Awarded vendors
- Consensus Building Institute
Description
The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) issued a three‑year, $‑not‑disclosed contract (RFP II # 10214450) for outreach and engagement services to support the California Water Commission. The work includes developing a multi‑year outreach & engagement plan, creating short‑term communication plans for multiple commission work streams, coordinating stakeholder interactions, producing communications deliverables, and facilitating up to eight public workshops or meetings per year (both virtual and hybrid). The award was made to the Consensus Building Institute, with the contract expected to commence in April 2026 and run through April 2029. Key requirements include prior experience with California water‑sector agencies, a minimum of five years’ facilitation experience, and a 3 % DVBE participation commitment. The solicitation used a “lowest‑responsive‑cost” scoring model (30 % cost, 30 % experience, 15 % work‑plan, etc.) and provided a small‑business preference but did not set a formal set‑aside. Payments are monthly, in arrears, with invoices payable within 45 days.
• Scope: outreach planning, stakeholder coordination, communications support, facilitation of workshops/meetings, and ongoing reporting.
• Deliverables: draft outreach plan (Oct 1 2026), final plan (Dec 1 2026), ~12 communication pieces per year, facilitation reports, meeting minutes, and monthly invoicing.
• Evaluation: minimum qualifications (DVBE, water‑sector experience, facilitation experience) plus technical, cost, and preference scoring.