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Request for Proposals for Human Resources Consulting Services
The King County Flood Control District is accepting proposals to provide the District and its staff with Human Resources Consulting Services. The specific services are listed in the Scope of Work. Upon review of the proposals, the District will make a final decision as to which specific services will be performed and the timeline of performance.
The District is requiring electronic submittals for this solicitation. Electronic submittals shall be delivered through email and addressed to Russell Pethel, Administrator, at russell.pethel@nullkingcounty.gov, and include “HR Consulting Services – Proposal” in the subject line. Proposals must be in MS Word or PDF format and cannot exceed 20MB. Proposals received later than 5:00 p.m. September 23, 2022 will not be considered. A copy of this Request for Proposals (RFP) may be obtained from the District’s web site at https://kingcountyfloodcontrol.org.
The District reserves the right to reject any and all submittals, and to waive irregularities and informalities in the submittal and evaluation process. This RFP does not obligate the District to pay any costs incurred by respondents in the preparation and submission of a proposal. Furthermore, the RFP does not obligate the District to accept or contract for any expressed or implied services.
The District assures that no person shall, on the grounds of race, color, national origin, or sex be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be otherwise subjected to discrimination under any program or activity. The District further assures that every effort will be made to ensure non-discrimination in all of its programs and activities, whether those programs are federally funded or not. In addition to nondiscrimination compliance requirements, the Service Provider(s) awarded a contract shall comply with federal, state and local laws, statutes and ordinances relative to the execution of the work. This requirement includes, but is not limited to, protection of public and employee safety and health; environmental protection; waste reduction and recycling; the protection of natural resources; permits; fees; taxes; and similar subjects.
Tentative RFP Schedule:
| Task | Estimated Date |
| RFP Issued | August 19, 2022 |
| Questions Due to District | September 9, 2022 |
| Questions Posted with District Response | September 16, 2022 |
| RFP Submissions Due | September 23, 2022 |
| Consultant Interviews (if needed) | September 26-30, 2022 |
| Consultant Selection | October 2022 |
| Contract Execution | October 2022 |
About Our Organization
In April 2007, the Metropolitan King County Council created a new countywide special purpose district, the King County Flood Control District, to provide funding and policy oversight for flood risk reduction capital projects and programs in King County.
The Flood Control District’s Board of Supervisors is its primary governing body and is composed of the members of the Metropolitan King County Council. The District is responsible for planning, funding maintenance and repairs of the flood control system.
The District is aimed at protecting lives and property and ensuring that a significant portion of King County’s economic infrastructure is safe from the damage that can be caused by fall and winter storms.
The District currently has two (2) full-time employees and will be adding one (1) additional employee. The Human Resources duties are currently managed by the District’s Executive Director, with assistance from the District’s contract accounting firm and the District’s contract attorney.
Scope of Work
Below is a list of specific services that may be sought by the District.
- Review, Assessment and Maintenance of Human Resources Policies, Procedures and Practices
Currently, the District mirrors the human resources policies and procedures utilized by the Metropolitan King County Council, with specific modifications to address the needs of the much smaller District. The selected consultant will conduct an overall assessment of District’s policies and procedures against the expectations for a quasi-municipal corporation with less than 10 employees. This will include review, assessment, and maintenance of:
- Personnel manual
- Personnel files
- Job descriptions
- Job classifications (exempt vs non-exempt status)
- Mandatory training needs (such as unlawful harassment)
- Employee Recruitment Process
The District is actively seeking to expand, and as such the selected consultant will assist with all recruitment, including but not limited to:
- Advertising
- Screening
- Interviewing and background checks
- Hiring
- Orientation
- Employee Relations and Development
The selected consultant will be tasked with developing and implementing strategies and related polices (subject to Board and/or Executive Committee approval) that will accomplish the following:
- Identify and mitigate personnel issues
- Conflict management training and on-going guidance
- Disciplinary process
- Personnel policies review
- Job title review and promotion process
- Employee satisfaction surveys
- Employee Assistance Program
- Termination and exit interviews
- Team building
- Customer service
- Conflict management
- Management and supervisory skills
- Competency building (learning new skills)
- Coaching and counseling
- Online education and training opportunities
- Personal development topics
- Listening skills
- Time management
- Diversity management
- Long-term human resources considerations, including succession planning
- Contingency/emergency planning and process
- Payroll and Benefits
Currently, the District utilizes the services of its accounting firm for the provision of payroll and benefits (through contracts with providers Paychex, Regence, and others).
- Operation and functionality of payroll and benefits services for all employees
- On-boarding new employees
- Verifying payroll and benefit competitiveness compared to other quasi-municipal agencies
Proposal Submission and Evaluation
The proposals submitted shall include the following elements:
- Executive Summary:
An executive summary letter should include an overview and the key elements of the consultant’s proposal. Indicate the address, telephone number, and email of the respondent’s office located nearest to Seattle, Washington, and the office from which the project will be managed.
- Proposal to Meet Scope of Work:
This section should clearly describe the consultant’s proposal to meet the scope of work, including but not limited to the methodology or methodologies planned to be used to carry out the specific tasks, short description of how the consultant would seek a solution for the specific tasks, the staff from the consulting firm who would be assigned to this project, and the estimate billing rate or fee that would be applicable to each service (or overall).
- Qualifications:
Include resumes of consultant firm and/or of consultant assigned to this project. Include three references, including two with directly related experience. For each reference indicate the reference’s name, organization, title, complete mailing address and telephone number. The District reserves the right to contact any organizations or individuals listed.
The District will evaluate proposals using the following criteria:
- Project Understanding and Approach
- Related Experience and Expertise of Consultant
- Response of References
- Proposed Budget
The proposals will be the basis from which interested consultants will be selected for interviews. Upon completion, the District will determine the most qualified consultant based on all materials and information presented. The District will then begin negotiations for an agreement with the selected consultant. The District reserves the right to reject any and all submittals at any time with no penalty, or to waive immaterial defects and minor irregularities in any submittal. The District reserves the right to refrain from contracting with any respondent. Consultants eliminated from further consideration will be notified by the District as soon as practical.
A consultant’s response that indicates that any of the requested information in this RFP will only be provided when the consultant is selected as the apparently successful consultant is not acceptable, and, at the District’s sole discretion, may disqualify the proposal from consideration.
Selection Process
A selection committee will review all qualifications, select finalists and may conduct interviews prior to making the final selection of the consultant. If invited to an interview, the consultant shall make those assigned to work on this project available during this phase of the selection process.
Prior to the commencement of work, the District and the selected consultant will meet to settle contract details. A letter notifying the consultant of the District’s award will constitute notice to proceed. The District is not responsible for any costs incurred by the consultant in the preparation of the proposal. Once submitted to the District, all qualifications will become public information. The selected qualified consultant will be required to use the District Professional Services Agreement (Attachment A) and accept all language contained within. Any qualified consultant that has significant reservations concerning using this agreement should not respond to this request.
Submission Requirements
The District is requiring electronic submittals for this solicitation. Electronic submittals shall be delivered through email and addressed to Russell Pethel, Administrator, at russell.pethel@nullkingcounty.gov, and include “HR Consulting Services – Proposal” in the subject line. Proposals must be in MS Word or PDF format and cannot exceed 20MB. Proposals received later than 5:00 p.m. September 23, 2022 will not be considered. A copy of this Request for Proposals (RFP) may be obtained from the District’s web site at https://kingcountyfloodcontrol.org
Other Provisions
Pre-Submittal Questions:
The deadline for submitting pre-submittal questions is September 9, 2022. Questions received after this date may not receive a response. There will be no pre-bidders conference. Questions regarding the RFP may be submitted to the District via email as set forth below. The list of submitted questions with their respective answers will be posted to the District’s website as they are received but no later than September 16, 2022.
RFP Amendments:
The District reserves the right to request clarification on any proposal or to ask respondents to supply any additional material deemed necessary to assist in the evaluation of the proposal. The District reserves the right to change the RFP schedule or issue amendments to the RFP at any time. The District also reserves the right to cancel or reissue the RFP.
Rejection of Proposals:
The District reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to waive any minor informalities or irregularities contained in any proposal, and to accept any proposal deemed to be in the best interest of the District.
Proposal Validity Period:
Submission of a proposal will signify the consultant’s agreement that its proposal and the content thereof are valid for 90 days following the submission deadline and will become part of the contract that is negotiated between the District and the successful consultant.
Disclaimer:
The District reserves the right to share, with any consultant of its choosing, the RFP and any resultant proposals in order to secure expert opinion.
Non-Obligation:
Receipt of proposals in response to this RFP does not obligate the District in any way. The right to accept or reject any proposal shall be exercised solely by the District. The District shall retain the right to abandon the proposal process at any time prior to the actual execution of a contract with a consultant, and the District shall bear no financial or other responsibility in the event of such abandonment.
Public Disclosure:
All materials provided to the District by consultants are subject to State public disclosure laws.
Submittal Disposition:
All material submitted in response to this RFP shall become the property of the District upon delivery and will not be returned.
Questions & Answers
Please direct any questions concerning this Request for Proposals to:
Russell Pethel
Administrator
King County Flood Control District
russell.pethel@nullkingcounty.gov
The Flood Control District will accept questions until Sept. 9 and then post answers here by Sept. 16. Questions submitted after Sept. 9 may not get a response. Questions will be posted here starting Sept. 9.
Question 1. Who will the HR Business Partner report to within the organization?
Answer 1. The Executive Director of the Flood Control District.
Q2. What role, if any, will the HR Business Partner have in the payroll process? If so, what will that entail? Also, how often are employees paid?
A2. The HR Business Partner’s role will be to ensure Flood District employees are paid on time and correctly, and that pay increases are processed in a timely manner. Employees are paid Bi-Weekly.
Q3. What role will the HR Business Partner have in managing the benefits, open enrollment process, insurance invoices, etc.?
A3. The HR Business partner will be the manager of employee benefits, responsible for identifying and announcing the open enrollment period and onboarding new employees.
Q4. Will the HR Business Partner be responsible for any part of the retirement plan? If so, what will that entail?
A4. As part of the payroll process, the HR Business Partner will ensure compliance with the retirement plan of the King County Flood Control District.
Q5. How quickly does King County Flood Control District want the initial review and assessment of current HR policies, procedures, and practices to be completed?
A5. The Flood District would like initial review and assessment of current HR policies, procedures, and practices to be completed within the first year of the contract.
Q6. Does King County Flood Control District want the HR Business Partner to be on-site, fully remote, or a combination of both? How many hours per month would you prefer the HR Business Partner to be on-site?
A6. The HR Business Partner will be primarily remote. If participation in a Board or Executive Committee meeting is required, the HR Business Partner may be required to attend that meeting in person.
Q7. Is there a current safety program? Will the HR Business Partner participate on the safety committee?
A7. The HR Business Partner will not participate in the safety program.
Q8. HRIS system? What is it? Will we have access?
A8. The King County Flood Control District does not have a Human Resource Information System (HRIS). The Districts Human Resource functions are currently done manually.
Q9. How does King County Flood Control District recruit today? What systems or processes are in place?
A9. The King County Flood Control District currently contracts with the Metropolitan King County Council for recruitment. Additionally, the King County Flood Control District utilizes an RFP process to hire consultants on an as needed basis.
Q10. Is there an existing budget for employee development or training? If so, what is it?
A10. No, we currently do not have an existing budget for employee development or training. The HR Business Partner will help develop an appropriate program and corresponding budget. Additionally, Flood District staff participate in the employee trainings provided by the Metropolitan King County Council.
Q11. How hands-on does King County Flood Control District want the HR Business Partner to be involved with employee relations issues (conflict management, disciplinary process, annual reviews, etc.)?
A11. The HR Business Partner will participate in the development of employee relations issues.
Q12. Is there a term or length of service that the district intends to engage an HR Business Partner in regards to this RFP?
A12. The length of service for this RFP is for one year with contract extensions (amendments) done yearly for 3 years before a new RFP is issued.
Q13. On Page 5 under the heading of “Selection Process” the District Professional Services Agreement is listed as Attachment A. Can you provide a copy of the District Professional Services Agreement as there was no Attachment A.
A13. A copy of the Professional Services Agreement has been uploaded to the District’s website for this RFP.
Q14. Will you be anticipating further growth for the District beyond the two (2) full time employees and the one (1) additional to be added?
A14. Not at the present time.
Q15. Who are the key decision makers in awarding the HR Consultant RFP?
A15. The Executive Director of the King County Flood Control District will make a recommendation to the Executive Committee.