RFP
Pulse Check Equity Audit Consultant
The San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) seeks a consultant who will work under the supervision of the Public Art Program Director and guided by the Senior Registrar of the Civic Art Collection to create and implement the Equity Audit of monuments and memorials and additional publicly sited artwork in the San Francisco Civic Art Collection. SFAC has identified about 100 pieces of artwork that are considered monuments and memorials. There are also more recent public art projects that commemorate community stories and individuals that will be included in the audit.
The consultant will conduct a comprehensive assessment of the identified objects that will include research, community engagement and other relevant interviews with stakeholders. The audit will provide a basis to determine (1) if any of the monuments and memorials should be considered for removal, relocation, or contextualization and (2) based on the current collection of monuments and memorials, whose stories are missing.
Project Overview
Organizational Overview
The San Francisco Arts Commission (SFAC) is a local government agency that champions the arts as essential to daily life by investing in a vibrant arts community, enlivening the urban environment and shaping innovative cultural policy. SFAC commits to addressing the systemic inequities within our agency, the City and County of San Francisco and the broader arts and culture sector. Since the toppling and removal of public statues in 2020 in relation to their racist and colonial histories, SFAC began an intentional assessment of commemorative works in our Civic Art Collection through the Monuments and Memorials Advisory Committee (MMAC). The formation of the MMAC was a critical intervention in how we needed to re-imagine the monuments and memorials in the Civic Art Collection. The MMAC process recommends that the City implement an equity audit of monuments and memorials in the Civic Art Collection. SFAC is seeking a consultant group to implement this recommendation to conduct a comprehensive equity audit of monuments and memorials in the San Francisco Civic Art Collection and other publicly sited artwork.
Please note, San Francisco Administrative Code 14B Local Business Enterprise Utilization and Non-Discrimination in Contracting Ordinance applies to this solicitation and to the resulting contract in three ways. CMD certified Local Business Enterprise (“LBE”) prime proposers are eligible for a rating bonus at each stage of the selection process. The established LBE Subcontracting Participation Requirement for this project is 5%. This requirement can only be met with CMD certified LBE-Small or Micro firms. All Proposers are required to list LBE firm(s) for LBE subcontracting participation. Prompt payment applies to this solicitation. See detailed information in “RELATED POLICIES” and “Local Business Enterprise Program” below.
Proposal Overview
The consultant will work under the supervision of the Public Art Program Director and guided by the Senior Registrar of the Civic Art Collection to create and implement the Equity Audit of monuments and memorials and additional publicly sited artwork in the San Francisco Civic Art Collection. SFAC has identified about 100 pieces of artwork that are considered monuments and memorials. There are also more recent public art projects that commemorate community stories and individuals that will be included in the audit. The consultant will conduct a comprehensive assessment of the identified objects that will include research, community engagement and other relevant interviews with stakeholders. The audit will provide a basis to determine (1) if any of the monuments and memorials should be considered for removal, relocation, or contextualization and (2) based on the current collection of monuments and memorials, whose stories are missing.
Based on the MMAC process, the following are the suggested research points, which can be further developed by the consultant. The equity audit will include information on:
- Location of artworks
- Accessibility of location of artwork
- Year the artwork was created
- Artist who created the artwork
- Content or stories of artworks
- Social, cultural, and historical implications in a contemporary context
- Materials used
- Communities represented by the artwork
- Funding source / patron information
- Historical analysis of artwork that notes any harmful impacts of white supremacy, patriarchy, and colonialism
- Detailed information on whether the artwork has received sustained public reaction for two years or more
- Information on whether the artwork is on or related to sacred sites of American Indian and/or Indigenous people
- Comprehensive assessment of what stories and representations are missing from the monuments and memorials in the Civic Art Collection.
Timeline
The proposed timeline is 9 months.
Project Description
Scope of Work and Project Deliverables
Task 1: Research
- 1.1 Lead initial planning of entire equity audit; map out process and determine assessment goals and criteria.
- 1.2 Research and analysis of identified the 100+ monuments and memorials artwork in the Civic Art Collection and if there are other relevant commemorative objects; finalize the list of pieces to be included in the audit.
- 1.3 Conduct comprehensive research. Analysis will consider information that includes, but is not limited to: critical demographic data points of the artist (such as race, ethnicity, age, and gender), overall social, cultural and historical context of the artwork, information on the geographic location of the artwork (including whether it is located on any sacred American Indian or indigenous sites, impact of gentrification, and any other physical, economic or social changes in the area), materials used, and communities represented.
- 1.4 With the approval of the Pulse Check Project Manager, hire and manage subcontracted subject matter experts that can further enhance and contextualize the context of selected monuments and memorials.
Task 1 Deliverables
- Written equity audit plan with established goals and criteria.
- Finalized list of monuments, memorials and other public art pieces that will be included in the audit.
- List and management of hired subject matter experts that will provide additional information to further contextualize selected pieces.
- Written summary of preliminary research findings including recommendations of key monuments and memorials to propose further public engagement discussions with communities.
Task 2: Public Meetings
- 2.1 Work with the group of Artist Advisor leaders to define goals and final criteria analysis for public meeting elements of the audit.
- 2.2 Along with identified Artist Advisors and community leaders, identify and conduct outreach and hold meetings with key stakeholders to set expectations and understand impact of identified public artwork on community through interviews and public meetings.
Task 2 Deliverables
- Written public meeting plan
- Notes and summaries of meetings
Task 3: Final Report
3.1 Complete a final report of the Equity Audit that includes:
- Data and analysis collected through research.
- Recommendations on potential monuments and memorials to remove, relocate, or contextualize.
- Recommendations on community stories and narratives to be included in future commemorative projects.
- Analysis commemorative objects within the context of the broader Civic Art Collection as a whole.
3.2 Prepare a presentation in a slide deck format to be used for various audiences including, key stakeholders, general public, and SFAC staff and commission.
Task 3 Deliverables
- A comprehensive written report that documents the Equity Audit process and implementation plan with criteria guidelines
- Final Report of findings
- Slide deck and presentation to SFAC and key stakeholders of final report findings
Funding
Contract Amount
Compensation for this scope of work is not to exceed $150,000, including all fees, expenses, and subcontracts.
Selection Process
Evaluation
Responsive Proposals will be evaluated by a panel (“Evaluation Panel”) consisting of one or more parties with expertise related to professional services being procured through this Solicitation. The Evaluation Panel may include staff from various City departments. Proposals will be evaluated based on the criteria outlined herein.
- Applicants will be evaluated on the following criteria:
- Background and statement of interest
- Qualifications and experience
- Project Approach and Plan
- Budget
- Finalists will be interviewed.
Applicants will be evaluated on the following criteria:
- Minimum Qualifications (Pass/Fail)
- Background and Statement of Experience (20 points)
- Demonstrates knowledge of public art and racial equity practices and principles.
- Describes experience engaging municipal partners and stakeholders, including artists, from historically underinvested communities.
- Demonstrates evidence delivering strong outcomes on similar past projects.
- Staffing Plan, Qualifications and Experience (30 points)
- The past experience of the project team is described and aligned with project approach and goals.
- Roles are briefly described, clearly delineated, and distributed across the tasks of the project.
- New hires are clearly identified and fit within the timeframe described.
- Project Approach and Outcomes (40 points)
- Provides a clear description of the proposed project with details on the scope of work and how it will be accomplished.
- Describes how the proposed activities will contribute to achieving the goals and objectives stated in the RFP.
- Includes plan of action that includes a reasonable timeline for implementing the proposed project including major milestones and target dates.
- Budget (10 Points)
- Application includes a detailed budget narrative presenting reasonable costs that relate to activities proposed.
- The proposed budget and applicant’s overall budget is of a size to reasonably expect successful delivery of the program.
Where applicable, a Contract Monitoring Division (CMD) Contract Compliance Officer will assess Proposal compliance with Local Business Enterprise (LBE) requirements and assign a rating bonus to Proposal scores. The CMD-adjusted scores will then be tabulated, and Proposers will be ranked starting with the Proposer receiving the highest score, then continuing with the Proposer receiving the second highest score, and so on.
Questions and Clarifications
Any questions about this RFP should be directed to monumentsandmemorials@sfgov.org. (Please allow at least 24-48 hours for staff to receive and provide a response to your questions.)
RELATED POLICIES
Rights Reserved by the Arts Commission
The City reserves the right to not accept any applications, to not accept any artist recommended by any of the selection panels, to initiate an alternate Selection Process, or to reissue the RFQ for additional pre-qualified artist candidates.
Local Business Enterprise (LBE) Program Requirements
The CMD Compliance Officer (CCO) for this Solicitation and any resulting Contract:
Melinda Kanios
Contract Monitoring Division
City and County of San Francisco
Tel: 415-274-0511
Email: melinda.kanios@sfgov.org
Application of LBE Rating Bonuses
LBE Rating Bonuses shall be applicable at each phase of the Solicitation evaluation and selection process, in accordance with the values shown below.
1. Reserved (Commodities).
2. Professional Services
| Estimated Contract Value | Small/Micro LBEs Rating Bonus | SBA LBEs Rating Bonus |
| Greater than $10,000 but less than or equal to $400,000. | 10% | 0% |
3. Professional Services by Joint Ventures
| Estimated Contract Value | Small/Micro LBE Prime Level Contract Participation | Rating Bonus |
| Greater than $10,000 but less than or equal to $10,000,000. | Equals or exceeds 35%, but less than 40% | 5% |
| Greater than $10,000 but less than or equal to $10,000,000. | Equals or exceeds 40%, but less than 100% | 7.5% |
| Greater than $10,000 but less than or equal to $10,000,000. | 100% | 10% |
| If applying for an LBE rating discount as a Joint Venture (JV), the Micro and /or Small-LBE must be an active partner in the JV and perform work, manage the job and take financial risks in proportion to the required level of participation stated in the Proposal, and must be responsible for a clearly defined portion of the work to be performed and share in the ownership, control, management responsibilities, risks, and profits of the JV. The portion of the Micro and/or Small- LBE JV’s work shall be set forth in detail separately from the work to be performed by the non- LBE JV. The Micro and/or Small-LBE JV’s portion of the contract must be assigned a commercially useful function. |
LBE Subcontracting Participation Requirements
The LBE Subcontracting Requirements for the services of any Contract awarded pursuant to this Solicitation shall be 5% which shall be met with any combination of Micro and/or Small LBEs. The LBE subconsulting requirement can only be met with San Francisco CMD Certified Small and/or Micro-LBEs.
The LBE subconsulting participation requirement for this RFP is 5.00%. The LBE subconsulting participation requirement is less than 20% because the majority of the project expenses is devoted to research of San Francisco monuments and memorials and their history.
In accordance with Section 14B.8(B) of the Administrative Code, in order for the Proposer to be exempt from meeting the “Good Faith Outreach” requirements described in Part IV of CMD Attachment 2, the total amount of the LBE participation must equal or exceed 6.75% (this percentage is the LBE sub requirements plus the 35% good faith exemption percentage).
Pursuant to Section 14B.9 of the Administrative Code, proposers are hereby advised that the availability of Minority Business Enterprises ("MBE"), Woman Business Enterprises ("WBE") and Other Business Enterprises ("OBE") to perform subconsulting work on this project is:
2.00% MBE; 2.00% WBE; and 1.00% OBE.
Proposers are further advised that they may not discriminate in the selection of subconsultants on the basis of race, gender, or other basis prohibited by law, and that they shall undertake all required good faith steps in such a manner as to ensure that neither MBEs nor WBEs nor OBEs are unfairly or arbitrarily excluded from the required good faith efforts.
CMD LBE Forms
Because LBE Subcontracting Participation Requirements apply to the Contract awarded pursuant to this Solicitation, Proposers must submit response packages that include the following CMD LBE Forms, which can be found here. The applicable forms are:
CMD Packet 3 – Requirements for Professional Services Contracts consisting of:
- (a) CMD Form 2A: LBE Participation Form
- (b) CMD Form 2B: Good Faith Efforts Form. If a contractor’s proposed LBE subcontracting participation exceeds the sum of all LBE Subcontracting Participation Requirements for a Contract by at least 35%, the Bidder is excused from conducting or documenting its good faith efforts.
- (c) CMD Form 3: Compliance Affidavit
- (d) CMD Form 5: Employment Form
Failure to complete, sign and submit each of the required CMD LBE Forms with Proposals may result in the response package being deemed non-responsive and rejected.
LBE Payment and Utilization Tracking
Because LBE Subcontracting Participation Requirements apply to a Contract awarded pursuant to this Solicitation, the Awarded Contractor shall agree to:
- (a) Within thirty (30) business days of receiving an invoice from an LBE subcontractor, submit to City a request for payment along with a copy of the LBE subcontractor’s invoice;
- (b) Within three (3) business days of City’s payment of any invoice to Contractor, pay LBE subcontractors as provided under Chapter 14B.7(H)(9); and
- (c) Within ten (10) business days of City’s payment of any invoice to Contractor, confirm its payment to subcontractors using the City’s Supplier Portal Payment Module, unless instructed otherwise by CMD.
Failure to submit all required payment information to the City’s Supplier Portal Payment Module with each payment request may result in the withholding of 20% of subsequent payments due. Self-Service Training is located at this link: https://sfcitypartner.sfgov.org/pages/training.aspx.
Non-Discrimination and Equal Benefits Ordinance
The City and County of San Francisco, in its effort to provide equality of opportunity and equality of benefits, requires that individuals and businesses doing business with the City comply with Sections 12B and 12D of the Administrative Code. This requires that if you are an employer, and if you provide health or other benefits to the spouses of your employees, you must provide equal benefits to the registered domestic partners of your employees. This section also requires demonstration of good faith efforts to hire local disadvantaged business enterprises.
Minimum Compensation Ordinance (MCO)
This requirement only pertains to contractors who have over 20 employees, or artists who may have their artwork fabricated by a company with over 20 employees. The selected consultant(s) will be required to agree to comply fully with and be bound by the provisions of the Minimum Compensation Ordinance (MCO), as set forth in S.F. Administrative Code Chapter 12P. Generally, this Ordinance requires contractors to provide employees covered by the Ordinance who do work funded under the contract with hourly gross compensation and paid and unpaid time off that meet certain minimum requirements. For the contractual requirements of the MCO, see paragraph 42 of the Ordinance.
Health Care Accountability Ordinance (HCAO)
This requirement only pertains to contractors who have over 20 employees, or contractors who may subcontract with a company with over 20 employees. The selected consultants(s) will be required to agree to comply fully with and be bound by the provisions of the Health Care Accountability Ordinance, as set forth in S.F. Administrative Code Chapter 12Q. Contractors should consult the San Francisco Administrative Code to determine their compliance obligations under this chapter.
Required Forms and Contracts
As a part of the City’s contracting process, the contractor selected and approved by the Arts Commission will be asked to enter into contract with the City and County of San Francisco for the entire duration of the project. Applicants should review the Arts Commission standard template contract. While some items specific to individual projects such as scope of work, payment schedule and schedule of deliverables may be negotiated, the terms of the contract will not be changed. Depending upon the specific scope of the project, prior to the issuance and throughout the duration of the contract, the consultant will also be required to maintain a San Francisco business tax license, go through the Vendor set-up process, fill out specific documents from the Human Rights Commission and will be required to carry various types of insurance, including Automobile Liability, General Liability, and other insurance as required by the City.
All information contained herein does not constitute either an expressed or implied contract, and these provisions are subject to change.
How To Apply
Submission
Please email the materials listed below as a single PDF to monumentsandmemorials@sfgov.org. Use the following subject line: “Pulse Check Equity Audit Consultant Application.” Applications will be accepted until the deadline of 5:00 PM PST February 26, 2024. A complete application consists of the following:
A complete application consists of the following:
- Narrative including a statement of interest in the project and relevant background and experience. This section must demonstrate that the applicant meets the minimum qualifications listed above. This section should describe up to 3 previous research projects including their goals and outcomes.
- Resume or CV of all members of the project.
- Project Approach and Plan that describes research practices, engagement strategies and approach to be employed in undertaking the audit. Include hourly fees and budget. Final methodology and strategy will be determined after consultation with SFAC staff.
- References (contact information for 3 references only; do not submit letters of support)
- Completed CMD Forms 2A, 2B, 3, 4 (if joint venture) and 5 as provided in the section Related Policies – LBE Program Requirements below. Please note that completion of Forms 7 – 10 are not required as part of proposal submittal.
Questions & Answers
SFAC will accept applications from consultant teams. A lead consultant must be identified and will receive all payments from SFAC. Subcontractors not named in the proposal may be subject to the City’s bidding requirements and SFAC approval.
Subcontracting portions of future scope is acceptable but should be outlined as a part of the applicant’s proposal. A lead consultant will receive all payments from SFAC. Subcontractors not named in the application may be subject to bidding requirements and SFAC approval.
This language refers to permanent public art projects that are currently underway at SFAC but have not yet been completed and therefore are not included on the master-list. This includes projects recently completed at the Southeast Community Health Center and the Southeast Community Facility. As part of the project launch, SFAC will share a list of recently completed Public Art Program projects or projects currently underway that have not yet been completed and are in various stages of conceptualization and realization.
SFAC is looking for applicants that have the capability and capacity to accomplish the scope of work in the 9-month timeline. Previous experience should demonstrate that applicants can successfully complete the proposed scope of work on time and on budget. We will evaluate applicants on the breadth of previous experience that demonstrates completion of similar types of projects.
We are asking that respondents propose a reasonable path for a 9 month project.
We are not currently considering an extension, the deadline remains January 26, 2024.
Yes, you can appear on multiple applications/proposals.
Community engagement as described in Task 2 should be undertaken by the applicant or a subcontractor to the applicant as a part of the Equity Audit project. Broader engagement around monuments and memorials and Pulse Check will be undertaken by another Community Engagement consultant for which a call for proposals will be issued later this year. “Artist Advisors” will be selected and convened by the Arts Commission Project Management staff. Their role will be to guide the Pulse Check project as a whole with expertise in specific San Francisco/Bay Area communities, public art projects, arts and culture community engagement, and the commemorative landscape.
San Francisco’s Civic Art Collection contains approximately 4,000 works acquired through the agency’s 90 year history, including large scale permanent public art and a significant 2-D collection. Monuments & memorials comprise approximately 15% of the permanently located, large scale works in the Civic Art Collection. We are asking that the final report take into account the known demographics and history of the broader collection, comparing the data specific to the monuments & memorials presented in the final report to that of the collection as a whole. We are asking that the final report contextualize the monuments & memorials within the broader story of the Civic Art Collection in its entirety.
No. There is no additional budget above the $150,000 not to exceed amount. Applicants may propose subcontracting elements of the project, but those costs must be included within the $150,000 budget.
We anticipate approximately 10-15 pieces could be added to the scope of work. However, this number may be more should the selected consultant’s research undertaken as part of this project determine that the current list is not comprehensive.
It should be noted that archived materials about monuments and memorials in the Civic Art Collection that were acquired by the city before 1984 are scant as a good portion of the Arts Commission’s archive was destroyed by fire in 1984. Approximately 75% of the current list was acquired before 1984. The contracted consultant will have access to existing physical and digital records in the archive, however, scheduled access will need to be coordinated with collections staff. Digitizing physical historical documents (if needed) as a function of this project is the responsibility of the contractor. It should be anticipated that significant research outside of the Arts Commission’s archive will need to be undertaken for a successful audit.
It is not yet determined what percentage of the budget must be allocated to LBE’s to meet the City’s requirement.
LBE participation is finalized as a part of the contracting process with the selected contractor. Applicants do not need to detail LBE participation as a part of the application process. Should the contractor achieve LBE status, that would count toward any requirement.
The scope of this project does not include a full condition assessment of each monument and memorial, however the consultant will need to confirm the materials used to create the artwork and assess the accessibility of object as installed.
Eligibility
Minimum Qualifications
This opportunity is open to individuals or a consultant group with the following preferred qualifications:
- Must possess a minimum of three (3) years of experience in providing professional consulting services to no fewer than 10 clients, including municipal assessments or audits, or assessments of art or historical collections.
- Experience in research and work with public history, public memory, archives, historical preservation, community-based planning.
Preferred Qualifications
- Background in research, public history, and public art that can demonstrate experience in a comparable project.
- Facilitation and engagement experience with diverse and multilingual communities
- A commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion demonstrated through past work, leadership, and team composition.
- Demonstrated experience using racial equity and inclusion tools in a project that included community engagement and group facilitation.
- Public sector or government experience.
- Familiarity with the arts and culture ecosystem in the San Francisco Bay Area.
- Familiarity with San Francisco’s diverse communities, including BIPOC communities and neighborhoods.