Ohio Means Jobs Center Operator Request for Proposals 2024

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

                                                 Local Area 10

One Stop Operator/OhioMeansJobs Center Operator

Program Years: July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025

One year extension may be awarded, for up to 3 additional years

Fiscal Agent: Richland County Job and Family Service

171 Park Avenue East

Mansfield, Ohio 44902

(419)774-5400

  Deadline for proposal submission:

  April 1, 2024 4:00pm, by email.

1.       Background Information

a. Purpose

The purpose of this request for proposal is to procure an organization to serve as the One Stop Operator/OMJ Center Operator. Selection will be based on cost of service, ability to meet the needs of the area, demonstrated knowledge and expertise, and track record of results.

b.       Background Information

Area 10 is comprised of Richland and Crawford counties.

In Ohio, full service one-stop centers are known by the name OhioMeansJobs Center, while smaller, more limited service offices are called OhioMeansJobs affiliate sites.

Area 10 OhioMeansJobs centers must be located in Richland and Crawford Counties (one walk-in service location in each county)

Hours of operation will be 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Bidders should become knowledgeable of the area and its economic needs and priorities, with this knowledge being clearly and specifically addressed in their response. Preference will be given to bidders that already have a reputation and contacts in the area to open doors to forge alliances or demonstrate the capacity to do so if awarded the contract.

It is important to note that employment service offices, under the Wagner-Peyser Act, are required to be co-located within OhioMeansJobs centers per section 121(e)(3) of WIOA.

c.        One Stop Operator Responsibilities

One Stop Operator responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Coordinate service delivery among partners as defined in the memorandum of understanding;
• Coordinate service delivery among physical OhioMeansJobs centers and electronic sites;
• Coordinate services across the local area workforce development system;
• Implement local WDB policies; and
• Report to the local WDB on operations, performance accountability, and continuous improvements.
• Maintain technological resources, keep local information up to date on www.ohiomeansjobs.com, and work with site administrator for midohioskills.com to promote training and upskilling opportunities.
• Establish safety and security protocol
• Quarterly budget reconciliations of costs under the Memorandum of
• Making routine purchases of supplies and services for the OMJ Center such as printer paper and ink or equipment maintenance.
• Manage the center, coordinate with the partners, pay each center’s infrastructure costs, and seek reimbursement of actuals costs from the partners. Receipt of the full funding will depend on actual costs and the operator’s successful collection of contributions from the partners.

d.       Type of Contract

The WDB will enter into a cost-reimbursement agreement with the organization to serve as the One Stop Operator.

Area 10 Workforce Development Board will negotiate a contract with the successful applicant(s). Standard contract terms utilized by Richland County Job and Family Services in accordance with OAC 5101:9-04-07 will form the basis for contractual negotiations. This RFP and the applicant’s response shall become part of the contractual agreement between Area 10 Workforce Development Board and the Applicant. Area 10 WDB is not responsible for oversights in this RFP which are not brought to the attention of WDB prior to starting contract negotiations. Contract terms required by the applicant must be included or attached to the applicant’s proposal.

 Eligible Entities

• The Operator may be a public, private or non-profit entity or a consortium of entities (located in the local workforce area).
• An entity that is a local partner may serve as the Operator, however, if a partner is serving as part of a consortium, the consortium must include at least three local partner entities.
• Elementary and secondary schools are not eligible to be certified as Operators, with the exception of nontraditional public secondary schools and area career and technical education schools.
• Per Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Policy Letter (WIOAPL) No. 15-18.1, Local Workforce Development Area Governance, a local WDB may not fulfill the Operator role.
• The types of entities that may be eligible to serve as Operators include:

1. Institution of higher education;
2. State Wagner-Peyser employment agency;
3. Community-based organization, non-profit organization, or intermediary;
4. Private, for-profit entity;
5. Government agency; or
6. Other interested organization or entity capable of fulfilling the role of the Operator, which may include a local chamber of commerce, business, or labor organization.

1. Subcontracts

Any subcontracting not specifically specified in the proposal or in the contract must have WDB approval. In the bidders’ background and qualifications, clearly specify what background and qualifications describe the bidder, and which are pertinent to the subcontractor.

f.  Proposal Review and Contract award

Proposals will be initially reviewed for technical responsiveness by the WDB Director. Responsive proposals will be forwarded to the proposal review team for rating and ranking. This team will prepare a proposal rating summary for review by the full WDB. Top bidders may be asked to make oral presentations. Final award of a contract will be contingent upon:

Acceptance by the bidder of contract terms and conditions; Satisfactory verification of past performance and financial systems; successful negotiation of the contract.

The contract year will begin July 1, 2024 and ending June 30, 2025. Contracts will be for a one-year period with the option of extending contracts for an additional three one-year extensions at the discretion of the Local Area 10 Workforce Development Board and will be contingent upon funding availability and performance.

2.  RFP Schedule, Applicant Assistance and Contract Award Schedule

Request for Proposals Released                               February 7, 2024 at 8am

Technical Assistance Conference                             February 15, 2024 at 1:00pm

Letters of Intent Due                                                      February 22, 2024 by 4pm

Deadline for Written Questions                                March 8, 2024 by 4pm

Proposal Submission Deadline                                 April 1, 2024 by 4pm

Proposal Review                                                              April 2-12, 2024

Oral Presentations (if necessary)                              April 15, 2024

WDB Meeting/Approval                                                April 17, 2024

Notification of Awards                                                  No later than April 26, 2024

Protest Period                                                                   April 29, 2021-May 17, 2024

Contract Negotiations                                                  May 22-24, 2024

Funding Period                                                                July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2024

Note: Except for the proposal submission deadline, all other dates are subject to change.

• Letter of Intent

Any applicant who plans to submit a response to this RFP is required to send a Letter of Intent by February 22, 2024 at 4pm by email. Area 10 WBD will notify a potential applicant of changes in this solicitation only if a Letter of Intent is on file for the applicant. The Letter of Intent should not exceed one typed page and must state:

1. The organization’s name
2. Mailing address, e-mail address and telephone number
3. A statement of interest to apply for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity One Stop Operator/OMJ funding
4. Name, title, and original signature of the person submitting the Letter of Intent for the organization (must be an authorizing representative)

Letters of Intent are due by February 22, 2024 by 4pm to:

Clint Knight

Area 10 WBD Director

cknight@chooserichland.com

Applicant Assistance:

A Technical Assistance Conference will be provided on February 15, 2024 at 1:00pm via Microsoft Teams. Bidders must register for the conference by February 12, 2024 at noon to receive the link. The Technical Assistance Conference will begin at 1:00pm and will provide an overview of the parameters set forth in the Request for Proposals and will offer potential bidders the opportunity to ask questions. Technical Assistance materials shared during the conference, questions submitted during the Technical Assistance Conference and open question period (referenced above) and responses to questions will be posted on the Area 10 Workforce Board website at www.richlandcrawfordworks.com

Applicants who contact an employee of Richland County Job and Family Services/OhioMeansJobs Richland County or Crawford County Job and Family Services/OhioMeansJobs Crawford County or contact a member of the Local Area 10 Workforce Development Board seeking information regarding the RFP, other than as detailed above, risk elimination from consideration. All questions must be directed to Clint Knight as outlined above to ensure fair and open competitive process.

2.3    Addenda to this Request for a Proposal

At the discretion of Area 10 Workforce Development Board, if it becomes necessary to revise any part of this RFP, a written addendum will be issued. The written addendum will be considered the only valid means to alter the RFP. A written addendum will be provided to all applicants who submit a Letter of Intent.

2.4   Vendor Responsibility for Proposal Costs

The applicant will be fully responsible for all proposal development and submission costs. Area 10 Workforce Development Board assumes no contractual or financial obligation as a result of the issuance of this RFP, the preparation and submission of a proposal by an applicant, the evaluation of an accepted proposal, or the selection of finalists.

2.5  Confidentiality and Ownership of Proposals

All proposals and associated materials become the property of the Local Area 10 Workforce Development Board or the property of the local administrative entity under WIOA. The content of all proposals and associated materials will be held confidential to the full extent permitted to public agencies under Ohio law until an award of contract is made. Upon notification of an award of a contract, all proposals are considered public records and, as such, are subject to public records laws.

2.6   Proposal Receipt

The proposal will be submitted electronically by email to cknight@chooserichland.com by April, 1 2024 by 4:00pm.

2.7  Proposal Acceptance/Rejection

Local Area 10, reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to accept or reject any or all of the items in the proposal, to waive any informality in the proposals received, and to award the contract in whole or in part if it is deemed to be in the best interest of Local Area 10. The WDB reserves the right to seek clarification from any applicant after proposals are reviewed, if such action is deemed to be in the best interest of Local Area 10.

2.8  Appeal Process

Each applicant will receive written notice of approval or denial of the submitted proposal.

Pursuant to 20 CFR, 678.605 (d), grantees and subgrantees of federal funds (i.e. WIOA) are required to have written procedures to resolve disputes related to procurement procedures.

All appeal requests must be submitted in writing within ten working days of the complainant’s receipt of notification of the grant award. Written appeal requests are to be submitted to the Director of the Local Area 10 Workforce Development Board:

Clint Knight, WDB Director

55 N. Mulberry St, Mansfield, OH 44813

cknight@chooserichland.com

If the parties involved cannot reach a mutual agreement at the informal meeting, the WDB Director will have up to five working days from the date of the informal meeting to designate one to three impartial designees to preside over the formal review process. The impartial designee(s) may schedule a meeting with the complainant and WDB Director to review statements of facts or may request the written statements of facts from the complainant and WDB Director are forwarded for review. The statement of facts must include the reason(s) for the appeal, cite the regulation(s) upon which the appeal is based, and provide relevant supporting documentation.

The designee(s) shall decide and render the decision in writing to the complainant and the WDB Director within a time frame not to exceed twenty (20) working days of the initial date of receipt of the request for an appeal. The decision shall include, but not be limited to, a statement of the action that was appealed, citation and summarization of applicable laws that support the facts established and the outcome of each issue addressed in the appeal.

The appeal review decision rendered will be final. When the appeal decision has been rendered in writing, the WDB Director will promptly implement the decision.

If a complainant wishes to withdraw a request for an appeal, written notification must be submitted to the WDB Director within ten working days of the initial notice of the request for appeal.

2.9   Contract Award and Funding Available

Final selection of the successful applicant(s) will be made no later than April 25, 2021. The selected applicant(s) will be notified no later than April 26, 2024 with contract negotiations to begin after protest period.

Approximate funds available:

*estimations based on current year funding

Richland County OMJ Center: MOU Partner Budget $149,185.00

                                                      WIOA Only Funds $27, 237.00

Crawford County OMJ Center: MOU Partner Budget $113,361.00

                                                       WIOA Only Funds $13,369.00

Richland County Job and Family Services and Area 10 Workforce Development Board shall ensure that all purchases of services, supplies, and equipment funded by state or federal funds received from the Ohio department of job and family services (ODJFS) meet applicable federal and state statutes, regulations, rules, and office of management and budget (OMB) circulars A-102 and A-133 and 2 C.F.R. 225 200 and 45 C.F.R. 75, as in effect December 19, 2014. These requirements include, but are not limited to, Chapter 125. of the Revised Code, this chapter, and:

• 29 F.R. 95 when not-for-profit organizations expend department of labor (DOL) funds;
• 29 F.R. 97 when governments expend DOL funds;

Response Items

1. All responses should be as concise, clear, and to the point as possible. Excessive text may obscure the proposal and impact evaluation.

 Organizational Qualifications and Experience

Describe the Organization' background, including:

• Mission Statement
• Incorporation status and where
• Website address, if
• Number of years in business and brief history of the
• Examples of types of contracts the bidder has previously entered, including type of contracting entity, location of the work, general types of services provided, and value of awarded contracts (in dollars).
• If the entity has a board, identification of board members (this may be expressed as a link to a website that identified board members).
• Provide a copy of the two most recent audit reports for the bidding If possible, provide the website link.
• Describe any work you are doing or may be proposing to do in addition to this Estimate what percentage of your overall organization’s work would be represented by this contract.
• If the entity has previously delivered WIOA services, or oversaw delivery of WIOA service contracts, provide performance data for the most recent two program year’s available and most recent program monitoring report.

 Qualification and Experience

• Describe the bidder’s familiarity with the economy and workforce needs of northeast This should be a relatively short description (no more than 3 pages) that demonstrates that the bidder has reflected upon the workforce and economic needs of this area.
• Describe the bidder’s experience in working with communities and convening other community- based organizations and not-for-profit service providers. In addition to activities, describe the results that were achieved in this work.
• Describe any other major workforce development achievements outside of WIOA federal performance standards. Include achievements both within WIOA, as well as, non-WIOA achievements in workforce development.
• Identify the staff that will be assigned to this
• Provide an organizational
• Indicate what the roles/titles will be of the assigned staff in this Indicate the percentage of time each staff person will be devoting to each function.
• Provide short bios or summaries of background of the assigned Bios should include the following as appropriate to each person’s planned duties under this contract:
  • Experience in creating partnerships and/or coalitions and gaining consensus among diverse groups
  • Expert knowledge of WIOA
  • Knowledge of economic development principles and practices
  • Knowledge of industry clusters
  • Experience in supervision and staff development
  • Experience in managing a data system

   Plan of Work

How the OMJ Center Operator will assist the system in complying with WIOA Section 188 and provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990

Transition Management

Describe how you will manage the transition, if applicable, from the previous OMJ Center Operator configuration of workforce services areas into the new configuration. Issues to address include:

• The approach and timetable for turnover of clients, records, and files from the previous OMJ Center Operator
• The approach and timetable for reviewing and issuing local policy and operational guidance to providers and partners
• How you will ensure continuation of services

 Information Management

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services Office of Workforce Development (ODJFS) may be launching a new participant reporting and case management system. Describe your approach to:

• How you plan to work with ODJFS to implement this new system
• Developing and implementing processes to collect, manage, and utilize information within the system
• Ensuring timely data entry on participants
• Using information to make decisions that will improve efficiency and effectiveness   

Marketing and Outreach

Describe how you will develop an overall marketing plan. Include the following:

• Your ideas for marketing the OhioMeansJobs Center system
• How you will evaluate the effectiveness of marketing strategies
• How outreach will occur

Service Integration and Coordination

Describe how you will integrate services and workflow in the OhioMeansJobs Center system that will result in seamless service delivery. Please include:

• Your understanding and vision for “seamless” service delivery, integration, and
• Coordination and how it will be accomplished in a collaborative atmosphere
• A description of the referral process for individuals to one-stop partners for appropriate services and activities
• A description of the one-stop delivery system for Area 10
• How you will develop a plan for designing the flow of services through the OhioMeansJobs Center system
• An organizational chart for the OMJ Center roles including potential job titles and responsibilities
• How you will manage staff communications and staff satisfaction
• How functional supervision for all staff, including state agency staff who are not under service delivery contracts will be managed
• How staff performance appraisal and development plans will be administered
• How employer and job seeker customer input will be solicited and used
• Your approach to continuous improvement; and
• How you will benchmark the practices of the OhioMeansJobs Center system

Previous WIOA Grants and Projects

Provide a comprehensive list of WIOA grants or contracts that you have been awarded since 2013, and the amount of the grant or contract budget.

References

Provide three (3) references. Include the following:

Name of organization, name of contact person, address, phone number, e-mail address, how this contact is familiar with your work, and the nature of the work performed.

 Budget

1. Budget and Cost Information

Specify the cost for the Ohio Means Jobs Center Opererator

 Budget Narrative

1. Provide the hourly rate of pay or annual salary for each person assigned to this contract and the estimated percentage of each individual’s time that he or she will perform work for the One Stop Operator. Also, indicate the number of hours or days of vacation that each staff person is permitted.
2. Indicate the benefit percentage and what benefits are included for
3. Explain travel estimate, including purpose for travel (national conferences, seminars, statewide meetings, local meetings, staff development).
4. Explain estimate for memberships and

 Budget Estimate

Document costs on the Budget Estimate worksheet included in the following section.

3.   Review Criteria

All proposals submitted in response to this RFP will be reviewed by a committee. Only those proposals submitted on time and which meet the initial review criteria (WIOA OMJ RFP 2024 Checklist) as outlined in this RFP will be reviewed by

the committee and evaluated. The committee will review and evaluate each proposal based on the following criteria.

1. The minimum standards to be met if the proposal is to be evaluated (initial review):

1. The proposal was submitted before the closing time and
2. The applicant organization/agency is not on a Federal Debarment
3. All required program elements are
4. The applicant organization/agency is fiscally
5. The applicant organization/agency is not solely dependent on WIOA or TANF funding for ongoing operations.
6. The individual signing the proposal and assurances has the authority to do
7. The applicant organization/agency agrees to meet all federal, state and local compliance requirements.

If the proposal was not responsive, the WDB Director will identify the reasons and include the information in the final recommendation of the Review Team to the WDB.

OMJ RFP 2024 Checklist

Proposal: (Agency Name)                                            Contact person                                                                   

Proposal #

Phone                              

Date proposal received                                                          

On Time              Yes         No

Received proposal via                         Email

Documents completed & received:

• Letter of Intent by February 22, 2024
• Signed Assurances & Certifications
• Organizational Cover Sheet
• Budget
• Narrative describing all elements

The absence of required information disqualifies the application from further consideration. If application passes initial review, continue rating on next page.

Applying Organization Cover Sheet WIOA Services Proposal

WIOA Purchased Services Budget Worksheet

Administration

WIOA Purchased Services Budget Worksheet

Program Costs

Budget Narrative: Detail must be provided for every item requested by itemizing the costs that comprise each cost item. Costs which are prorated must be supported be a cost allocation plan showing RCJFS paying only its fair share of costs for that item. Contracted services must be able to be documented by a copy of the agreement (i.e., leases, audit, accounting fees, etc.