Oregon WTDB Continuous Improvement Committee Assessment (2026): bid/no-bid notes for consulting teams

Executive takeaway

The Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC), acting through its Office of Workforce Investments (OWI), is running a formal RFP to select one contractor to conduct the Workforce Talent and Development Board’s (WTDB) Continuous Improvement Committee (CIC) Assessment 2026. The effort is positioned as a consulting services engagement with an estimated 12-month term, an estimated cost of $200,000, and a firm cost-control constraint: travel expenses will not be allowable. The opportunity is marked as Small Business, Minority-owned set-aside in the notice data.

What the buyer is trying to do

WTDB states a mission centered on equitable prosperity and an inclusive, coordinated training and education system responsive to workforce and employer needs. The CIC exists to support continuous improvement and mission/vision alignment across workforce partners, including Local Workforce Development Boards (LWDBs). This procurement signals a desire to bring in outside expertise to assess and strengthen how the CIC (and related WTDB improvement functions) drive accountability, reduce duplication, share scalable best practices, and promote transparency through public meetings.

HECC/OWI intends to award a single contract, with the ability to amend the resulting contract for related services and time as needed.

What work is implied (bullets)

• Conduct an assessment for WTDB’s Continuous Improvement Committee (CIC) in support of statewide continuous improvement and mission/vision alignment.
• Engage with a workforce ecosystem that includes WTDB, HECC/OWI, and partners such as Local Workforce Development Boards (LWDBs).
• Support objectives implied by WTDB’s stated functions, such as identifying barriers, proposing solutions, avoiding duplication of services, and supporting accountability among public workforce partners.
• Operate in a context that emphasizes transparency and public-meeting practices (plan for deliverables and engagement methods that align with this environment).
• Deliver the work within an estimated 12-month performance period, with no reimbursable travel.

Who should bid / who should pass (bullets)

• Bid if: you are a small business and/or minority-owned firm (per the notice set-aside) with demonstrated capability in assessments and continuous improvement work in public-sector workforce, education, and training systems.
• Bid if: you can perform the engagement without travel costs (remote-first delivery, or travel absorbed as overhead if allowed under your accounting approach—confirm in the RFP).
• Bid if: your team can navigate multi-stakeholder governance (boards/committees) and produce actionable findings aligned to policy, accountability, and partner coordination needs.
• Pass if: your delivery model depends on reimbursed travel or on-site facilitation that cannot be supported without travel costs.
• Pass if: you lack relevant experience with statewide workforce systems, cross-agency coordination, or committee-driven continuous improvement structures.

Response package checklist (bullets; if unknown say “verify in attachments”)

• Completed proposal response to OregonBuys RFP (verify all forms, structure, and required attachments in the solicitation documents).
• Technical approach for conducting the CIC assessment and producing findings/recommendations (verify required format in attachments).
• Project plan and schedule covering the estimated 12-month term (verify in attachments).
• Staffing plan and qualifications (verify in attachments).
• Cost/price proposal aligned to the estimated $200,000 and the “no allowable travel” constraint (verify pricing template in attachments).
• Representations/certifications related to the set-aside designation (verify in attachments).

Pricing & strategy notes (how to research pricing; do not invent pricing numbers)

HECC states an estimated cost of $200,000 for the work and explicitly disallows travel as an allowable cost. That combination typically rewards bidders who can tightly scope:

• Assessment activities and stakeholder touchpoints (what must be done vs. what is optional).
• Deliverable cadence (interim readouts, draft/final reports—confirm exact deliverables in the RFP).
• Efficient engagement methods compatible with public-meeting transparency expectations.

Before finalizing pricing, research:

• What the RFP defines as “related services” that could be added via amendment (this affects how you frame options and assumptions).
• Any OregonBuys instructions on labor categories, rate presentation, and allowable direct costs (verify in attachments).
• Comparable Oregon workforce/board assessment engagements in public records (scope size, deliverable expectations, meeting frequency) to sanity-check level of effort—without assuming they match this procurement.

Subcontracting / teaming ideas (bullets)

• Pair an assessment/organizational effectiveness lead with a workforce-systems specialist who understands coordination across workforce, education, and training partners.
• Bring a partner experienced in equity-focused evaluation approaches to align with WTDB’s vision of equitable prosperity (confirm evaluation expectations in the RFP).
• If public-meeting facilitation is implied in the RFP, consider teaming for facilitation and documentation support while keeping overall management lean to fit the budget.

Risks & watch-outs (bullets)

• No travel allowable: ensure your workplan is feasible remotely or that any in-person needs are addressed without charging travel (confirm contract terms).
• Multi-stakeholder complexity: WTDB’s ecosystem includes multiple partner types (including LWDBs); plan for governance dynamics and competing priorities.
• Single award: with only one contract anticipated, differentiators in approach clarity and execution discipline will matter.
• Scope clarity: the notice snippet provides context and mission statements, but the actual assessment tasks/deliverables must be pulled from the full RFP package (verify in attachments).
• Amendment possibility: HECC reserves the right to amend for related services/time—be explicit about assumptions and boundaries in your proposal.

Related opportunities

• Workforce Talent and Development Board Continuous Improvement Committee Assessment 2026 (OregonBuys #S-52500-00016064)

How to act on this

1. Download and read the full RFP package in OregonBuys for #S-52500-00016064; extract mandatory deliverables, submission instructions, and evaluation criteria (verify in attachments).
2. Build a remote-first delivery plan that respects the “no allowable travel” constraint.
3. Draft a tight scope and price narrative that fits the estimated $200,000 and supports an efficient 12-month execution window.
4. Decide whether to team for specialized evaluation/facilitation support while keeping management overhead low.
5. Submit before the deadline shown in the notice: 03/19/2026 at 3:00 PM Pacific Time.

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