Oregon WTDB Continuous Improvement Committee Assessment 2026: How to Bid (and When to Pass)

Executive takeaway

The Higher Education Coordinating Commission (HECC), through the Office of Workforce Investments, plans to award one contract for an estimated 12-month effort to support the Oregon Workforce Talent and Development Board’s (WTDB) Continuous Improvement Committee (CIC) Assessment 2026. The opportunity is positioned as consulting services with an estimated cost of $200,000 and a key constraint: travel expenses will not be allowable cost. If your firm can run a rigorous, stakeholder-heavy assessment remotely and translate findings into actionable continuous-improvement recommendations aligned to equity and system coordination, this is a solid fit.

What the buyer is trying to do

WTDB describes its purpose as ensuring equitable prosperity for all Oregonians by empowering the state’s workforce and employers through an inclusive, coordinated training and education system. The CIC assessment sits inside that larger mission—helping WTDB strengthen:

• a long-term workforce vision that anticipates future needs,
• partnerships with workforce, education, and training organizations (including Local Workforce Development Boards),
• advice to the Governor and legislature on workforce policy and plans,
• alignment of policy, resources, and services across partners,
• identification of barriers, solutions, and avoidance of duplication,
• accountability among public workforce partners,
• sharing scalable best practices and innovative solutions,
• transparency via public meetings, and
• continuous improvement and mission/vision alignment.

Practically, expect HECC/WTDB to want an assessment that is credible to public-sector stakeholders, grounded in evidence, and structured so CIC can use it to drive improvements across a complex partner ecosystem.

What work is implied (bullets)

• Design and execute a CIC-focused assessment approach that ties directly to WTDB’s stated mission and enabling functions.
• Engage stakeholders across the workforce, education, and training ecosystem (including coordination considerations with local workforce development partners).
• Assess current practices related to transparency/public meetings, accountability, duplication avoidance, and mission/vision alignment.
• Identify barriers and develop practical solutions that can be adopted statewide and across multiple regions.
• Document findings and recommendations in deliverables suitable for a public-sector board environment (verify required formats/deliverables in attachments).
• Deliver the work within a 12-month term and within a budget framework that does not reimburse travel.

Who should bid / who should pass (bullets)

Who should bid

• Small businesses and minority-owned firms (as indicated) that can credibly lead a statewide workforce-system assessment.
• Consultancies with demonstrated capability in continuous improvement frameworks, governance/committee effectiveness, and cross-agency coordination.
• Teams that can support equity-centered analysis and translate it into implementable recommendations for public bodies.
• Firms equipped for remote-first stakeholder engagement (since travel is not allowable).

Who should pass

• Firms whose methodology depends on extensive on-site interviews/workshops or travel-heavy discovery.
• Teams that lack public-sector board/committee assessment experience or cannot demonstrate facilitation across diverse partner organizations.
• Organizations unable to manage a 12-month consulting engagement with disciplined deliverable cadence (verify schedule expectations in attachments).

Response package checklist (bullets)

• Complete proposal response for OregonBuys event #S-52500-00016064 (confirm exact submittal requirements in attachments).
• Work plan and assessment methodology aligned to WTDB mission elements described in the solicitation (equity, coordination, accountability, duplication avoidance, transparency, continuous improvement).
• Project schedule covering an estimated 12-month term (verify milestones/due dates in attachments).
• Staffing plan and roles (prime and any subs), with relevant experience tied to committee assessment/continuous improvement.
• Budget/pricing narrative consistent with the stated estimated cost and the constraint that travel is not allowable.
• Any required certifications, forms, or representations (verify in attachments).
• Compliance with submission timing: closing date 03/19/2026 at 3:00 PM Pacific Time.

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

The solicitation states an estimated cost of $200,000 and explicitly disallows travel expenses. Use that as your pricing boundary condition and build a cost model that shows you can deliver a complete assessment with remote engagement.

• Anchor your price to a deliverable-based plan: define phases (e.g., discovery, stakeholder engagement, analysis, recommendations, final reporting) and estimate level of effort per phase.
• Stress-test remote engagement: budget time for virtual facilitation, transcription/note-taking, and iterative review cycles typical for public entities.
• Benchmark rates and workload internally: compare to prior assessment/continuous improvement engagements of similar duration and stakeholder breadth.
• Use the “no travel” rule strategically: show cost efficiency and faster scheduling due to virtual sessions—without implying any in-person activities that would create unreimbursable costs.

Subcontracting / teaming ideas (bullets)

• Team a continuous-improvement lead with a workforce-systems analyst to cover both governance/process rigor and workforce ecosystem realities.
• Add a facilitator experienced in public meeting environments to support transparency-aligned engagement (remote facilitation).
• Include equity-focused evaluation support to ensure recommendations reflect WTDB’s emphasis on equitable prosperity (scope and deliverables to be confirmed in attachments).
• If you are a small firm, consider a specialist sub for qualitative research synthesis or survey design—keeping the team lean to stay within the stated estimate.

Risks & watch-outs (bullets)

• Travel is not allowable cost: avoid proposing an approach that depends on in-person sessions or site visits.
• Statewide stakeholder complexity: WTDB’s work spans multiple partner types and regions; plan for coordination load and scheduling friction.
• Public-facing expectations: transparency via public meetings may mean scrutiny of process and findings; ensure your methodology is defensible and clearly documented.
• Scope clarity: this snippet does not list detailed tasks/deliverables—verify specifics in the full RFP attachments before finalizing approach and price.
• Contract amendments: HECC reserves the right to amend for related services and time; propose a clear base scope and define how you’d handle change requests.

Related opportunities

• Workforce Talent and Development Board Continuous Improvement Committee Assessment 2026 (BidPulsar)

How to act on this

1. Pull the full solicitation package from the opportunity page and verify deliverables, evaluation criteria, and required forms in attachments.
2. Draft a remote-first assessment plan that explicitly maps activities to WTDB’s stated mission/enabling functions.
3. Build a deliverable-based budget within the stated estimate and exclude travel costs.
4. Prepare and submit ahead of the 03/19/2026 3:00 PM PT deadline.

If you want help shaping win themes, validating compliance, or building a persuasive assessment methodology, consider support from Federal Bid Partners LLC.