Parks and Recreation Department Organizational Assessment Services

The City of Santa Cruz is seeking proposals from qualified consulting firms to conduct a comprehensive organizational assessment of the Parks and Recreation Department. The Department provides a wide range of services and programs to the community, including park maintenance, recreation programming, facility operations, special events, and other public-facing services that support the quality of life for residents and visitors.

The City is seeking an independent evaluation of the Department's organizational structure, staffing, service delivery model, operational effectiveness, and long-term sustainability. The assessment will identify opportunities to improve alignment among departmental priorities, available resources, community needs, and the City's Strategic Plan, while ensuring the Department is positioned to effectively deliver services now and into the future.

The selected consultant will conduct document review, stakeholder engagement, organizational and operational analysis, benchmarking, and development of recommendations. The assessment is expected to provide practical, fiscally responsible, and implementable recommendations that support organizational effectiveness, operational efficiency, service delivery, and long-term sustainability within existing or reasonably anticipated staffing and budget resources.

A detailed description of the requested services, project assumptions, deliverables, qualifications, and project schedule is provided in the Preliminary Scope of Services.  

Background

The City of Santa Cruz was incorporated in 1866 and formed its current charter in 1948. It is governed under a Council/Manager form of government. A Mayor and six Council members set policy for the City, and a City Manager serves as chief administrator of those policies. The City is located on the coast, 75 miles south of San Francisco on the northern edge of the Monterey Bay. It encompasses 15.8 square miles with cultural and ethnic diversity among its population of 65,000. Santa Cruz is part of the National Marine Sanctuary and is a popular tourist destination owing to its beaches, surf culture, and historical landmarks.

The City provides a full range of municipal services and facilities, including a recreational wharf, public golf course, over thirteen hundred acres of open space, full beach services, refuse management, law enforcement, fire protection, and water and wastewater utilities. The City is also host to the University of California Santa Cruz, the Santa Cruz Harbor, and the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk amusement park.

Project Details

• Reference ID: PR-0314
• Department: Parks and Recreation
• Department Head: Tony Eillot (Parks and Recreation Director)

Important Dates

• Questions Due: 2026-07-01T01:00:27.916Z

Evaluation Criteria

• Adherence to RFP Requirements (5 pts) —

  To be considered responsive, the proposal shall include the information detailed in this section.  Proposer must provide information in the proposal in the same order as shown below. The proposal shall be separated into the sub-headings referenced below.  Failure to provide this information may result in a proposal being considered non-responsive to requirements.

• Firm Background Information (5 pts) —

  This section must include the following (maximum 2 pages):

  1. Legal name, addresses, telephone numbers of the principal office (national headquarters) and local office.  Include the same information if services will be provided from additional locations.
  2. Year established and history.
  3. Business entity status (i.e., partnership, corporation, LLC).
  4. Indicate if Proposer has defaulted in its performance of an agreement or project during the past five (5) years which has led the other party to terminate the agreement and if so, the identity of the parties involved and the circumstances of the default or termination.
  5. Respond to the following:
  6. 1. Explain any pending litigation, liens, or claims involving your organization.
     2. Has your company filed for bankruptcy in the last ten (10) years?
• Firm Qualifications, Expertise, and Experience (25 pts) —

  In this section (maximum 5 pages), include the following:

  1. Describe the Proposer’s qualifications and experience working on similar, relevant, or related projects that were completed, as outlined in Section 2.3 Preliminary Scope of Services.
  2. Describe how the Proposer (or Proposers if submitting a jointly prepared proposal) is organized to provide the required services as outlined in Section 2.3 Preliminary Scope of Services.
  3. If utilizing any subconsultants and/or subcontractors, describe their qualifications working on similar, relevant, or related projects that were completed, as outlined in Section 2.3 Preliminary Scope of Services.
  4. Provide a list of all services Proposer has performed for the City in the past three (3) years, include a description of the services, date of engagement(s), members of the proposed team that performed the services. Indicate if Proposer served as the prime contractor or as a subcontractor.
  5. Provide response on the Procurement Portal for Project Background and Detail Information.
• Team Qualifications, Expertise and Experience (25 pts) —

  In this section (maximum 5 pages), include the following:

  1. Provide the names, qualifications, certifications, and relevant technical experience of personnel and subcontractors of the proposed project team who will perform the services described in Section 2.3 Preliminary Scope of Services.  Include details about their experience with similar projects with comparable magnitude.
  2. Provide resumes for each member of the proposed project team and include the qualifications and experience suited to the proposed assignment. A resume needs to be submitted for each bullet within the category or categories for which you are applying. Include resumes as a separate attachment.

   

  If awarded the contract, Proposer shall make every effort to ensure that the staff resources identified in the proposal will be available for the Project. If staff identified in the proposal are not available, the City reserves the right to review and approve alternate personnel.

• Technical Approach and Work Plan (30 pts) —

  In this section (maximum 5 pages), include the following:

  1. Technical Approach: Describe your approach to completing Section 2.3 Preliminary Scope of Services.  Identify deliverables and key decision points.  Provide comments regarding the proposed Preliminary Scope of Services.  This may be used as an opportunity to expand upon your team’s specific experience and expertise, and to outline any changes you believe would help achieve the Project’s goals and objectives.
  2. Work Plan:  Describe how the project team will fulfill Section 2.3 Preliminary Scope of Services.  Include a detailed project schedule in the Project Schedule Document.  Provide a matrix of personnel, tasks, and an estimated effort in hours. 

   

  The work plan shall include a process for delivery of the range of services outlined in Section 2.3 Preliminary Scope of Services.  To the extent possible, the proposal shall reflect the roles and responsibilities of team members in the major tasks outlined in Section 2.3 Preliminary Scope of Services and strategies to accommodate the staffing needs for each task order. As appropriate, include tools and techniques you could use in addressing challenges and delivering services outlined in Section 2.3 Preliminary Scope of Services.

   

  Proposers shall address all major tasks outlined in Section 2.3 Preliminary Scope of Services and as appropriate, suggest supplemental tasks/sub-tasks for incorporation into the final Preliminary Scope of Services.

• Cost Proposal (10 pts) —

  Provide an all-inclusive cost proposal for all proposed services, including partnering firms and incidental expenses. It is the Proposer’s responsibility to state all costs required to provide the services outlined in Section 2.3 Preliminary Scope of Services. Proposal shall include the following:

  • Hourly rates (or range of rates with reasons) for each resource type/subject expertise.
  • Project costs broken out and to include all expenses that will be charged to the City.
  • Identify any potential circumstances that the City would be charged for additional work.
  • Provide proposed incremental costs for any optional services, or other variability in services.
  • A disclosure of all personal, professional or financial relationships with any officer and/or employee.

   

  This portion of the proposal will be evaluated based on the reasonableness of the proposed costs. Costs will be evaluated as compared to costs the City or other comparable public agencies have paid for similar services and with the industry’s standard and customary costs for the services.

   

  The price will be evaluated in the following manner:

  1. The responsive proposal with the lowest price will be given the full weight of points assigned to the pricing criteria.
  2. Every other responsive proposal will be given points proportionately in relation to the lowest price. This point total will be calculated by dividing the lowest proposed price by the total proposed price of the proposal being evaluated with the result multiplied by the maximum weight for the price (100 %) to arrive at a price score of less than the full score for price.

   

  Example:      Lowest Total Proposed Price                 Total %            Price
                      Proposer’s Total Proposed Price     X     for Price     =    Score

• References (5 pts) —

  In this section (maximum 5 pages), provide the following:

  1. Three (3) Client References that provide former clients and representative projects undertaken in the last five (5) years which demonstrate relevant experience with the Project.
  2. For each project identified above, provide a project description, project costs, project goals, project duration, actual project outcomes, project owner, and member(s) of the proposed team for this RFP that participated in the project, including any subcontractors that worked on the project.
  3. For each reference, provide the name of the agency/firm, and contact person’s name, title, address, phone number, and email address.  Please ensure that the contact information is accurate for each reference.

  The City reserves the right to:

  • Check as many references that the City deems necessary.
  • Assess a Proposer’s past performance.
  • Contact references that the City determines are representative projects demonstrating experience relevant to this RFP.
  • Check any other reference(s) that might be indicated through the specified contacts or that result from communication with other entities involved with similar projects.
  • Include other industry sources and users of similar services known to the City.
  • Contact client references for only shortlisted Proposers.

   

  It is the responsibility of the Proposer to ensure the client reference contact person is available and willing to provide a reference within the timeframe stated in this section. The client reference score/weight shall have no bearing on any other evaluation criteria.

• Project Understanding, Work Plan and Approach (60 pts) —

  Proposers invited for interviews and presentations must demonstrate a clear understanding of the project’s goals, scope, and background, as well as their role in its execution. They should effectively present their project understanding, work plan, and approach to delivering the scope of services on time and within budget. The presentation should showcase a well-defined strategy for facilitating the project, addressing challenges, and aligning with project objectives.

• Quality of Presentation (35 pts) —

  Proposers invited for interviews and presentations will be evaluated on their ability to clearly communicate their project understanding, work plan, approach, and the qualifications of their team and subcontractors. Presentations should be concise, informative, and effectively showcase the firm’s expertise, confidence, and ability to engage in an interactive setting.

Submission Requirements

• Proposal Submittal (required) —

  The undersigned, upon acceptance, agrees to furnish the following in accordance with the specifications and terms and conditions per City of Santa Cruz at the prices indicated herein.

  The undersigned, under penalty of perjury, declares not to be a party with any other business to an agreement to propose a fixed or uniform price in connection with this proposal.

  The unsigned declares under penalty of perjury that she/he is authorized to sign this document and bind the business or organization to the terms of this Proposal.

  The undersigned recognizes the right of the City of Santa Cruz to reject any or all proposals received and to waive any informality or minor defects in proposals received.

  The undersigned declares under penalty of perjury that the information contained in this Proposal and all accompanying documents are true and correct.

• Proposal Requirements (required) —

  Did you read through and confirm that you met all of the proposal requirements? 

• Proposal Submittal (required) —

  Please upload your proposal here. 

• Proposal (without Cost Proposal) (required) —

  Please upload your proposal here without pricing included. Upload fee proposal separately in the next step.

• Separate Cost Proposal (required) —

  Confirm that your fee proposal is not attached in your Proposal and is attached separately here.

  Proposers must complete and submit a Cost Proposal with their Proposal submittal by the Proposal Submittal Due Date. It is the Proposer’s responsibility to state all costs required to provide the services outlined in the Preliminary Scope of Services. Costs shall include, but not be limited to, direct labor, overhead, fringe benefits, profit, subcontractor costs, and other direct costs (ODC) such as materials, supplies, taxes, travel, lodging, meals, mileage, and parking expenses. The proposed fee shall be all-inclusive, and the City will not reimburse travel or other project-related expenses separately.  A Proposer’s failure to submit a Cost Proposal will deem the Proposal non-responsive.

  Provide an all-inclusive cost proposal for all proposed services, including partnering firms' total cost and incidental expenses. The Cost Proposal shall include:

  • Hourly rates (or range of rates with reasons) for each resource type/subject expertise.
  • Project costs broken out by task and inclusive of all expenses that will be charged to the City.
  • Identification of any potential circumstances where the City would be charged for additional work.
  • Proposed incremental costs for any optional services or other variability in services.
  • Disclosure of all personal, professional, or financial relationships with any officer and/or employee.
• Bid Bond (required) —

  Each bid shall be accompanied by a certified cashier’s check, or bid bond, in the amount of XXXXXof the total bid price, payable toCity of Santa Cruz, as a guarantee that the bidder, if its bid is accepted, will promptly execute the Agreement. The bidder shall guarantee the total bid price for a period of 60 days from the date of the bid opening.

  Please scan and upload a copy of your bid bond/cashier's check. Bidder must also MAIL bid guarantee with a postmarked date no later thanFriday, July 17, 2026 addressed to:

  City of Santa Cruz
  Emeline Nguyen
  809 Center Street, Room 9
  Santa Cruz,CA95060

  Please have the Bidder Name, Contract Title ("Parks and Recreation Department Organizational Assessment Services"), and Contract Number ("PR-0314") listed clearly on the outside of the envelope.

• Contract Execution, Payment Bond, Performance Bond, and Certificate(s) of Insurance (required) —

  The contract shall be executed by the successful bidder and shall be returned, together with the Payment Bond, Performance Bond and Certificate(s) of Insurance to City of Santa Cruz so that it is received within 14 working daysafter the bidder has received the contract for execution. Failure to do so shall be just cause for forfeiture of the proposal guaranty.

• Will your business extend the same prices, terms and conditions to other public agencies? (required) —

  Indicate whether your business will extend the pricing, terms and conditions of this bid to other government agencies, if you are the successful bidder. Your business would be required to make this contract available to interested agencies for at least six months following the award of this contract. Interested government agencies may enter into their own contract with the successful Contractor. They may negotiate minor changes in terms and conditions.

• Local Preference Certification Form —

  Please download the below Local Preference Certification Form, complete, and upload.

• Non-Collusion Declaration Form (required) —

  By confirming, the proposer, the party making the foregoing proposal declares that the proposal is not made in the interest of, or on behalf of, any undisclosed person, partnership, company, association, organization, or corporation; that the proposal is genuine and not collusive or sham; that the Consultant has not directly or indirectly induced or solicited any other Consultant or Sub-Consultant to put in a false or sham proposal; and has not directly or indirectly colluded, conspired, connived, or agreed with any Consultant, Sub-Consultant or anyone else to put in a sham proposal, or that anyone shall refrain from proposing; that the Consultant has not in any manner directly or indirectly, sought by agreement, communication, or conference with anyone to fix the proposal price of the Consultant or any other Consultant or Sub-Consultant, or to fix any overhead, profit, or cost element of the proposal price, or of that of any other Consultant or Sub-Consultant, or to secure any advantage against the public body awarding the contract of anyone interested in the proposed contract; that all statements contained in the proposal are true; and, further, that the Consultant has not, directly or indirectly, submitted his or her proposal price or any breakdown thereof, or the contents thereof, or divulged information or data relative thereto, or paid, and will not pay, any fee to any corporation, partnership, company association, organization, proposal depository, or to any member or agent thereof to effectuate a collusive or sham proposal.  

  I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that the foregoing is true and correct.

• Upload W-9 (required)
• I understand that by submitting false information or failing to disclose material information in order to qualify for the preference my business will be 1) required to pay the city any difference between the contract amount and what the city’s cost would have been if the contract had been properly awarded, and 2) prohibited from bidding on any city contract or receiving any city contract for a period of three years of the discovery of facts supporting the same. (required)
• Acknowledgment of Addenda and Question and Answer (required) —

  In order to submit a proposal, the vendor acknowledges that they have read all addenda, and questions and answers posted for this solicitation. 

• Bid Bond (required) —

  Will this solicitation require a bid bond?

• Will this solicitation require a performance and/or payment bond? (required)
• Electronic Pricing Table (required) —

  Would you like to have vendors respond to an electronic pricing table? 

   

• Separate Fee Proposal Upload (required) —

  If you are NOT using the Electronic Pricing Table option, will you want proposers to separate a Price Proposal from the rest of their Response? You'll want to do this if you open your bids initially WITHOUT showing price, and then come back in after a technical evaluation to unseal pricing later.

• Evaluation Committee? (required) —

  Will there be an evaluation committee to review the proposals and score them based on weights and multiple criteria?

  Select YES for Request for Proposals and Request for Qualifications process. 

• Attach the Local Vendor Preference Form? (required) —

  Select YES for most solicitations. 

  Local Preference does NOT apply to: 

  • Purchases under the informal threshold ($10K)
  • Construction projects.
  • Urgent purchases necessary to protect public health, welfare or safety.
  • Purchases funded by outside agencies (Federal) that prohibit the use of preferences.
  • Professional services requests for proposals where price is not considered in the selection (RFQu)

Questions & Answers