Specifications include, but are not limited to: The consulting firm selected through this RFP will provide coordination, facilitation and project management for these specific projects in these Parent Aware Redesign projects : Revising the Standards and Indicators; Racial bias and discrimination incident guidelines for the Child Care Aware system; Rating Pathways and Cohorts; Parent Aware forms and Develop data system; Parent Aware Quality Coaching and Professional Development Advising; Reduction of suspensions and expulsions of young children in Parent Aware Rated programs; Parent Aware Advisory Committee; Coordination, facilitation, and project management for the Parent Aware evaluation is not within the scope of the contract. However, the consulting firm will be expected to maintain an understanding of the purpose and major activities of the evaluation. Specifically, the Successful Responder will: Provide communication and information-flow infrastructure for the Parent Aware Redesign workgroups that connects to the broader Parent Aware Organizational Structure, using project plans and templates developed in previously contracted work. Using the action steps outlined in the PAREAP report, cross-referenced with commitments made in the Parent Aware Equity Engagement Report, the selected responder will determine the feasibility, cost estimates, and timing of implementation of the action steps. To do this, the successful responder will need to: Use a side-by-side analysis of the PAREAP, the Parent Aware Equity Engagement Report, and take into consideration progress to date. Utilize the Parent Aware organizational structure to track progress on implementation of project plans developed by the Parent Aware Redesign workgroups, supporting efforts to identify additional funding needed for implementation of action steps in the short and long term. This infrastructure includes the use of a web-based data storage platform that can be accessed by both external and internal state staff in compliance with state security requirements[footnoteRef:3] [3: https://mn.gov/mnit/government/policies/security/ ] This infrastructure will also include a process for agenda-setting and notes capture with documentation that can be used consistently across the Parent Aware Redesign workgroups to ensure consistency and alignment, and to allow for easy analysis of common themes that can be communicated internally and externally, including to Parent Aware leadership. This infrastructure will track critical information, establishing pathways and protocols for the creation of documents to support decision making and initiative execution. While STATE employees will facilitate the Parent Aware Redesign workgroups, the project manager, from the Selected Responder organization, will facilitate weekly meetings of the workgroup facilitators to support them with meeting facilitation strategies and required documentation deliverables for each meeting, and to ensure information-flow standards are being adhered to. Communicate weekly with the Parent Aware project lead, a STATE employee, to establish goals for each Parent Redesign workgroup; confirm that the workgroup facilitation plans will produce desired outcomes; and to communicate learnings from workgroups to inform topics to bring to Parent Aware advisory and decision-making bodies. Provide project plans, timelines, and communications approaches to support the effective work of the Parent Aware Redesign work groups.
