RFP - Search Firm

HOME - Superintendent Search Consultants

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
FOR
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES SEARCH FIRM
FOR SUPERINTENDENT

Proposals Due September 10, 20__, 10:00 a.m. EST

Bid Manager:
___NAME___.
Assistant Superintendent HR/Legal Services
___Address___
___Address___
___Phone_Number___

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
The _________________ School District is seeking the assistance of a professional services firm in the search for a Superintendent. This document describes the scope of work that we anticipate will be involved in this process. We invite you to submit a proposal should you believe that you are qualified and interested in assisting us. We look forward to reviewing your response.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. RFP Milestones.....................................................................................................
2. Required Firm Background Information Required ..............................................
3. Scope of Work......................................................................................................
4. Search Process – Anticipated Milestones ............................................................
5. Search Context .....................................................................................................
6. District Goals Relevant for Search .......................................................................
7. Submission Requirements and Deadline...............................................................
8. Familial Relationship Affidavit ............................................................................

1. RFP Milestones

Date/Location                                                Activity

Friday, August 27, 20__                                   RFP Released

Friday, September 3, 20__                               10:00 AM ET –Optional Pre-Bid Meeting for the
                                                                        Purpose of Answering Any Questions Relative to
                                                                        the RFP

Friday, September 10, 20__                             RFP Responses due to Board of Education no
                                                                        later than 10:00 a.m. EST – Formal Bid Opening

Friday, September 17, 20__                             Finalists Notified of Selection for Interviews

Wednesday, September 22, 20__                     Interviews with Board of Education

Wednesday, September 29, 20__                     Firm Selected by Board of Education

Thursday, September 30, 20__                         Firms Notified by Board of Education President

2. Firm Background Information Required

As you prepare your responses, please provide the following information to highlight your experience and your likelihood of meeting our needs:

• Describe your experience in recruiting and successfully placing Superintendents in K- 12 school districts.

• State your experience in identifying and successfully placing a diverse and qualified pool of Superintendent candidates, including average number of states of origin for candidates.

• Provide 2 – 3 references from searches you have conducted and successfully completed in the past 12 – 24 months, with an emphasis on districts similar to ours.

• Of the searches you have conducted, what % has resulted in successful placements?

• Provide the average length of time from initiation of search activities to successful search completion (selection of a candidate and acceptance of the position, as facilitated by your firm).

• Provide a profile of the experience for the person that you are proposing to lead this effort and any other staff that will be involved.

• Describe a typical search process in detail.

• Describe the conditions under which a search timeframe can be modified or the search process be terminated.

• Should the final pool of candidates become not viable for some reason, please describe the process you would use to complete the search process, which is defined as the selection, and acceptance of, a Superintendent. You can use an example of a past experience.

• Financial Estimates: Provide an estimated cost for a Superintendent search, as you anticipate this effort may require. The selection of an interim Superintendent may be part of this process; please include as a separate cost estimate. Provide the past three costs – by major category and total costs for the Superintendent searches that you have conducted.

• Describe how you intend to work with the Board of Education during each phase of this process, including the support that you would provide during interviews, site visits, open forums, etc.

• Attendance at selected Board meetings is a requirement for this search. We will notify you in advance of actual dates. This schedule will be mutually coordinated, based on selected milestone Board meetings.

3. Scope of Work

The District is seeking the assistance of a professional services firm specializing in education executive searches for a Superintendent. We are looking for a firm that will work in an advisory role to the Board of Education (BOE) to provide the following services:

• Advise the BOE on an approach that meets our needs and our timing requirements (see Search Process - Anticipated Milestones).

• Advise the BOE on a compensation package that facilitates successful recruitment of the type of Superintendent that we need and desire.

• Develops activities and time requirements that are considerate of the goals and objectives that the District has planned for this 20__/__ school year.

• Activities include the development of search criteria that incorporate our district’s goals and leadership characteristics that the BOE and community consider requisite for success.

• Demonstrates a candidate identification process that identifies a diverse pool of highly qualified and competent candidates in districts with a similar achievement and community context, reflecting a familiarity with our students’ needs.

• Identifies a pool of diverse candidates that are highly likely to be effective educational leaders in our community and have a demonstrated significant achievement in areas that we believe are priorities for our district in the next 3 – 5 years.

• Constructs a selection process approach with community involvement.

• Provides a collaborative model, with milestones that include feedback and can be flexible, should that be warranted.

• Assembles an approach that may include the identification of an interim Superintendent and will include the identification of a permanent Superintendent; understanding that community engagement is a requirement for the selection of a permanent Superintendent.

4. Search Process – Anticipated Milestones

The timeline graphic below describes dates that are outside limits in our current expectations for the Superintendent search process:

[LIST OF ANTICIPATED MILESTONES]

The Board understands that a successful timeline may require recommended modifications based on your experience and the goal of identification of the best Superintendent candidate. It is our desire that whatever process is followed result in a Superintendent start date no later than July 1, 20__.

5. The Context of Our Search

The District has enjoyed excellent leadership in recent years, including that of __NAME__, who has served as our Superintendent since July 20__. The list below highlights a few noteworthy accomplishments in recent years:

            [4 to 10 - THE FOLLOWING ARE EXAMPLES ONLY]

• The successful renovation, construction and completion of a comprehensive high school.

• The District will embark on an update to our 20__ – 20__ Strategic Plan this year. This plan is a community-led strategic plan that spans 8 initiatives. This plan was supported by the Board, the District and the administrative team. Our plan will review the current relevance of these initiatives, validate and/or modify (including the potential addition of new initiatives) initiatives, and then conduct a detailed update to each initiative, based on community input.

• The Superintendent has built a very competent and capable leadership team in the District. We have enjoyed innovation and responsibility as part of the culture of our current administrative team.

• The Superintendent has served as a positive ambassador of the District to the community at large. As such, the District has enjoyed new partnerships, trust, credibility as well as awards and recognition for student achievement. He is leaving our district in a position of good community relations.

6. District Goals Relevant for the Search

The District takes pride in our students, staff and community. We have ambitious goals for the district. The tasks and capabilities of the interim Superintendent may differ from the permanent Superintendent. It is in this spirit that we share highlighted goals for the near term that will impact a successful fit for both roles (interim and permanent Superintendent):

            [3 or 4 - THE FOLLOWING ARE EXAMPLES ONLY]

• Updated Strategic Plan: a major activity this school year will involve an update to our 20__ – 20__ Strategic Plan. As mentioned earlier, this is a community-driven plan and therefore reflects the values and priorities of our community for our students. This plan currently is comprised of a vision, mission and 8 strategic initiatives. We anticipate a more detailed review of demonstrated progress on each initiative and effective implementation, along with validation of their relevancy to our future direction. Additional initiatives could be identified and planned for as part of this process and current initiative could be modified or discontinued.

• Continued Resource Challenges: we anticipate continued expenditure reductions will be required as we plan for the 20__/__ school year and beyond. Strong leadership and community engagement will be required in 20__/__ for the successful passage of a school budget. Failure to pass will have a significant impact on budget planning for 20__/__.

• Focus on Achievement and Equity: our district continues to set high expectations on student achievement and prepare our students for success upon graduation. Our goals for student achievement reflect the diverse community in which we live. This includes a focus on improving student performance on all measures, closing the achievement gap among certain ethnic and socioeconomic student groups and improving on relevant skills that translate into competence in the careers of the 21st Century – in a manner that is competitive for our students.
– High community expectations in excellent school achievement
– Unrelenting commitment to equity and addressing the student achievement gap

• Community Engagement and Partnerships: we value and depend on our community for success. ____________ is a robust community-centric environment, with high expectations and a diverse and involved body of students and residents. We are committed to community engagement; business and non-profit partnerships; and successful collaborations focused on student achievement.

7. Submission Requirements and Deadline

: A sealed envelope containing your Proposal must be marked in the lower left hand corner as follows:
Sealed Proposal Enclosed
Professional Services Search Firm for Ann Arbor Public Schools Superintendent
[Bidder’s Name] [Bidder’s Address] [Bidder’s Telephone Number]

Proposals should be submitted to the Executive Assistant of the Board of Education by
Friday, September 10, 20__ at 10:00 a.m. (EST). We will require eight hard copies of your
Proposal mailed to the following:
__NAME__, Executive Assistant to the Board of Education
__ADDRESS__
__ADDRESS__

We will also require one electronic copy, submitted to the following:
_________@____.k12.__.us

Late Proposals: Each Bidder is responsible for submission of its Proposal. Proposals or
Proposal revisions received after the date and time specified above will not be accepted or considered. The District is not liable for any delivery or postal delays.

Returned Proposals: All Proposals received after the date and time specified above will be returned to the Bidder unopened.

Signed Original Proposals: Each Proposal must be an original and hard copy, and signed by an authorized member of the Bidder’s firm.

Opening of Proposals: Proposals will be publicly opened and dated on Friday, September
10, 20__ at 10:00 a.m. EST at ____ADDRESS____. Any interested parties may attend. No immediate decision will be rendered.

Finality of Decision: Any decision made by the District, for selection, shall be final.

Reservation of Rights: The District reserves the right, in its sole discretion (for this provision and all other provisions contained in this RFP), to accept or reject in whole or in part, any or all Proposals with or without cause. The District further reserves the right to waive any irregularity or informality in the RFP process or any Proposal, and the right to award the Contract to other than the Bidder(s) submitting the best financial Proposal (low bidder). The District reserves the right to request additional information from any or all Bidders. The District reserves the right to negotiate with the Bidders concerning their Proposals.

Release of Claims: Each Bidder by submitting its Proposal releases the District from any and all claims arising out of, and related to, the RFP process and selection of a Proposal.

Bidder Bears Proposal Costs: A recipient of this RFP is responsible for any and all costs incurred by it or others acting on its behalf in preparing or submitting a Proposal, or otherwise responding to this RFP, or any negotiations incidental to its Proposal or this RFP.

Irrevocability of Proposals: All Proposals submitted shall not be withdrawn and shall be irrevocable for a minimum period of thirty (30) calendar days following the date and time for receipt of Proposals set forth above.

Non-Collusion: Bidder certifies that its Proposal has not been made or prepared in collusion or cooperation with any other Bidder, or representative thereof, and the prices terms, or conditions of the Proposal have not been communicated by or on behalf of Bidder to any other Bidder or potential Bidder and will not be so communicated to any other Bidder or potential Bidder prior to the official opening of this Proposal. This certification may be treated for all purposes as if it were a sworn statement made under oath, subject to the penalties of perjury.

Force Majeure: If the performance of any obligation of __NAME OF DISTRICT__ is prevented, delayed or in any way interfered with by force majeure, act of God, natural disaster, fire, flood, explosion, earthquake, epidemic, quarantine, restriction, serious accident, any act of government, insurrection, riot, strike, labor trouble, or any other cause beyond the control of __NAME OF DISTRICT__, __NAME OF DISTRICT__ may, at is sole option, suspend performance or cancel its obligations, without liability for loss, provided __NAME OF DISTRICT__ informs the Bidder immediately in writing of is inability to carry out the terms of its obligations. In no event will __NAME OF DISTRICT__ be responsible for consequential or special damages on account of such suspension of performance or canceling of obligations.
Governing Law: Each contract between __NAME OF DISTRICT__ and the Bidder shall be governed under the laws of the State of _________________.

Hold Harmless, Indemnification: The selected firm shall indemnify, defend and hold
harmless __NAME OF DISTRICT__, its officers, agents, employees and representatives, from and against any and all costs and expenses, claims, losses, liabilities, injuries, or damages, demands and action including payment of reasonable attorney’s fees, arising out of or resulting from activities performed with respect to this RFP.

Disclosure of Familial Relationships: Each bidder must submit the notarized affidavit on the following pages notifying the __NAME OF DISTRICT__ of familial relationships.

We look forward to your Proposal, suggestions and proposed approach in assisting us with the successful selection of the best Superintendent for the __NAME OF DISTRICT__.

AFFIDAVIT AS TO
DISCLOSURE OF FAMILIAL RELATIONSHIPS FOR
COMPETITIVE BIDS

[See applicable State Law]……. requires any Competitive Bid to be accompanied by a sworn and notarized statement that discloses any familial relationship that exists between the owner or any employee of the bidder and any member of the Board of Education of the District, and/or the current or past Superintendents of Schools
The District may require same sworn and notarized statement to accompany any bid for goods or services as deemed necessary.

INSTRUCTIONS: This report must be completed either in ink or typewritten. Attach pages of this size if additional space is needed on any response and identify each response by the part to which it relates.

NAME OF BIDDER:___________________________________________________________

Address:______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Period of Proposed Work: ________________________________________________________

Question #1

Does the owner or any employee of the bidder have any familial relationship with any member of the __NAME OF DISTRICT__ Board of Education? Yes____ No ____

If the answer to #1 is yes, complete the following:

a) Name of Employee:___________________________________________________________

b) Home Address of Employee: ____________________________________________________

c) Position Held: ______________________________________________________________

d) Name of Board of Education Member: ____________________________________________

Question #2
Does the owner or any employee of the bidder have any familial relationship with the current or former Superintendents of the __NAME OF DISTRICT__? Yes____ No ____

If the answer to #2 is yes, complete the following:

a) Name of Employee:__________________________________________________________
b) Home Address of Employee: ____________________________________________________
c) Position Held: _______________________________________________________________
d) Name of AAPS Superintendent: _________________________________________________

I, ___[typed name of affiant] ___having been duly sworn on oath, say that I am the above-named, that I have personally prepared the foregoing affidavit, and that the same is true to the best of my knowledge and belief.
__________________________________
[signature of affiant]

Subscribed and sworn to before me, this _________day of _____________ , 20____.

__________________________________
[signature of Notary]

__________________________________
[typed name of Notary]

NOTARY PUBLIC

My commission expires: ________________, 20____.