Request for Proposal
Project Director for the revision of the Standards and Guidelines of Service for the Library of Congress Network of Libraries for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
American Library Association
Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies
I. Introduction
A. Purpose
The American Library Association is seeking an individual to serve as Project Director to oversee revision of the 2005 Revised Standards and Guidelines of Service for the Library of Congress Network of Libraries for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. The Project Director will facilitate and coordinate all phases of the standards development process including managing a working team and project advisory committee of consumers and librarians. Additional responsibilities include arranging meetings for the working team and advisory committee, scheduling public hearings and presentations before interested groups, conducting research, preparing drafts and the final copy of the standards document and handling distribution, and planning project expenditures and managing budgeted funds.
B. Summary of Project
This is a project to oversee revision of the 2005 Revised Standards and Guidelines of Service for the Library of Congress Network of Libraries for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. Since the last standards were developed, there have been a number of significant changes in the operation of Network libraries and in the development and use of new technologies.
The revision process will be funded by a grant from the Library of Congress/National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (LC/NLS) to the American Library Association. The Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA), a division of the ALA, will administer the project.
The project will be carried out under the leadership of a Project Director who will be hired by ASCLA. Two additional persons will work with the Project Director to form a “Working Team.” The Working Team will meet regularly throughout the project to carry out most of the work. A Project Advisory Committee will also be appointed to advise the Working Team, review draft products, and represent the views and concerns of both consumers and librarians. The Executive Director of ASCLA will administer the project for ALA.
The project is expected to be completed by October 2011. A schedule for the project is included in point VII.
The project budget includes funds for the travel expenses of the Project Director, Working Team and Advisory Committee. It also provides a fee for the Project Director.
II. Submission of Response
Applicants must submit one print copy and one copy on a CD of the proposal by 4:30pm CT on February 19, 2010 to:
American Library Association
Attention: Susan Hornung
50 East Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611-2795
Proposals not received by the date and time specified may not be considered and will be returned to the sender marked “LATE RESPONSE.” Telefacsimile or e-mail submissions will not be accepted.
Questions about the Request for Proposal or requests for further information should be addressed to:
Susan Hornung
Executive Director, ASCLA
American Library Association
50 East Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60511
800-545-2433 x4395
312-944-8085 (fax)
shornung@ala.org
III. Role of Project Director
The Project Director will facilitate and coordinate all phases of the standards development process, with the assistance of the Working Team and Advisory Committee. This person facilitates the group process of developing the standards.
This will involve the following responsibilities:
• Arranging meetings for the Working Team and Advisory Group
• Arranging for public hearings and presentations before interested groups
• Conducting necessary research
• Hiring and paying for services of any project support staff
• Preparing all drafts and final copies of standards and handling their distribution
• Communicating with the Working Team and Advisory Committee and handle inquiries from the field
• Providing progress reports for the ASCLA Standards Review Committee and for the ALA Standards Committee
• Working with the Manager of Web Services and the ASCLA Executive Director regarding the specifics of the contract and expenditures
IV. Factors for Selecting Project Director
The following factors will be examined to determine the successful proposal.
A. Background and Experience
The successful candidate will demonstrate:
1. background and experience with the network of libraries for the blind and physically handicapped
2. background and experience with library and other services for persons with disabilities
3. background and experience with the development and use of library standards and guidelines
4. background and experience with similar projects and responsibilities
5. background and experience working with laws covering services for persons with disabilities
B. Timetable for Carrying Out the Project
The successful candidate will be able to meet the deadlines listed in the schedule. (See VII)
V. Proposal Specifications
A. General Instructions
The proposal must comply with the content requirements detailed in this section. The applicant must submit a complete proposal that provides proof of experience and qualifications to complete the required activities and the estimated costs to do so. If the applicant is a doctoral student, he/she should send a letter of recommendation from a faculty member who agrees to supervise work on this project.
A complete proposal includes:
1. Letter of application
2. Formal proposal (including budget)
3. Attachments as appropriate (resume, etc.)
4. Five (5) copies of the proposal are due by 4:30 on Monday, February 19, 2010
Send to:
American Library Association
Attention: Susan Hornung
50 East Huron Street
Chicago, IL 60611-2795
All costs for the applicant’s proposal preparation are the responsibility of the applicant and may not be charged to the budget for the study.
B. Letter of Application
The letter of application must be signed by one or more individuals qualified to perform the work described. Individuals signing the letter must indicate position title. A contact person for further information must be identified.
C. Formal Proposal
The formal proposal must detail methodology, scope of work, implementation steps and adherence to the schedule. The proposal must provide an overview of the approach to be taken in completing the tasks required and outline specific activities to be undertaken in order to produce the required final product.
Any anticipated theoretical or practical problems associated with the completion of each task must be discussed in the proposal, and solutions, alternatives or contingency plans related to these problems must be proposed as appropriate.
1. Staffing Section
The staffing section must present a plan for the work that will ensure accomplishment of all needed tasks. Staff assigned to the project must be identified by name, title, and the amount of time devoted to each project task.
2. Budget
The budget proposal must contain, at a minimum, the following information (in sufficient detail to show how cost is determined):
• Compensation, at a per day or other unit rate for personnel, and the number of hours projected for each individual to complete each task within the scheduled timeline.
• Computing/data tabulation/data gathering costs
• Contracted services
• Miscellaneous costs
• Total cost for project
NOTE: Institutional overhead is not an acceptable cost. No more than $20,000 will be spent on the fee for the Project Director. The cost of travel for the Project Director is provided by the grant and does not need to be included in the budget. Expenses for telephone, fax, postage and duplicating are also covered by the grant and are not charged against the Project Director’s fee.
3. Attachments
• The proposal must include resumes of all project staff.
• Submit the names of three references that are familiar with your qualifications and experiences.
VI. Other Considerations
A. Compensation
No more than $20,000 will be provided for the Project Director’s fee.
B. Selection Process
The Project Director will be selected from those proposals submitted in response to this RFP. The proposals will be reviewed by an Ad Hoc Selection Committee, comprised of a past ASCLA President, the ASCLA Standards Review Committee Chair, and a Network Librarian. This Committee will make a recommendation to the ASCLA Board of Directors for their approval. The Project Director will be hired by ASCLA.
C. Contract for Services and Payment Schedule
ASCLA will prepare a contract with the Project Director that includes the specific responsibilities and timetable for the project. (The final timetable may vary from the one included in the RFP.) It will also clarify a schedule for payment that will be negotiated between the Project Director and the ASCLA Executive Director.
D. Financial Reports
The Project Director will submit financial reports that show, for each expenditure category in the proposal, what was budgeted and was actually spent.
E. Products
The results of this project will be a revised version of the 2005 Revised Standards and Guidelines of Service for the Library of Congress Network of Libraries for the Blind and Physically Handicapped. The final version and all drafts will be submitted to the ASCLA Executive Director in both a printed and electronic (Microsoft Word) format.
F. Ownership of Materials
All materials developed, data collected, or reports prepared under the terms of this project agreement become the property of the ALA. ALA reserves the non-exclusive rights to copy such material and to publish, disseminate, and otherwise use the materials developed under the terms of this agreement in print or electronically.
VII. Deliverables and Meeting Schedule BOLD- designates deliverables
| ACTIVITY | DATE |
| Schedule of outline established | December 17, 2009 |
| The RFP for the Project Director is announced through the LC/NLS network, ALA press release, and notices sent to interested individuals | January 31, 2010 |
| Respondents submit their proposals to ASCLA Executive Director | Feb 19, 2010 |
| Ad Hoc Selection Committee reviews proposals and makes a recommendation to the ASCLA Board and LC/NLS liaison | March 2, 2010 |
| ASCLA Board selects Project Director | March 6, 2010 |
| ASCLA hires Project Director and draws up contract for services | March 20, 2010 |
| ASCLA President, with LC/NLS input, appoints Working Team and Advisory Committee members | March 20, 2010 |
| Working team meeting, (3 days) Advisory committee meeting, (1 day) | April 2010 |
| Distribution of working paper | May 2010 |
| Working team meeting; Project Director at National Conference of Librarians Serving Blind and Physically Handicapped Individuals | May 20, 2010,Des Moines |
| Working team meeting – ELECTRONIC | June 2010 |
| Working team meeting | Annual –DCJune 24-30, 2010 |
| Project Director Reports to ASCLA Board | Annual – DCJune 24-30, 2010 |
| Project Director holds public hearings at ALA Annual 2010 | Annual 2010June 24-30, 2010 |
| Distribution of first draft | August 2010 |
| Working team meeting | October 2010 |
| Working team meeting | Midwinter 2011San Diego |
| Project Director reports to ASCLA Board | Midwinter 2011San Diego |
| Project Director holds public hearings | Midwinter 2011San Diego |
| Distribution of second draft | March 2011 |
| Working team meeting-ELECTRONICAdvisory committee meeting – ELECTRONIC | March 2011 |
| Working team meetingAdvisory committee meeting | May 2011 (before distribution of proposed standards) |
| Distribution of proposed standards | May 2011 |
| Project Director meets with ALA/ASCLA BoardWorking Team or Advisory Meetings as needed at ALA Annual 2011 | Annual 2011 (late June) New Orleans |
| ASCLA Board approval of standards (or done electronically by August 2011)
|
Annual 2011 (late June) New Orleans |
| Delivery of 25 copies of published product to NLS and an electronic copy to be mounted on NLS’s Network Library Services (non public) web site. | October 2011 |
Final 11-30-09 CAD
Rev. Final 12-29-09 SH
Rev. timeline 1-26-10 SH