REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS: CITY-WIDE EFFICIENCY STUDY

General Information Introduction: The City of Fernley (City) is soliciting proposals from qualified consultants to conduct an efficiency study of the City. This study would evaluate each department (with the exception of the City Attorney’s office and the Municipal Court) for items such as, but not limited to, operational efficiency, fiscal responsibility, service delivery transparency and accountability, and long-term sustainability.Background: The City is currently experiencing significant growth, which has stretched City staff and resources. Established in 2001, the City is relatively young but growing fast. From 2001 to 2026, the City has more than tripled in population and it is anticipated that the City will double its current population within the next 10-15 years. The City’s overall mission is “to facilitate the responsible and orderly growth of the community and to see that quality municipal services are provided in the most professional, efficient, and cost-effective manner.” To ensure that the City is maintaining efficient and sustainable service to the residents of the City, an efficiency study has been requested by the City Council. The City consists of 18 part-time and 92 full-time employees spread across ten departments. The eight departments included in this study include: Building DepartmentCity Clerk's OfficeCity Manager's OfficeEngineering DepartmentFinance DepartmentPlanning DepartmentPublic Works DepartmentUtilities Department The City of Fernley has an adopted Strategic Plan outlining many items already identified as priorities and milestones for the City to follow. This plan is evaluated and updated on a yearly basis to ensure that goals are being met. A copy of this plan will be provided to improve on or add too as the Efficiency Study gets underway.Anticipated Selection Schedule: The City anticipates the following general timeline for its selection process. The City reserves the right to change this schedule. RFP Advertised The week of March 2, 2026Submittal Due Date March 27, 2026 4:00 pm (local time)Interviews (if needed) The Week of April 6, 2026Selection Evaluation The Week of April 13, 2026Contract Negotiation Through May 1, 2026Contract Approved at City Council May 20, 2026Project Kick-Off June 1, 2026Scope of Work: Although City staff will finalize the scope of work with the selected party, the following is considered a minimum scope of work for the project. The City is open to suggested items, other than those items listed below, if accompanied by a clear and compelling explanation for the additions. Operational Efficiency – Evaluate current processes, staffing levels, and departmental structures to identify opportunities for improved workflows, reduced redundancy, and streamlined decision making.Expenditures – Identify areas of waste, duplication, or non-essential spending. Recommend cost-saving strategies that do not compromise the delivery of core city services.Service Delivery – Assess whether the city is meeting service benchmarks in areas such as public safety and infrastructure. Evaluate permitting and community programs to compare performance against peer municipalities of similar size and growth.Gaps – Identify gaps in municipal services, staffing levels, organizational structure, and operational systems that limit the City’s ability to effectively serve a community of Fernley’s size, growth rate, and service demands.Benchmarks – Create measurable benchmarks so the community can track the process and hold leadership accountable.Sustainability – Provide recommendations to position Fernley for future growth leveraging technology, partnerships, and best practices.Submittal InstructionsSubmittal and Due Date: Respondents shall provide one (1) electronic version (PDF format) of their proposal via flash drive or email titled: “City of Fernley 2026 Efficiency Study Proposal.” Submittals must be received by 4:00 p.m. (Local Time) on March 27, 2026. Submittals shall be organized as specified in Article II.D, Submittal Contents. The City of Fernley assumes no responsibility for delayed or undelivered proposals. Submittals which do not arrive by the above specified time and date will not be considered.Inquiries/Solicitation Changes or Protests: A respondent may protest any aspect of this RFP and may request a change to any provision, specification or term of this RFP no later than seven (7) days prior to the date submittals are due. Any protest or request for change must be made in writing and addressed to the individual identified in this section. The City will not consider any solicitation protest or request for change that is submitted after this deadline.Reservation of Rights: The City reserves the right to: 1) seek clarifications for each submittal; 2) negotiate a final contract that is in the best interest of the City and the public; 3) reject any or all submittals; 4) cancel this RFP at any time if doing so would be in the public interest, as determined by City in its sole discretion; 5) award the contract to any respondent based on the evaluation criteria set forth in this RFP; 6) waive minor informalities contained in any submittal, when, in the City’s sole judgement, it is in the City’s best interest to do so; and 7) request any additional information the City deems reasonably necessary to allow City to evaluate, rank and select the most qualified respondent to perform the services described in this RFP.Submittal Contents: Submittals shall be limited to no more than 30 pages, not including covers, divider pages, or resumes. Submittals should generally follow the format included herein and shall include, at a minimum, the items listed below. Incomplete proposals may be automatically rejected. Cover Letter Summarize the firm’s understanding of the Scope of WorkName all persons authorized to represent the firm/team (including titles, addresses, telephone numbers, and email addresses)Technical Experience Detail no fewer than three (3) example projects that best illustrate the firm’s/team’s ability to provide the requested services.Explain how these assignments are similar to this request.Provide client reference names, telephone numbers, and email addresses.If deliverables are available online to view, include the URLs.Scope of Services Statement of UnderstandingStatement(s) of Approach and Methodology (How the Scope of Work will be accomplished)Work Schedule and/or Proposed TimelineOrganizational/Team Profile and QualificationsQualifications of Key PersonnelStatement of familiarity with government agencies and organizational StructureCost Proposal A schedule of fees broken down by work taskTotal estimated cost for work described in the RFP (not-to-exceed lump sum)Deliverables List of anticipated deliverables including type (hard copy, digital, data, shapefiles, etc.)Public Record: All submittals submitted are the property of the City of Fernley, thus subject to disclosure pursuant to the public records law, as qualified by NRS 625. Accordingly, submittals received and opened shall not be available for public inspection until after City has awarded and executed a Contract. Thereafter, except for information marked “Proprietary”, all documents received by City shall be available for public disclosure. The City will attempt to maintain the confidentiality of materials marked “Proprietary” to the extent permitted under the Nevada Public Records Law.Costs: Respondents responding to this RFP do so at their own expense.Proposal EvaluationMinimum Qualifications: The City will review submittals received to determine whether each respondent meets the following minimum qualifications: Extensive experience in the evaluation of governmental efficiency and/or organizational structure.Proven track record of meaningful institutional change.Understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities facing the City of Fernley.Ability to complete the project within the agreed-upon timeframe.Demonstrated capacity to work effectively with diverse stakeholders.Knowledge of all relevant law and regulations.Evaluation Criteria: Submittals meeting the above minimum qualifications will be evaluated by the City using the following criteria: (Maximum Total Points = 100)Experience in the type of work to be performed, including work in a City of similar size. (25)Qualifications and experience of the staff assigned by respondent to perform these services. (20)Quality of submittal, including the proposed techniques and practices to provide the service needs. (10) Familiarity with relevant City of Fernley and State of Nevada regulations. (10)Availability and capability to perform the services described in the RFP in a timely manner. (15)References (10)Interview (10)Selection: Upon review of the responses to this RFP, City staff will evaluate and prepare a short list of consultants to be interviewed. Following the interviews, a firm will be selected to enter into contract negotiations. If the City and the selected candidate are unable for any reason to negotiate a contract the City shall, in writing, formally terminate negotiations with the selected candidate. The City may then negotiate with the next most qualified candidate, may terminate the process, or may start over with the RFP process. It is the desire of the City to have the 2026 Efficiency Study completed no later than December 31, 2026.Contract: The successful applicant shall be prepared to execute a contract with the City of Fernley. The City’s standard contract has been included at the end of this RFP for review.Any contract requires that awardee will comply with all applicable federal and state laws, rules and regulations. This solicitation is not an implied contract and may be modified or revoked without notice. The City of Fernley is and Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer Women, Minorites, and Disabled Persons are encouraged to apply.CONTRACTCity of Fernley Standard Contract:A Contract BetweenCity of Fernley595 Silver Lace BlvdFernley NV 89408andABC Consulting123 Main StreetAnywhere, NV 88888WHEREAS, Nevada Revised Statutes (“NRS”) chapter 266 authorizes the City of Fernley, Nevada (the “City”) to engage services of persons as independent contractors; andWHEREAS, it is deemed that the services of ABC Consulting, (the “Contractor”) are both necessary and in the best interests of the City; andNOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the aforesaid premises, the parties mutually agree as follows:1. REQUIRED APPROVAL. This Contract for Services of Independent Contractor (this “Contract”) is contingent upon Fernley City Council approval.2. DEFINITIONS.“City” means City of Fernley, County of Lyon, State of Nevada.“Independent Contractor” means a person or entity that performs services and/or provides goods for the City under the terms and conditions set forth in this Contract.“Fiscal Year” is defined as the period beginning July 1 and ending June 30 of the following year.3. CONTRACT TERM. This Contract shall be effective from the ___ day of ___________, 20__, to the ____ day of _______________, 20__, subject to appropriation.4. NOTICE. All notices or other communications required or permitted to be given under this Contract shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if delivered personally in hand, or by telephonic facsimile with simultaneous regular mail, or mailed certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid on the date posted, and addressed to the other party at the address specified above.Notice for the City shall be sent to:Deputy City ManagerCity of Fernley595 Silverlace Blvd.Fernley, NV 89408Notice for the Contractor shall be sent to:Rich DesigngoodABC Consulting123 Main StreetAnywhere, NV 888885. SCOPE OF WORK: Scope of Work shall be set forth in Attachment A.6. CONSIDERATION. The parties agree that Contractor will provide the services specified in paragraph (5) at a Fee Schedule outlined in Attachment B.7. ATTACHMENTS: This Contract also incorporates the followi