COUNTY OF MAUI ISSUES COMMUNICATIONS RFP
The County of Maui Charter Commission (“COM”) is seeking proposals from qualified and experienced vendors (“OFFEROR”), to provide a community engagement and communications professional or firm to meaningfully involve Maui County’s diverse communities in a once-in-a-decade opportunity to shape the future of local government through the review of changes to the County’s Charter, its founding document. The voters in the 2022 General Election will vote on the proposed amendments.
The Maui County Charter Commission is seeking a community engagement and communications professional or business to meaningfully involve Maui County’s diverse communities in a once-in-a-decade opportunity to shape the future of local government. The independent Charter Commission is authorized to review and recommend changes to the Charter – Maui County’s founding document. The 2021 Charter and other background materials related to the work and duties of the Charter Commission may be found at: https://www.mauicounty.gov/1791/Charter-Commission. The OFFEROR will work closely with the 11 volunteer members of the Charter Commission and will directly report to the Charter Commission. In addition, this position will collaborate with community-based organizations and leaders to support public education and engagement in the Charter review process. The Coordinator will be playing a role that requires judgement, creativity, and independent decisionmaking. The mission of the Charter Commission is to support efficient and effective county government that is responsive to the needs of all its citizens. The Charter Commission works toward this mission through both its work processes and work products, and within the processes of community engagement, this mission is encompassed by three objectives:
A. Maximize citizen input and impact in identifying issues, potential solutions, and priorities in the Commission’s development of charter amendments.
B. Maximize citizen feedback regarding proposed charter amendments.
C. Maximize citizen engagement throughout the Commission’s duration and through amendment ratification on the November 2022 ballot.
The deadline for the Charter Commission to submit its final report to the County Clerk of all proposed amendments to the Charter is June 20, 2022. The general election in which the citizens of Maui County will vote on the Charter amendments is November 8, 2022. Services are extremely time sensitive, and the submission of a bid shall be accepted as certification that the OFFEROR is able to provide the contracted services on a timely basis.
Scope of Work:
The OFFEROR understands that all costs of providing the services, including but not limited to hosting and marketing, shall be borne by the OFFEROR. The OFFEROR is encouraged to describe and highlight any benefits and features of its proposed services that would differentiate it from others. The OFFERORS services and proposal shall include:
1. The Community Engagement and Communications Coordinator (Coordinator) promotes transparency and public trust in the Charter review process by supporting pathways to hear from communities about how they want to engage, how they interact with the County, what is working, what is not working, and their vision for a County that works for them and prioritizes their interests.
The OFFEROR should describe a proposed public engagement campaign and scope, with recommended mandatory and optional components, keeping in mind the deadlines of the Charter Commission’s work. Potential types of public engagement may include, but are not limited to:
A. Social media presence and posts
B. Traditional news media
C. Anonymous digital surveys and other survey techniques
D. Other engagement activities and platforms
2. The Coordinator will be responsible for crafting Charter Commission communications. In this role, the Coordinator would serve as a storyteller, which may involve, but is not limited to:
A. Creating messaging
B. Managing social media
C. Updating the Charter Commission website
D. Writing news stories
E. Handling media relationships
3. The Coordinator will be responsible for gathering and synthesizing community input to ensure it is considered by decision-makers. In this role, the Coordinator would also serve as a social scientist, which may involve, but is not limited to:
A. Identifying inquiry opportunities
B. Developing instruments for inquiry, such as surveys
C. Analyzing data gathered
D. Creating reports
4. The Coordinator will be responsible for producing a final report that encapsulates the work done by the Coordinator and relevant data that show the reach and/or impact of community engagement. The purpose of the final report is to provide more detailed description of the work of the Charter Commission and to inform the work of future Charter Commissions. The final report may be included as an addendum to the Charter Commission’s Final Report to the County Clerk.
5. To excel in this position, the Coordinator should have experience developing complex engagement strategies and delivering a wide range of communications products, with a focus on community. We are looking for somebody with a track record of building relationships and tailoring engagement for specific communities. We value community leadership and live, as well as professional, experience. The Coordinator should also be a talented writer, editor, researcher, and project manager who can juggle a lot of moving pieces. It will be important to exercise judgment in making day-today decisions on your own, while elevating sensitive or high-stakes decisions for guidance from the Charter Commission.
6. COM reserves the right to secure the same or similar services from other sources, with or without terminating the contract with OFFEROR.
Due Date:
4:30 p.m. on June 7
Address:
Agencies to consider include Finn Partners and Lippert Heilshorn.
