CITY COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Table the award of RFP 23-156, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Consultant Service to Envisioning Equity Work, LLC, for an amount not to exceed $115,470 and for a two-year term to the May 21, 2024 City Council meeting
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DEPARTMENT: City Manager’s Office
SUBMITTED BY: Geneace Williams, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Manager
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
N/A
BACKGROUND:
Naperville’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) efforts are guided by the City’s mission statement, “To provide services that ensure a high quality of life, sound fiscal management, and a dynamic business environment, while creating an inclusive community that values diversity,” and the City’s core values of People, Trust, Respect, and Pride.
In previous presentations to the City Council, staff shared key DEI focus areas, including growing internal workforce recruitment, retention, and engagement to better reflect the community and investing in the expansion of DEI education.
The organization supports an environment where all employees feel like they belong and are respected and valued. Employee engagement and retention are interrelated and are high priorities in today's work environment because they improve work culture, reduce turnover, increase productivity, and foster better work and customer relationships. High employee engagement also transforms staff into an organization’s best advocates, which can positively impact recruitment efforts. In addition, inclusive organizational climates enable well-being, learning, and greater organizational performance.
The successful launch of the Emerging Leaders Passport Program focuses engagement efforts on learning from departments across the City and giving new employees the opportunity to see how their work fits into the mission of the organization.
The City Council discussed the proposed award at its March 19, 2024 meeting and voted to table the item to April 16 to allow time for staff to work with the vendor on a number of issues. Members of City staff currently in communication with the vendor regarding providing training through a Learning Management System platform, owning the training after its development, and whether the training will satisfy existing public safety training requirements.
DISCUSSION:
Building on the City’s goal to expand DEI education, in August 2023, the City Manager's Office issued RFP 23-156 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Consultant Service to identify a vendor to deliver two customized education and training classes.
Training and development are important tools to support an inclusive culture. The first course, Inclusive Leadership, will be presented to supervisors, managers, and the DLT. The second course, Basic Diversity and Inclusion, is available for all employees.
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Advertisement Date: |
8/25/2023 |
Notices Sent: |
170 |
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Opening Date: |
9/21/2023 |
Planholders: |
73 |
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Proposals Received: |
15 |
Proposals were received from the following vendors:
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Mas Talent LLC |
ForwarED, LLC |
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Tangible Development, LLC |
Envisioning Equity Work, LLC |
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Bridging Cultures Group Inc. |
DeepSEE Consulting |
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CCS |
Ponder Diversity Group |
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MGT of America Consulting, LLC |
FIC Human Resource Partners |
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Industrial UI Services |
Diamond Strategies Consulting, LLC |
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Systemic Educational Equity, LLC |
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Center for Strategic Diversity Leadership and Social Innovation |
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Consortium for Education Research and Advancement |
A selection team comprised of staff from the City Manager’s Office, Human Resources, and Information Technology reviewed the proposals, which were scored based on the criteria outlined in the RFP:
1. Capability, Capacity, and Qualifications of the Respondent (40%)
2. Suitability and Quality of the Approach/Methodology (30%)
3. Milestones and Deliverables (10%)
4. Outcomes to be Achieved (20%)
After reviewing and scoring the proposals, the selection committee invited the top three vendors, Center for Strategic Diversity Leadership and Social Innovation, Envisioning Equity Work LLC, and Ponder Diversity Group, to attend interviews. After completing the interviews, the selection committee rescored the vendors. The vendor with the highest qualification score, Envisioning Equity Work, is recommended for award.
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Vendor |
Qualification Score |
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Envisioning Equity Work, LLC |
93.8 |
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Ponder Diversity Group LLC |
76.2 |
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Center for Strategic Diversity Leadership and Social Innovation |
74.3 |
The term of the contract is two years from the date of award to March 31, 2026, with two, one-year options to extend.
City Council Consideration
The City Council discussed the proposed award at the March 19, 2024, City Council meeting. City staff are working with the vendor on training provided through a Learning Management System platform, owning the training after its development, and whether the training will satisfy existing public safety training requirements.
FISCAL IMPACT:
CIP #: N/A
Consultation costs related to DEI services are expensed to the account number listed below. A total of $60,000 was approved for DEI-related initiatives and services as part of the 2024 Budget. The remainder of the contract will be accounted for during the respective budget cycle for the second year of the contract term.
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Account Number |
Fund Description |
Total Budget Amount |
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11101100-531309 |
General Fund |
$125,000 |