Subject: GLS RESEARCH CONTRACT AMENDMENT
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council approve the first amendment to the consultant agreement with GLS Research to expand the scope of services to include conducting two focus groups and increase the compensation by $12,000, from $91,825 to $103,825.
The Marketing and Communications Unit of ESD is responsible for implementing public outreach campaigns that promote recycling and waste reduction, watershed protection, water recycling, and wastewater flow reduction. Market research services are used to evaluate outreach effectiveness and customer satisfaction, or to provide data as the basis for making program service improvements. This contract amendment with GLS Research will enable the Unit to obtain market research consulting services to conduct two focus group sessions for the San Jose Composts program.
This contract amendment with GLS Research will enable ESD to conduct two focus groups with San Jose residents for the San Jose Composts program. The resulting data will contribute to ESD’s ongoing environmental outreach efforts, refine activities that support the marketing of the City’s composting programs, and contribute to cooperative outreach efforts with ESD’s partners within the County of Santa Clara.
ESD’s composting goals include educating its residents about the benefits of composting; encouraging them to use or make compost; and increasing participation in composting programs. The primary purpose of the focus groups is to explore the types of marketing messages that would create an appeal for people about composting and evoke a positive response from them. Ultimately, the data gathered will be used to develop appropriate messages for marketing campaigns designed to achieve the City’s composting goals.
Prior to entering into this agreement, ESD mailed a Request for Proposals (RFP) to 172 market research firms in California and posted the RFP announcement on the Internet. The RFP list was compiled from local telephone directories, collegial recommendations, and an Internet search. The RFP described the specific tasks for which support was needed and related that the evaluation process would determine whether the tasks in the scope of services would be included in one or more consultant agreements.
Nine firms submitted responses to the RFP. Eight reviewers, including six ESD staff members and two outside reviewers (one from the City Manager’s Office, the other from the Santa Clara Valley Water District), independently rated each proposal with regard to twenty-two different criteria. These criteria assessed the firm’s market research capabilities, proposed methodology, tactics for ensuring adequate minority representation in survey samples, project budget, and staffing strengths.
To serve ESD market research needs in the most expedient way, staff divided the ten RFP tasks for conducting surveys and focus groups among the three highest ranking proposers: Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin & Associates; GLS Research; and Evens/McDonough Company, Inc. All three firms have the experience and expertise to carry out the tasks outlined in their respective scopes of service. By hiring three different consultants, ESD will be able to accomplish all of the ten tasks listed in the RFP before June 30, 2002.
COORDINATION
This agreement has been coordinated with the City Attorney’s Office and Risk Management.
COST IMPLICATIONS
The cost of this amendment will increase the compensation by $12,000, from $91,825 to $103,825.
BUDGET REFERENCE
CARL W. MOSHER
Director, Environmental Services Department