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Rapp Strategies, Inc.

https://www.rappstrategies.com/

Request For Qualifications: Government Affairs and Lobbying Services for Our Children

Description

To: Interested Firms and Individuals

From: Rapp Strategies, Inc.

Re: Our Children Lobbying Proposal

This RFQ is open to Firms and Individuals who can demonstrate the necessary experience and capability to execute an effective statewide Government Affairs and Lobbying program that results in Legislative approval of a Constitutional Amendment ballot question guaranteeing Minnesotans the right to a quality education.

RFQ responses must be received no later than June 15, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. Central Daylight Time. Late submissions will not be considered. Proposals should be limited to 6 pages, plus Biographies.

Please submit responses in PDF format via email to: Alyssa Schlander at: alyssaschlander@rappstrategies.com. Please include “Our Children Lobbying Proposal” in the subject line of your email.

If you have questions about this RFQ or need additional information, please contact: Alyssa Schlander: Vice President of Public Affairs & General Counsel (651-295-0687), Rich Forschler: Senior Counselor (612-718-3501), or Todd Rapp: President & CEO (651-270-1071). 

Responses will be considered immediately with interviews scheduled during the week of June 19 - 26, 2020. Work on this program is expected to begin on, or about, July 1, 2020.

Background: 

Our Children is a 501(c)(4) not-for-profit corporation organized to advocate on behalf of a proposed Minnesota Constitutional Amendment that will provide all children a constitutional right to a quality public education (see H.F. 3658, 2020 Legislative Session). The goal of Our Children is to gain the approval from the Minnesota Legislature to place this Constitutional Amendment on the ballot in the November 2022 General Election. If the Legislature places the Amendment on the ballot, Our Children will also campaign for its adoption by Minnesota voters.

As proven in numerous studies, Minnesota has one of the largest educational achievement gaps in the country. For several decades, Minnesota students of color and those who live in poverty have attained educational goals at a significantly lower rate than white students and students from families with higher economic standing. Despite increased funding and new programming targeted at this achievement gap, little progress has been made in closing the gap. Research has shown that the achievement gap is a challenge in most Minnesota school districts.

Rapp Strategies has been retained by Our Children to develop a Strategic Plan for this effort. In addition, Rapp Strategies has also been retained to help identify and recommend retaining appropriate Consultants, including Lobbyists. This RFQ is the initial step in that process.

Purpose and Scope of Services: 

Our Children seeks to obtain the services of a firm or group of individuals to provide Government Affairs and Lobbying services to achieve the approval of the Legislature to place this Amendment on the 2022 General Election ballot. Our Children will own all work product created for this program including, but not limited to, strategic documents, fact sheets, brands, logos, slogans, websites, social media and other creative products.

The selected firm or group will work with Our Children and other organizations and individuals supporting the Amendment as provided in the aforementioned Strategic Plan. Other Consultants will be responsible for fundraising, coalition building, grassroots and grasstops activities and public communications. While the selected firm or group will work closely and cooperatively with these Consultants, the selected firm or group will be responsible primarily for Government Affairs and Lobbying Services.

As a part of your proposal, please certify that your firm or group has no Conflict of Interest involving existing clients who have positions adverse to the interests of Our Children.

The selected firm or group will provide the following services:

1. In consultation with Our Children, other consultants and key groups supporting the Amendment, development of a Government Affairs Plan for adoption of the Amendment, including Tactics to be implemented in support of the Strategic Plan.

2. Drafting of Legislation to be introduced, and documents supporting the Legislation to be used explaining the Achievement Gap and advocating for the adoption of the Amendment.

3. Managing and coordinating the lobbying efforts of all groups supporting the Amendment.

4. Recruiting Legislators as Authors and Co-Authors of the Amendment.

5. Scheduling meetings with Legislators, legislative staff, Governor Walz and members of the Walz Administration to advocate for adoption of the Amendment.

6. Working with Coalition partners and other consultants retained by Our Children to assure effective implementation of targeted Grassroots and Grasstops communications programs.

7. Working with Committee Chairs and Legislative Leadership to ensure the Constitutional Amendment is scheduled for hearings before Committees with jurisdiction over the Amendment.

8. Providing continuing updates, analysis and advice on strategy and tactical implementation to Our Children and consultants retained by Our Children.

9. Assist with appropriate strategies and tactics during legislative interims and campaign seasons.

10. Prepare for Legislative hearings, including preparation of witnesses.

11. All other ordinary and necessary Government Affairs and Lobbying services.

Experience and Expertise: 

Your response to this RFQ should include a description of the members of your firm or group who will be providing services under this engagement, including their relevant experience and expertise and general biographies. In addition, please describe:

1. The individual who will lead this representation.

2. Other members of your team who will be providing services, and the types of activity in which each member of the team will be involved. This may include employees of your firm, other Minnesota lobbyists or consultants.

3. Examples of the firm’s or group’s work on similar projects, in particular work on Constitutional Amendments or similar legislation with significant public attention.

4. Experience working with clients and consultants developing a Strategic Plan and Tactical Implementation Plan for a complex and controversial Lobbying matter(s).

5. Experience managing the Lobbying efforts of a large Coalition of supporting organizations and their respective lobbyists.

6. Experience working with clients, consultants and Coalitions of organizations regarding utilizing grassroots and grasstops communications, and collaborating with consultants on message development, media relations and communications programs.

Example of Work:

As part of the firm’s or group’s proposal, please describe an issue decided by the Legislature which received significant public attention for which you played a primary Lobbying role.

A. How did the significant public attention influence your Lobbying strategy?

B. How did you coordinate your work with external consultants, particularly public relations or public affairs firms?

C. How did you overcome barriers to Legislative support?

D. How did you achieve bipartisan support for the issue?

E. What important knowledge did you gain from this experience?

Preliminary Advice and Ideas:

As part of the firm’s or group’s proposal, please provide your preliminary advice regarding Strategies and Tactics concerning the engagement described in this RFQ. Understanding that you do not have extensive knowledge yet about the engagement, you are encouraged to be creative and forthcoming. Explain the factual assumptions that inform your advice. Firms or Groups will not be held accountable for incorrect or incomplete factual assumptions that occur due to your minimal involvement in this issue.

Professional Fees:

The Firm or Group should provide a proposal for fees related to the services outlined in your proposal. Hourly fees, fixed fees and other types of fee arrangements may be proposed. Please provide your fees for the following time frames. For each time frame, provide the fixed fee, an estimate of the total hourly fees, or an estimate of the total fees if another alternative type of fee is proposed.

1. July 1, 2020 through November 3, 2020.

2. November 4, 2020 through May 17, 2021.

3. May 18, 2021 through February 1, 2022.

4. February 2, 2022 through May 23, 2022.

5. May 24, 2022 through November 8, 2022.

Our Children understands the complexity of managing this Lobbying and external communications campaign and is fully committed to complete the fundraising required to win legislative and public support for this Amendment. We encourage all proposers to provide a complete accounting and explanation of necessary fees and costs to achieve the government affairs objectives outlined above. Since Our Children is a 501(c)(4) engaged in public service, we are asking all consultants to provide a 20% discount in hourly or monthly rates for professional services, itemized as net against the budget you propose for your services.





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