Note: The deadline has been extended to Wednesday, May 17th at 5:00 PM EST.

Request for Proposals: Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) Local Jurisdiction Strategic Planning Consultant *DMV Region*

NACCHO is seeking a consultant to design and facilitate an in-person training/workshop approach in the DMV region with one EHE jurisdiction to assist them in developing a strategic plan and written processes. NACCHO will award up to $20,000 to hire a consultant to provide subject matter expertise, technical assistance, and strategic planning support to one EHE jurisdiction, and create materials to support scaling of model practices to other jurisdictions around the country. Ideal candidates should be expert in strategic planning, HIV care or prevention, health systems, and local health department infrastructure and systems. The consultant(s) must be located in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) region and/or be prepared to conduct multiple in-person meetings in the DMV region. Applications due Monday, May 8 by 5 PM EST. Please contact [email protected] with any questions.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS:

Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) Local Jurisdiction Strategic Planning Consultant(s)
*DMV-Based Consultants*

Applications must be submitted electronically by 5:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday, May 17th.

For a PDF version of this RFP, click here.

Background

NACCHO is a membership association representing the approximately 3000 local health departments across the United States. NACCHO’s vision is health, equity, and security for all people in their communities through public health policies and services. NACCHO’s mission is to be a leader, partner, catalyst, and voice for local health departments in order to foster the conditions that promote health and equity, combat disease, and improve the quality and length of all lives. For more information on NACCHO, please visit www.naccho.org.

NACCHO works to provide support and technical assistance to all local health departments in the areas of HIV prevention, sexually transmitted diseases, and strategic direction and is currently collaborating with the National Alliance of State & Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) to provide technical assistance and systems coordination support Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) jurisdictions across the U.S.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) launched the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. (EHE) initiative in 2019. The initiative aims to reduce new HIV infections in the U.S. by 90% by 2030 by scaling up key HIV prevention and treatment strategies. The initiative provides a targeted infusion of new resources and support to 50 local areas that account for more than half of new HIV diagnoses.

Influx of these funds to local jurisdictions has presented them with new programmatic and administrative challenges, including the coordination and integration of new planning requirements into existing jurisdictional planning efforts, the rapid scale-up of community engagement initiatives, the identification and implementation of best practices, training and orientation of new staff, and management and allocation of new federal funds.

Such jurisdictions can benefit from internal strategic planning that would result in outcomes that include but are not limited to:

• Shared organizational buy-in and understanding of the EHE initiative across team members;
• Translation of EHE jurisdictional plans into team-related workplans;
• Planning for implementation of best practices and associated quality assurance and quality improvement processes; and
• Planning for expanded and improved community engagement.

Description and Availability of Funds

NACCHO will award up to $20,000 to hire a consultant to provide subject matter expertise, technical assistance, and strategic planning support to one EHE jurisdiction and create materials to support scaling of model practices to other jurisdictions around the country. The consultant should be an expert in strategic planning, HIV care or prevention, health systems, and local health department infrastructure and systems.

The consultant(s) may work with other consultants or firms to complete the work. However, NACCHO will only contract with, and provide funds to, the selected consultant(s). The consultant must be located in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) region and/or be prepared to conduct multiple in-person meetings in the DMV region.

The Consultant(s) will:

• Travel to and/or meet remotely with the jurisdiction to understand the potential facilitators and barriers to developing, implementing, or navigating through different systems and interventions related to EHE;
• Facilitate preparatory calls with the site to understand the problem or barriers and plan for strategic planning processes;
• Design and facilitate an in-person training/workshop approach in the DMV region with the selected jurisdiction to assist them in developing a strategic plan and written processes; and
• Engage NACCHO staff in all processes for knowledge sharing.

Deliverables

The following outlines the deliverables to be produced by the consultant:

• The consultant, in consultation with NACCHO, will coordinate and facilitate technical assistance calls with the selected jurisdiction.

• The consultant will develop a strategic planning guide or framework in addition to a facilitation guide.
• The consultant will conduct/facilitate a strategic planning workshop or training activities.
• The consultant will document lessons learned and best practices to aide in replication and scale-up of similar strategic planning activities in other jurisdictions
• The consultant will develop a technical assistance summary report for NACCHO and external partners.

Proposal Outline

Applicants should submit a brief proposal (10 pg. maximum, excluding budget & budget narrative) that includes the following components as separate attachments:

A. Project Narrative that includes:

• A description of the consultant’s experience planning and facilitating strategic planning workshops or processes for small to mid-size teams;

• A description of the consultant’s knowledge of federal domestic HIV programs, for example the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, CDC HIV prevention programs, and the HHS EHE Initiative;
• A description of the consultant’s experience working with governmental public health agencies at the federal, state, or local levels;
• The methods that will be used to complete deliverables and rationale for selecting those;
• A description of any other consultants/firms that will be engaged on this project;
• A project timeline; and

• The name of the primary staff and other significant contributors, including qualifications (resume or CV) and role.

B. Line-Item Budget (Excel) and Budget Narrative (Word) description of costs, not to exceed $20,000 over a 2.5 month project period, using the templates provided. (Please submit as separate attachments)

• Examples of possible costs to include are personnel costs (number of staff, percent effort to the project and annual salary/wages or hourly fees of all personnel), funds to be provided to other consultants/firms working on project, and other costs necessary to complete the scope of work and deliverables (e.g., supplies, travel, etc.).
• Please review the Budget Guidelines tab in the budget file for a list of unallowable costs.

• If the budget includes staff fringe benefits and/or indirect costs (over the 10% de minimis rate), please also submit proof of the organization’s approved fringe/indirect cost rates. Acceptable documentation of fringe benefits includes:
  • An approval letter issued by a relevant federal or state agency (e.g., HHS) authorizing your organization to calculate fringe benefits/indirect costs based on a certain percentage of direct salary and wages/direct costs.
  • An excerpt from a financial audit report that outlines the official fringe/indirect cost rate.
  • A letter (on your organization letterhead) signed by a financial official that lists the approved fringe/indirect cost rate used by the organization.
  • A copy of your accounting procedures or policy that outlines how you calculate fringe/indirect cost rates.

C. Project Scope of Work (Word) that includes proposed Activities/Outputs, Deliverables, and Timeline

• A realistic work plan and timeline that includes expected product deliverables that will be completed over approximately 2.5-month project period (Approx. June 15, 2023 – August 31, 2023). Consultant timeline should demonstrate flexibility to align with jurisdictional needs.
• Please use the table on page 3 of the RFP for developing the scope of work.
• Applicants may add as many deliverables as needed within the maximum budget envelope.

D. References and/or links to examples of work

E. Administrative and Financial Forms, signed and dated within the last six months where applicable, including:

• NACCHO Vendor Form

• W9
• Certificate of Non-debarment
• Proof of an active registration with SAM.gov (PDF or screenshot showing applicant’s unique entity identification number)
  • Please note that NACCHO cannot enter into a contract with any entity that does not have an active SAM.gov registration. As such, NACCHO reserves the right to only consider proposals from applicants that already have an active registration record through the end of the contract period of performance.

NACCHO Contact and Responsibilities

NACCHO staff will oversee the contract and serve as the contact for the consultant. Other responsibilities include:

• Provide background information, as appropriate
• Review all materials, in draft form, and recommend revisions
• Serve as liaison for external partners
• Participate and support strategic planning activities as appropriate

Selection Process

Each proposal will be reviewed and rated on the following elements:

• Applicant Capacity and Expertise: Applicant has clearly documented evidence of their (and that of proposed project staff) subject matter expertise and experience in the proposed content area; previous work and projects in the subject area and with the intended audiences are required.
• Understanding of Project Purpose and Goals: Applicant demonstrates a clear understanding of the project goals and deliverables.

• Project Scope of Work: The proposed scope of work, deliverables, and timelines are realistic and appropriate for achieving the project objectives.
• Operational Plan: The proposal includes a clear, feasible, appropriate, detailed and supportable methodology and plan to effectively meet the goals and deliverables of the project.
• Budget: The proposal includes a detailed, line-item budget justifying the proposed expenses; the expenses are appropriate for the purposes of the deliverables and are cost efficient.

Any work products created by this contract will be co-owned by NACCHO and Consultant.

Please note that submission of a proposal is a statement of acceptance of NACCHO’s standard form contract. If any items cannot be accepted, these issues need to be resolved prior to submitting a proposal.

Deadline/ Staff Contact

Submissions must be electronic, in pdf format. The deadline for submission is 5 pm, Eastern Standard Time, Wednesday, May 17th 2023. Decisions will be made. Proposals should be submitted via e-mail to [email protected].

Please submit all required attachments, including the budget and budget narrative, as separate files.

For a PDF version of this RFP, click here.