HomeMy WebLinkAboutExhibit 11City of Miami, Florida Federal Lobbying Services RFQ 09-05-125R
1.0. INTRODUCTION TO REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS
1.1. Invitation
Thank you for your interest in this Request for Qualification ("RFQ") process. The City of Miami
("City"), through its Purchasing Department invites responses ("Proposals") which offer to provide
the services described in greater detail in Section 2.0: Specifications / Scope of Work.
1.2. Term of Contract
The Proposer(s) qualified and selected to provide the services requested herein (the "Successful
Proposer(s)") shall be required to execute a contract ("Contract") with the City, which shall include,
but not be limited to, the following terms:
A. The Contract shall be for an initial term of one (1) year.
B. The City shall have the option to extend the Contract for five (5) additional periods of one
(1) year each, at its sole discretion. Successful Proposer(s) will be given at least thirty (30)
days prior written notice. The City has the option to extend the Contract for one hundred
twenty (120) days with the Successful Proposer(s), to ensure continuity of services.
1.3. Business Objective
The City, a municipal corporation of the State of Florida, is seeking the services of qualified
Proposers ("Proposer(s)"), which may be an individual, firm, corporation, joint venture, partnership
or other legal entity, for the provision of federal lobbying services to the City, on behalf of the
Office of the City Manager/Chief Administrator.
1.4. Deadline for Receipt of Request for Additional Information /
Clarification
Pursuant to the Cone of Silence, any request for additional information or clarification must be
received in writing no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, December 30, 2005. Proposers may fax or
email their requests to the attention of Pamela Bums CPPB, Sr. Procurement Contracts Officer,
Department of Purchasing, at email pburns@ci.miami.fl.us or fax (305) 400-5026. This RFQ is
subject to the City's "Cone of Silence" in accordance with Section 18-74 of the City's Ordinance
No. 12271.
1.5. Cone of Silence
Pursuant to Section 18-74 of City Ordinance No. 12271, a "Cone of Silence" is imposed upon each
RFP, RFQ, RFLI, or IFB after advertisement and terminates at the time the City Manager issues a
written recommendation to the Miami City Commission. The Cone of Silence shall be applicable
only to Contracts for the provision of goods and services and public works or improvements for
amounts greater than $200,000. The Cone of Silence prohibits any communication regarding RFPs,
RFQs, RFLI or IFBs (bids) between, among others:
• Potential vendors, service providers, bidders, lobbyists or consultants and the City's
professional staff including, but not limited to, the City Manager and the City Manager's
staff, the Mayor, City Commissioners, or their respective staffs;
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City of Miami, Florida Federal Lobbying Services RFQ 04-05-125R
• The Mayor, City Commissioners or their respective staffs and the City's professional staff
including, but not limited to, the City Manager and the City Manager's staff;
• Potential vendors, service providers, bidders, lobbyist or consultants, any member of the
City's professional staff, the Mayor, City Commissioners or their respective staffs and any
member of the respective selection/evaluation committee
The provision does not apply to, among other communications:
• Oral communications with the City purchasing staff regarding Minority/Women Business
Enterprise (M/WBE) and local vendor outreach programs;
• Communication is limited strictly to matters of process or procedure already contained in
the solicitation document;
• The provisions of the Cone of Silence do not apply to oral communications at duly noticed
site visits/inspections, pre -proposal or pre -bid conferences, oral presentations before
selection/evaluation committees, contract negotiations during any duly noticed public
meeting, or public presentations made to the Miami City Commission during a duly noticed
public meeting; or
• Communications in writing or by email at any time with any City employee, official or
member of the City Commission unless specifically prohibited by the applicable RFP, RFQ
or bid documents.
• Communications in connection with the collection of industry comments or the performance
of market research regarding a particular RFP, RFQ, RFLI or IFB by City Purchasing staff.
Proposers or bidders must file a copy of any written communications with the Office of the City
Clerk, which shall be made available to any person upon request. The City shall respond in
writing and file a copy with the Office of the City Clerk, which shall be made available to any
person upon request. Written communications may be in the form of e-mail, with a copy to the
Office of the City Clerk at jcerrato@ci.miami.fl.us.
In addition to any other penalties provided
'ded by law, violation of the Cone of Silence by any
proposer or bidder shall render any award voidable. A violation by a particular bidder,
proposer, offeror, Respondent, lobbyist or consultant shall subject same to potential debarment
pursuant to the City Code. Any person having personal knowledge of a violation of these
provisions shall report such violation to the State Attorney and/or may file a complaint with the
Ethics Commission. Proposers or bidders should reference Section 18-74 of the City of Miami
Code for further clarification.
This language is only a summary of the key provisions of the Cone of Silence. Please review
City Ordinance No. 12271 for a complete and thorough description of the Cone of Silence. You
may contact the City Clerk at 305-250-5360, to obtain a copy of same.
1.6. Clarification
Requests for additional information or clarifications must be made in writing and received by the
Senior Buyer specified on the cover sheet of this RFQ, in accordance with the deadline for receipt
of questions specified in the RFQ (see Section 1.4) and the Cone of Silence (see Section 1.5). The
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City of Miami, Florida Federal Lobbying Services RFQ 04-05-125R
request must contain the RFQ number and title, Proposer's name, name of Proposer's contact
person, address, phone number, and facsimile number.
Electronic facsimile requesting additional information will be received by the Sr. Buyer for this
RFQ at the fax number specified on the cover sheet of this RFQ. Facsimiles must have a cover
sheet which includes, at a minimum, the Proposer's name, name of Proposer's contact person,
address, number of pages transmitted, phone number, facsimile number, and RFQ number and title.
The City will issue responses to inquiries and any other corrections or amendments it deems
necessary in written addenda issued prior to the Proposal Submission Date. Proposers should not
rely on any representations, statements or explanations other than those made in this RFQ or in any
written addendum to this RFQ. Where there appears to be conflict between the RFQ and any
addenda issued, the last addendum issued shall prevail.
1.7. Award of Contract
The opportunity to enter into the Contract shall be afforded to the Proposer(s) whose Proposal is
determined to be the most advantageous to the City and in the City's best interests, taking into
consideration fees and other evaluation factors set forth in the RFQ (the "Successful Proposer(s)").
1.8. Contract Execution
The Contract will be negotiated and executed between the Successful Proposer(s) and the City.
1.9. Unauthorized Work
The Successful Proposer(s) shall not begin work until a Contract has been fully executed.
1.10. Instructions
Careful attention must be given to all requested items contained in this RFQ. Proposers are invited to
submit Proposals in accordance with the requirements of this RFQ. Please read the entire solicitation
before submitting a Proposal. Proposers shall make the necessary entry in all blanks provided for the
responses, if applicable.
The entire set of documents constitutes the RFQ. The Proposer must return these documents with all
information necessary for the City to properly analyze Proposer's response in total and in the same
order in which it was issued. Proposer's notes, exceptions, and comments may be rendered on an
attachment, provided the same format of this RFQ text is followed. All Proposals shall be returned in a
sealed envelope or package with the RFQ title, number, and closing due date clearly stated on the
outside of the envelope or package.
Proposers must provide a response to each requirement of the RFQ. Proposals should be prepared in a
concise manner with an emphasis on completeness and clarity.
1.11. Changes / Alterations
Proposer may change or withdraw a Proposal at any time prior to Proposal submission deadline;
however, no oral modifications will be allowed.
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1.12. Assignment of Contract
Successful Proposer(s) shall not assign, transfer or subcontract, at any time during the term of the
Contract, or any part of his/her operations, or assign any portion or part of the Contract, except
under and by virtue of written permission granted by the City through the proper officials, which
may be withheld or conditioned, in the City's sole discretion.
1.13. Discrepancies, Errors, and Omissions
Any discrepancies, errors, or ambiguities in the RFQ or addenda (if any) should be reported in writing
to the City's Purchasing Department. Should it be necessary, a written addendum will be incorporated
to the RFQ. The City will not be responsible for any oral instructions, clarifications, or other
communications.
1.14. Disqualification
The City reserves the right to disqualify Proposals before or after the submission date, upon
evidence of collusion with intent to defraud or other illegal practices on the part of the Proposer. It
also reserves the right to waive any immaterial defect or informality in any Proposals; to reject any
or all Proposals in whole or in part, or to reissue this Request for Qualifications.
1.15. Proposal Receipt
Sealed Proposals will be accepted in accordance with the instructions detailed on the cover of this RFQ.
After that date and time, Proposals will no longer be accepted. The Proposer shall file all documents
necessary to support its Proposal and shall include them with its Proposal. Proposers shall be
responsible for the actual delivery of Proposals during business hours to the exact address indicated on
the cover and in the RFQ. Proposals that are not received by the City Clerk's Office by the deadline
established in the RFQ shall not be accepted or considered by the City.
1.16. Capital Expenditures
The Proposer understands that any capital expenditures that the Proposer makes, in order to perform
the services required by the City in this RFQ, is a business risk which the Proposer may include in
its proposed price. The City, however, is not and shall not pay or reimburse any capital expenditures
or any other expenses incurred by any Proposer in anticipation neither of a Contract award nor to
maintain the approved status of the Proposer, if a Contract is awarded.
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City of Miami, Florida Federal Lobbyiig Services RFQ 04-05-125R
2.0 SPECIFICATIONS / SCOPE OF WORK
2.1 Background Information
With a population of over 360,000 residents, the City has one of the largest populations of any city
in the State of Florida and is located in Miami -Dade County, with a population of well over 2.2
million people.
The City seeks to secure experienced public sector lobbyist(s) to represent its various interests
before the Legislative and Executive branches of the Federal Government, with the purpose, at a
minimum, of identifying funding sources and influencing the development of legislation that will
improve the quality of life for those who live, work and visit the City. Proposers should possess or
have continual and immediate access to legal expertise on the governmental issue(s) needing to be
addressed. Legal expertise for "key personnel" of the Proposer is desirable and should be identified
in its responses to the RFQ. Please refer to Attachment A for those anticipated "Categories of
Expertise" being sought by the City. These Categories are not all inclusive and may be modified
throughout the duration of the contract.
It is the intent of this solicitation to establish a term Contract, qualify Proposers ("Successful
Proposers") based upon their credentials, experience, and expertise, per the Categories shown on
Attachment A. As such, Proposers, in their Response, are to clearly identify those areas of
expertise, on a per Category basis, for which they are seeking to qualify, The City shall utilize
qualified Proposers on the List, per Category, on an as needed, when needed, basis. Proposers are
not guaranteed specific work assignments or quantity of work under the Categories. The City
reserves the right to qualify additional firms or categories at any given point in time throughout the
term of the contract when deemed in the best interest of the City.
The Successful Proposers shall not represent any other party before Congress or any other
administrative agency on any matter where such party's interest may be adverse to the City without
written permission of the City. In the event that Successful Proposer(s) desires to represent another
party with the federal government,, it„shall inform the City Attorney and the City Manager/Chief
Administrator, in writing, of any other party it wishes to represent and the nature of the
representation. The City may preclude the Successful Proposer(s) from simultaneously representing
the City and another party when, in the City's sole determination, the representation of another
party may be adverse to the City's interest.
2.2 Categories of Expertise
The City recognizes expertise of a Proposer may be in the Categories of Executive/Agency;
Legislative, or both. It is the City's desire to secure the services of Proposers who can provide
quality service in one or more areas of need, as shown on Attachment A and identified as
"Categories of Expertise, " In its Response, Proposers must reflect in which area(s) of expertise it is
seeking to qualify under.
2.3 Scope of Work
The Successful Proposer(s) must provide federal governmental lobbying and consulting services as
stipulated by the City.
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City of Miami, Florida Federal Lobbying Services RFQ 04-05-125R
While Attachment A reflects subject areas where the City is seeking to qualify Proposers with
experience and expertise, the City understands that each Proposer is uniquely qualified and may be
an expert in some but not all subject areas. As a result, the City is seeking a number of qualified
Proposers for each of the main subject areas reflected on Attachment A. Proposers may seek to
qualify for one (1) Category, more than one (1) Category, or all Categories, depending upon its
expertise, qualifications and experience. At the time of need, and depending upon the issue, the City
will select a qualified Proposer from a Category, on an as needed basis, to perform required
services.
Successful Proposers shall perform, as a minimum and per Category, the following services:
• Communicate with the City Manager/Chief Administrator or his/her designee(s) on at least a
weekly basis to review and analyze federal government executive and legislative actions having
a bearing on the City's fiscal and programmatic interests.
• Establish and maintain positive working relationships with the executive and legislative
branches of the federal government to enhance the City's position with respect to financial
assistance, including reimbursements, applications, regulatory procedures, legislation, budget
authorizations and appropriations, and other similar matters as needed.
• Integrate its efforts with the City Manager/Chief Administrator or his/her designee to assure a
strong and consistent legislative program.
• Establish and maintain a fully functional office, if required, including, but not limited to,
parking, phones, facsimile, copy machine, personal computer with appropriate software, as
identified by the City, filing space for City staff or officials in the Metropolitan Washington
D.C. area, and provide clerical assistance for said staff or officials during session to ensure
adequate coordination between Washington D.C. and the City.
• Provide a full range of legislative counsel and advocacy services, including preparing weekly
reports advising the City Manager/Chief Administrator of the current status of legislation during
legislative sessions.
• Advise the City Manager/Chief Administrator on a timely basis of any issues, meetings,
hearings, or legislative and administrative procedures of relevance to the City.
• Represent the City at meetings, hearings, or conferences, as requested.
• Be available on a twenty-four hour, seven (7) day per week basis during the session, and must
immediately respond to any calls or pages by the City Manager/Chief Administrator or
designated City Staff.
• Confer with the Mayor, City Commission, City Manager/Chief Administrator, City Attorney,
and other City personnel, on an as needed basis, regarding strategic organizational planning and
program activities which have a bearing on the ability of the City to make the best use of federal
programs, assistance, appropriations, and/or any other legislative, administrative or executive
actions.
• Meet with the Mayor, City Commission, and City Manager/Chief Administrator or his/her
'designee(s) periodically and at mutually agreed upon times and dates.
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City of Miami, Florida Federal Lobbying Services RFQ 04-05-125R
• Maintain liaison with the City's Congressional delegation and assist with the delegation in any
matter that the City determines to be in its best interest.
• Counsel with the City regarding appearances by City personnel before Congressional
Committees and Federal Administrative Agencies.
• Depending upon its area of expertise identified on Attachment A, identify and notify the City in
advance of opportunities such as grant opportunities and funding availability for transportation,
community and economic development, environmental matters, infrastructure improvement,
hurricane recovery efforts, housing and urban development, homeless programs, intermodal
programs and any other areas of interest to the City.
• Depending upon its area of expertise, assist the City in the review of federal executive
proposals, legislation under consideration, proposed and adopted administrative rules and
regulations, and other federal developments for the purpose of advising the City of those items
which may have a significant bearing on City policies, funding, and programs.
• Depending upon its area of expertise, consult with the City regarding any proposed formula
changes in the Community Development Block Grant or other major federal programs to
determine their impact on the City, and take the necessary steps as mutually agreed upon to
bring changes in the best interest of the City.
• Submit to the City an annual report of accomplishments concerning the Consultant's
responsibilities.
•. Assist in implementing the City's federal legislative agenda.
• Assist in writing, interpreting and monitoring legislation and regulations.
• Assist in the drafting of legislation, amendments, report language, position papers, and
testimony.
• Provide monthly written progress reports detailing the services that have been rendered.
• Be prepared at all times to obtain documentation and research materials upon request,
• Forward all required reports upon request by the City, and those reports shall be in the number
of copies as requested by the City at that particular instance.
2.4. Proposer Minimum Qualifications
The following represent the minimum qualification requirements for a Proposer to be deemed
responsive and qualified by the City, and Proposers shall satisfy each of the following minimum
requirements cited below. Each must be addressed in detail to determine Proposer's responsiveness
and if qualified. Failure to meet each of the following qualificatbn"requirements, and/or failure to
provide sufficient detail and/or documentation in its Proposal to determine responsiveness by the
City, will result in the Proposal being deemed non -responsive.
A. Proposer must be properly licensed to do business in the State of Florida and in the
Washington, D.C. area; and have performed similar satisfactory services in nature of
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City of Miami, Florida Federal LobbyingServrces RFQ 04-05-125R
experience, expertise, knowledge, skills, and abilities for similar or larger size complex
agencies on a continuous basis involving the government sector for a minimum of five (5)
years. Proposer must meet these minimum requirements for each Category in which it is
seeking to qualify.
B. Proposer shall have no record of judgments, bankruptcies, pending lawsuits against the City
or criminal activities involving moral turpitude nor have any conflicts of interest that have
not been waived by the City Commission.
C. Neither Proposer nor any principal, officer, or stockholder of Proposer(s) shall be in
arrears or in default of any debt or contract involving the City, (as a party to a contract, or
otherwise); nor have failed to perform faithfully on any previous contract with the City.
D. For each Category of Expertise for which it is seeking to Qualify, Proposer must clearly
demonstrate its expertise, capability, qualifications, and experience to provide said services.
Proposer must provide all necessary documentation to determine qualifications. Please refer
to the above Section A and Section 5.3, Submission Requirements for further details.
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