The Tacoma Housing Authority requests proposals from qualified agencies or organizations interested in providing the services described for the subject project. This document outlines the information necessary to understand the contractor selection process and the required documentation for submittal of qualifications and a proposal for this project.
Tacoma Housing Authority is soliciting qualifications from website design firms to develop a new responsive website. Proposals from firms interested in this work must be received by May 20, 2020, at 3 p.m. P.D.T.
CONTRACT TERM
The initial term of the contract will be two (2) years after the effective date of the Contract with the option for three 1-year extensions. Extensions will be exercised at the sole discretion of Tacoma Housing Authority. The total Contract term, including the initial term and all extensions, will not exceed six (6) years unless circumstances require a special extension.
Background:
Established in 1940, Tacoma Housing Authority provides high-quality, stable and sustainable housing and supportive services to people in need. It does this in ways that help them prosper and help our communities develop equitably. THA develops and manages real estate and provides rental housing. In partnership with thousands of private landlords, it helps families pay the rent in the private rental market. It delivers supportive services to help families succeed as “tenants, parents, students, wage earners and builders of assets who can live without assistance.” THA seeks to do its work in ways that help our community be an “attractive place to live, work, attend school, shop and play,” and that help Tacoma be “safe, vibrant, prosperous, attractive and just.” For more information about THA and its work, go to www.tacomahousing.net
In 2018, 54,405 people visited our current website. They spent 2,720 hours on the website viewing its content. Our clients are most likely to only use a cell phone as their means to access the internet. It is the first impression for many of our clients and partners.
Scope of Work:
The scope of work shall be as follows: Develop a responsive website for Tacoma Housing Authority (Tacomahousing.net) along with a Content Management System usable by our staff. Work includes content strategy, graphic design, development, revisions, support and training. Work on the site will begin as soon as possible with a website launch in 2020. Tacoma Housing Authority will create and maintain site content. Specifically Tacoma Housing Authority needs a new website that*:
• Uses a mobile-friendly and responsive platform that is accessible and usable.
o A navigation system that makes sense to visitors
o An action-oriented homepage that helps send visitors to the right place
• Aligns with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0 AA), American Disability Act (ADA), and Rehabilitation Act (Sec. 504) best practices.
• Allows seamless integration with mobile devices, apps, blogs, social media tools and video.
• Uses a Content Management System that features intuitive user access, editing permissions, a review workflow, and expedient launch times.
• Provides a smart search engine that is user-friendly, scalable and functional.
• Provides smooth and dependable interplay with internal and external websites and portals.
• Includes quality translation tools.
• Provides state-of-the-art security and encryption features.
• Provides functionality to allow real-time data dashboards to be displayed on the platform.
• Meets the customer requirements, see Appendix III, Section F: Website Requirements.
*This scope is subject to change. Website scope may be amended during the design and development process.
EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS Below is a high-level description of mandatory vendor experience and qualifications. Vendor must have and exhibit experience, and demonstrate superior knowledge, skills and abilities in the following:
• Compliance with WCAG, ADA, Rehabilitation Act (Sec. 504).
• Innovative enterprise-level website design, development and redevelopment.
• Integration of third-party applications, such as social media, widgets and gateway/portals.
• Mobile platform integration, responsive design.
• Integration with email marketing.
• Visually appealing and search-friendly graphic design.
• Adherence to branding standards.
• Search engine optimization.
• Project management.
• Modern Content Management Systems for end-user accessibility.
PROPOSAL PACKAGES
Proposals must be organized in sections as shown below. (See Section 3 for subheadings and explanations for each section:
1. Letter of Submittal
2. Project Management
3. Technical Proposal
4. Functional and Quality Assurance Testing 5. Website Maintenance 6. Itemized Vendor Proposed Pricing
Proposals will be prepared as instructed and delivered in the order given above. Proposers will title and number each item in the same way it appears in each subsection of Section 3 of this RFP. One (1) original and six (6) additional copies of your response must arrive no later than May 20th, 2020 at 3:00 pm PST. All documents and any attachments should be 8 1/2 x 11. No emailed or faxed proposals will be accepted.
Due Date:
May 27
Address:
Tacoma Housing Authority 902 South L Street Tacoma, WA 98405
Brandon Wirth, Manager of Communications and Marketing bwirth@tacomahousing.org Tacoma Housing Authority 902 South L Street Tacoma, WA 98405
Relevant agencies include Ruder Finn and Finn Partners.