Request For Proposals
Village of Rhinebeck
Mitigating Bias and Diversity Training RFP
The Village of Rhinebeck seeks an experienced firm to design and guide our officials and department heads through anti-racism and anti-implicit bias trainings. The goals of the contract are to bring a deeper understanding of the history of racism in our community and how it shows up in the present day; to build a shared set of tools, ways of communicating, and guidelines appropriate for employees and officials; and to foster a sense of belonging at our workplace. Of particular concern is the fact that we are not just a workplace for our officials and employees, but also public servants and representatives to our community. We strive to have these goals embedded into the culture and practices of the workplace, so they live on beyond the tenure of any particular individuals. We want the practices and learnings to live on in a sustainable way that is built on trust and communication.
This contract would focus on bringing together the leadership team*, as a way to set the strategy and start building the culture.
● Mayor and four Trustees
● Village Clerk
● Treasurer
● Working Supervisor of the Highway Department
● Chief Operator of the Wastewater Treatment Plant
● Chief Operator of the Water Treatment Plant
● Fire Department Chief
● EMS Captain
● Police Officer in Charge.[1] [2]
Rhinebeck Village has a population of about 2700 people, and sits within the larger Town of Rhinebeck, which has a population of about 8000. Rhinebeck is about 92% white. The Village center draws residents and tourists alike to its business district with small boutiques, bookstore, arthouse movie theater, hotels and restaurants. It’s population is fairly evenly split politically, with a slight lean to the left. Rhinebeck, like many upstate towns, has seen a surge of “newcomers” from New York City.
Proposals should include:
● Statement of approach
● Specific sample plan (number of sessions and explanation of their anticipated outcomes, timeline. The plan can be customized, but we’d like to start somewhere!)
● Description of expectations for us in working with you
● List of program deliverables (such as: draft of values, workplace guidelines, any managerial tools, i.e. prompts for incorporating concepts into hiring, management, public interactions)
● Bios of facilitators and what their role will be
● Cost estimate, budget breakdown (our budget range is $6000-$8000)
Requirements
● Proven success in evolving workplaces to meet or exceed current expectations in how we treat and respect each other in diverse workplaces
● Experience working with small, rural communities is encouraged
● Experience working with municipal governments or municipal departments (fire departments for example) is encourages
● Ability to travel for in-person sessions in Rhinebeck
* The Village of Rhinebeck is a municipal government with a mayor and four elected officials (each serving 2 year terms) and approximately 30 staff. Some staff are full time or part time non-union employees, some are full time civil service union employees, a police officer in charge and 14 part time police officers, volunteer fire department with a chief, an EMS captain and an active roster of volunteer firefighters and EMT's. Some departments with full time union employees: Highway Department with a working supervisor and four full time employees , Wastewater Treatment Plant operator and two full time staff, and Water Treatment Plant operator and three full time staff.
Deadline
Proposals shall be submitted by 4:00 PM November 26, 2021 . All proposals will be time and date stamped, and no proposals received after the deadline shall be considered. Proposals shall be mailed or delivered to the Village Clerk, and should be addressed to:
Village of Rhinebeck
Attention: Martina McClinton, Village Clerk
76 East Market Street, Rhinebeck, NY 12572
Any questions should be addressed to the Village Clerk:
Martina McClinton
Phone: 845-876-7015 opt 3
Email: mmcclinton@villageofrhinebeckny.gov