RFP #23-107 - RFP No. 23-107 Annual Community Tourism Survey for City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ)

Contact & Questions . CBJ Purchasing Division of Finance is the sole point of contact for all matters pertaining to this solicitation. No oral interpretations will be made. Submit any interpretation requests in writing, noting issuing buyer, solicitation number and title, via email to purchasing@juneau.org or the Public Purchase “Ask Questions” link or Fax to (907) 586-4561. Request must be received a minimum of seven (7) business days prior to the solicitation deadline . Submission Instructions . Timely responses are accepted via Electronic Submission * at Public Purchase www.publicpurchase.com the CBJ’s eProcurement Provider. Late responses will not be accepted. To respond complete the free, easy, and quick online registration. Tips: Registration is a two-step process; Use the ‘Help’ Menu Tab Public Purchase , Register early - Registration may take

up to 24-hours to complete. Consultants who successfully register may submit a response by doing the following: Completeonline acknowledgements* of the Terms & Conditions (ATTACHMENT A), Insurance Requirements (ATTACHMENT B) and the City and Borough of Juneau Standard Contract Sample (ATTACHMENT C). *Consultants are provided the opportunity to acknowledge, acknowledge with exceptions, or not accept the required documents. Upload their PDF RFP Response as specified. Purpose & Intent . The City and Borough of Juneau (City or CBJ) Tourism Department, seeks proposals from qualified firms for the provision of a public opinion survey of Juneau residents on tourism Impacts in Juneau, AK. The objective of the survey is to gain insight on community views on certain aspects of the tourism industry so this data can be measured, and used to provide guidance for future aspects of tourism management. Using a sound methodology, the successful proposer must be capable of conducting a statically valid survey, refining and providing relevant data received as specified. A responsive and responsible proposer will have sufficient staff and resources able to produce a comprehensive report on the survey data collected as directed by CDD. It is the intent of the City to enter into a contract with this successful Proposer. GENERAL INFORMATION Located in the panhandle of southeastern Alaska, the City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ or City) consists of 3,250 square miles and is only accessible by air or sea. Juneau is Alaska’s capital and has a population of approximately 31,000 people. Juneau is a temperate rain forest and receives around 92 inches of annual precipitation. For more information on Juneau, visit CBJ’s Website at: https://juneau.org/manager/visitor-information Project Funding & Contract Term . The City is funding this contract with Marine Passenger Fee receipts. Operational funding beyond the current fiscal year is dependent upon City Assembly appropriations. If funds are not appropriated, the City may terminate the contract effective June 30 of the then current fiscal year. The contract term will be from date of signing by CBJ through the anticipated completion date of December 31, 2022 or other agreed upon completion date. Should other projects with a similar Scope of Work become necessary, the parties will have an option to renew for three additional, mutually agreed upon, one-year terms. The potential renewals will be negotiated and added to the contract per amendment by use of the ‘Changes’ provision. Contract Administration & Compliance . In an effort to maintain the expected level of services and ensure that the Contractor is fulfilling all duties and reporting requirements, CBJ will assign Alexandra Pierce, CBJ Tourism Manager or other designee as Contract Administrator for this project. Review of General Terms & Conditions (Attachment A), Insurance (Attachment B) & CBJ Sample Contract (Attachment C) . Attached to this RFP are documents required for this project (Attachments A, B & C). Vendors should carefully review all these attachments. Awarded Vendor is expected to comply with these requirements and is on notice that any contract signed pursuant to this RFP will include, at a minimum, the provisions of the Sample Contract. Negotiations & Award . Following the posting of evaluations and scoring, the successful Proposer may be invited to enter into contract negotiations with the City. If held, negotiations will be within the scope of the RFP and limited to those items, which would not have an effect on the ranking of proposals. If an agreement cannot be reached during the negotiation process, the City will notify the Proposer and terminate the negotiations. Negotiations may then be conducted with the next Proposer in the order of its respective ranking. Upon conclusion of successful negotiations and compliance with any pre-award obligations, award will be made in the form of a contract. After contract execution, CBJ will issue a purchase order to the Vendor that will serve as the notice to proceed. PROJECT INFORMATION Historical Information . The City and Borough of Juneau contracted with the McDowell Group in October of 2006, to conduct a Juneau Tourism Community Opinion Survey, the fourth in a series of household surveys regarding tourism and associated impacts. The 2006 telephone survey included 508 households and achieved statistical integrity by using a controlled sample selection, weighting, and the use of random-digit-dial methodology. The purpose of the 2006 survey was to gain an understanding of residents’ opinions about tourism impacts, and to detect changes in residents’ opinions over time. The survey information was considered vital in empowering CBJ to make prudent management and policy decisions regarding tourism and its impact on Juneau and its citizens. The 2006 survey content was similar to surveys conducted by the McDowell Group in 1995, 1998 and 2002. Some questions were modified from the previous surveys, and additional new questions were added that reflected changes in the industry and were warranted by community input. Even with these changes, the core survey remained largely intact and similar to the one done in 1995. In the 2006 survey, Juneau residents were asked about the impacts of tourism on their households and their views about various tourism management issues. Additionally, residents were asked about their age, employment, and the areas they lived and worked, allowing more detailed analysis of the survey data. It is important to note that since the inception of this survey series in 1995, total Juneau summer visitor arrivals doubled from half a million summer visitor arrivals (including cruise, air, and ferry passengers) to slightly more than 950,000 summer visitors in 2006, and have continued to increase steadily since that time. The CBJ Visitor Industry Task Force (VITF) held a series of meetings regarding tourism management and delivered its final report to the CBJ Assembly in spring of 2020. The VITF made the following recommendations related to conducting public surveys: 1. Engage a third party contractor to complete a public opinion survey of Juneau residents at the end of the 2021 cruise season. 2. Depending on the utility of a survey, additional surveys should be planned to gauge how management strategies are influencing public perception. 3. Consider collecting data on the effects of hot berthing. Juneau welcomed 1,300,000 visitors in 2019, the year the VITF was established. In 2021, after two summer seasons affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, McKinley Research, formerly McDowell Group, conducted a survey based on these historic efforts. The 2021 survey modernized some questions and asked residents to weigh in on the concept of a cruise ship dock at the Subport. Current Information & Resources Provided By CBJ . CBJ staff feel it is important to gauge the impacts of the visitor industry and how they have evolved over time compared to similar surveys conducted in the 90’s and 2000’s, and how perceptions have changed with a “full season” in 2022. The successful contractor will work with CBJ staff to implement the recommendations of the VITF by designing a survey that meets the goals listed above, evaluates trends public perception over time by comparing the results of previous surveys, and provides any additional information requested by CBJ staff. Consultants are encourage to review the following: The 2021 McKinley Survey Report (Exhibit A) is attached to this RFP to provide a background information and a base level of expectation for survey results anticipated from this RFP. The VITF final report (Exhibit B) is attached to this RFP to provide project context. Scope of Work . To achieve the City’s project objectives; the Proposer will be required to connect with Juneau residents to gain feedback on tourism impacts, including social, recreational, and economic impacts, both positive and negative. The successful contractor will use statistically valid methods to survey the public to assess Juneau residents’ perception of the visitor industry. The contractor will review pervious CBJ community tourism surveys and collect similar data with several additional questions to be determined by CBJ and the contractor. The successful consultant will provide the following: a) Survey the public about opinions regarding the visitor industry and its impacts. Ensure that the survey is representative of a diversity of demographic and socio-economic groups. b) Work Tasks: Prepare questionnaire, working with CBJ staff to address focus areas Obtain sample with ability to cross reference by demographic information Conduct survey using a variety of methods Code and process the data Analyze the data, including statistical testing for validity Provide data tables in Excel format, an executive summary as well as a comprehensive report and presentation of the research findings, including a PowerPoint that can be shared and posted online Provide additional cross-referencing if needed c) Objectives for the survey project are: Awareness of community tourism issues and jurisdictional authority for tourism management. Identifying trends in public perception of visitor industry management Creating a survey template that can be used for future surveys Meet the public process requirements for updating the Long Range Waterfront Plan Opinion about specific management issues Demographics, particularly age, income, and ZIP code d) Study Elements: The completed survey shall be similar in scope in content to the Juneau Tourism Management Survey 2021 (attached) current tourism trends as identified in consultation with CBJ staff. e) Deliverables and Timeline: The following deliverables and schedule will be required in the performance of this contract. Meeting with Project Manager to review preliminary plan, schedule and any suggested changes. Survey questions review by Project Manager and CBJ staff. First draft survey report containing summarized findings, graphs, etc. Final survey report & Raw survey data The proposed project timeline is as follows: September XX, 2022 – Contract award October XX, 2022 - Survey launch November XX, 2022 – Survey report due 2023 and beyond – Possible additional survey(s) or other research/outreach projects pursuant to contract extensions mutually agreed to by Contractor and CBJ. Payments & Invoicing . Payments will be initiated upon receipt of approved invoices and completed required reports. Upon award, the Contractor and CBJ will negotiate a mutually agreeable timeframe for submission of invoices to ensure timely payments. EVALUATION CRITERIA & PROPOSAL CONTENT: Evaluation Criteria . To determine the most advantageous proposal for the CBJ, an evaluation committee will review, evaluate, score and rank proposals in accordance with criteria and categories identified below and as stated in the Proposal Evaluation Form. Clarification of submitted material may be requested during the evaluation process. Interviews by telephone or in-person with top ranked Proposers may be conducted at the discretion of the evaluation committee. If interviews are held, finalists will be notified of any interview requirements. Submittal, Title Page & Letter of Transmittal . Proposals are to be prepared in such a way as to provide a concise delineation of the Vendor’s capabilities to satisfy the requirements of this RFP. Emphasis should be concentrated on conformance to the RFP instructions, responsiveness to the RFP requirements or scope of work and on completeness. The clarity of content should be identified by a table of contents that includes page numbers and follows a defined sequence for deliverables as requested in the RFP. The page limit for this RFP is 6 pages and excludes the transmittal letter, CV’s or resumes, copies of required business or professional licenses, and professional references. Include a Transmittal Letter that is less than two pages and includes all the following: a. The RFP number and title b. Proposer’s name (legal name of entity) c. Complete mailing address d. Telephone number(s) and Fax number(s) e. Email address for all parties involved in the project f. Web site address (if available) g. Briefly describe your understanding of project and summarize qualifications and capabilities to meet RFP requirements. Identify any challenges associated with implementing the work. h. Identify person(s) authorized to represent the company during contract negotiations and the term of the contract. Include their title(s) and contact information. i. Acknowledge receipt of any addenda issued for this RFP. j. Provide notice that you qualify as a “Juneau Proposer”. k. The transmittal letter must be signed by the person who has authority to bind the company. The name and title of the individual signing the proposal must be clearly shown immediately below the signature. Understanding & Methodology . (Weight 30%) Provide a comprehensive narrative that illustrates your understanding of the purpose of the scope, objectives and requirements of the project, including the project schedule and deliverables. Identify any challenges associated with implementing the work. Describe the methodology you intend to practice and demonstrate how it will serve to accomplish the scope of work. Discuss any operational plan, problem solving approaches, techniques, standards or creative methods to be used for getting the job done. Include the proposed project schedule and time line, identifying any major tasks. a. Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the purpose, objectives and scope of work; b. Identify and address pertinent issues and potential problems related to the project; c. Demonstrate and provide an understanding of the services and schedule the City expects; d. Describe a complete, practical, approach for completing the scope of work and fulfilling the project requirements. Management Plan .(Weight 25%) Points will be awarded based on how well your proposal explains the management plan you intend to follow. The plan must demonstrate how you will serve to accomplish the scope of work and achieve the City’s objectives. Include the following as part of your narrative: a. Organizational chart specific to personnel assigned to accomplish the work, including any sub-consultants. NOTE: Sub-consultants cannot be added after contract award without the prior, written consent of the Purchasing Division; b. Individual responsible for decision-making and accountable for the completion of work (project manager), and the extent to which this individual will be available to the City. Provide his/her level of authority; c. Define your accountability system, lines of authority and communication; d. Discuss how this project fits into your overall organizational structure and the current work load; e. Discuss your management approach to potential contractual disputes; f. Ability to provide services within budget. Experience & Qualifications .(Weight 30%) Points will be awarded based on how well your firm provides a comprehensive narrative describing your proposed project team’s specialized experience, capabilities, and unique qualifications for the performance of the work. Include the following: a. A list of projects (of similar size & complexity) and previous work experience over the past five (5) years that demonstrate your ability to administer this project successfully; b. Include a description of the approach to the work including staff supervision and training. Include resumes for each proposer’s professional staff to be assigned work in the project including any sub-consultants. The resumes must describe each individual’s education, specialized training or certification and experience in the area assigned. The proposal must identify the project manager and key personnel assigned to the project. Identify whether project managers will have decision-making authority and their availability to the City via telephone or email during normal business hours; c. References (contact name, current phone number, current email, and project name) for two (2) completed project listed above; verify that the contacts will be available to provide references during the evaluation period. Fee Proposal . (Weight 10%) The evaluation committee will award points based upon value of services proposed or offered as compared to the fees or prices proposed by the Consultant. Provide an all-inclusive Comprehensive Fee or Price Proposal indicating a description of services and compensation that you expect to receive for the performance of the contract. Detail by deliverable, the cost associated with each task. If needed, include budgets for costs, by task, for quarterly or twelve months of operations. Provide any additional info that you consider necessary as consideration for fees and services that your company provides. If necessary, provide an all-inclusive estimate of the anticipated costs for Travel Expenses, i.e. lodging, transportation, per diem, etc. NOTE: These associated travel costs must be detailed and added as a separate line item on the submitted price or fee proposal Juneau Proposer Preference (JPP) . (Weight 0 or 5%) Points will be given to any Proposer who submits a statement and demonstrates how they qualify and/or meet the criteria outlined CBJ Ordinance 53.50.010 and 53.50.050 You must be qualified as described by the ordinance at the time of submittal of your proposal to receive preference points. (JPP Points are verified by CBJ Purchasing through the CBJ Finance Department.) Evaluation Form . Evaluator No.____ Proposer________________ Maximum Score Achievable = 1,000 points CRITERIA Weight % Score (0 – 10*) Total Points = (Numerical Score X Weight) Understanding & Methodology 30 Management Plan 25 Experience & Qualifications 30 Price proposal (determined using formula) 10 Determined by Formula Juneau Proposer Preference 5 Determined by Purchasing Rank __________ Grand Total *Point Guide : Outstanding (10 points)Adequate to Good (6 to 8 points) Marginally Acceptable (3 or 4 points) Unacceptable (0 or 1 point)No scores using numbers 2, 5 or 9