Project Manager (RFP)

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

PROJECT MANAGER

Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas

2024 TAJF Statewide Expunction Project Grant

NOTICE

Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas (“LANWT”) invites qualified project managers and project management firms (“Manager”) to submit proposals to oversee the planning, implementation project activities, reporting, evaluation, and sustainability planning for a new Statewide Expunction Project (“Project”) in Texas.

INTRODUCTION

LANWT is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides free civil legal services to low-income residents in 114 Texas counties throughout North and West Texas. LANWT’s mission is to ensure equal access to justice and improve the lives of low-income communities by providing high-quality legal representation, strategic litigation, valuable legal advice and meaningful collaborations, outreach, and community education. LANWT often collaborates with other Texas community partners and legal service providers to strategically enhance access to legal remedies and efficiently deliver legal services to low-income Texans.

PROJECT OVERVIEW

To design and implement a coordinated statewide expunction and nondisclosure service consisting of a public awareness campaign, community education, intake protocol, training modules, “Know Your Rights” materials and technology tools for improved efficiencies, self-help and pro bono models. The Project will improve access to justice for low-income Texans by helping them exercise their legal remedies

to clear eligible criminal records, thereby removing barriers to better employment, housing, education and other opportunities for economic improvement. The Project is funded through an Access to Justice Statewide Expunction Grant from the Texas Access to Justice Foundation (“TAJF”).

PROJECT PARTNERS

LANWT is the lead agency on this Project, working collaboratively with its project partners, namely, Lone Star Legal Aid, Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, The Beacon of Downtown Houston, and Texas Legal Services Center (“Project Partners”) as well as other third-party stakeholders, as appropriate.

PROPOSED PROJECT TIMELINE

The Project has a three-year life cycle that runs from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2027, with anticipated milestones every six (6) month period.

SCOPE OF WORK

The Project seeks to

1. Significantly increase statewide awareness and education to low-income Texans with a criminal record about the available legal remedies of expunction and nondisclosure.
2. Develop and launch an automated technology tool to assist in efficiently navigating the eligibility and legal steps to clear criminal records.
3. Create training materials and toolkits to assist volunteers who provide services to those seeking expunctions and nondisclosure remedies.
4. Provide direct legal representation to individuals needing additional support to clear their records.
5. Create a website and platform to host training materials and tools for individuals.

The Project will create and implement a focused communication strategy to reach the intended client population with information about these legal remedies, the tools for navigating the process and the legal assistance available. This communication campaign should reach marginalized communities and individuals, including those in rural and other underserved areas and those with limited English proficiency.

Additionally, the Project will develop a strategic plan to ensure the long-term sustainability of the established program goals and objectives.

PROJECT MANANGEMENT SERVICES REQUIRED

The Manager’s proposal must indicate their agreement to meet or exceed the following performance specifications and provide a detailed explanation of how these specifications will be achieved or exceeded. Please clearly outline any exceptions.

Project Management Tasks

1. Manage the planning and execution of the Project, ensuring its success through strategic initiatives.
2. Coordinate discovery to analyze similar projects implemented nationwide, apply lessons learned and integrate best practices into the strategy.
3. Define Project goals and objectives aligned with the strategic plan.
4. Collaborate with the project management, Project Partners, and other stakeholders to ensure clear communication of deliverables, schedules, cost and requirements.
5. Use appropriate project management software to create and plan timelines, maintain project scope and document implementation plans to ensure compliance.
6. Monitor tasks and track progress as measured against established milestones, address risk, provide solutions and develop mitigation plans as needed.
7. Manage resources with project management, Project Partners, and other stakeholders to complete tasks on time and within budget.
8. Manage adjustments to plans, scope and objectives or deliverables ensuring they are well-planned, clearly communicated and aligned with clients, project management, Project Partners, and other stakeholders’ needs.
9. Maintain regular and effective communication with staff, management, Project Partners, and other stakeholders.
10. Manage expectations and foster positive relationships with Project Partners, other stakeholders, staff, committees, agencies and funders.
11. Oversee technology development and implementation critical to the Project’s success.
12. Prepare timely reports and documentation for project management, Project Partners, and other stakeholders.
13. Perform additional duties to support the Project as assigned.

Project Manager Minimum Qualifications

1. Bachelor’s Degree in Nonprofit Management, Project Management, Business or other related fields of study.
2. Certified Associate in Project Management (“CAPM”), Project Management Professional (“PMP”) certification or comparable certification.
3. Minimum of five years of project management experience.
4. Ability to occasionally travel to various locations based on the needs of the Project.
5. Ability to manage complex initiatives with independent judgment, including addressing changes in Project scope, resources personnel and budget.

RFP Schedule Timeline

1. LANWT Issues RFP 04/21/2025
2. Vendor Question Period 04/21/2025 – 05/09/2025
3. Proposal Submission Deadline 05/12/2025
4. LANWT Proposal Review 05/12/2025 – 05/23/2025
5. Estimated Vendor Selection Notification 05/30/2025
6. Estimated Agreement Date 06/06/2025

PROPOSAL STRUCTURE

This is an open and competitive process. LANWT reserves the right to extend the deadline.

The quoted price should be inclusive. If the price excludes certain fees or charges, please provide a detailed list of excluded fees with a complete explanation of the nature of those fees.

The proposal must clearly state whether the execution of work requires the hiring of subcontractors. The proposal must identify all subcontractors, a description of the work they will perform, their respective areas of expertise and relevant credentials.

LANWT will negotiate contract terms upon selection. There is no Project award without the execution of a contract. The contract will outline terms, scope, budget, deadlines and other necessary items.

Proposals should contain the following:

• Manager’s name, address, Federal Tax Identification Number, and description of legal status (e.g., corporation, sole proprietor, etc.).
• Manager’s primary contact name, telephone number and email address.
• A statement confirming the proposal is a firm offer valid for one hundred twenty (120) days from receipt and that LANWT may accept the offer at any time within the 120-day period.
• General scope of work and proposed approach to management of Project, including proposed project management software.
• Manager Qualifications

a. Description of experience in project management.

b. List of how many full-time, part-time and contractor staff in Manager’s organization.

i. Include a description of the portion of the scope of work for which each of these

professionals will be responsible.

• Examples of similar or comparable projects completed with at least three references.
• Timeline/schedule, including an approximate start date.
• Project budget and estimated costs for all aspects of services.

i. If Manager chooses to submit a proposal with multiple options, a budget for each option should be included.

• Additional relevant services offered for the Project.
• Disclosure of any relevant conflicts of interest.
• State whether the Manager has been involved in any litigation within the past five years. For any non-employment case, provide details, including the other parties’ name, address and telephone number, and Manager’s position on the matter.

Submission of Proposal

All proposals shall be in PDF format and submitted electronically to Legal Aid of NorthWest Texas (LANWT) at: LANWTRFPSubmissions@lanwt.org

LANWT will accept proposals until 5:00 p.m. on May 12, 2025.

To be considered, proposals must be submitted electronically in accordance with these instructions:

1. Submit proposals as an attachment to an email, submitted to the email address stated above.
2. The subject line of the email must state “Proposal – Statewide Expunction Project RFP.”
3. Submit proposal documents in PDF format only.
4. Proposals may not include zip files.
5. Total size of proposal email should not exceed 30MB.

LANWT may issue addendums to modify or add to the terms of the RFP, or to change the submission date for proposals.

LANWT shall issue any such addendums in writing, not less than five days prior to the deadline for receipt of proposals and post to the RFP posting location.

Each proposer is responsible for verification of any issued addendum prior to submission of its proposal. LANWT is not responsible for notifying possible proposers of any addendums issued.

Addenda requirements or clarifications must be included in the proposals and will become part of any resulting contract.

Exceptions

Submit all exceptions to this solicitation on separate pages. Each exception shall refer to the RFP section and briefly explain the reason for taking exception as appropriate.

Manager should note that submitting an exception does not obligate LANWT to revise the terms of the RFP or agreement.

Grounds for Rejections

Any deviation affecting function, reliability or performance, whether or not stipulated herein, shall be cause for rejection.

All proposals must be complete and submitted following these instructions. Proposers may submit additional documentation to support their proposal, but such submission should be timely and in the stated format.

LANWT will not consider proposals not conforming to these requirements.

LANWT reserves the right to reject the proposal of any proposer who previously failed to perform properly to our satisfaction, timely complete agreements of a similar nature who is not able to fulfil such an agreement satisfactorily as determined by LANWT.

Proposers are advised to review all sections of this RFP carefully and to follow instructions completely.

Failure to make a complete submission as described elsewhere herein may result in rejection of the proposal.

Alternative approaches and/or methods to accomplish the desired results of this Project are solicited.

However, proposals that materially alter the terms, requirements, or scope of work defined by this RFP may be rejected as being non-responsive.

LANWT RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REJECT ANY OR ALL PROPOSALS.

Proposal Modifications

LANWT will accept written modifications of submitted proposals only while the proposal period remains open.

Any modifications shall be prepared on the entity letterhead, signed by an authorized officer; clearly state the new document supersedes or modifies the prior proposal, and follow the same guidelines for submitting a proposal.

To ensure the integrity of the process, emails containing any modifications to a proposal shall be marked accordingly.

Withdrawal of Proposal

Proposers can withdraw their proposal at any time.

Any withdrawals shall be prepared on the entity letterhead, signed by an authorized officer; clearly state that the proposal is withdrawn in its entirety, and follow the same guidelines for submitting a proposal.

To ensure the integrity of the Request for Proposal process, the emails containing any proposal withdrawals shall be marked accordingly.

EVALUATION AND SELECTION CRITERIA

The contract will be awarded to the Manager who provides the best value – the most advantageous balance of price, simplicity, flexibility, support, innovation, quality, value added feature set, and performance to LANWT. Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

Price

 The reasonableness and completeness of the prices submitted for the proposed services.

 Whether the price is realistic (especially if it is an estimate), reflects a clear understanding of

LANWT’s needs, and is consistent with other parts of the proposal.

Quality

 Qualifications and experience of proposed staff – account, support, and training assets.

 Manager’s technical expertise.

 Project plan and approach.

 Level of detail in response.

Performance

 Capacity and ability to work full-time on the Project, as appropriate.

 Understanding of and ability to meet LANWT’s needs.

 Responsiveness to LANWT.

Professionalism

 Reputation for excellence in price, performance, and quality.

 Willingness to accept LANWT and Texas Access to Justice Foundation terms (e.g., Texas venue and governing law, no limitation on liability, no binding arbitration, indemnification, and estimated cost, but not to exceed clause).

Technical Approach

 Express agreement to meet or exceed the Project Management Services Required.

Fees

 A maximum all-inclusive fee schedule that Manager will charge for the Project Management Services Required each year including those related to any upcoming regulation/accounting standard changes that are known at this time and if/how these changes are expected to impact the fees proposed.

 An average hourly rate for needed and agreed-to expansion of the scope.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

General Terms and Conditions

Preparation of a response to this RFP will be at the sole cost, expense and risk of the proposer. The proposer waives all claims whatsoever for reimbursement from LANWT for any cost or expense incurred in the preparation of its proposal and any subsequent contract negotiation.

The issuance of this RFP is not, and shall not be construed as, an offer or an enforceable contract.

All materials and ideas submitted as part of this proposal and during the performance of any award shall be the property of and owned by LANWT, who may use any such materials and ideas.

All proposals received shall remain confidential until the evaluation is completed, the vendor selected, and the vendor approved. Thereafter, proposals shall be deemed public records.

The selection of a vendor does not constitute an endorsement of the vendor’s services. The vendor will not refer to LANWT in any written materials, promotions, or presentations without LANWT’s express written consent.

LANWT reserves the right to change the RFP Schedule or issue amendments to this RFP at any time.

LANWT reserves the right to cancel or reissue the RFP. LANWT will note all RFP related actions on its website.

LANWT and the successful Manager will negotiate payment terms and incorporate the said terms into the contract agreement.

LANWT will not pay for work not properly authorized, contracted or performed.

The Manager certifies that the individual or business entity submitting a proposal has not received compensation for participation in the preparation of the Request for Proposal; is not ineligible to receive the award of or payments; and acknowledges that an agreement may be terminated, and payment withheld if this certification is inaccurate.

The successful Manager will not make any press releases, public statements, advertisement or other promotional materials using Texas Access to Justice, LANWT or LANWT collaborative agencies’ names or logos, the name of any employees, referring to the agreement, or the purchase of goods or services without prior written approval. Requests for prior written approval of any such releases, public statements, advertisements or other promotional materials must be directed to LANWT’s Deputy Director.

Award of Contract

Upon selection of a Manager, LANWT will notify the successful Manager and enter contract negotiations for the project management services of the Statewide Expunction Project.

Confidentiality

During the Manager selection and project execution phases, LANWT may provide the Manager with access to confidential or proprietary information. The Manager agrees not to use any information obtained for personal or third-party benefit. The Manager further agrees not to disclose any confidential or proprietary information to any person who does not have a need to know and agrees to sign an agreement to protect the interests and information of LANWT’s clients and LAWNT’s confidential and/or proprietary information.

LANWT RIGHTS

LANWT reserves the following rights:

1. Accept or reject any and or all responses, or any part thereof.
2. Waive any informalities or technicalities contained in any response received.
3. Conduct discussion with proposers and accept revisions of proposals after the closing date.
4. Make an award based upon various selection criteria.
5. Request clarification from any proposers on any or all aspects of its proposals.
6. Cancel or re-issue this RFP at any time.
7. Retain all proposals submitted in response to this RFP.
8. Invite some, all, or none of the proposers for interviews, demonstrations, presentations, and further discussion.
9. Select the most beneficial proposal at LANWT’s discretion, based on evaluation criteria.
10. Waive or extend deadlines.
11. Conduct investigations with respect to the qualifications of each proposer and conduct field investigations with respect to proposals.
12. Supplement, amend or otherwise modify this RFP.
13. Issue additional or subsequent RFPs regarding the subject matter of this RFP.
14. Negotiate with any proposer, or with all or none of the proposers.
15. Request new or revised proposals, including monetary terms from any proposer at any time.

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and associated federal regulations may require LANWT to disclose certain documents to the public, including portions of your proposal.

Generally, LANWT will not release any documents that would cause you competitive harm.

You are encouraged to label any confidential information contained in your proposal to facilitate LANWT’s ability to withhold it from disclosure.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

LANWT is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to fostering a workplace that values a broad range of perspectives and experiences. We welcome proposals from individuals of all backgrounds.

LANWT CONTACT FOR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS

LANWT considers the objectives and requirements of this RFP to be complete, clear, and understandable.

The contract, when executed, shall be deemed to include the entire agreement between the parties, and the successful vendor shall not claim any modification thereof resulting from any representation or promise made at any time by any LANWT officer, agent or employee, or by any other person, unless such modification is in writing and is signed by both parties.

Prior to submitting a proposal, Proposer shall contact LANWT on or before May 9, 2025, for clarification, irregularities, or apparent errors that may be contained in the Request for Proposals documents.

LANWT reserves the right to waive minor irregularities or errors contained in the submitted proposal.

Failure on the proposer’s part to request clarification shall obligate the proposer to abide by LANWT’s decision as to the intended meaning of any portion of the proposal documents. The evaluation of proposals shall be LANWT’s sole responsibility, based on information furnished by the proposer as well as on other information available.

The preferred method of communication is by email. As the proposal process progresses, we will make ourselves available for phone calls and virtual and in-person meetings as necessary.

LANWT will schedule and post on its website at: https://legalaidtx.org/rfps/ “Question and Answer” sessions during the Question Period. Please submit questions relating to this RFP by email to LANWTRFPSubmissions@lanwt.org. Subject line should state “Statewide Expunction RFP”. We will share all questions and answers on LANWT’s website.

The individuals involved in this process are available Monday – Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Central Standard Time. Please allow 48 business hours for response time.