INTRODUCTION The San Luis Obispo County Department of Social Services (County) on behalf of the San Luis Obispo County Workforce Investment Board (SLO WIB) is soliciting proposals from qualified organizations for the delivery of comprehensive business services in San Luis Obispo County. Eligible applicants include governmental organizations, community and technical colleges, local education agencies, and private for-profit or non-profit nonsectarian organizations. Approximately $67,790 in Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Rapid Response funding is available for service contract(s) for the period of July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013. COMPREHENSIVE SERVICE DELIVERY REQUIREMENTS Business Outreach Services Proposals should describe your approach to the following layoff aversion activities: a. Leading the development of a coordinated presentation to employers that represents the full array of business, economic, and workforce development solutions currently available in San Luis Obispo County b. Coordinating representatives from partner agencies c. Conducting Needs Surveys with businesses in defined sectors/clusters: 1) Building, Design, & Construction, 2) Green Energy, 3) Health Services, 4) Knowledge & Innovation, 5) Specialized Manufacturing, 6) Uniquely SLO (agriculture & tourism). For more information on these sectors, see the Countywide Economic Strategy at www.EVC.org d. Analyzing and evaluating business retention and expansion needs based upon results of direct outreach e. Establishing a process for tracking the referral of business customer needs to appropriate service provider f. Creating a Customer Action Plan (CAP) on all referrals indicating a need for assistance g. Follow up and closing resulting action plan with business (for both appropriateness and satisfaction) and service provider h. Entering both the need of business and action on the need into identified database. Information collected will be used as benchmarks for measuring performance in future years County of San Luis Obispo RFP #1180 May 11, 2012 Page 9 BUSINESS OUTREACH AND RAPID RESPONSE SERVICES i. Identifying and recommending opportunities for service providers to develop niche or fee for service opportunities, especially those participating in the One-Stop delivery system j. Designing a reporting template to communicate the progress towards performance metrics to present to stakeholders k. Developing a tool to measure the value of the Needs Survey for those businesses that did not receive a CAP l. Developing a tool to determine if growth (business expansion, hiring, or new markets) resulted following the close of the CAP and m. Developing a plan for averting layoff(s) with the affected business and/or in consultation with State or local economic development agencies, including private sector economic development entities. Rapid Response Services Proposals should describe your approach to the following services including: a. Developing a plan for averting layoff(s) with the affected business and/or in consultation with State or local economic development agencies, including private sector economic development entities b. Immediate and on-site contact with the employer and representatives of the affected employees c. Reviewing affected workers' assistance needs d. Coordinating Rapid Response Workshop presentations among partners to assist with career transition, job search tools and skills, rsum preparation, and interviewing techniques e. Assessing re-employment prospects for workers in the local community f. Providing information on available resources to meet the short and long-term needs of affected workers g. Establishing a process of referring affected employees to the One-Stop System h. Providing Rapid Response Information Packets with appropriate WIA information relating to potential dislocations, available adjustment assistance, and the effectiveness of Rapid Response strategies and when appropriate, including information on the Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) program and the North American Free Trade (NAFTA) TAA program i. Developing a business visitation program that improves service coordination, guidance in establishing a labor-management committee voluntarily agreed to by labor and management, or a workforce transition committee comprised of representatives of the employer, the affected workers and the local community
