Request For Proposals

Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (EKCEP) is soliciting proposals from companies or organizations interested in contracting to deliver Workforce Investment Act (WIA) services in all or part of the EKCEP service area in eastern Kentucky for the period July 1, 2011 through June 30, 2013. Services to be delivered under this contract include career advising, case management, program intake, fiscal services, record keeping, physical service locations, and other related services.

The full text and terms of this Request for Proposals (RFP), including a detailed description of the service model to be implemented, are available here until noon EST on March 3, 2011.EST on March 3, 2011. The required proposal contents and schedule for review of proposals and awarding of contract(s) are detailed in the RFP document.

The Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer.

Written proposals must be received at the EKCEP office by 4:30 p.m. EST March 4, 2011, to be considered.  A bidders conference will be held Jan. 25, 2011, in Hazard, KY, to answer anyquestions not covered by the RFP document. After the conference, prospective bidders may submit questions in writing and receive public responses at this page until noon EST on March 3, 2011. The required proposal contents and schedule for review of proposals and awarding of contract(s) are detailed in the RFP document.

The Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer.

To view these files, right click and and click "Save Target As" in Internet Explorer or "Save Link As" in Firefox. Then open them from the saved location.

 

• Case Management Request For Proposals Full Text

• Form A PDF

• Form A Microsoft Word Document

 

 

Question and Answer Section

Submit any questions about the project to rfp@ekcep.org. Questions will be answered as received and the questions and answers will be archived in this section.

You may also download a copy of the questions we've received so far in easy to print Microsoft Word Format by right clicking and clicking "Save Target As" in Internet Explorer or "Save Link As" in Firefox on the below. Then open the file from the saved location.

 

• RFP Q&A Microsoft Word Document

 

General RFP Questions

1. Question: Will EKCEP provide a template for RFP submissions, including a budget template?

• Answer: No, EKCEP will not provide a template. When we reach the negotiating point with a contractor, line items will be discussed.

 

2. Question: Can a bidder submit a proposal for only a portion of the services in the RFP?

• Answer: No. A bidder can identify a geographical area it wishes to serve, but the full array of services outlined in the RFP is what EKCEP is asking for, not a portion.

 

3. Question: Will there be regular updates on how contractors are performing?

• Answer: Yes. In addition to regular updates, EKCEP has new reporting systems and field staff who are often in contact with each contractor.

 

4. Question: What is the outcome for the contractor if performance is below projected goals?

• Answer: Remember that EKCEP’s services are in a transition period. There are monitoring and reporting tools that can be used throughout the year to determine where each contractor is in relation to their original goals. Keep in mind that goals are over a two-year period.

 

5. Question: This question is in regard to the narrative answers requested beginning on page 27 of the RFP. On question 3F, can you please clarify or give an example of the type of non-WIA funded staff you are meaning here?

• Answer: This could include anyone that will be providing services to WIA clients. This question does have some overlap to question C. It could include adult Ed, OET, Counseling staff, head start, housing, etc.

 

6. Question: Will we need to send a detailed budget in the new RFP for each WIA program as we normally do (Out of School Youth, Adult and Dislocated Worker) or will we submit one budget for all programs combined?

• Answer: One budget.

 

7. Question: On page 28 of the RFP, it says under 4B "Provide a detailed line item budget of direct expenses for the first program year for accounting and management that is allocated for all locations." Does this mean that the WIA Director and JobSight Coordinator salary is to be listed here only, or also on the location line item budget? We only have one WIA Director and one JobSight Coordinator for all locations, would their salaries be divided among the location budgets, at one location, or only on the 4B budget? Also does accounting mean that the bookkeeper's salary would be listed here only for all the services provided in all locations.

• Answer: Yes – That portion of the JobSight Coordinator or WIA Director salaries that are allocated across multiple locations should be included here only. This could be 100%. If by chance the position will have limited case management duties at one or more locations the appropriate portion of the case management cost should be listed with the service location(s). In this case 4B may not include 100% of the salary.

The bookkeeper's salary should be listed in 4B if it is charged directly. (Some bookkeepers may fall under indirect cost).

 

Service Model

1. Question: At what point does WIA enrollment occur?

• Answer: WIA enrollment occurs when a “customer” becomes a “client.” A customer will be someone who is inquiring about program services, gathering information, and using self-service. A client is someone who is actively engaged in services and funded activities. A customer will be registered in Customer Detail in EKOS but not enrolled into WIA; a customer becomes a client when enrolled into WIA and funding is attached to a service.

 

2. Question: What if new enrollments stay frozen for an extended period of time and caseloads continue to decrease?

• Answer: EKCEP’s new Service Model is designed to bring people in who aren’t necessarily going to training. These people can be served in less expensive ways.

 

Out-Of-School Youth

1. Question: Will Out-of-School Youth be served in the same way as the Adult/DW in this new Service Model?

• Answer: Basically, yes. The needs of an unemployed 20- year-old that we serve as an Adult are the same as the needs of an unemployed 20- year-old that we serve as a Youth, so the services will be very similar.  We recognize that the Youth is more economically disadvantaged and has more severe barriers, so when we choose to enroll someone as an Out-of-School Youth we will most likely provide more intensive follow up and additional supportive services. More details will be available when the final policies are issued.

 

2. Question: Will there be planned projects for Out-of-School Youth in the new Service Model?

• Answer: No, the specific projects will go away but many of the elements will remain, and the overall service design for the Adult and Dislocated Worker clients should be more like the current Out-of-School Youth model in that it will be driven by specific employers’ needs and specific local job openings. Although there will be a few differences in the services available, most of the differences between Adult/Dislocated Workers and Youth will be technical differences “on our side of the desk,” rather than programmatic differences visible to the client.

 

3. Question: Are Out-of-School Youth still required to have barriers to be eligible?

• Answer: Yes.  EKCEP cannot change the requirements of the WIA law.

 

4. Do Out-of-School Youth still have to meet literacy and numeracy performance?

• Answer: Yes. EKCEP cannot change the performance standards.

 

5. Question: Do Out-of-School Youth still have the same performance goals?

• Answer: Yes. They still have to obtain literacy/numeracy gains, earn a diploma or certificate, and transition into employment or post-secondary education.

 

6. Question: Should current contractors disregard the current Out-of-School Youth project guidelines and incentives now?

• Answer: No. The current guidelines and incentives apply until the end of the current year (through June 30, 2011). The new Service Model would take effect on July 1, 2011.

 

7. Question: Do we need to include the In-School Youth case managers in this RFP when determining active case loads, outcomes, and performance requirements? Currently I have the In-School Youth case managers working with Out-Of-School youth too, will they also have the same requirements such as the amount of their case-loads?

• Answer: No. In-School case loads should not be included.

 

8. Question: In order to better serve a wider range of O/S youth participants will the age limit be increased to 24?

• Answer: The age for a youth cannot be extended. It will remain at 21.

 

9. Question: When determining the performance expectations are O/S youth numbers calculated using the completions, placements and job retention goals, as well as attainment of degree or certificate and literacy/numeracy?

• Answer: The standards for youth enrolled as O/S youth will be placement into employment / education, degree or certificate as required, and literacy or numeracy gains as required. We will also be responsible for retention standards for youth co-enrolled as adults or dislocated workers.

 

10. Question: Are O/S youth enrollments expected to be 50 to 75 per Career Advisor as well?

• Answer: Enrollment and placement expectations will be based on the number of career advisors in each office and / or contract. The number of youth is not specified. The amount of youth dollars allocated against salaries will be based on the percentage of youth actually served.

 

Career Advisers and Staffing

1. Question: Will contractors’ Career Advisors still be classified under client program names, i.e.: Adult, Out-of-School Youth?

• Answer: EKCEP does not have a specific answer for that question, but it will be very possible for contractors to have a Career Advisor working with Adults who also enrolls some clients as Out-of-School Youth because they would best be served by Out-of-School Youth funds. The same advisor could serve both kinds of clients. It may work best to blend the career advising because we have blended the programs in the Service Model.

 

2. Question: In situations where contractors serve Youth and Adult in separate buildings, will the Career Advisors remain housed in those current offices?

• Answer: The Career Advisors and contractors will need to determine what works best to serve their clients.

 

3. Question: How will the number of Career Advisors and other staff referred to on page 28 of the RFP document be allotted to each location or contractor area?

• Answer: The number will depend upon client and customer activity. For a high traffic office, EKCEP will be willing to discuss the possibility of additional support staff.

 

4. Question: What staff will be funded at each location?

• Answer: In each proposal submitted, EKCEP will look at the proposed cost of running and staffing each facility in each county, including the detailed cost for each office and overarching and indirect cost for multiple county areas. Basically EKCEP is looking for what each office will cost and what each office will produce.

 

5. Question: Can a Career Advisor be shared between Out-of-School Youth and in-school Youth?

• Answer: Yes. The restriction in the RFP requires that Career Advisors have to spend 100% of their time working as Career Advisors.

 

6. Question: Can you have a GCDF certified staff member who is the JobSight Coordinator or WIA Director and have a caseload?

• Answer: Yes. It would be allowable for a JobSight Coordinator or WIA Director to also have a caseload. Like a Career Advisor, the JobSight Coordinator or WIA Director must spend 100% of his/her work time on WIA-funded activities. There will be no sharing of these positions with other funding streams.

 

7. Question: Will more GCDF training be available?

• Answer: Yes. New training and continued support for GCDFs will be available. Career Advisors are not required to be GCDF certified. However, EKCEP may require contractors to participate in other trainings in the long term.

 

8. Question: What positions does “other staff” on page 24 of the RFP document include?

• Answer: Other staff” includes any positions (e.g., intake worker, receptionist) justified in assisting Career Advisors in providing services. Any positions proposed will be reviewed by EKCEP. Each prospective contractor must make a judgment call on how to organize its staff. Contractors must be realistic, because Career Advisors have additional duties in the new Service Model.

 

9. Question: Can one person serve multiple counties in as a Job Club facilitator?

• Answer: Yes. When considering Job Club facilitator assignments, contractors should keep in mind that working with a Job Club exposes Career Advisors to their future caseload. Job Club is not meant to draw Career Advisors away from career advising, but is meant to be a tool to help them recruit potential clients.

 

10. Question: If we have staff, such as a secretary, that is typically budgeted in both the youth and adult program, should we go ahead and set the budget up in this same manner. For instance, only request 50% from this RFP for the secretary and request the other 50% in the youth RFP?

• Answer: Yes.

 

11. Question: On page 28 of the RFP 3F asks for a description of any nonWIA funded staff in each location who will be providing support to WIA activities. Do you want organizational names, such as OET or also the staff names from each organization? If you want the organizational name, do you also want a description of the interaction that provides support?

• Answer: We want at least the organizational name, position title, and how it will support WIA operations. The name of the person is not required.

 

Caseloads

1. Question: How did EKCEP come up with the RFP’s caseload numbers and predictions for each contractor area?

• Answer: EKCEP developed a caseload number that would serve as an average across a contractor’s team of Career Advisors. Individual caseloads may vary depending upon the experience of each Career Advisor. Looking at the current caseloads, many clients are in training or inactive. EKCEP’s goal is to have smaller working caseloads where clients and customers are getting a job without being in long-term training. Basically EKCEP wants smaller caseloads and faster turnover of clients in the system.

 

2. Question: How was the size of a Career Advisor’s caseload determined for the RFP?

• Answer: The caseload is an estimate, based on current actual caseloads and the projected changes in activity when the new Service Model goes into effect. (See answer above.)

 

3. Question: If a Career Advisor has Out-of-School Youth who are in follow-up, are they considered active on a Career Advisor’s caseload?

• Answer: If those participants are involved in regular activity and follow-up consists of more than just a monthly phone call, then yes, those youth would be considered active on a Career Advisor’s caseload.

 

4. Question: How does a contractor sustain a full and active caseload with limited funding?

• Answer: EKCEP’s current contractors already have a healthy caseload, much bigger than two years ago. EKCEP will continue to try to find money for those active participants. However, as long as funds remain limited the number of new Individual Training Accounts (ITAs) will remain limited. The new Service Model will offer opportunities for clients to be served with less funding and still result in a job.

 

5. Question: What is the outcome for a Career Advisor who cannot maintain the expected caseload through no fault of her own?

• Answer: We are in a transition period. It is EKCEP’s position that each contractor will be responsible for looking at their own Career Advisors and determining performance issues and successes.

 

6. Question: Are all Career Advisors expected to have the same amount in their caseload as proposed by the RFP, even though some populations are smaller?

• Answer: Yes. The population may affect how many Career Advisors should be made available for each location to maintain the total caseload. Keep in mind that the RFP goals are over a two-year period.

 

Job Clubs

1. Question: How is Job Club performance tracked?

• Answer: The EKOS customer detail will give insight to non-funded services like Job Club and allow EKCEP to track customers who do not count against performance. The number of people enrolled into Job Club will be tracked and the number of those people who go on to become clients will be tracked.

 

2. Question: Will contractors get help and training with starting and running Job Clubs?

• Answer: The goal would be for the Career Advisors to work with the EKCEP Job Club staff and business services representatives (BSRs) to provide consistency across the region. It is not expected that Career Advisors will implement Job Clubs across the region on July 1.

 

3. Question: Will there be multiple Job Clubs in each contractor’s area?

• Answer: Possibly. If the activity and interest in the area warrants multiple Job Clubs, the contractor should provide multiple Job Clubs.

 

4. Question: Is participation in Job Club a requirement for services?

• Answer: No. Job Club is another point of entry into our services. Whether a person should be engaged with a Job Club should be based on needs of the person.

 

5. Question: Could In-School Youth participate in Job Club?

• Answer: Yes. EKCEP would encourage the participation of In-School Youth in Job Clubs.

 

6. Question: How long does each Job Club last? How about prep time, networking time, etc.?

• Answer: Currently, each Job Club session lasts eight weeks, meeting one to two hours each week. More information will be available when the final policies are issued.

 

7. Question: Would it be possible for you to give us a break-down of how the Job Clubs are specifically facilitated? If there is a job description that we could have access to, that would be great!

• Answer: At this time we have estimated the amount of time each responder to our RFP will need to dedicate to the facilitation of job clubs. This table can be found in the RFP on page 23. EKCEP will provide more information and a job description to successful bidders. We do not think this information is needed to respond to the RFP. Traci Nolen, tnolen@ekcep.org is working to develop and support Job Club efforts. Please feel free to discuss Job Clubs with Ms. Nolen because no question in the RFP requests any information regarding how job clubs will be implemented.

 

8. Question: Would it be possible for EKCEP to provide a detailed job description for the Job Club Facilitator position as you did for the Career Advisor? I think it would be very helpful if you informed us of the duties that person would perform while at the same time giving us an idea as to what the Job Clubs will entail. This information would also assist us in assigning staff positions/duties and preparing the budget to submit with the RFP. In the RFP there was a chart for how many hours a week would be devoted in each county for the job club. What was the basis for deciding how many hours each county was assigned and what does the time shown refer to?

• Answer: While we understand that a detailed job description for the Job Club Facilitator position might help in the planning process, we don't think it is needed for completing the RFP. We are only requiring that the bidder commit to the implementation of a Job Club in collaboration with EKCEP and other partners. Also, while it's possible that for a large area a Career Advisor's time may exclusively be given to Job Clubs – please keep in mind that this is still a function of a Career Advisor. We have not created a new position called Job Club Facilitator. EKCEP does not anticipate that new staff hires will be needed to implement Job Clubs. We view Job Clubs as part of the shift in our service model as described in the RFP. The chart provided in the RFP is an estimate of the time we believe it will take to successfully implement job clubs in a given area. EKCEP will be providing more information regarding the role of the Career Advisor in the implementation of Job Clubs prior to July 1 and we are committed to working with successful bidders in a collaborative manner after July 1 to fully implement Job Clubs in our region. We do not expect that Job Clubs will be fully implemented across our region on July 1.

 

Business Services Representatives

1. Question: Will Business Services Representatives (BSRs) be funded under this RFP?

• Answer: No.

 

2. Question: Will there be a BSR for each contractor’s area?

• Answer: No. EKCEP will employ BSRs who each serve large sections of the EKCEP service region, sometimes including portions of several contractors’ areas. EKCEP’s BSRs will communicate local employer needs and current job opportunities to local Career Advisors and Job Club facilitators.

 

3. Question: Will EKCEP’s BSRs serve multiple counties?

• Answer: Yes.

 

4. Question: Will BSRs go into the adjoining counties outside the EKCREP region?

• Answer: Through partnering with the business representatives of other agencies (e.g., KCTCS, OET, Economic Development), EKCEP’s BSRs will be aware of job opportunities in the surrounding counties and make that information available to local Career Advisors and Job Club facilitators, as appropriate.

 

5. Question: Will BSRs duplicate Career Advising services?

• Answer: No. BSRs will work in a capacity much like EKCEP’s current the Business Services Director does.

 

6. Question: Will contractor staff be involved in BSR meetings?

• Answer: EKCEP’s BSRs will meet regularly with Career Advisors and Job Club facilitators to make them aware of available jobs and other activities going on in their area, and would be involved in employer meetings when appropriate.

 

Policy Questions

1. Question: What are the Individual Training Account (ITA) limitations?

• Answer: That is a policy issue, not an RFP issue, and will be addressed when final policies are issued.

 

2. Question: Will Job Club participants be provided with supportive services?

• Answer: That is a policy issue, not an RFP issue, and will be addressed when final policies are issued. However, overall there will be less supportive services available under this contract than in recent years. Since Job Club will not be a funded activity, supportive services would not be allowable. (For example, we cannot provide childcare funding to enable people to participate in Job Club.)

 

3. Question: If Job Clubs or workshops are available in an area, could contractor staff utilize the WIA/CAP van to provide transportation?

• Answer: Possibly, but it would not be appropriate to use WIA funding to provide that transportation. (Since Job Club will not be a funded activity, supportive services would not be allowable.) It might be easier to provide multiple workshops or Job Clubs in several areas in order to avoid transportation/funding issues.