Community Police Commission Public Perception and Police Reform Survey Project

The Community Police Commission (CPC) is soliciting proposals from qualified firms to design, administer, analyze, and report the results of a comprehensive community survey focused on public perceptions of police reform, the effectiveness of the CPC, and broader attitudes toward policing in Cleveland. The selected Contractor will be responsible for developing a survey research plan; drafting and refining the survey instrument; administering the survey through CPC‑approved modes; implementing outreach strategies to ensure broad and equitable participation; monitoring field performance; and conducting data cleaning, validation, coding, weighting, and analysis. The Contractor will also prepare a final report summarizing methodology, findings, comparative trends, and key insights, and will deliver a presentation of results to CPC staff and other designated stakeholders. All work must be performed in accordance with professional survey research standards and in close coordination with CPC representatives at each project milestone.

Background

Introduction and Background

1.1 The Cleveland Community Police Commission

The Cleveland Community Police Commission (“CPC” or “the Commission”) is a civilian police oversight body established by the Charter of the City of Cleveland, Section 115-5, following the passage of Issue 24 by Cleveland voters in November 2021. The Commission holds final authority over police discipline, policy, and related oversight functions, and is charged with ensuring that policing in Cleveland is constitutional, effective, transparent, and reflective of community values. The Commission is composed of thirteen (13) Commissioners and a professional staff led by the Executive Director.

1.2 The Consent Decree

Since 2015, the Cleveland Division of Police (“CDP”) has operated under a federal Consent Decree entered in United States v. City of Cleveland, Case No. 1:15-cv-01046 (N.D. Ohio), overseen by the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio. The Consent Decree requires sweeping reforms across use of force, community engagement, bias-free policing, crisis intervention, search and seizure, accountability, transparency, and officer support.

The Consent Decree expressly contemplates periodic, methodologically reliable surveys of a representative sample of Cleveland residents regarding their experiences with, and perceptions of, the Cleveland Division of Police and of public safety (see Consent Decree, Section IX.D, Biennial Community Survey). Community input is foundational to the Decree: reform is not complete when policies change on paper—it is complete when residents see and feel the difference in their daily interactions with police.

1.3 Purpose of this Request for Proposals

The Commission seeks proposals from qualified research, evaluation, polling, and/or community engagement firms (“Proposers”) to design and execute a citywide community survey and qualitative engagement initiative (the “Project”). The central questions the Project must answer are:

1. Experience: What are Cleveland residents’ direct experiences with the Cleveland Division of Police—including stops, calls for service, complaints, and everyday encounters?
2. Perceived change: Do residents see and feel a difference in policing since the Consent Decree was implemented in 2015—and if so, what specifically has changed (positively or negatively)?
3. Trust and legitimacy: How do residents rate their trust in CDP, perceptions of fairness, procedural justice, responsiveness, and safety in their neighborhoods?
4. Equity: How do experiences and perceptions differ across race, ethnicity, age, gender, language, disability status, neighborhood/police district, and other demographic factors?

The selected firm (“Contractor”) will be responsible for survey design, sampling, dissemination, focus group facilitation, other community input methods, data analysis, and reporting, in close coordination with Commission staff.

Project Details

• Reference ID: 2026-RFP-136
• Department: Community Development
• Department Head: Joy Anderson (Director)

Important Dates

• Questions Due: 2026-06-26T20:00:00.000Z
• Pre-Proposal Meeting: 2026-06-24T14:00:00.000Z — https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/27203059453253?p=g8mefNV7se4X6Eo9ih

Evaluation Criteria

• Quality of Proposal (30 pts) —

  Technical approach and methodology, including sampling rigor, multi-modal dissemination, focus group design, and analysis plan

• Qualifications (20 pts) —

  Firm qualifications and demonstrated experience with comparable community survey and engagement projects, including policing/public safety and court-monitored contexts

• Community Engagement & Cultural Competence (15 pts) —

  Demonstrated history of successful relevant projects to meet proposed schedules and budgets.

• Project team qualifications and staffing plan (10 pts)
• Work plan feasibility and ability to complete data collection within the August–November 2026 field period (10 pts)
• Cost reasonableness and value (10 pts)
• MBE/FBE/CSB utilization and local participation (5 pts)
• Finalist Interviews / Presentations (100 pts) —

  The Commission may invite the highest‑scoring Proposers to participate in finalist interviews or presentations. These sessions will allow Proposers to present their approach, clarify proposal elements, and respond to questions from the review committee. If held, interviews will occur during the week identified in the Project Timetable. Participation in an interview does not guarantee selection, and the Commission reserves the right to make an award without conducting interviews.

Submission Requirements

• Technical Proposal (required)
• Price Proposal (required)
• Vendor Background Information
• Provide information about any local branch offices or support centers that might serve an account in Cleveland, OH, including number of employee and type of services provided (required)
• Provide name of each principal. (required)
• Provide the year the company was established and any former firm names (required)
• Type of Company (required)
• Provide the state and type of incorporation (required)
• Provide information on related services offered by the company (required)
• Provide the total number of FTEs in the company. (required)
• Provide average years of experience of professional staff. (required)
• Vendor Client References
• VENDOR CLIENT REFERENCE #1 (required) —

  Please include the following information: 

  • Proposing Vendor Name
  • Reference Company/Organization Name
  • Reference Address
  • Reference Contact Name
  • Contact’s Position
  • Contact’s Telephone Number
  • Type of Company/Organization (Industry)
  • Number of Employees
  • Services Performed
  • Sub-contractors used
  • Identify any vendor staff that worked on this reference company's project, that are proposed for City
  • Original Cost Estimates
  • Actual Final Costs
  • Comments
• VENDOR CLIENT REFERENCE #2 (required) —

  Please include the following information: 

  • Proposing Vendor Name
  • Reference Company/Organization Name
  • Reference Address
  • Reference Contact Name
  • Contact’s Position
  • Contact’s Telephone Number
  • Type of Company/Organization (Industry)
  • Number of Employees
  • Services Performed
  • Sub-contractors used
  • Identify any vendor staff that worked on this reference company's project, that are proposed for City
  • Original Cost Estimates
  • Actual Final Costs
  • Comments
• VENDOR CLIENT REFERENCE #3 (required) —

  Please include the following information: 

  • Proposing Vendor Name
  • Reference Company/Organization Name
  • Reference Address
  • Reference Contact Name
  • Contact’s Position
  • Contact’s Telephone Number
  • Type of Company/Organization (Industry)
  • Number of Employees
  • Services Performed
  • Sub-contractors used
  • Identify any vendor staff that worked on this reference company's project, that are proposed for City
  • Original Cost Estimates
  • Actual Final Costs
  • Comments
• City Required Forms
• NOTICE TO BIDDERS AND OEO SCHEDULES (required) —

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• NON-COMPETITIVE BID CONTRACT STATEMENT FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2026 (required) —

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• Northern Ireland Fair Employment Practices Disclosure —

  INSTRUCTIONS: Pursuant to Codified Ordinance Sec. 181.36, the information requested on this page must be supplied by all contractors and any subcontractors having more than a fifty percent (50%) interest in the proposed contract prior to any contract being awarded by the City of Cleveland.  Any contractor or subcontractor who is deemed to have made a false statement shall be declared to have acted in default of its contract and shall be subject to the remedies for default contained in its contract.  For failure to cure such a default, the contractor or subcontractor shall be automatically excluded from bidding for the supply of any goods or services for use by the City for a period of two (2) years.

• CHECK WHICHEVER IS APPLICABLE: (required)
• By confirming, the proposer affirms that they are in compliant Northern Ireland Fair Employment Practices. (required)
• Pricing (required)
• Applicable Language for Goals for Subcontractors (required)
• Is this RFP for Airport? (required)
• Insurance Requirements (for Airport RFP only) (required)
• Do you require insurance from the awarded vendor for this RFP? (required)