REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
Missouri Humanities Council seeks proposals
for Exhibit Design and Manufacture Services
14 April 2015
Deadline for Responses: Friday, 29 April 2015, 4:00PM CST
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Missouri Humanities Council The Missouri Plan Design RFP
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................... 3
PROJECT BACKGROUND....................................................................................................................... 4
Missouri Humanities Council............................................................................................................ 4
The Missouri Bar .............................................................................................................................. 4
Overall Project Background.............................................................................................................. 5
DESCRIPTION OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED ............................................................... 6
Scope of Work ................................................................................................................................. 6
Specific Tasks ................................................................................................................................... 6
Project Management ....................................................................................................................... 7
What MHC Staff Will Provide ........................................................................................................... 7
Unusual Conditions and Requirements ............................................................................................ 8
Time Schedule ................................................................................................................................. 8
SELECTION PROCESS ............................................................................................................................ 9
Schedule .......................................................................................................................................... 9
Response Requirements .................................................................................................................. 9
Criteria for Selection ...................................................................................................................... 10
Questions and Inquiries ................................................................................................................. 10
Addendum and Supplement to RFP................................................................................................ 10
WITHDRAWAL OF PROPOSALS ........................................................................................................... 12
LOCATION AND ADDRESS TO WHICH RESPONSES SHOULD BE SUBMITTED ........................................ 13
Date/Time for Receipt of Responses .............................................................................................. 13
CONTRACTUAL STATUS OF PROPOSALS ............................................................................................. 14
Proprietary Information and Confidentiality ...................................................................................... 14
Copyright Ownership of Vendor's Work Product ................................................................................ 14
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Missouri Humanities Council The Missouri Plan Design RFP
INTRODUCTION
The Missouri Humanities Council (MHC) seeks exhibit design services for two (2) related
exhibits to be featured across the state of Missouri. One of these exhibits, hereafter referred to as
the "courthouse exhibit" will be produced many times over and deployed in each of Missouri's
more than 100 county courthouses. The second exhibit, hereafter referred to as the "traveling
exhibit" will be of the same topic and focus as the courthouse exhibit but with three distinct
differences: 1) only one will be produced, 2) it will require the ability to be raised and torn down
numerous times over and travel to new locations relevant to the topic and the humanities in
general, and 3) it is expected to be more robust in design, features, and interactivity than the
courthouse exhibit.
This project will be unique in that it is a collaborative arrangement between the MHC and the
Missouri Bar (MoBar). All design proposals must be approved by both the MHC and the MoBar
though the contract to be executed for design, manufacture, and delivery services will be
exclusive with the MHC.
The intent of this Request for Proposal is to obtain fixed price proposals from experienced firms
to design both the courthouse and the traveling exhibit in a single contract. Included in the
design proposal, MHC expects for all subsequent manufacture, fabrication, and delivery to be
accounted for and built into the final contract. Relevant source documents, videos, and other
archived information will be provided by MHC and no further research for design purposes
should be necessary.
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Missouri Humanities Council The Missouri Plan Design RFP
PROJECT BACKGROUND
Missouri Humanities Council
The Missouri Humanities Council (MHC) is committed to helping build a thoughtful, informed
and engaged society through programs associated with encouraging family reading, supporting
local museums, libraries, and other organizations promoting humanities education, facilitating
the sharing of our stories, and generating public conversation on topics including history,
religion, archaeology, anthropology, philosophy, literature, law and languages. We help
Missourians experience the connection between ideas and participatory democracy, and to
expand understanding of our own culture as well as the world beyond our boundaries.
Dedicated and creative people are the most important resources of our institutions and
communities: the programs and experiences we support through grants and consultation services
help unlock energies that will enrich our lives and contribute to a better appreciation of both our
differences and what we hold in common.
MHC is a 501 ( c )( 3 ) non-profit organization that was created in 1971 under authorizing
legislation from the U.S. Congress to serve as one of the 56 state and territorial humanities
councils that are affiliated with the National Endowment for the Humanities.
The Missouri Bar
The Missouri Bar was created in 1944 by order of the Supreme Court of Missouri. Its mission is
to improve the legal profession, the administration of justice, and law. Through educational
programs, publications, and more, The Missouri Bar serves as a valuable resource for
members—and for the citizens of Missouri.
Lawyers participate in the bar in a variety of ways. They may seek to serve as members of the
Board of Governors or the Young Lawyers’ Section Council; take part in the more than 50
substantive law committees; volunteer for service projects; choose to attend any of the hundreds
of Continuing Legal Education programs produced by the bar each year; attend events, such as
the Annual Meeting or Solo and Small Firm Conference; or volunteer to write articles for bar
publications.
Resources for lawyers include continuing education opportunities, publications, access to
research systems, and management advice. All lawyers who practice in Missouri belong to The
Missouri Bar.
Members of the public may find an attorney online, download one of the 50-plus publications on
topics ranging from family law to living wills, or attend a Mini Law School for the Public lecture
series. The state bar also offers workshops and publications for teachers.
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Missouri Humanities Council The Missouri Plan Design RFP
The Missouri Bar’s main offices are located in downtown Jefferson City. The Center houses
conference rooms and meeting areas, which are available to members for business functions.
All policies and programs of The Missouri Bar are either developed or overseen by the bar’s
Board of Governors, a 45-member group of elected lawyers who represent the members in their
districts.
Overall Project Background
On November 4, 1940, Missouri’s voters passed a proposition to amend the state’s Constitution
to require that certain judges be selected on merit rather than by partisan election. Now known
as The Missouri Plan, this model serves as the standard for judicial selection in more than 30
states.
The design should meet the following objective:
To commemorate the passage by initiative petition of the Nonpartisan Selection of Judges Court
Plan, in laymen referred to as the Missouri Plan.
This initiative should serve to be educational, thought-provoking, and also allow for engagement
with our target audience, Missouri's voters. These exhibits will afford the MoBar and the MHC
to meet mutual ends as the MoBar has found many citizens lack a robust understanding of how
the Missouri Plan works and impacts them and the MHC seeks a "thoughtful, informed, and civil
society."
This will be accomplished with two, distinct exhibits, including:
·
An exhibit to be placed in each participating county courthouse with distinct sections
detailing 1) the impetus for change to the Missouri Plan (perceived/real political
corruption), 2) the operational features of the Missouri Plan (what it is, how it works,
which courts use it) including a call to text "judges" to a particular telephone number to
learn additional information about the plan, and 3) a call to action section showing a map
of the US highlighting states using our model, a "hashtag" (yet to be created) to be used
throughout the entire awareness campaign, a QR code likely directing users to
yourmissourijudges.org/missouri-plan, and a disclaimer to "Sign up to learn about judges
on your ballot at yourmissourijudges.org and Facebook.com/MissouriPlan"
·
A single, more robust, interactive, and potentially more informative (i.e. a local angle)
traveling exhibit to be featured at select courthouses, libraries, and other to-bedetermined venues that should be easy to assemble, deconstruct, and transport from
location to location
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Missouri Humanities Council The Missouri Plan Design RFP
DESCRIPTION OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED
Scope of Work
All respondents must be able to provide professional exhibit design services and either fabricate
or have the ability to acquire fabrication services to deliver the exhibits in a complete, finished
product state to MHC or another designated recipient.
All proposals must be made on the basis of and either meet or exceed the requirements contained
in the bid documents.
Specific Tasks
1. The contractor shall furnish or otherwise contract to furnish all labor, materials, and
equipment required to perform the work indicated and specified by bid documents and technical
specifications. Work includes design, construction, and delivery of exhibit components and
graphic production. Exhibit components may include but are not limited to:
·
·
·
·
·
Graphics
Portable displays and any type of related canvas, banners, and/or supportive framework
necessary to accommodate such a display
Interactive electronic hardware and related software
Storage devices that serve as transportation devices
Any other material product required to feature the proposed exhibit design in a complete,
"no further components required" state upon receipt
2. Design and fabrication shall be of a quality that provides easy assembly/disassembly, simple
transport, and will last for a duration of up to three years normal wear and tear. Upon receipt by
MHC or another designated recipient, the quality shall be free of defects discernible to the
human eye. Electronics must survive use by visitors without failure.
3. Prepare and submit for review material design proposals and a description of either a single or
several graphic design proposals compatible with the aforementioned "Overall Project
Background" objectives. Such proposals should describe any relevant costs on a per-hour or perunit basis, whichever is relevant.
4. Exhibit structures: fabricate or secure for fabrication all exhibit elements, including, but not
limited to: frames, tables, storage and transportation devices, podiums, or other elements which
constitute the basic structural elements of the exhibits.
5. Graphics: review and prepare all MHC-furnished material; final placement of text and
selection of graphics, adjustments to graphic layouts, and conversion of digital files for specified
imaging system output.
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Missouri Humanities Council The Missouri Plan Design RFP
6. Graphic production: MHC expects to provide the bulk of the required images, videos, and
other historical content. It shall be the selected vendors responsibility to graphically synthesize
the supplied information in an easy-to-understand, attractive design format.
7. Mockups, in digital format, are expected to be provided and approved by MHC and MoBar
before work shall proceed.
8. An instructions manual shall be included with each exhibit produced that describes, in a stepby-step fashion, the proper way to construct and destruct the exhibit in an easy-to-understand
method.
Project Management
The vendor must establish one person to serve as project manager and liaison to the MHC project
manager.
MHC looks to the vendor to inform the needs of the project, maintain a cohesive schedule, and
coordinate, oversee and manage work produced. Therefore, the vendor must establish a work
plan (work breakdown structure) and schedule for all parties to ensure timely completion of the
project. In addition to the start and finish of various production schedules, the schedule shall
also show significant dates that will serve as check points to determine compliance with
approved schedule. Each respondent should indicate critical anticipated dates for work by others
which impacts exhibit design, manufacture, and delivery.
Regular meetings with the MHC team (in person and/or by telephone) are an integral part of the
overall process and must be indicated in project schedule. These meetings will report on and
track the design, manufacture, and delivery process, and establish and implement mechanisms
for ongoing communications.
What MHC Staff Will Provide
The MoBar has provided images to MHC of historical documents, newspaper clippings, artist
renderings, a logo, and a video to the MHC which will subsequently be supplied to the selected
vendor.
The core team for this exhibit will include the Director of Education, serving as the project
manager, and the Executive Director. These staff members will work with MoBar to provide the
appropriate delivery address information for each courthouse exhibit to be delivered.
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Missouri Humanities Council The Missouri Plan Design RFP
Unusual Conditions and Requirements
This collaborative project is being overseen by MHC but in full cooperation and approval of the
MoBar. It is imperative that the selected vendor work in a collaborative manner with both
parties to the extent that it is required.
Time Schedule
Work will be completed according to the time schedule provided by the vendor pursuant to their
submission of a proposal. At least one of the courthouse exhibits and the traveling exhibit must
be complete, delivered, and fully capable of being deployed by 30 September 2015. All
remaining courthouse exhibits must be complete and delivered to either MHC or the appropriate
county courthouse (contact information to be supplied by MHC in advance) on 19 October
2015.
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Missouri Humanities Council The Missouri Plan Design RFP
SELECTION PROCESS
Schedule
The following is the anticipated Selection Process Schedule.
Request for Proposals issued
Questions/queries to MHC
Answers provided to potential bidders
Cost Proposals Due
Contract Negotiation
Contract Awarded
14 April 2015
20 April 2015
21 April 2015
29 April 2015
To 15 May 2015
21 May 2015
Response Requirements
Please number your responses exactly as the questions are presented below, and limit to 10 (ten)
one-sided pages, including work samples (#2, below) and fee proposals (#8, below).
The response must include the following elements.
1. Letter of interest.
2. Experience of the firm/team as fabricator of exhibits of similar scale, complexity, and
budget, emphasizing firm's record of meeting estimated budgets and schedules. Limit to
3 relevant examples.
3. References from past projects, preferably matching the relevant examples requested
above.
4. Identification and bios of personnel to be directly involved in this project whether on staff
or affiliated.
5. Identify current workload of firm and personnel to be assigned to project.
6. Identify your in-house design and fabrication capabilities and those services that you
would outsource. Include a list of all subcontractors and a statement of the
subcontractors' qualifications.
7. Proposed workplan describing individual tasks to be performed and the relative
scheduling of those tasks. All deliverable items should be identified and described.
8. Proposed vision for the exhibit(s) composed of broad concepts on what the final product
may look like.
9. Hourly rate and expense schedule.
10. Fee proposal.
The proposal may not exceed 10 8.5" by 11" single-spaced, one-sided pages in length. All
proposals shall provide a straightforward, concise delineation of the firm's capabilities to satisfy
the requirements of this request. Emphasis should be on completeness and clarity of content, and
not on volume or elaborate presentation materials.
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Missouri Humanities Council The Missouri Plan Design RFP
Proposals must give the full firm name and address of offeror. Person signing the proposal
should show title or authority to bind the firm in a contract. Proposals shall be signed in ink by
authorized person(s).
By submitting a fee proposal, the respondent firm authorizes MHC to contact any or all of those
firms or individuals listed as references or contacts of the information provided.
Criteria for Selection
The following criteria will be used for screening and selection of the fabricator:
1. Cost Proposal
2. Established record of design excellence for traveling exhibits. Quality of work product as
demonstrated through submitted work samples. Number, complexity, and nature of
exhibitions handled by the firm.
3. Experience in designing projects of a similar scale and complexity.
4. Innovative or outstanding work by firm that demonstrates the firm's unique qualifications
to provide exhibition design and fabrication services as well as a clear understanding of
the purpose and scope of this project and appropriate approach to execute it.
Questions and Inquiries
Questions and inquiries, in written form via email, will be accepted from any and all vendors.
Questions will be answered in writing via email and will be distributed to all vendors who
receive the RFP provided that all questions are received by 20 April 2015.
Send project-related questions or specific questions regarding this RFP to:
Sean Grove
Director of Education
[email protected]
Addendum and Supplement to RFP
If it becomes necessary to revise any part of this RFP or if additional data are necessary to enable
an exact interpretation of provisions of this request, an addendum will be issued. It is the
responsibility of the vendor to ensure that it has received all addendums prior to submitting a
proposal.
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Missouri Humanities Council The Missouri Plan Design RFP
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Missouri Humanities Council The Missouri Plan Design RFP
WITHDRAWAL OF PROPOSALS
All proposals submitted shall be valid for a minimum period of ninety (90) calendar days
following the date established for acceptance.
Proposals may be withdrawn upon written request from the offeror at the address shown prior to
the time of acceptance.
Negligence on the part of the offeror in preparing a proposal confers no right of withdrawal after
the time fixed for the acceptance of the proposals.
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Missouri Humanities Council The Missouri Plan Design RFP
LOCATION AND ADDRESS TO WHICH RESPONSES SHOULD BE SUBMITTED
A total of 3 (three) copies should be submitted to MHC at the following address:
Missouri Humanities Council
Missouri Plan RFP
543 Hanley Industrial Court, Ste. 201
St. Louis, MO 63144
Attn: Sean Grove
Proposals may be mailed or hand delivered to this address.
Date/Time for Receipt of Responses
Responses will be due by 4:00 PM on Friday, 29 April, 2015.
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Missouri Humanities Council The Missouri Plan Design RFP
CONTRACTUAL STATUS OF PROPOSALS
This RFP has been prepared solely to solicit proposals, and is not a contract offer. This RFP is
not binding on MHC. The only document tha twill be binding on MHC is the contract duly
executed by MHC and the successful applicant after the completion of the selection process and
the award and negotiation of the contract.
MHC reserves the right to withdraw the RFP at any time at its sole discretion before the
execution of a contract.
MHC reserves the right not to proceed with any of the respondents to the proposal. In such
event, MHC shall not be liable to any respondent for additional costs incurred by it as a result of
the withdrawal of the RFP or by the failure to proceed with any respondent.
MHC will not be responsible for any expenses incurred by a firm in preparing and submitting a
proposal.
Proprietary Information and Confidentiality
All respondents' responses will be treated as proprietary information and will be used solely for
the purposes herein. Should a respondent require its response to be returned, MHC will do so at
the respondent's request and at the respondent's expense.
Copyright Ownership of Vendor's Work Product
The selected vendor's services will be engaged and shall be rendered on a work-for-hire basis in
favor of MHC for copyright purposes. In the event such services are not deemed to be on a
"work made for hire" basis, then the vendor shall assign to MHC the vendor's entire rights, title
and interest, including copyright, in and to anything created or developed by the vendor for
MHC under any agreement concluded by vendor and MHC, including (by way of example and
not of limitation) all original files or work files created by or in the possession or control of the
selected vendor, and all patents, copyrights, trade secrets and other proprietary rights in the work
performed by the vendor for MHC. The vendor shall cause any sub-contractor or partner to do
the same.
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Missouri Humanities Council The Missouri Plan Design RFP