REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. Lobbying Services. Release Date: March 2, 2016 RFP Response Deadline: March 14, 2016

Transcription

1 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL Lobbying Services Release Date: March 2, 2016 RFP Response Deadline: March 14, 2016 Submit to: Ohio State Association of Nurse Anesthetists Peggy Blankenship, CAE Executive Director 17 South High Street, Suite 200 Columbus, OH

2 I. OVERVIEW AND HISTORY OF THE OHIO STATE ASSOCIATION OF NURSE ANESTHETISTS The Ohio State Association of Nurse Anesthetists (hereinafter OSANA) is a 501(c)6 nonprofit organization which represents 2,290 Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) and Student Registered Nurse Anesthetists (SRNAs). OSANA was incorporated as an association in 1935 and is a state affiliate of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists. OSANA is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of a President, President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer, six Officers, a Student Representative and an Immediate Past President. Much of the work of the association is done by a variety of committee members, all of which volunteer their time for the organization. For more information, go to and A CRNA is an advanced practice registered nurse who administers anesthesia in a variety of settings, including hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers or a doctor s office. A CRNA has to obtain a bachelor s degree, graduate with a master s degree from a nurse anesthesia accredited program, completed additional hours of clinical work, and pass a national exam, in order to be able to practice. For more information about CRNAs, go to II. SCOPE OF WORK AND EXPECTED OUTCOMES A. SERVICE AREA SPECIFICATIONS The lobbying group ( lobbyist ) selected must be able to provide services and meet requirements including, but not limited to the following: Detect introduction of legislation that may affect nurse anesthetists (hereafter, "pertinent legislation"). Track progress of pertinent legislation that has been introduced. Lobby legislators, staff and executive branch concerning pertinent legislation. Communicate on a regular basis with the OSANA board of directors using a method determined by the board of directors, concerning the status, prospects, movement, opposition, support, etc., of pertinent legislation. Regularly communicate with key legislative committee chairs, members and staff to inform them of CRNA interests and learn about potential legislative developments before they occur. Review each issue of the state administrative register and identify any proposed regulations that may affect nurse anesthetists (hereinafter, "pertinent regulations"). Subscribe to mailing lists, when available, for key regulatory boards and departments, including the boards of nursing, medicine, dentistry, and podiatry (when applicable) and the department of health. Monitor the status, opposition/support and prospects of pertinent proposed regulations. Maintain a thorough understanding of the administrative rulemaking process in the state, including both the stages required under state law, and those at the discretion of the agencies. Schedule and represent the state association in scheduling meetings with legislators. 2

3 Attend state association board and all-member meetings as requested to do so by the state association. Has a basis for his/her fees/charges and has communicated and/or agreed to those with the state association. (E.g., retainer; retainer plus hourly; hourly; annual flat fee; base charges; expenses; per item charges for additional requested services.) Has a written contract with the state association. Provides regular bills detailing the nature of the services rendered. Provides updated lists of legislators, with their committee assignments, to the state association as requested. Assist the PAC chair in development of a strategy for raising and spending PAC funds. Recommends development of appropriate coalitions. Works for the state association all year. B. SPECIAL EXPERTISE Lobbyists are encouraged to include any specific levels of expertise in the submitted proposal. III. INSTRUCTIONS TO PROSPECTIVE CANDIDATES A. ENTITIES COVERED BY THIS RFP The selection of a lobbyist will be made by the OSANA Board of Directors, and the subsequent working relationship will be with the OSANA Board. B. QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS RFP Questions regarding this RFP or the OSANA organization can be directed to the OSANA Executive Director, Peggy Blankenship at Peggy@assnoffices.com or C. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION AND DEADLINE Please submit an electronic copy of your proposal to Peggy Blankenship (Peggy@Assnoffices.com) no later than 5 p.m. on March 14, The official copy must contain the complete proposal and related materials. D. PROPOSALS MUST BE SUBMITTED TO: Peggy Blankenship, CAE 17 South High Street, Suite 200 Columbus, OH Peggy@assnoffices.com D. PROPOSAL PREPARATION COSTS OSANA is not liable for any costs incurred by lobbyists in preparing or submitting proposals or in satisfying any demonstration requirements of this document. E. ADDENDUM TO THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL In the event it becomes necessary to revise any part of this document, an addendum will be provided to all lobbyists who have indicated an intention to respond. 3

4 F. TERM OF AGREEMENT The Agreement will run for a period of one year beginning April 1 st and may be renewed on an annual basis going forward. G. REPORTING RELATIONSHIP The selected lobbyist will be contracted by and report to the OSANA s Board of Directors. H. EXCEPTION TO TERMS AND CONDITIONS If it is not possible to meet one or more of the terms or conditions in this document, you must indicate this in writing for each of the specifications you are not able to meet. Each exception must indicate the reason why the specific terms or conditions cannot be met. The OSANA, in its own interest, reserves the right to waive or decline to waive any term or condition articulated in this document. I. PROPOSAL RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS AND FORMAT All lobbyists must respond with a proposal describing the scope of services, clearly identifying the information requested in this document. Lobbyists must provide a detailed written response addressing each item in this document in the order in which it appears. Where asked to supply information, if at all possible, include that information in the body of your response. If referencing attached documents, such documents must be clearly identified by title and page number in the text of the response. Each attached document must be labeled with the document section number and the heading that refers to the document. J. REQUIRED INFORMATION FROM SUBMITTING LOBBYIST 1. STAFF AND EXPERTISE Each respondent needs to clearly identify the professional staff who would be assigned to address OSANA s lobbying needs. Please indicate: a. Lead lobbyist: Name, educational background, and relevant experience with specific emphasis on providing services similar in scope and size to those outlined in this document. b. All other professionals assigned to OSANA: Name, educational background, and relevant experience with specific emphasis on providing services similar in scope and size to those outlined in this document. 2. PROFESSIONAL PRICE ARRANGEMENTS Each respondent is requested to provide (1) an explanation of the billing process, and (2) estimate of what monthly lobbying services would cost, including any travel or out of pocket expenses. 3. CONFLICT OF INTEREST 4

5 Identify the nature of any potential conflict of interest your lobbyist might have in providing lobbying services to OSANA. 4. LOBBYIST AVAILABILITY AND ACCESS Explain the lead lobbyist availability and access to the OSANA Board and staff. The selected lobbyist must provide advance notification to the President and Executive Director of times when the lead lobbyist will be unavailable and the names of lobbyists who will handle OSANA matters in his or her absence. Please note that OSANA issues often require prompt attention and demand quick response via telephone or . It is our expectation that your response time to phone calls and s is minimal. K. CONFIDENTIALITY This document contains proprietary and confidential information of the OSANA. Each recipient of this document is expected to use the information furnished herein solely for the purpose of submitting a proposal, and shall not distribute this document or disclose the information contained herein to third parties. Likewise, the OSANA will consider any proposal submitted to be confidential and not to be disclosed outside the organization. L. EVALUATION AND SELECTION Evaluation of each proposal will be based on OSANA s assessment of the respondent s ability to provide the lobbying services as specified in this document. 1. A final selection will be made by the Board no later than March, 25, 2016, with the selected respondent commencing service delivery no later than April 1, The OSANA reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, wholly or in part, waive any irregularities in the proposal process, and make selections which, in the opinion of OSANA, are in its best interest. Also, the OSANA does not herein limit the methods or factors to be used for evaluation. 3. All proposals must be valid for at least 4 months after the proposal due date. The selected vendor s proposal may become part of the final agreement. 4. The OSANA reserves the right to enter into private negotiations with the selected respondent even if those negotiations may result in changes to the lobbyist s proposal. M. SUBMISSION DEADLINE We look forward to your submitted proposal no later than 5 p.m. on March 14,