Draft RFP for the Operational Audit of the School District

UPDATE: 7/16/2010.....

[Click Here]

for the final version of the RFP

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Below, please find a copy of the DRAFT Request For Proposal for the Operational Audit of the Hamilton/Wenham Regional School District as of June 22, 2010.

Once you have reviewed it, please consider participating in the "unofficial" poll to the left and weigh in with your views and opinions.

Thank you for your consideration
of this important matter.

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SECTION 1. Introduction and Background

The Towns of Hamilton and Wenham, Massachusetts, acting through their Boards of Selectmen, seek detailed proposals for an Operational Audit of the Hamilton – Wenham Regional School District.

At the Hamilton Annual Town Meeting on May 8, 2010, and the Wenham Annual Town Meeting, May 1, 2010, a citizen’s initiative (Exhibit A) was presented and duly adopted petitioning this effort. Pursuant to an Intermunicipal Agreement with the Town of Wenham, the Town of Hamilton will serve as lead municipality for the project and will coordinate all aspects of the work.

While the Town seeks to encourage competition and evaluate firms on a uniform basis, this solicitation is not governed by Massachusetts General Law. C. 30B. As a result, the Town retains complete discretion as to the manner by which proposals shall be evaluated and services awarded and reserves the right not to make any award underthis process.

The fee for services will be negotiated and shall not exceed a total cost of $90,000.

The Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District serves the two North Shore Massachusetts Communities of Hamilton and Wenham, located approximately 25 miles north of Boston and having a combined population of approximately 13,000 residents.

The Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District is an independent legal entity from the towns of Hamilton and Wenham, providing educational services to the two towns’ school age children, comprising approximately 2066 students. The enrollment includes approximately 102 school choice students. The schools include Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School (9-12), Miles River Middle School (6-8), Buker Elementary (K-5), Cutler Elementary (K-5), and Winthrop Elementary (PK-5), and Center School which is the location of the District’s Administrative Offices.

The Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District has agreed to cooperate with the towns and provide whatever assistance is necessary to the Contractor to complete the operational audit.

Section 2. Scope of Services

The purpose of the operational audit is to review existing policies, procedures, and practices, as well as staffing levels, to determine their adequacy, efficiency, and costeffectiveness as compared against best practices that meet the requirements of both State and Federal mandates for a public education program.

The operational audit shall be performed in the following areas and disciplines within the Hamilton - Wenham Regional School District.

1. Personnel policies and procedures including compensation and benefits.

2. Union contracts negotiations, procedures and management.

3. School District Administration, policies and procedures including professional and clerical staffing.

4. Staffing, educational staffing and other staffing. Includes an evaluation of the number, composition, and performance evaluation process for all staff.

5. Accounting system - policies, practices and procedures including payroll, accounts payable and accounts receivable and the overall budget process and associated budget controls.

6. Time keeping policy, procedures, practices and controls.

7. Purchasing policy, procedures, practices and controls.

8. Inventory control procedures and practices including store minimum/maximum items and capital expense items.

9. Curriculum policies, procedures, management and controls Pre. K - 12.

10. SPED (Special Ed.) policies, procedures, management and controls Pre. K - 12.

11. Traffic policies, procedures and management including buses, cars and communications.

12. Cafeteria staffing policies, procedures, management and controls.

13. Building maintenance staffing, policies, procedures and management including Heating, AC, Electrical, Plumbing, routine maintenance, etc.

14. Information Technology (IT) systems, staffing, procedures and controls.

15. Medical / Nurse staffing policies and controls.

16. Athletic Programs - staffing, management, controls and financial reporting.

17. Misc. extracurricular programs non-athletic staffing, management, controls and financial reporting.

18. HWRSD Liaison - State and Towns (includes financial and other)

19. School Committee – Administrative costs, expenses and financial reporting.

Section 3. Minimum Qualifications.

Selection will be made by an Operational Audit Review Committee. The respondent must certify in its cover letter that it meets the following minimum requirements. Failure to include such certification in the cover letter demonstrating that these criteria have been met will result in your proposal being rejected without further consideration.

1. The firm must be well versed in performing similar such audits in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for a minimum of 7 years.

2. The firm must have knowledge of and experience in evaluating educational program requirements.

3. A poor reference may be a basis for a determination that the respondent is not a responsible bidder.

Section 4. Rule for Award

It is the Towns’ intent to award the contract to the lowest responsible bidder, but the Towns reserve the right to as set forth in Section 1 to make no award at all or choose a service provider through any other method permitted by law.

Applications will be assessed with regard to the following factors:

1. Relevant experience of proposed and proposed project staff;

2. Staffing plan and methodology;

3. Proposer’s demonstrated ability to complete projects on a timely basis;

4. Clarity and comprehensiveness of proposed plan;

5. If submitted, evaluation of written product.

Hamilton will determine whether to award the contract to a responsive bidder pursuant to this Request for Proposal or to choose a provider through another process at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Hamilton Board of Selectmen after the date on which applications are opened by the Operational Audit Review Committee.

Section 5. Meetings

Attend work and review meetings as necessary with the Hamilton Town Manager and Wenham Town Administrator, the Hamilton Board of Selectmen and the Wenham Board of Selectmen, individually or jointly, and the Operational Audit Review Committee to provide progress updates.

Section 6. Communication

Maintain a high level of communication with the Towns’ representative during the study. Present, in comprehensive format, a minimum of two presentations, to the Boards of Selectmen of Hamilton and Wenham, HWRSD Administration and School Committee, and the general public within 45 days of completion of the operational audit.

Section 7. Final Report

Prepare a final written report documenting both positive and negative findings and observations. In areas where a negative finding or observation is recorded, provide recommended corrective action and estimated cost savings upon implementation of the corrective action.

All work must be completed and the Final Report must be submitted to the Towns’ representative no later than November 1, 2010.

Provide twelve (12) black and white copies of the final report and an electronic copy.

The RFP will be appended to and become part of a Contract for Services. At the time of contract execution, the successful respondent will be required to provide a certificate of professional liability insurance indicating minimum coverage of $1,000,000.

Section 8. Proposal Requirements

1. Please provide the name and location of your firm.

2. Please provide a summary of the ownership and organizational structure of
your firm.

3. Provide a summary of the expertise, capacity and resources of your firm. Identify all of your municipal government/regional school district clients for which you have provided services of similar scope and size to those contemplated by this Request for Proposal. Include a contact name and telephone number for each such client.

4. Provide a business information report or business profile from a credit reporting agency dated no earlier than 60 days prior to the bid submission date.

5. Discuss any potential conflicts of interests the firm or any individual within the firm might have representing the Town of Hamilton and the Town of Wenham.

6. Include the basis by which the fee for services shall be assessed, whether by an hourly rate with an amount not to exceed, a flat fee, or some other fee structure.

7. Include an executed Certificate of Non-Collusion.

8. Applications (two (2) originals and five (5) copies) must be received on or before 2:00 PM, on ___________, July ___, 2010, at which time all applications will be opened and reviewed by the Operational Audit Review Committee.

Responses should be printed double-sided and bound in such a manner that the pages lie and remain flat when opened.

9. Applications must be accompanied by a concise cover letter that is a maximum of two pages in length that describes why the applicant is the best candidate to complete the operational audit in a timely manner.

10. Proposals and questions or clarifications shall be addressed to:

Michael A. Lombardo
Hamilton Town Manager
577 Bay Road, P.O. Box 429
Hamilton, MA 01936