Request for Proposal – Licking County Needs Assessment

GROW Licking County Community Improvement Corporation in partnership with OhioMeansJobs – Licking County and the Licking County Educational Service Center (ESC) are soliciting proposals from qualified consulting firms and teams to aid in providing Licking County a needs assessment around gaps in education and workforce development.

Background:
As part of an effort to create a county wide economic development strategy, GROW Licking County CIC engaged The Montrose Group in 2017 to formulate a strategy that focused on infrastructure, transportation, and workforce (final plan can be found here). As part of this adopted strategy, and in partnership with OhioMeansJobs-Licking County and the Licking County Chamber of Commerce, GROW Licking County CIC launched Licking County Works, an occupational marketing campaign focused on career pathways in Licking County (website can be found here). To further implement this strategy, in 2019, GROW Licking County CIC further engaged OhioMeansJobs – Licking County as well as the Licking County Educational Service Center (ESC) to establish a needs assessment, aligning local curriculum and skills development activities to the career pathways in Licking County.

Scope of Work:
Aligned with the adopted GROW LC 2025 strategy for economic growth, the needs assessment should include:
• Skills gap analysis — focusing on life skills and not necessarily academic skills
– Difference between critical thinking skills and academic solution aptitude
– Identify best practices that are consistent through economic trends that further promote sustained economic growth
– Identify best practices on balancing K-12 State-Level expectations and local business community needs related to skills development

• Workforce development analysis – focusing on aligning workforce programming to economic growth trends
– Identify best practices around incorporation of soft skills development with traditional education programming
– Connecting underemployed adults to resources to promote upskilling opportunities
– Identifying key certifications, for both credit and non-credit learning, that align with addressing economic trends and filling the skills gap

• Wage and benefit analysis – focusing on ensuring economic competitiveness for growth in Licking County
– Review regional and state-level data around wage and benefits to ensure economic competitiveness
– Provide overall analysis of wage and benefit trends within defined economic sectors to support growth in Licking County

Deliverables:
Any finalized plan should include:
• Skills gap analysis
– As noted above and including a general SWOT analysis around skills development in Licking County
• Workforce development analysis
• Wage and benefit analysis
• Best practice & recommended strategies associated with industry-driven needs for all areas reviewed

Consultant should include, as part of a base proposal, stakeholder engagement with the three named parties for this RFP as well as a variety of employers, educational partners, and other non-profit partners. The local team will attempt to streamline stakeholder engagement – to the best of our abilities – but the Consultant should presume multiple visits to the community as part of any proposal.

Finally, based on the defined scope of work, the Consultant should also identify any duplicity around workforce, skills development, or other related services and provide a recommendation on streamlining these efforts as well as examples of best practices of communities or agencies collaborate in such efforts (where applicable).

Additional
Resources:
A copy of the adopted economic strategy is noted above and can be found here.

Potential
Funding Source:
GROW Licking County CIC, serving as the fiduciary for this opportunity, is currently evaluating a multitude of funding sources. Consultants & their teams should be eligible to receive funds from federal, state, and local sources. Any criminal history of fraud or disbarment from receiving federal or state funds shall null & void any contract between GROW Licking County & the proposed incumbent. Awards are contingent upon the availability of funds.

Timeline &
Additional Info:
Timeline for responses are as follows:
• Any questions concerning the proposal shall be received no later than noon on Friday, March 13, 2020 via email at nstrum@growlickingcounty.org.
• A comprehensive answer page shall be issued to all parties by 5 PM on Wednesday, March 18, 2020.
• Final Proposals shall be received by GROW Licking County electronically by noon on Friday, March 27, 2020 to the attention of:
o Nathan A. Strum, Executive Director – nstrum@growlickingcounty.org

Please note:
1. GROW Licking County CIC reserves the right to extend the above timeline — with notice to the proposed consulting parties.
2. Any work product developed or utilized by the selected consultant while under contract with GROW Licking County CIC shall be saved and shared with only GROW Licking County CIC at the end of the contract (or upon request by GROW Licking County CIC).