The consultant will assist the Tampa Bay Transportation Management Area (TMA) Leadership Group, and the respective MPOs and their local government partners, in creating an organizational framework, staffing and financial management plan for a new regional MPO serving the three core counties in the Tampa Bay area. While the TMA Leadership Group is the forum to hold the conversations and build consensus, the ultimate authority for approving the new MPO is the governor based on agreements reached between the general-purpose local governments representing at least 75% of the population of urbanized area, and the central city(ies) as defined by the U.S. Census per federal and state law. The work to be performed will be necessarily collaborative, transparent, and public facing, and will follow the issue outlines of the adopted Memorandum of Understanding included in the MPOs’ report to the State of Florida. Authorization of this project assignment entails the following objectives: • Understanding the context of the Tampa Bay region, and how transportation planning and project development is currently performed in the state of Florida, identify and evaluate relevant staffing, management and procedural structures that could potentially support a regional MPO. • In consultation with state, regional and local public and non-governmental partners, develop measures of organizational effectiveness to be considered in evaluating and selecting a staffing and procedural model for the organization. • Consider the state of the practice, and future needs of the region, to define organizational mission and goals, performance objectives, staff responsibilities, public involvement and intergovernmental coordination mechanisms necessary for the regional MPO to effectively serve the Tampa Bay region. • Identify and evaluate relevant financial and cost allocation models for consideration to ensure adequate staffing for the efficient and effective delivery of transportation planning services for the region, along with the fiscal accountability and financial stability required for state and federal grant funding. • Obtain legal, management, and financial guidance sufficient to enable staff to develop recommendations for consideration by appointed and elected officials representing the existing MPOs and their partners in the region. In addition to helping frame decision options, legal assistance will also be needed to prepare the needed legal documents to effectuate a merger of the MPOs. • Conduct an open, engaging, and efficient process to build consensus and develop support from appropriate governmental agencies for a preferred structure of a new regional MPO serving the three-county region. • Reach an agreement in principal on if and how to merge the MPOs within 18 months of Notice to Proceed.
