Specifications include, but are not limited to: The selected consultant or consultant team will lead efforts to engage community stakeholders and build stakeholder capacity, particularly in traditionally underrepresented communities and populations throughout the regional study area. Communities and populations identified as traditionally underrepresented include low-income, minority, and rural communities, persons of limited English proficiency, persons with disability, and elderly. The selected consultant or consultant team is expected to increase regional participation in the planning process for the Mid-South Regional Greenprint and Sustainability Plan. The selected consultant or consultant team will focus on community engagement to support the visioning process and consortium planning process and capacity building to improve participation in public planning processes region-wide. The consultant or consultant team procured will provide the following services: 1. Conduct targeted outreach and engagement to traditionally underrepresented communities and populations from across the regional study area, including community- based, place-based, and issue-based organizations and citizens, to increase participation and receive input and feedback in the planning process for the Greenprint Vision Plan and Mid-South Regional Greenprint and Sustainability Plan to ensure communities impacted by the Mid-South Regional Greenprint and Sustainability Plan are involved in the regional planning process 2. Coordinate with the Social Equity working group to ensure communities and individuals identified by the eight working groups for plan input are targeted and reached and with the Greenprint master planning consultant to ensure input and feedback is incorporated into the Greenprint Vision Plan and Mid-South Regional Greenprint and Sustainability Plan 3. Conduct capacity building to expand stakeholder understanding of the public planning process and participation in public planning meetings, in order to enhance stakeholder participation the Mid-South Regional Greenprint and Sustainability Plan and future regional planning activities and 4. Conduct capacity building with Mid-South Regional Greenprint Consortium members in an effort to enhance organizational capacity to better integrate public feedback into public planning and address equity in outreach and public engagement efforts for future planning processes across the region, including planning activities funded through the sub-planning phase of the grant. Anticipated consultant deliverables include: Community-based, place-based, and issue-based citizen participation in the public - planning process for the Greenprint Vision Plan, scheduled to be completed by the end of September 2013. Community-based, place-based, and issue-based citizen feedback on the Greenprint - Vision Plan to be incorporated into the final Mid-South Regional Greenprint and Sustainability Plan, scheduled to be completed by the end of December 2014. Increased participation in planning meetings and Consortium by members of traditionally - underrepresented communities, such as low-income, minority, and rural communities, persons of limited English proficiency, persons with disability, and elderly (Through January 31, 2015) Increased membership in the Mid-South Regional Greenprint Consortium (Through - January 31, 2015) Capacity training for community stakeholders to expand stakeholder understanding of the - public planning process and participation in public planning meetings (Through January 31, 2015) Capacity training opportunities for Consortium members to improve outreach and public - engagement (Through January 31, 2015)
