Project Overview

MCWD seeks a qualified communications consultant to develop a three-year strategic communications and engagement plan to help it achieve its strategic priorities, solidify support for its focused/responsive approach, and reinforce its brand. The plan will use communications strategies for conveying relevant messages to key audiences across multiple platforms, and engagement activities that involve and inform key stakeholders in its work. The strategic communications and engagement plan is envisioned as a framework for the implementation of work by all MCWD staff in addition to communications.

The communications consultant will conduct audience research which will then provide direction on the strategies and activities that will be most effective at achieving the desired goals. The audience research will also inform the redesign of MCWD’s website, which is a separate project not included in the scope of this work. Preliminary work on the website design will begin in the latter half of 2019 and the build is planned in 2020.

Scope of Work

The project is divided into two phases: research and planning.

Research
The first three months will involve gaining a full understanding of the MCWD and of the challenges and opportunities the MCWD faces in pursuing its goals. This work will include the following:

• Review MCWD’s guiding documents
• Review past audits of stakeholders
• Assess stakeholders’ current perceptions and needs (interviews, surveys, etc.

Planning

After completing the research phase, the consultant will spend the next three months working with the project manager and review committee to build the plan. The last month of the process will involve working with the project manager to present the plan for approval to the MCWD Board and Citizens Advisory Committee. 

Submission Information

Proposals should be 15 pages or less, not including work samples. Work samples must be included in an appendix of 20 pages or less.

Proposals must include:

• Company background
• Qualifications
• Proposed scope of work
• Work samples

Proposals must be submitted electronically. No paper submissions will be accepted or considered. Final deadline for submissions is 4:30 p.m. Friday, April 5, 2019; all respondents will receive an email confirmation of receipt. Finalist interviews will be conducted on Wednesday, April 17 and/or Thursday, April 18, 2019. Please see the RFP for full submittal requirements.

Organizational Background

The Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD) is a local unit of government responsible for managing and protecting water resources within the 178 square miles that drain into Lake Minnetonka, the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes, Minnehaha Creek and ultimately the Mississippi River. Over the past 50 years, the MCWD has collected and maintained extensive water and natural resource data which have supported implementation of over 70 capital projects resulting in the conservation and restoration of over 700 acres of land. MCWD employs a dedicated professional staff of 26 who specialize in natural resource planning, project development, land conservation, land use policy, water quality monitoring, permitting, education, and communication.

Project Overview

MCWD seeks qualifications from firms to provide information technology consulting services. MCWD has undergone a comprehensive organizational review and strategic planning effort to realign the organizational priorities and operations.  One key area identified for change and improvement through this process was the information technology systems, including software, processes, and procedures, utilized by the District.

Based on the findings from the strategic planning effort, the District conducted a business analysis to identify the primary business functions (of the organization and constituent departments), the processes utilized by each function, and the points of intersection across functional areas. The business analysis has helped the District identify the systemic gaps and deficiencies with the current IT systems and identify desired system capabilities we want to achieve with a comprehensive update. 

MCWD is seeking the services of a consultant to help the District develop and implement a comprehensive technology update.  Desired services include: 1) identification of systems/software to support the organization’s identified business functions and processes, 2) testing, selection and implementation of the systems, 3) phasing of the implementation, 4) integration of systems, 5) implementation and sustainment budget planning, and 6) user/staff training.

Submittal Requirements

Statements of Qualifications shall be submitted in electronic format by 4:00 P.M., March 26, 2019 to admin@minnehahacreek.org.

Current Status

The winter phase of construction for the Arden Park restoration project, which included all demolition and instream work, has been finished ahead of schedule. This work included remeandering Minnehaha Creek, rebuilding the streambank, and installing woody material and stone in the creek to create habitat. Through the rest of March, crews will be prepping for bridge and boardwalk construction, which will occur later in the spring.

Crews will be pausing work during the month of April for the spring thaw. The construction contractor will be monitoring creek flow through the park during the thaw and will be responsive to any flooding issues. The work completed instream was built to be resilient to high creek flows.

Construction will resume in early May and will include installing utilities and stormwater management features, constructing trails and park facilities, and planting vegetation. 

For safety reasons, the park will remain closed until the project is completed later this fall. Park conditions are not safe for visitors, and access to the park is strictly forbidden, even during the pause in construction. Playgrounds can be found at most city parks, including Garden, Highlands, Pamela, Todd, and Wooddale.

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About this Project

The City of Edina and Minnehaha Creek Watershed District are partnering to improve the creek, habitat and the public use experience in Arden Park. The project design is based on the concept plan that was developed with community input over the course of 2017 and refined with additional feedback throughout 2018. The Arden Park project combines park improvements with natural resource improvements within the Minnehaha Creek corridor, including more access to Minnehaha Creek for fishing and recreation, a drier green space, stormwater management, and an upgraded playground and park shelter building.