2024 Request for Proposals
‍

‍
Planning Services for:
‍

Project Management to develop an economic development strategic plan.
‍

Release Date: December 18, 2024
Response Date: January 10, 2024
Project Lead: Economic Development for Central Oregon (EDCO)
Project Partners:

Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council (COIC)
St. Charles Health
The Ford Family Foundation
‍

General Information
‍

Economic Development for Central Oregon "EDCO" is soliciting proposals from qualified strategic planning consulting firms to provide project management to prepare a three-year organizational strategic plan that will guide EDCO's work in Deschutes, Crook, and Jefferson Counties. Proposal submissions must be submitted by Friday, January 10 via email to info@edcoinfo.com. We will respond with confirmation of receipt.

‍

‍
Organization Overview
‍

EDCO is a regional economic development organization that has been helping traded sector companies "Move, Start and Grow" in Central Oregon for more than 40 years. EDCO's mission is to create a strong base of middle-class jobs and diversify the regional economy. EDCO has been successful in helping hundreds of traded sector businesses create or retain thousands of local jobs in Deschutes, Crook, and Jefferson Counties.
‍

EDCO's impact: From 2016-2023, EDCO helped 238 companies create or retain 3,493 jobs and generated $4.68 billion of capital investment.

‍
EDCO operates a hub-and-spoke model, with a central office in Bend and dedicated area directors working and/or residing within each of our communities. This structure allows EDCO to provide tailored support and services to businesses and communities throughout the region. The selected consulting firm will have access to support from EDCO's Bend team as well as input from area directors to ensure a comprehensive and locally informed organizational strategic plan.

‍
Project Overview

‍
EDCO's most recent formalized planning process was in 2021. While some updates have been made since, a comprehensive strategic plan update is needed to position EDCO for long-term success. EDCO's strategic plan will serve as a high-level organizational document to guide EDCO's board and staff. While informed by other regional/local planning documents, such as the region's Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS), this plan will focus specifically on EDCO's role and priorities. It will provide a strategic direction that aligns EDCO's mission and vision with broader regional economic development goals, ensuring EDCO's continued success.

‍
The project will focus on two areas:

      1. Rural Facilitation: The consultant will lead a comprehensive strategic planning process to guide EDCOs counties of Jefferson and Crook, as well as the Cities of La Pine and Sunriver in Deschutes County.
‍

      2. Urban Facilitation: The consultant will lead strategic planning work closely with an EDCO designated facilitator to host the urban conversations in Bend, Redmond, and Sisters.

‍
The consultant selected through this RFP process will serve as the project manager for both the Rural and Urban aspects of the project. This outside strategy consultant will also provide facilitation and strategy analysis that will feed into the greater regional plan. By working collaboratively with the Urban Facilitator, the selected consultant will help EDCO develop a unified strategic plan that will drive sustainable growth and positive impact across the entire region.

‍
Project Objectives

‍
Rural Focus
      • Comprehensive Situational Analysis: Conduct a detailed analysis of the current economic conditions, infrastructure, workforce development needs, and community assets in Jefferson County, Crook County, and the cities of La Pine, and Sunriver. Utilize existing reports and documents from the following partner organizations: cities, counties, COIC, Chambers of Commerce, EC Works and others as identified during the process.

‍
      • Engage Key Stakeholders: with support from local EDCO area directors, facilitate stakeholder engagement process to gather input and feedback from a diverse range of stakeholders, including community members, business leaders, and government officials.

‍
      • Develop Rural-Specific Strategies: Develop strategies tailored to the specific needs of the rural areas, outlining goals, strategies, and action steps to address identified challenges and opportunities.
‍

Urban Facilitation
      • Collaborate with Urban Facilitator: Work closely with the designated urban facilitator to analyze and synthesize existing reports and documents from organizations and partners, including cities, counties, COIC, Chambers of Commerce, OSU Cascades, EC Works, Opportunity Knocks, Bend Entrepreneur Lab, Cultivate Bend, Bend Outdoor Worx, and others as identified during the process.

‍
      • Identify Urban Priorities: Identify key priorities and challenges facing the urban areas of Bend, Redmond, and Sisters, aligning with the overall regional goals.

‍
      • Develop Urban-Specific Strategies: Develop strategies tailored to the specific needs of the urban areas, outlining goals, strategies, and action steps to address identified priorities.
‍

Regional & Community Action Plans

‍
      • Mission/Vision Review: Collaborative discussion related to possible revision of mission and vision statements based on analysis and input from stakeholders.

‍
      • Establish Regional Goals and Strategies: Identify shared regional goals and develop strategies to address cross-cutting issues, such as regional economic development, workforce development, and infrastructure.

‍
      • Develop a Unified Strategic Plan: Collaborate with the urban facilitator to develop a comprehensive strategic plan that integrates the findings and recommendations from both rural and urban focus areas.

‍
            o Local plans will provide key context related to communities' needs and desires that will drive priorities and principles for the regional plan, reflecting an inclusive, cohesive approach that will ensure consistency and synergy for Central Oregon.

‍
            o Regional and local plans will be integrated and complementary, aligning goals, strategies and objectives that promote job creation and advocacy of business-friendly policies and procedures. Local plans will contribute to achieving the overall vision set within the regional planning framework.

‍
      • Create a Regional Action Plan that includes Community-Specific Action Plans: Develop a detailed action plan outlining specific initiatives, timelines, and responsible parties to implement the regional strategies. Create tailored Action Plans for each community (Bend, Redmond, Sisters, La Pine, Sun river, Jefferson County, and Crook County) outlining the specific actions and initiatives required to achieve their respective goals.

‍
      • Ensure Alignment and Integration: Ensure that the rural and urban strategies are aligned with the overall regional strategic plan and community-specific Action Plans, fostering collaboration and coordination across the region.

‍
      • Develop Reporting Framework: This framework identified by the consultant and implemented by EDCO will track progress toward strategic goals and objectives, identify key performance indicators (KPls), and measure the impact of the strategic plan.
‍

Project Deliverables

‍
      1. 3-Year Regional Strategic Plan: A comprehensive document outlining EDCO's long-term vision, goals, strategies, and action plans.

‍
      2. Community-Specific Action Plans: Tailored action plans for each community, addressing local priorities and needs.

‍
      3. Identification of Reporting Framework: The consultant will identify SMART goals and metrics that EDCO can implement to measure the plan's success.

‍
      • Clear reporting standards established: Develop a clear and consistent reporting structure to ensure timely and effective communication of progress and results.

‍
      • SMART Objectives Identified: Identify specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timebound (SMART) objectives to support each strategic goal.

‍
      • Short-Term and Long-Term Objectives Identified: Develop a balanced approach that considers both short-term and long-term objectives and how they contribute to the overall strategic vision.

‍
      • Review and Amendment Process Established: Establish a process for regularly reviewing and amending the strategic plan to ensure it remains relevant and effective in a dynamic environment.

‍
Planned Project Timeline

‍
RFP Released - December 18, 2024
Proposal Deadline - January 10, 2024
Virtual Interview with Top 2 Firms - January 17, 2025
Target Selection Date - January 21, 2025
Initial Regional Strategic Planning Retreat - February 26, 2025
Draft Report Deadline - May 10, 2025
Consultant presents Draft Report at EDCO Board Meeting - May 15, 2025
Final (revised as necessary) Report Deadline - June 15, 2025

‍
Estimated Cost/Budget

‍
Project Management and rural facilitation not to exceed: $40,000
Total Consulting Cost: $40,000 (includes travel, materials and meeting costs)
*Urban project will have support from Urban Facilitator, covered by EDCO
‍

Proposal Content

‍
At a minimum, please include the following in your proposal submission:
‍

1.      Qualifications:

List the project manager and other key staff members of the project team who will be responsible for the work and the project responsibility of each.

‍
2.     Scope of Work:

Prepare a detailed scope of work to complete the strategic plan.

‍
3.     Cost Proposal:

Provide a lump sum, not to exceed cost proposal for each component of the project as outlined in the "Estimated Cost/Budget." Include as necessary any breakdowns of professional services, meeting expenses, travel, and reimbursable expenses.

‍
4.     Previous Experience/Ability to Complete Requested Tasks:

Description of ability to complete the requested tasks and of recent experience in developing strategic plans for economic development organizations.

‍
5.     References:

Provide two - three reference letters from similar contracts who can speak to your experience doing these types of studies/plans. Please include the following information for each contact:
            • Contact Name
            • Organization
            • Email
            • Phone Number

‍
6.     Liability Insurance and Proof of Business:

Proof of liability insurance and proof that an individual or firm is an independent contractor, with Worker's Compensation insurance.

‍
Proposal Review Criteria

‍
Consultant Selection will be based on the following criteria:
      1. Qualifications of the professional personnel to be assigned the project - 25%
      2. Related experience on similar projects - 20%
      3. Innovative project approach - 40%
      4. References - 15%

‍
Proposal Submission

‍
Proposals will be accepted until 4:00pm (PST) on Friday, January 10, 2024. Interested parties are invited to
submit a proposal via email to info@edcoinfo.com. We will respond with confirmation of receipt.

‍
Questions & Contact Information

‍
Please direct any questions via email to Jon Stark, EDCO CEO by Friday, December 27. Responses will be made
public Tuesday, December 31.
Contact: jon@edcoinfo.com