected consultant(s) and other sub-consultants.
Note that City staff is leading the community engagement efforts associated with Our
Climate Future, and while consultants may be asked to provide feedback and/or attend
engagement events, it is not anticipated that the selected consultant team will lead
engagement efforts.
IV. BACKGROUND
Our Climate Future builds on Fort Collins’ goals and leads with equity in both the update
process and intended outcomes of the plans. Achieving the community’s goals and
strengthening them through this planning process will impact every community member – it
will mean better individual health, better air and water quality, increased and reliable
transportation options, and a safer community (see more details in the separately issued
Existing Conditions Document draft). With community partners embedded in this process,
we can move toward these outcomes and others that are most important to our community
members.
What goals has Fort Collins set?
Climate Action Plan Energy
Road to Zero
Waste
Reduce carbon
emissions by:
• 20 percent below
2005 levels by 2020
• 80 percent below
2005 levels by 2030
• Carbon neutral by
2050
Energy Efficiency:
• Increase savings
incrementally to 2.5%
savings per year by
2020
Renewable Electricity:
• Increase renewable
energy to a minimum of
20% by 2020
• Achieve 100%
renewable electricity by
2030
Overall Waste
Diversion:
• 75% diversion
by 2020
• 90% by 2025
• Zero waste by
2030
Per Capita
Diversion:
• 2.8 pounds /
day by 2025
RFP 9084 Our Climate Future Page 6 of 34
Why Our Climate Future now?
Most of the community’s efforts have focused on achieving the near-term 2020 goals, e.g., a
20% reduction in carbon emissions below 2005 levels (Climate Action Plan); improved
efficiency resulting in a 2.5% electricity savings (Energy Policy); and a 75% diversion of our
community’s waste (Road to Zero Waste Plan). While achieving the 2020 Climate Action
and Energy Policy goals is largely within reach, the current community diversion rate at 57%
(see Figure 5), the Road to Zero Waste goal of 75% diversion by 2020 is unlikely to be met.
This is due to changes in recycling markets (see waste chapter), population and
construction activity growth in our community. It is time to focus on the transformational
strategies and policy solutions that will be needed to achieve the 2030 goals and position
the community to achieve its 2050 goal of carbon neutrality.
The scope of Our Climate Future (OCF) does not include a review of the carbon reduction
targets and 100% renewable electricity targets noted above. However, OCF may result in
interim carbon targets and is expected to include ongoing “sub-goals” related to energy,
resilience, and equity. Updated waste reduction goal options are an anticipated deliverable
for this project.
Our Climate Future has three phases.
• Phase One: Understanding Community Priorities (Fall 2019)
• Phase Two: Getting Detailed (i.e., Strategic Planning, Jan-August 2020)
• Phase Three: Putting it all Together (i.e., Plan Release & Adoption, August-
December 2020)
Understanding Community Priorities. In the first phase of the planning process,
community members were asked to respond to a series of questions, e.g., what does a
sustainable Fort Collins look like to you and what could keep us from getting there? The
purpose of this phase was to understand community needs, concerns, and values around
and beyond the three plans being updated. By asking broad questions that go beyond
typical climate, waste, and energy subjects, staff hoped to understand where carefully
tailored climate/waste/energy actions could also address other community needs. Over 500
community members responded to the questions, 2000 community members visited the Our
City webpage for Our Climate Future, and hundreds of hours of community engagement
occurred with an emphasis on populations that have historically been underrepresented
including communities of color, individuals under the age of 29, and more. Staff is currently
compiling the themes associated with this initial engagement. These themes as well as the
overall community goals will serve as the basis for developing the “Big Moves” (or high
impact strategies) in Phase Two. The draft themes will be available approximately January
31, 2020.
V. FOCUS OF EFFORT
For this phase of the work, and in order to identify the Big Moves and First Moves that will
enable Fort Collins to achieve its goals, several areas of focus will be prioritized within this
planning effort (see the separately issued draft Existing Conditions document for additional
context):
Equity
The planning processes are being centered in equity – both from a process and
outcome perspective. From a process perspective, ensuring that all residents and
businesses have meaningful opportunity to engage and impact the plans is critical.
From an outcome perspective, we will focus on how the selected strategies and final
RFP 9084 Our Climate Future Page 7 of 34
plan outcomes will benefit everyone (i.e., how does a carbon neutral Fort Collins
benefit everyone?). Note that Movement Strategy Center will act as the project’s
primary equity consultant, yet all teams should have grounding in equity from a
process and outcomes perspective.
Resilience
Building community resilience to climate change impacts and hazards will be part of
the expanded focus for the OCF planning effort. While the City organization has been
addressing adaptation and resilience on different scales for many years, this will be
the first time we will engage formally with the Fort Collins community about the local
climate change impacts, which will then inform the development of strategies that
address current and future challenges to community members, City systems and
infrastructure. With that said, the intention and expectation is that the OCF planning
effort will not result in a comprehensive resilience plan but will build and assist with
systematic approach that other community planning efforts (e.g. water resource and
conservation planning) are currently and will be addressing in the near future. The
focus on climate resilience is intended to be integrated in all areas of OCF strategies
versus a separate section or addendum.
Energy and Buildings
Electricity powers our lives, local economy, homes and businesses and these uses
comprise 50% of the community carbon inventory. Fort Collins has traditionally
been served by coal power plants and some long-term hydro-electric sources. As a
municipally owned electric utility with regional cooperation as a member-owner of
Platte River Power Authority, Fort Collins has a substantial level of influence and
control over electricity supply options. By the end of 2020, non-carbon resources
will comprise 50% of the electricity mix, resulting in a sharp decrease in community
carbon emissions.
The City’s first energy policy was the 2003 Electric Energy Supply Policy. In 2009, it
was revised and renamed the Energy Policy, and reflects a more comprehensive
approach for energy issues and includes electricity, heating and transportation
fuels, and the interactions between them. Generally, the community has access to
very detailed data regarding the sources and use of electricity. The Energy Policy
annual reporting provides a regular and consistent mechanism for tracking
objectives and metrics.
In October 2018, City Council adopted a 100% Renewable Electricity by 2030 goal.
Later in 2018, Platte River Power Authority’s board of directors adopted a Resource
Diversification Policy which includes a target of 100% non-carbon resources by 2030.
The Energy Policy also recognizes the essential role for designing, maintaining and
operating the local electricity distribution system in meeting the community’s goals,
as well as the key collaboration with Platte River Power Authority and the other owner
communities.
While it is expected that Platte River will provide 100% renewable electricity
generation resources, the distribution utility envisions its role to include solutions
that can help fill generation capacity gaps, whether that includes energy/electricity
storage or distributing local renewable generation. Operational technology
advancements, infrastructure upgrades and installations, and the expected
RFP 9084 Our Climate Future Page 8 of 34
transition to electricity markets in the next 10 years are all part of the plan to support
these goals while maintaining a safe, reliable, and affordable electric distribution
system.
Where we live and work is much more than a category to consider climate
strategies and impacts. Our buildings and homes represent the physical fabric of
our community and are the places where we connect with family, friends and
colleagues. As we move towards a low-carbon future, the status of our homes and
businesses will impact every resident of Fort Collins.
The building sector has historically been Fort Collins’ top energy consumer and
contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Approximately two-thirds of energy use,
both electricity and natural gas, are consumed by the non-residential (aka business
or commercial) sector, with one third used by residential buildings (both single- and
multi-family).
Improving the use performance of new buildings has been a priority through
adopting and enforcing current International Energy Conservation Codes and
providing efficiency incentives through utility incentives or tax benefits for new metro
districts.
A wide range of City policies and plans impact the energy and carbon impacts of
where we live and work. These include City Plan, the City Strategic Plan, Zoning
Code, Building Codes, Energy Policy and Climate Action Plan. Similarly, a wide
range of data are available which characterize the energy and carbon intensity of
our buildings and industrial uses.
Sustainable Materials Management
Choosing what to purchase and how to dispose of discards are daily decisions for
every member of the community. Recycling is a tangible way to take action and can
often be a gateway into further sustainable choices. It is a topic that garners strong
passion in the Fort Collins community. When viewed through a consumption lens, the
extraction of raw materials, conversion into products, transportation of those products,
and their use and disposal account for a significant portion of greenhouse gas
emissions, which draw a strong connection with Fort Collins' climate action goals.
Fort Collins subscribes to the sustainable materials management approach to waste
management, which involves looking at opportunities to use materials in the most
productive way possible throughout their life cycle. This continues to expand upon
previous approaches that focused primarily on managing materials only at the end of
their life-cycle as waste. The City seeks to design goals, metrics and strategies that
center on the system as a whole, and prioritize waste reduction, then reuse when
possible, and then support the systems for recycling / composting.
Fort Collins has an open-market trash and recycling collection system for residential
and commercial materials. Through licensing, Fort Collins requires haulers to provide
volume based pricing with bundled recycling (Pay-As-You-Throw)
[https://www.fcgov.com/recycling/trash-rates.php] for single family homes, and will
require haulers provide recycling to all multi-family and commercial customers by the
end of 2020 [https://www.fcgov.com/recycling/community-recycling-ordinance/].
There is significant community interest in composting. Grocers have been required to
RFP 9084 Our Climate Future Page 9 of 34
have compost collection for food scraps since the end of 2017, and haulers must offer
optional seasonal yard trimming service for an additional fee to all single family
residents.
Limited infrastructure for composting has been a hurdle to further compost program
development. Through the North Front Range Regional Wasteshed project,
[https://www.fcgov.com/recycling/wasteshed.php] plans to develop infrastructure for
composting organics is underway, as well as a facility to process construction and
demolition recycling.
Planning for this topic has been rooted in City Plan and the 2013 Road to Zero Waste
plan [https://www.fcgov.com/zerowaste/]. In 2013, aggressive and aspirational goals
were adopted in Fort Collins. Successful applicants will compare the Road to Zero
Waste plan with current progress and emerging topics to recommend areas of
continued work as well as highlight new opportunities that will fit the community's
unique situation. A deep dive into goals (including re-assessing the 2013 goals) and
metrics for this topic will also be key deliverables.
Initiative Interaction and Systems Thinking
Every initiative selected in a planning process is a part of a larger system. A key focus
of the planning process is how each initiative interacts, e.g., how does increasing
electric vehicles on the system improve air quality while increasing demands on the
electrical system. If initiatives are approached solely from a voluntary perspective, can
the goals be reached, or which initiatives must be regulatory in order to achieve the
overarching Big Moves and community priorities? How do we prioritize initiatives that
work across the nexus of mitigation (greenhouse gas reduction) and resilience?
Low-carbon Mobility Strategies
Fort Collins adopted an update to City Plan in 2019, which included a suite of
transportation strategies that align with reducing vehicle miles traveled, enhancing
mobility options, and improving air quality. These strategies tell us “what” needs to be
done, but there are still many questions about “how”- particularly in the area of
behavior change. As Fort Collins transitions to a low-carbon community, what are the
highest priority strategies that address what the community needs and decarbonizes
our transportation systems? What are the right scales of action, e.g., local versus
statewide, and levers to pull given Fort Collins is already significantly built out? What
are the best practices for accelerating the identified strategies and achieving
measurable reductions in VMT (vehicle miles traveled) and mobile emissions?
Strategies should build off the Transportation Master Plan section of City Plan and
align with the overall climate goals.
Benefits, Risks, Metrics, and Indicators
Understanding how our work is moving us toward an equitable, resilient, and
sustainable Fort Collins is critical in this planning process. To do so, we are prioritizing
identification of benefits and risks of strategies beyond mitigation and cost-
effectiveness and developing indicators to tell us if we are increasing community-wide
benefits and reducing risks. These indicators are important at both Big Moves and
First Moves levels of the plan.
The City has developed an in-house carbon emissions inventory and model to
measure success for greenhouse gas emissions reduction, benefit/cost of individual
RFP 9084 Our Climate Future Page 10 of 34
strategies and impacts on the goal. This project will leverage this in-house model (i.e.,
Climate Action Plan model) and support staff in revising it to ensure measures are
relatable and varied as well as address equity and resilience goals to be set in the
process. The final products should ensure staff and the community are better
equipped to tell consistent stories that capture the complex and multifaceted effects
of this work.
Long-term Partnerships
Achieving community goals and priorities will require more actors than local
government alone. A key aspect of this planning process is identifying the various
stakeholders and levels, e.g., community, statewide, national, etc., at which action
should take place. The final strategies will identify who should lead each strategy, the
role of local government, and the scale at which action should take place. Strategies
that can be led in partnerships should be identified.
VI. ADMINISTRATION
This is a cooperative effort that will be managed between the City’s Environmental Services
(Climate and Waste Reduction and Recycling Teams) and Utilities (Energy Services Team).
The selected consultant team(s) will confer/meet with the project members on a regular
basis to review progress, present deliverables and findings, and solicit direction. In addition,
Movement Strategy Center will serve as the project’s equity consultant. There is an
expectation that consultant team(s) will collaborate with each other and all involved staff and
community members.
In addition to the project management team, several internal teams will advise the planning
process and are comprised of representatives from various City Departments and programs
(Social Sustainability, Utilities Community Engagement, Planning, Economic Health, Light
and Power, Water Conservation, Air Quality, etc.). In addition, there is extensive community
engagement already underway in the project, including via the Climate Action Plan
Community Advisory Committee, the Project’s Community Partners and Plan Ambassadors,
and the City’s Boards and Commissions.
VII. SCOPE OF PROPOSAL
The draft scope of work outlined below provides guidance to responding consultant teams
by outlining the major elements the City has identified for this effort. That said, the City
anticipates that this scope of work and final cost will be revised and finalized collaboratively
after Consultant selection. We encourage innovative and thoughtful proposals that
demonstrate understanding of the tasks outlined as well as other potential creative and
forward-thinking ideas and tasks that may be beneficial to incorporate during the work plan
finalization task.
Task 1: Project Kickoff and Coordination
The selected team will meet with staff, preferably in-person, to finalize the work plan
together and integrate the consultant team with existing project team members to align
workstreams. This will include, at a minimum, the following elements:
a. Presentation of the proposed final scope of work with detailed tasks and objectives,
with opportunities to co-create this final scope together
• Detailed schedule identifying key milestones and deliverables
• Staffing plan which outlines consultant and City staff roles
RFP 9084 Our Climate Future Page 11 of 34
• Sub-group check-ins to discuss the contents of the Existing Conditions document
and ground consultant team on existing programs, policies, and other relevant
local conditions
Estimated Schedule: 1 month from selection (including signed contracts)
Deliverables: Work Plan, Budget, and Schedule
Task 2: Identification and Evaluation of “Big Moves”
As noted in the Purpose and Goals, the project is using the concepts of Big Moves and First
Moves to structure the plans. Big Moves are transformational changes which will enable the
community to become carbon neutral by 2050, powered by 100% renewable electricity and
become zero waste by 2030, while accomplishing equity and resilience outcomes. Big
Moves may include “what,” e.g., carbon neutral buildings, extended producer responsibility
for all products entering Fort Collins, or access to transit for all residents, or the “how,” e.g.,
collaborative governance to achieve community goals. First Moves are more specific
strategies, steps and sequencing necessary to achieve the Big Moves.
Community workshops are planned which will bring together staff subject matter experts,
community stakeholders and the general public to provide a platform to summarize
community priorities, develop criteria for review and brainstorm Big and First Moves. The
potential (greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions, resilience, and equity) of both Big
Moves (outlined here) and First Moves (Task 3) will need to be quantified in order to
establish their contribution toward the various objectives.
Staff anticipates the consultant team(s) will support this task in the following ways:
a. Support design of the community workshops
b. Identify outcome metrics for Big Moves so staff and the community can prioritize
based on their potential to make progress toward the goals and other priorities (i.e.
GHG/waste/energy, as well as equity and resilience).
1. Where outcome metrics are not available or applicable, develop closely-
related activity metrics as indicators.
c. Using the identified metrics, create an evaluation framework to support the
selection/prioritization of Big Moves.
d. Simultaneously (to the prior two bullets), conduct peer city research on Big Moves.
1. Provide general descriptions, best practices, key dependencies, who leads
the various efforts and at what scales, etc.
2. Where possible, pull outcome data from other cities using the evaluation
framework for side-by-side comparison.
3. Iterate on suggested metrics based on what other cities have done.
e. Conduct an analysis on the identified Big Moves using the evaluation framework.
1. Create a status-quo case (some Big Moves are already underway) and a
2030 and/or 2050 case(s) (potential impact in those years).
2. Consider GHG/waste/energy, equity, and resilience
f. The framework could be a scenario-based tool or be developed from a different
approach but should be at a high enough level to allow staff to quickly test
assumptions without significant inputs.
Estimated Schedule: 3 months
Deliverables: Recommended outcome metrics, peer city research, assessment framework
for evaluating the Big Moves, evaluation of the Big Moves
RFP 9084 Our Climate Future Page 12 of 34
Task 3: Identification and Development of “First Moves”
First Moves are the specific strategies, steps and sequencing necessary to achieve the Big
Moves. First Moves to be evaluated will be identified from the community workshops and
supplemented by the staff and consultant team. Identification of First Moves should be
accompanied by specific strategies and tactics, indicators to know if they are on track (and
projections to understand their potential), clarification of the roles for local government and
other stakeholders, methods by which to accomplish strategies and the most effective scale
for action.
a. Identify activity/output metrics that can be used to evaluate potential impact of First
Moves, as well as track progress when in the implementation phase. These activity
metrics should show impact to GHG mitigation, the reduction of related activities,
such as waste generation, resilience, and equity, as well as who leads the various
efforts and at what scale.
b. Design framework for First Moves (strategy and tactic) evaluation that expands the
evaluation framework described in Task 2 to model impacts at a more detailed level.
1. Expand the framework to include likelihood of success on these outcomes,
areas of tension and or opportunity between strategies, e.g., if a regulatory
approach is adopted, how does this approach affect ability to accomplish the
goals, versus a voluntary/incentive-based approach?
2. Design in a way that aligns or compliments existing City modeling tools and
can be leveraged for tracking once in implementation (see Task 4).
c. Similar to Task 2, conduct peer city research on strategies and tactics.
1. Provide general descriptions, best practices, key dependencies, who leads,
at what scale, etc.
2. Where possible, pull activity/output data from other cities using the evaluation
framework for side-by-side comparison.
3. Iterate on suggested metrics based on what other cities have done.
d. Conduct an analysis on the identified First Moves using the evaluation framework.
1. Create a status-quo case (some First Moves are already underway) and a
2030 and/or 2050 case(s) that forecast how much these strategies can
contribute to the Big Moves.
2. Consider GHG mitigation, the reduction of related activities, such as waste
generation, resilience, and equity.
3. Suggest/compile additional datasets and forecasts to improve on existing
data used by staff or to close known gaps.
e. Participate in meetings of the existing Climate Action Plan Performance
Measurement team, as needed, to ensure alignment of the above tasks with existing
staff needs and processes. Develop and implement framework and related tools
based on the direction of this team.
Estimated Schedule: 3 months
Deliverables: Recommended activity metrics, peer city research; synthesis of strategies and
tactics (First Moves) for the plan focus areas as noted above; Current and Future-state
(2030/2050) analyses of First Moves potential across mitigation, equity, and resilience; New
datasets and forecasts to support modeling.
Task 4: Assess the City’s Existing Tools and Recommend How to Integrate the
Evaluation Framework into Existing Tools and Monitoring Processes
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Fort Collins is fortunate to have extensive data processing, GHG accounting, financial
analysis, and general modeling expertise. As such, staff does most of its data work and
metric tracking in-house. For this planning process, due to scale and capacity, consultant
expertise will be leveraged for some of these efforts in close collaboration with staff so that
anything new will be able to interact with or complement existing systems.
Staff anticipates the consultant team(s) will support this task in the following ways:
a. Recommend how the City can integrate the evaluation framework into existing tools
or create complimentary tools.
b. Design evaluation framework and metrics in a way that they can be leveraged for
monitoring during implementation. Suggest a process for monitoring and equip staff
to be able to regularly pull data consistent with what is used in the modeling of Big
Moves and First Moves.
Estimated Schedule: 3 months, anticipated to be concurrent with Tasks 2 and 3
Deliverables: Recommendation for integrating framework into existing tools; Suggested
process for leveraging framework for ongoing tracking.
Task 5: Support in drafting the Final Plan(s)
Support City staff in synthesizing the Big Moves and First Moves into a final plan or plans
(plans may be combined or stay separate).
Assemble findings into a final report (doc format), to be used to inform the Final Plan. Report
should include, at a minimum:
a. Co-create a working definition of “Big Moves” and “First Moves” with staff
b. Document peer city research regarding “Big Moves” and “First Moves”
c. Final evaluation of “Big Moves” and “First Moves”, along with description of metrics
and indicators used to evaluate.
1. Data visualization to show the relationship between Big Moves and First
Moves, as well as between equity, resilience, and mitigation.
d. Proposed implementation timeline to meet 2030 and 2050 goals.
Estimated Schedule: Thru 2020
Deliverables: Definitions; Documentation of peer city research; Evaluation and data
visualization; Summary of public feedback; Implementation timeline.
VIII. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
A. Budget
The budget for this scope of work is limited to $80,000, with an additional $20,000
anticipated after the re-appropriation process therefore Consultants are invited to submit
proposals with the tasks prioritized to aid the City in working together with the selected
firm to identify and implement core tasks within the budget available for this project.
B. Interviews
In addition to submitting a written proposal, the top-rated Consultants may be interviewed
by the RFP assessment team and asked to participate in an oral presentation to provide
an overview of the company, approach to the project and to address questions. The
RFP 9084 Our Climate Future Page 14 of 34
evaluation criteria for the oral interviews will be the same as the criteria for the written
evaluations and is included in Section IV.
C. Travel & Expenses
Consultants are to provide a list of fees for reimbursable expenses. Reasonable expenses
will be reimbursable per the current rates found at www.gsa.gov.
D. Subcontractors
Consultants will be responsible for identifying any subcontractors in their proposal. Please
note that the City will contract solely with the awarded Consultant; therefore,
subcontractors will be the responsibility of the Consultant.
E. Fees, Licenses, Permits
The successful Consultant shall be responsible for obtaining any necessary licenses, fees
or permits without additional expense to the City. All equipment shall be properly licensed
and insured, carry the appropriate permits and be placarded as required by law.
F. Laws and Regulations
The Consultant agrees to comply fully with all applicable local, State of Colorado and
Federal laws and regulations and municipal ordinances.
G. Work Orders
The awarded Consultant(s) will be expected to sign the City’s standard work order type
services agreement, a sample of which is attached as Section VI for reference purposes.
In the event that the City has agreements with multiple Consultants for the Work, the City
reserves the right to choose which Consultant to contact regarding the project or portion
of the project, unless order of preference has been established during the contracting
process.
Individual work assignments will be requested and agreed to utilizing the City’s standard
Work Order (included in the agreement). Each Work Order form must include a start and
completion date, total cost and a general summary of work. Subsequent supporting
documentation pages may include a project schedule, deliverables, hours, cost detail
supporting total cost, and personnel details. Fees outlined in the work order will conform
with those submitted in the RFP response and subsequently included in the contract.
No work order over $5,000 will be considered valid until signed, at a minimum, by
the Consultant, project manager and Purchasing Department representative.
Depending on the cost and nature of the work, additional signature authorization may be
required. Any changes to the dates, cost or scope of any Work Order must be agreed
upon in writing utilizing the City’s Change Order (included in the agreement) and will not
be considered valid until signed, at a minimum, by the Consultant, project manager and
Purchasing Department representative.
H. Invoicing and Payment
Invoices should be emailed monthly to invoices@fcgov.com with a copy to the Project
Manager. The cost of the work completed shall be paid to the Consultant each month
following the submittal of a correct invoice by the Consultant indicating the project name,
Purchase Order number, task description, hours worked, personnel/work type category,
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hourly rate for each employee/work type category, date of the work performed specific to
the task, percentage of that work that has been completed by task, 3rd party supporting
documentation with the same detail and a brief progress report.
Payments will be made using the prices listed on the agreed-to Price Schedule. In the
event a service is requested which is not listed on the Price Schedule, the Consultant and
the City will negotiate an appropriate unit price for the service prior to Consultant initiating
such work.
The City pays invoices on Net 30 terms.
IX. PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL
Please limit the total length of your proposal to a maximum of twenty-five (25) double sided or
fifty (50) single sided 8 ½ x 11” pages (excluding cover pages, table of contents, dividers and
Acknowledgement form). Font shall be a minimum of 10 Arial and margins are limited to no
less than .5” for sides and top/bottom. Extended page sizes, such as 11” x 17”, count as a
single page. Please, no embedded documents. Proposals that do not conform to these
requirements may be rejected
For this section, Consultants are required to provide detailed written responses to the following
items in the order outlined below. The responses shall be considered technical offers of what
Consultants propose to provide and shall be incorporated in the contract award as deemed
appropriate by the City. A proposal that does not include all the information required may be
deemed non-responsive and subject to rejection.
Responses must include all the items in the order listed below. It is suggested that the
Consultants include each of the City’s questions with their response immediately following the
question.
The City of Fort Collins shall not reimburse any firm for costs incurred in the preparation and
presentation of their proposal.
A. Cover Letter / Executive Summary
The Executive Summary should highlight the content of the proposal and features of the
program offered, including a general description of the program and any unique aspects
or benefits provided by your firm.
Indicate your availability to participate in the interviews/demonstrations on the proposed
dates as stated in the Schedule section.
B. Consultant Information
1. Describe the Consultant’s business and background
2. Number of years in the business
3. Details about ownership
4. An overview of services offered and qualifications
5. Size of the firm
6. Location(s) of offices. If multiple, please identify which will be the primary for our
account.
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7. Primary contact information for the company including contact name(s) and title(s),
mailing address(s), phone number(s), and email address(s). Complete Section V,
Consultant Statement.
C. Scope of Proposal
1. Provide a detailed narrative of the services proposed if awarded the contract per the
information above. The narrative should include any options that may be beneficial
for the City to consider.
2. Describe how the project would be managed and who would have primary
responsibility for its timely and professional completion. Include a description
regarding how the analysis will be performed for the various identified areas
identified, the methods and assumptions used, and the limitations of the analysis.
3. Describe the methods and timeline of communication your firm will use with the
City’s Project Manager and other parties.
4. Include a description of the software and other analysis tools to be used.
5. Identify what portion of work, if any, may be subcontracted.
6. Are other qualified personnel available to assist in meeting the project schedule if
required?
7. Is the project team available to attend meetings as required by the Scope of Work?
8. Provide a project schedule showing key milestones, deliverable dates, proposed
meeting dates for the Advisory Group, public meetings and presentations to various
boards and commissions.
9. Can the work be completed in the necessary timeframe, with target start and
completion dates met?
10. It is expected that this project will be a highly collaborative effort. City staff will be
working closely with the successful respondent on all aspects of the planning
process and in some cases leading elements of the study. Within your response
please include how you would work with City staff to conduct the scope of work in an
effort to save costs wherever possible.
D. Firm Capability
Provide relevant information regarding previous experience related to this or similar
Projects, to include the following:
1. Provide an Organization Chart/Proposed Project Team: An organization chart
containing the names of all key personnel and sub-consultants with titles and their
specific task assignment for this Agreement shall be provided in this section.
2. A list of qualifications for your firm and qualifications and experience of the specific
staff members proposed to perform the consulting services described above.
3. Provide a minimum of two similar projects with public agencies in the last 5 years
that have involved the staff proposed to work on this project. Include the owner’s
name, title of project, beginning price, ending price, contact name, email and phone
number, sub-consultants on the team and a brief description of the work and any
change orders.
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Identify projects that worked across the mitigation, resilience, and equity nexus.
Include greenhouse gas mitigation, resilience, and equity within your planning
products.
The Consultant authorizes City to verify any and all information contained in the
Consultant’s submittal from references contained herein and hereby releases all
those concerned providing information as a reference from any liability in connection
with any information they give.
4. Provide examples of at least two projects where you’ve worked with your sub-
consultants. List the sub-consultant firm(s) for this Agreement, their area(s) of
expertise, and include all other applicable information herein requested for each sub-
consultant. Identify what portion of work, if any, may be sub-contracted.
E. Assigned Personnel
1. List of Project Personnel: This list should include the identification of the contact
person with primary responsibility for this Agreement, the personnel proposed for this
Agreement, and any supervisory personnel, including partners and/or sub-
consultants, and their individual areas of responsibility.
2. A resume for each professional and technical person assigned to the Agreement,
including partners and/or sub-consultants, shall be submitted. The résumés shall
include at least three individual references from previous assignments. Please limit
resumes to one page.
3. Some functions of this project may require the use of sub-consultants. If you intend
to utilize sub-consultants you must list each and provide resumes for their key
personnel.
4. Describe the availability of project personnel to participate in this project in the
context of the Consultant’s other commitments.
5. Provide a list of similar projects completed in the last five (5) years by the key
members of the proposed team.
F. Sustainability/TBL Methodology
In concise terms (no more than two pages), please describe how your organization strives
to be sustainable. Address how your firm incorporates Triple Bottom Line (TBL) into the
workplace. See Section IV: Review and Assessment for additional information.
If possible, please highlight areas of opportunity in the project where sustainability could
be applied and/or improved.
G. Cost and Work Hours
Reasonable expenses will be reimbursable as per the attached Fort Collins Expense
Guidelines exhibit in the Sample Agreement. Consultant will be required to provide original
receipts to the City for all reimbursable expenses.
In your response to this proposal, please provide the following:
1. Estimated Hours by Task: Provide estimated hours for each proposed task by job
title and employee name, including the time required for meetings, conference calls,
etc.
RFP 9084 Our Climate Future Page 18 of 34
2. Cost by Task: Provide the cost of each task identified in the Scope of Proposal
section. Provide a total not to exceed figure for the Scope of Proposal. Price all
additional services/deliverables separately.
3. Schedule of Rates: Provide a schedule of billing rates by category of employee and
job title to be used during the term of the Agreement. This fee schedule will be firm
for at least one (1) year from the date of the Agreement. The fee schedule will be
used as a basis for determining fees should additional services be necessary.
Include a per meeting rate in the event additional meetings are needed. A fee
schedule for sub-consultants, if used, shall be included.
4. All direct costs (i.e., travel, printing, postage, etc.) specifically attributed to the project
and not included in the billing rates must be identified. Reasonable expenses will be
reimbursable per the current rates found at www.gsa.gov. Consultant will be required
to provide original receipts to the City for all travel expenses.
H. Additional Information
Provide any information that distinguishes Consultant from its competition and any
additional information applicable to this RFP that might be valuable in assessing
Consultant’s proposal.
Explain any concerns Consultant may have in maintaining objectivity in recommending
the best solution. All potential conflicts of interest must be disclosed.
Exceptions to the Scope of Services and City Agreement (a sample of which is
attached in Section VI) shall be documented.
X. REVIEW AND ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
A. Proposal and Interview Criteria
Consultants will be evaluated on the following criteria. These criteria will be the basis for
review and assessment of the written proposals and optional interview session. At the
discretion of the City, interviews of the top-rated Consultants may be conducted.
The rating scale shall be from 1 to 5, with 1 being a poor rating, 3 being an average rating,
and 5 being an outstanding rating.
WEIGHTING
FACTOR
QUALIFICATION STANDARD
2.0 Scope of Proposal
Does the proposal address all elements of the
RFP? Does the proposal show an
understanding of the project objectives,
methodology to be used and results/outcomes
required by the project? Are there any
exceptions to the specifications, Scope of Work,
or agreement? Does the proposal provide
examples of innovative engagement
techniques? Can the work be completed in the
necessary time? Can the target start and
completion dates be met? Are other qualified
personnel available to assist in meeting the
project schedule if required?
RFP 9084 Our Climate Future Page 19 of 34
2.0 Firm Capability
Does the firm have the resources, capacity and
support capabilities required to successfully
complete the project on-time and in-budget?
Has the firm successfully completed previous
projects of this type and scope?
2.0 Assigned Personnel
Do the persons who will be working on the
project have the necessary skills and
qualifications? Are sufficient people of the
requisite skills and qualifications assigned to the
project?
1.0
Sustainability/TBL
Methodology
Does the firm demonstrate a commitment to
Sustainability and incorporate equity and Triple
Bottom Line methodology in both their Scope of
Work for the project, and their day-to-day
business operating processes and procedures?
2.0 Cost & Work Hours
Does the proposal include detailed cost break-
down for each cost element as applicable and
are the line-item costs competitive? Do the
proposed cost and work hours compare
favorably with the Project Manager's estimate?
Are the work hours presented reasonable for the
effort required by each project task or phase?
Definitions
Sustainable Purchasing is a process for selecting products or services that have a lesser
or reduced negative effect on human health and the environment when compared with
competing products or services that serve the same purpose. This process is also known
as “Environmentally Preferable Purchasing” (EPP), or “Green Purchasing”.
The Triple Bottom Line (TBL) is an accounting framework that incorporates three
dimensions of performance: economic, or financial; environmental, and social. The
generally accepted definition for TBL is that it “captures the essence of sustainability by
measuring the impact of an organization’s activities on the world…including both its
profitability and shareholders values and its social, human, and environmental capital.”
B. Reference Evaluation Criteria
Prior to award, the Project Manager will check references using the following criteria.
Negative responses from references may impact the award determination.
CRITERIA STANDARD QUESTIONS
Overall Performance
Would you hire this Consultant again? Did they
show the skills required by this project?
Timetable
Was the original Scope of Work completed within the
specified time? Were interim deadlines met in a
timely manner?
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Completeness
Was the Consultant responsive to client needs; did
the Consultant anticipate problems? Were problems
solved quickly and effectively?
Budget
Was the original Scope of Work completed within the
project budget?
Job Knowledge
If a study, did it meet the Scope of Work?
If Consultant administered a construction contract,
was the project functional upon completion and did it
operate properly? Were problems corrected quickly
and effectively?
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XI. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Consultant hereby acknowledges receipt of the City of Fort Collins Request for Proposal and
acknowledges that it has read and agrees to be fully bound by all of the terms, conditions and
other provisions set forth in the RFP. Additionally, Consultant hereby makes the following
representations to City:
a. All of the statements and representations made in this proposal are true to the best of the
Consultant’s knowledge and belief.
b. Consultant commits that it is able to meet the terms provided in this proposal.
c. This proposal is a firm and binding offer, for a period of 90 days from the date hereof.
d. Consultant further agrees that the method of award is acceptable.
e. Consultant also agrees to complete the proposed Agreement with the City of Fort Collins
within 30 days of notice of award. If contract is not completed and signed within 30 days,
City reserves the right to cancel and award to the next highest rated firm.
f. Consultant acknowledge receipt of addenda.
Legal Firm Name:
Physical Address:
Remit to Address:
Phone:
Name of Authorized Agent of Firm:
Signature of Authorized Agent:
Primary Contact for Project:
Title: Email Address:
Phone: Cell Phone:
NOTE: ACKNOWLEDGEMENT IS TO BE SIGNED & RETURNED WITH YOUR PROPOSAL.
Official Purchasing Document
Last updated 10/2017
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XII. SAMPLE AGREEMENT (FOR REFERENCE ONLY – DO NOT SIGN )
SERVICES AGREEMENT
WORK ORDER TYPE
THIS AGREEMENT made and entered into the day and year set forth below, by and
between THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS, COLORADO, a Municipal Corporation, hereinafter
referred to as the "City" and hereinafter referred to as "Service Provider".
WITNESSETH:
In consideration of the mutual covenants and obligations herein expressed, it is agreed by
and between the parties hereto as follows:
1. Services to be Performed.
a. This Agreement shall constitute the basic agreement between the parties for services
for . The conditions set forth herein shall apply to all services performed by the
Service Provider on behalf of the City and particularly described in Work Orders agreed
upon in writing by the parties from time to time. Such Work Orders, a sample of which
is attached hereto as Exhibit A, consisting of one (1) page and incorporated herein by
this reference, shall include a description of the services to be performed, the location
and time for performance, the amount of payment, any materials to be supplied by the
City and any other special circumstances relating to the performance of services. No
Work Order shall exceed $ . A general scope of services is attached hereto as
Exhibit C, consisting of ( ) page(s), and incorporated herein by this
reference.
The only services authorized under this Agreement are those which are performed after
receipt of such Work Order, except in emergency circumstances where oral work
requests may be issued. Oral requests for emergency actions will be confirmed by
issuance of a written Work Order within two (2) working days. Irrespective of references
in Exhibit A to certain named third parties, Service Provider shall be solely responsible
for performance of all duties hereunder.
b. The City may, at any time during the term of a particular Work Order and without
invalidating such Work Order, make changes to the scope of the particular services.
Such changes shall be agreed upon in writing by the parties by Change Order, a sample
of which is attached hereto as Exhibit B, consisting of one (1) page and incorporated
herein by this reference.
2. Changes in the Work. The City reserves the right to independently bid any services rather
than issuing work to the Service Provider pursuant to this Agreement. Nothing within this
Agreement shall obligate the City to have any particular service performed by the Service
Provider.
3. Time of Commencement and Completion of Services. The services to be performed
pursuant to this Agreement shall be initiated as specified by each written Work Order or oral