Legislative Affairs Consulting Services

RFQ#0000085371 Purpose: OCRA seeks to engage a qualified contractor to provide strategic legislative affairs consulting services. The selected vendor will serve as the primary liaison between OCRA and the Indiana General Assembly, state agencies and other key government stakeholders. This engagement supports the agency’s legislative agenda, policy development and strategic workforce alignment. Scope of Work: The contractor shall perform the following services: • Coordinate, develop and oversee legislative matters impacting OCRA • Serve as the primary point of contact for legislators and their staff including constituent inquiries • Represent OCRA in meetings with lawmakers, state agencies and government officials • Assist in crafting and delivering strategic messaging to key stakeholders • Communicate on behalf of OCRA the agency’s priorities and initiatives within the legislative process • Support community liaisons on legislative matters • Negotiate bill language with stakeholders and authors • Monitor and analyze legislation and committee activity relevant to OCRA • Manage the internal bill review process and advise staff on legislative strategy • Maintain confidentiality and exercise discretion in sensitive matters • Provide weekly written updates and progress reports to OCRA leadership • One point of contact • Minimum Qualifications Respondents must demonstrate the following: • Must have already established relationships with Indiana lawmakers and legislative staff • Must have quick response time • Extensive knowledge of Indiana statutes, regulations and workforce development policy • Familiarity with OCRA’s mission, programs and strategic priorities • Proven ability to develop creative legislative solutions and alternatives • Strong verbal and written communication skills including the ability to convey complex policy matters • Experience managing multiple priorities and delegating tasks effectively • Ability to coach, guide and provide feedback to agency staff on legislative matters • Proactive problem-solving and conflict anticipation Proposal Requirements Interested vendors must submit: • A cover letter summarizing qualifications and interest • A detailed work plan outlining approach to legislative support • Resumes or bios of key personnel • Examples of prior legislative consulting engagements • References from at least two government clients • Name of the one point of contact/person assigned to this contract • Proposed pricing structure (hourly, retainer or deliverable-based) Contract Term Initial contract term will be one year with the option to renew annually based on performance and agency needs. Questions must be submitted by 4pm on 10/08 and can be emailed to Kborders@lg.in.gov or mailed to: Office of Community and Rural Affairs 1 N Capitol Ave, Suite 600 Indianapolis, IN, 46204 A completed bid package MUST be submitted by the due date/time. The bid package is available for download through the Bid Documents link in the Event Name column