Arlington County Government Sealed Solicitation

Title: 23-DMF-RFP-275 Disparity Study

Deadline: 11/30/2022 2:00 PM   (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada)

Status: Awarded

Solicitation Number: 23-DMF-RFP-275

Description: The purpose of this solicitation and resulting agreement is to obtain the services of a qualified contractor to conduct a disparity study on Arlington County’s procurement contracts with small, women-owned, minority-owned, and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses for all types of goods, services, and construction. The disparity study deliverables requested in this Request for Proposal (RFP) will be used to help determine whether a legal basis exists to implement appropriate changes to the County’s procurement processes to achieve increased participation and utilization of these categories of businesses. 

Pre-Bid Meeting Date: 10/14/2022 10:00 AM

Documents:

Documents as of 10/3/2022
Disparity Study.pdf
Addition 1

Posted: 10/4/2022

Type of Addition: Addendum 1

Documents:

Addition 2

Posted: 10/17/2022

Type of Addition: Attendance Sheet & Minutes

Documents:

Addition 3

Posted: 11/4/2022

Type of Addition: Addendum No. 2

Overview: Addendum No. 2 extends the question deadline and the proposal due date.

Deadline: 11/30/2022 2:00 PM

Documents:

Addition 4

Posted: 11/30/2022

Type of Addition: In Review

Addition 5

Posted: 4/25/2023

Type of Addition: Notice of Award Information

Overview: 23-DMF-RFP-275: Disparity Study awarded to: MGT of America Consulting, LLC

Documents:

Question 1

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: 1. For the prime contract data the County maintains, please note whether these data include the following information for all, some, or none of the contracts. Please answer separately for each industry to be included in the study; also note whether the data are available electronically or as hard copy. • Firm name. • Firm address, city, state, zip code. • Firm phone number. • Firm email address. • Firm contact person. • Firm owner race and gender. • Firm owner veteran status. • Prime contract number. • Prime contract title. • Start date of contract. • End date of contract. • Award amount. • Amount paid (total or to date). • Type of work performed. • Industry category code, such as NAICS or NIGP. 2. For the MWBE subcontract data the County maintains, please note whether these data include the following information for all, some, or none of the contracts. Please answer separately for each industry to be included in the study; also note whether the data are available electronically or as hard copy. • Firm name. • Firm address, city, state, zip code. • Firm phone number. • Firm email address. • Firm contact person. • Firm owner race and gender. • Firm owner veteran status. • Prime contract number. • Prime contract title. • Start date of contract. • End date of contract. • Award amount. • Amount paid (total or to date). • Type of work performed. • Industry category code, such as NAICS or NIGP. 3. For the non-MWBE subcontract data the County maintains, please note whether these data include the following information for all, some, or none of the contracts. Please answer separately for each industry to be included in the study; also note whether the data are available electronically or as hard copy. • Firm name. • Firm address, city, state, zip code. • Firm phone number. • Firm email address. • Firm contact person. • Firm owner race and gender. • Firm owner veteran status. • Prime contract number. • Prime contract title. • Start date of contract. • End date of contract. • Award amount. • Amount paid (total or to date). • Type of work performed. • Industry category code, such as NAICS or NIGP. 4. What brought about this study? 5. What is the requested timeline to complete this study? 6. What is the M/WBE / SBE / DBE goal for the project? 7. Would respondents be in compliance if we have an active Commonwealth of Virginia license and a pending license for Arlington County? If not, would either or suffice? 8. What is the timeline to complete the study? 9. What are the goals for this study? 10. What is the amount budgeted for the study?

Response: This is a duplication of question numbers 4, 6 and 7. Please refer to those postings.

Question 2

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: Do subcontractors need to be registered on the County’s vendor registry?

Response: Only the Offeror submitting the proposal needs to be registered in Vendor Registry.

Question 3

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: Please provide a list of the County departments that will be included in the disparity study.

Response: All county departments can be found on the Arlington web site. https://www.arlingtonva.us/Government/Departments-Offices

Question 4

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: 1. For the prime contract data the County maintains, please note whether these data include the following information for all, some, or none of the contracts. Please answer separately for each industry to be included in the study; also note whether the data are available electronically or as hard copy. • Firm name. • Firm address, city, state, zip code. • Firm phone number. • Firm email address. • Firm contact person. • Firm owner race and gender. • Firm owner veteran status. • Prime contract number. • Prime contract title. • Start date of contract. • End date of contract. • Award amount. • Amount paid (total or to date). • Type of work performed. • Industry category code, such as NAICS or NIGP.

Response: Same response as question 7

Question 5

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: Page 12 of the RFP indicates that proposals “must not exceed the state page limitation.” What, if any, page limits exist for proposals?

Response: There is no page limitation for the RFP response.

Question 6

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: 2. For the MWBE subcontract data the County maintains, please note whether these data include the following information for all, some, or none of the contracts. Please answer separately for each industry to be included in the study; also note whether the data are available electronically or as hard copy. • Firm name. • Firm address, city, state, zip code. • Firm phone number. • Firm email address. • Firm contact person. • Firm owner race and gender. • Firm owner veteran status. • Prime contract number. • Prime contract title. • Start date of contract. • End date of contract. • Award amount. • Amount paid (total or to date). • Type of work performed. • Industry category code, such as NAICS or NIGP.

Response: We have already responded to this question.

Question 7

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: 3. For the non-MWBE subcontract data the County maintains, please note whether these data include the following information for all, some, or none of the contracts. Please answer separately for each industry to be included in the study; also note whether the data are available electronically or as hard copy. • Firm name. • Firm address, city, state, zip code. • Firm phone number. • Firm email address. • Firm contact person. • Firm owner race and gender. • Firm owner veteran status. • Prime contract number. • Prime contract title. • Start date of contract. • End date of contract. • Award amount. • Amount paid (total or to date). • Type of work performed. • Industry category code, such as NAICS or NIGP.

Response: Please refer to the RFP for the amount of data the County has access to. Please refer to questions already answered for the industry codes.

Question 8

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: 4. What brought about this study?

Response: Please refer to the Introduction section of the RFP.

Question 9

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: 5. What is the requested timeline to complete this study?

Response: We have already responded to this question.

Question 10

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: 6. What is the M/WBE / SBE / DBE goal for the project?

Response: The County is not able to set goals for projects at this time, therefore there are no goals for this RFP.

Question 11

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: 7. Would respondents be in compliance if we have an active Commonwealth of Virginia license and a pending license for Arlington County? If not, would either or suffice?

Response: Yes, a pending license with the County would be acceptable. The license requirement is not verified until contract award, not at the submission of the RFP response.

Question 12

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: 8. What is the timeline to complete the study?

Response: The County is asking the Offeror what a reasonable timeline is. We've not had this study completed before; we don't know what a normal timeline would be and is very interested in the Offerors response.

Question 13

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: 9. What are the goals for this study?

Response: The RFP answers that question.

Question 14

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: 10. What is the amount budgeted for the study?

Response: We have already responded to this question. Please see the public solicitation.

Question 15

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: Exhibit E requires COVID-19 Vaccines or regular testing. Is this necessary if employees are working remotely from home?

Response: The County's COVID policy suggest vaccination and testing by using the word "should". The County's mission is to protect its workers and our community.

Question 16

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: The Cost Proposal asked for two lines of information: Development of Disparity Model & Conclusions and Completed Disparity Study. Is the meant that all costs up to the recommendations and actual report are to be contained on the first line and only the recommendations and reports are line 2?

Response: It is highly recommended that Offerors provide a clear breakdown of cost and as much detail of what's included in each cost area as possible.

Question 17

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: Please also confirm that you are only asking for lump-sums and not cost breakdowns.

Response: How price proposals are submitted as a response to this RFP is at the discretion of the Offeror. The County did not specify or require a specific format.

Question 18

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: What departments are included in the Study? Are there any transportation agencies, libraries, or museums?

Response: The County will not have museums, Libraries and transportation are part of our agency.

Question 19

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: What are the decentralized departments and what data do they maintain? We are trying to understand how many sources we will have to interviews and extract data from other than the centralized sources.

Response: The County defines decentralized departments as any department outside Central Purchasing with the delegated authority to make purchases. The decentralized purchaser is responsible for keeping all quotes and information related to the goods and services they procure. The files are kept electronically by department, it would include the request for goods and services, the vendor response, any communication, insurance certificates and any award.

Question 20

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: What is the budget for this study?

Response: The County does not post budgets for competitive solicitations.

Question 21

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: Does the County maintain subcontractor data for minority, women and service disabled veteran owned businesses? For all subcontractors that are not in those groups? Is this data maintained in electronic (spreadsheet) format?

Response: Please read the RFP in its entirety. This information is in the solicitation.

Question 22

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: Does the County maintain electronic databases of bid tabulations, vendors, full amount of awards, and payments.

Response: Yes, the County maintains bid tabs with vendor information and full amount of awards, including executed contracts.

Question 23

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: Page 11. #5 requests a implementation strategy. Since that is post-study work and difficult to access at this time, can that work be billed on an hourly basis with hourly rates to be provided in this proposal? Or alternatives with a pool of money estimated and to be billed against hourly?

Response: How the Offeror proposes to submit cost is a business decision. The County cannot advise on this matter.

Question 24

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: Page 14 #3 asks for firm experience as expert witness, can it also include key team member experience as expert witness?

Response: Yes, the response to this RFP can include the experience of a proposed team member in the solicitation.

Question 25

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: Page 15 #5.a.ii ask for the consultant to define the relevant market but then states that it should concentrate on certain areas. Please clarify that the successful proponent can conduct a relevant market analysis to determine the appropriate disparity study geographic marketplace.

Response: The County is looking forward to the Offeror response on how to best determine the market range of the study. The RFP is issued to gain insight from the Offeror experience in this matter. The County has never issued this RFP and never been part of a study such as this.

Question 26

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: Does the county utilize commodity codes? E.g. NAICS, NIGP, or UNSPSC

Response: The County uses NIGP Codes when posting in the eVA platform in the Commonwealth of VA eProcurement Portal. County internal processes does not require the use of NIGP codes at this time.

Question 27

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: Section 13, Authority to Transact Business-If a firm is out of state and doesn't currently have any business in Virginia, is it required to register with the Commonwealth of Virginia in order to submit a proposal?

Response: According to the Code of VA, any Offeror contracting with the Commonwealth is to be registered at the time of contract execution, therefore having a completed registration at the time of proposal submission is not required.

Question 28

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: V-Proposal Requirements, page 14, item 4-Past Performance on Disparity Studies-it requests two sample final disparity study reports. Can we provide a link to the final disparity studies, or are we required to provide copies in PDF?

Response: A link to the sample studies will be accepted. In the event the link doesn't work it may be an issue for evaluation. This is at the Offeror's discretion, but the County will accept it as part of the response.

Question 29

Posted: 11/7/2022

Question: In the RFP, Reference V. Proposal Requirements, Section 7. Proposal Submittal Elements, in the second sentence, it states "Each of the proposal elements should be provided in the order listed below." Executed Forms are listed to be the first section of our proposal, given the proposal form requires us to include our cost, should this form be the very first thing the County views in reviewing proposers proposals? or should proposers omit including the cost on this form or should the executed forms be listed in a different order such that other elements of the proposal are reviewed first and then the cost?

Response: Per Section V. Proposal Requirements, the executed forms should be the first element in the proposal submittal, this includes the provided form with the cost included. Under Proposal Element #6. Cost Proposal, the Offeror can state "see Proposal Form". The Offeror should not omit including the cost on this form.

Posted: 10/4/2022

Type of Addition: Addendum 1

Documents:

Posted: 10/17/2022

Type of Addition: Attendance Sheet & Minutes

Documents:

Posted: 11/4/2022

Type of Addition: Addendum No. 2

Overview: Addendum No. 2 extends the question deadline and the proposal due date.

Deadline: 11/30/2022 2:00 PM

Documents:

Posted: 11/30/2022

Type of Addition: In Review

Posted: 4/25/2023

Type of Addition: Notice of Award Information

Overview: 23-DMF-RFP-275: Disparity Study awarded to: MGT of America Consulting, LLC

Documents:

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: 1. For the prime contract data the County maintains, please note whether these data include the following information for all, some, or none of the contracts. Please answer separately for each industry to be included in the study; also note whether the data are available electronically or as hard copy. • Firm name. • Firm address, city, state, zip code. • Firm phone number. • Firm email address. • Firm contact person. • Firm owner race and gender. • Firm owner veteran status. • Prime contract number. • Prime contract title. • Start date of contract. • End date of contract. • Award amount. • Amount paid (total or to date). • Type of work performed. • Industry category code, such as NAICS or NIGP. 2. For the MWBE subcontract data the County maintains, please note whether these data include the following information for all, some, or none of the contracts. Please answer separately for each industry to be included in the study; also note whether the data are available electronically or as hard copy. • Firm name. • Firm address, city, state, zip code. • Firm phone number. • Firm email address. • Firm contact person. • Firm owner race and gender. • Firm owner veteran status. • Prime contract number. • Prime contract title. • Start date of contract. • End date of contract. • Award amount. • Amount paid (total or to date). • Type of work performed. • Industry category code, such as NAICS or NIGP. 3. For the non-MWBE subcontract data the County maintains, please note whether these data include the following information for all, some, or none of the contracts. Please answer separately for each industry to be included in the study; also note whether the data are available electronically or as hard copy. • Firm name. • Firm address, city, state, zip code. • Firm phone number. • Firm email address. • Firm contact person. • Firm owner race and gender. • Firm owner veteran status. • Prime contract number. • Prime contract title. • Start date of contract. • End date of contract. • Award amount. • Amount paid (total or to date). • Type of work performed. • Industry category code, such as NAICS or NIGP. 4. What brought about this study? 5. What is the requested timeline to complete this study? 6. What is the M/WBE / SBE / DBE goal for the project? 7. Would respondents be in compliance if we have an active Commonwealth of Virginia license and a pending license for Arlington County? If not, would either or suffice? 8. What is the timeline to complete the study? 9. What are the goals for this study? 10. What is the amount budgeted for the study?

Response: This is a duplication of question numbers 4, 6 and 7. Please refer to those postings.

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: Do subcontractors need to be registered on the County’s vendor registry?

Response: Only the Offeror submitting the proposal needs to be registered in Vendor Registry.

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: Please provide a list of the County departments that will be included in the disparity study.

Response: All county departments can be found on the Arlington web site. https://www.arlingtonva.us/Government/Departments-Offices

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: 1. For the prime contract data the County maintains, please note whether these data include the following information for all, some, or none of the contracts. Please answer separately for each industry to be included in the study; also note whether the data are available electronically or as hard copy. • Firm name. • Firm address, city, state, zip code. • Firm phone number. • Firm email address. • Firm contact person. • Firm owner race and gender. • Firm owner veteran status. • Prime contract number. • Prime contract title. • Start date of contract. • End date of contract. • Award amount. • Amount paid (total or to date). • Type of work performed. • Industry category code, such as NAICS or NIGP.

Response: Same response as question 7

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: Page 12 of the RFP indicates that proposals “must not exceed the state page limitation.” What, if any, page limits exist for proposals?

Response: There is no page limitation for the RFP response.

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: 2. For the MWBE subcontract data the County maintains, please note whether these data include the following information for all, some, or none of the contracts. Please answer separately for each industry to be included in the study; also note whether the data are available electronically or as hard copy. • Firm name. • Firm address, city, state, zip code. • Firm phone number. • Firm email address. • Firm contact person. • Firm owner race and gender. • Firm owner veteran status. • Prime contract number. • Prime contract title. • Start date of contract. • End date of contract. • Award amount. • Amount paid (total or to date). • Type of work performed. • Industry category code, such as NAICS or NIGP.

Response: We have already responded to this question.

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: 3. For the non-MWBE subcontract data the County maintains, please note whether these data include the following information for all, some, or none of the contracts. Please answer separately for each industry to be included in the study; also note whether the data are available electronically or as hard copy. • Firm name. • Firm address, city, state, zip code. • Firm phone number. • Firm email address. • Firm contact person. • Firm owner race and gender. • Firm owner veteran status. • Prime contract number. • Prime contract title. • Start date of contract. • End date of contract. • Award amount. • Amount paid (total or to date). • Type of work performed. • Industry category code, such as NAICS or NIGP.

Response: Please refer to the RFP for the amount of data the County has access to. Please refer to questions already answered for the industry codes.

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: 4. What brought about this study?

Response: Please refer to the Introduction section of the RFP.

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: 5. What is the requested timeline to complete this study?

Response: We have already responded to this question.

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: 6. What is the M/WBE / SBE / DBE goal for the project?

Response: The County is not able to set goals for projects at this time, therefore there are no goals for this RFP.

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: 7. Would respondents be in compliance if we have an active Commonwealth of Virginia license and a pending license for Arlington County? If not, would either or suffice?

Response: Yes, a pending license with the County would be acceptable. The license requirement is not verified until contract award, not at the submission of the RFP response.

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: 8. What is the timeline to complete the study?

Response: The County is asking the Offeror what a reasonable timeline is. We've not had this study completed before; we don't know what a normal timeline would be and is very interested in the Offerors response.

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: 9. What are the goals for this study?

Response: The RFP answers that question.

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: 10. What is the amount budgeted for the study?

Response: We have already responded to this question. Please see the public solicitation.

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: Exhibit E requires COVID-19 Vaccines or regular testing. Is this necessary if employees are working remotely from home?

Response: The County's COVID policy suggest vaccination and testing by using the word "should". The County's mission is to protect its workers and our community.

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: The Cost Proposal asked for two lines of information: Development of Disparity Model & Conclusions and Completed Disparity Study. Is the meant that all costs up to the recommendations and actual report are to be contained on the first line and only the recommendations and reports are line 2?

Response: It is highly recommended that Offerors provide a clear breakdown of cost and as much detail of what's included in each cost area as possible.

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: Please also confirm that you are only asking for lump-sums and not cost breakdowns.

Response: How price proposals are submitted as a response to this RFP is at the discretion of the Offeror. The County did not specify or require a specific format.

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: What departments are included in the Study? Are there any transportation agencies, libraries, or museums?

Response: The County will not have museums, Libraries and transportation are part of our agency.

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: What are the decentralized departments and what data do they maintain? We are trying to understand how many sources we will have to interviews and extract data from other than the centralized sources.

Response: The County defines decentralized departments as any department outside Central Purchasing with the delegated authority to make purchases. The decentralized purchaser is responsible for keeping all quotes and information related to the goods and services they procure. The files are kept electronically by department, it would include the request for goods and services, the vendor response, any communication, insurance certificates and any award.

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: What is the budget for this study?

Response: The County does not post budgets for competitive solicitations.

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: Does the County maintain subcontractor data for minority, women and service disabled veteran owned businesses? For all subcontractors that are not in those groups? Is this data maintained in electronic (spreadsheet) format?

Response: Please read the RFP in its entirety. This information is in the solicitation.

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: Does the County maintain electronic databases of bid tabulations, vendors, full amount of awards, and payments.

Response: Yes, the County maintains bid tabs with vendor information and full amount of awards, including executed contracts.

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: Page 11. #5 requests a implementation strategy. Since that is post-study work and difficult to access at this time, can that work be billed on an hourly basis with hourly rates to be provided in this proposal? Or alternatives with a pool of money estimated and to be billed against hourly?

Response: How the Offeror proposes to submit cost is a business decision. The County cannot advise on this matter.

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: Page 14 #3 asks for firm experience as expert witness, can it also include key team member experience as expert witness?

Response: Yes, the response to this RFP can include the experience of a proposed team member in the solicitation.

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: Page 15 #5.a.ii ask for the consultant to define the relevant market but then states that it should concentrate on certain areas. Please clarify that the successful proponent can conduct a relevant market analysis to determine the appropriate disparity study geographic marketplace.

Response: The County is looking forward to the Offeror response on how to best determine the market range of the study. The RFP is issued to gain insight from the Offeror experience in this matter. The County has never issued this RFP and never been part of a study such as this.

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: Does the county utilize commodity codes? E.g. NAICS, NIGP, or UNSPSC

Response: The County uses NIGP Codes when posting in the eVA platform in the Commonwealth of VA eProcurement Portal. County internal processes does not require the use of NIGP codes at this time.

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: Section 13, Authority to Transact Business-If a firm is out of state and doesn't currently have any business in Virginia, is it required to register with the Commonwealth of Virginia in order to submit a proposal?

Response: According to the Code of VA, any Offeror contracting with the Commonwealth is to be registered at the time of contract execution, therefore having a completed registration at the time of proposal submission is not required.

Posted: 10/25/2022

Question: V-Proposal Requirements, page 14, item 4-Past Performance on Disparity Studies-it requests two sample final disparity study reports. Can we provide a link to the final disparity studies, or are we required to provide copies in PDF?

Response: A link to the sample studies will be accepted. In the event the link doesn't work it may be an issue for evaluation. This is at the Offeror's discretion, but the County will accept it as part of the response.

Posted: 11/7/2022

Question: In the RFP, Reference V. Proposal Requirements, Section 7. Proposal Submittal Elements, in the second sentence, it states "Each of the proposal elements should be provided in the order listed below." Executed Forms are listed to be the first section of our proposal, given the proposal form requires us to include our cost, should this form be the very first thing the County views in reviewing proposers proposals? or should proposers omit including the cost on this form or should the executed forms be listed in a different order such that other elements of the proposal are reviewed first and then the cost?

Response: Per Section V. Proposal Requirements, the executed forms should be the first element in the proposal submittal, this includes the provided form with the cost included. Under Proposal Element #6. Cost Proposal, the Offeror can state "see Proposal Form". The Offeror should not omit including the cost on this form.