CLEVELAND CITY COUNCIL ISSUES WEBSITE RFP
Council seeks a website developer/designer and/or vendor-authorized consulting partner to refresh, redesign, configure, implement, develop, and train core users of, the Council Website. In addition to providing technical assistance, the selected Consultant must prove their own ability to use and promote use of the web as well as be qualified to consult with the Clerk of Council and her designees on future phases of website evolution in the areas of technology, subject matter and process.
Background:
CLEVELAND CITY COUNCIL (hereinafter referred to as “Council”), through the Clerk of Council (hereinafter referred to as “Clerk”), requests responses from qualified parties to provide professional services necessary to update, customize, maintain and implement the Council Website. The Council is the legislative branch of the municipal government of the City of Cleveland, Ohio. The Office of City Council is comprised of about 60 employees, including 17 Council Members and their Executive Assistants.
The remaining staff is responsible for implementation of the legislative process, policy research, communications, and other administrative and support functions for Council Members. Cleveland City Council Members are each elected from a ward, or district, with about 23,000 residents. Council Members select the President of Council, who is a Council Member who also functions as Council’s CEO; and the Clerk of Council, who functions as the chief operating and administrative officer of the Council. More information about Cleveland City Council can be found at www.clevelandcitycouncil.org.
Scope of Work:
Consultant Requirements and Deliverables
The selected Consultant shall provide planning, program management, and implementation services, including:
• A redesign of the Cleveland City Council’s website to be impressive, modern and efficient and which will demonstrate the professionalism of the Council, as well as fully express the important stories going on in the City’s 17 wards.
• A Content Management System that supports the following items, that makes it easy to update content and images and gives the Council Website Administrator the ability to:
o Add, edit and delete pages
o Edit, modify and delete content and photographs within specific pages
o Utilize the WYSiWYG editing capabilities and/or toggle to HTML editing
o Be notified by email when a new contact request form is submitted
o Store and retrieve contact information saves in the website database
o Export email subscribers
o Manage images throughout the website
o Change key messages, images and other items on the homepage
o Include Google analytics
o Design a calendar system that combines community events and interacts with Council’s current legislative management system (Granicus)
• A responsive website that can be easily viewed on a smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop.
• Additional incorporation of social media, including but not limited to Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
• Updated/revamped Calendar and calendar functions to more easily notify residents of meetings, events, etc. This must integrate with our legislative management system calendar.
• Recommend and provide assistance to the Clerk to ensure maximum security for the City Council Website.
• In consultation with Council Website Administrator and Clerk, import current website data, photographs, etc. to the new system.
o Migrate data from other formats (Word documents, PDFs, etc.)
• Provide training to core users and provide ongoing support, procedures and documentation.
• Submit weekly reports to the Clerk throughout the duration of the project.
• Develop a plan of preventive maintenance and/or a plan of technical assistance to minimize or resolve disruptions to the website, as well as ongoing upgrades to the site.
• Integration into the website of Council’s legislative management system (currently Granicus), The City Record, and American Legal Publishing Corporation (City Charter and Codified Ordinances).
• Disaster recovery plan for website.
• Provide a solution that will allow for the searching of Council’s weekly publication, The City Record, including opening individual PDF documents that are found in a search and searching within the PDF without requiring a second search process
• The website must be designed in keeping with best industry practices and standards.
• Proposals may suggest alternative solutions and optional approaches to designing a website for enhanced engagement and community interaction.
• While not required, the proposal may suggest multiple options/solutions for the hosting of the Cleveland City Council website, as well as The City Record, the content management system, and any databases; and a web migration plan if needed. At least one administrator level account will be needed for Council to have access to hosting.
Due Date:
December 24
Address:
Allan Dreyer, Cleveland City Council, City Hall, Room 220, 601 Lakeside Avenue, East, Cleveland, OH 44114
Relevant agencies to consider include MWWPR and Hunter PR.
