Classification Study

Scope of Services

The City of Gatesville seeks a qualified firm to conduct a comprehensive Classification Study for civilian and non-civilian employees, including a review of existing policies. The most recent study was completed in 2020. The study will benchmark data from both public and private sectors to ensure market alignment. The City's population is approximately 16,000, with 81 approved Full-time Equivalent positions. The plan should detail the methodology used and include City representatives' input. The final report should establish a philosophy the City can adopt to help guide future decisions. All methodology should be clearly outlined to justify all findings and recommendations.  

Core Components

• Compensation Salary Survey: Analyze current pay structures, including job classifications, pay grades, and steps, for alignment with market standards.
  • Provide for an analysis of every job within the City to determine internal equity. Conduct a detailed compression analysis to identify any pay equity disparities and recommend solutions to address internal and external competitiveness.
  • Review all job classifications and recommend adjustments to ensure consistency in titles, duties, qualifications, and compliance with FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) requirements.
  • Review regional labor markets that impact the City’s ability to remain competitive.
  • Review all City positions and ensure that positions on the same pay plan perform similar amounts of work with the same level of complexity.
  • Conduct interviews and/or job audits with employees individually or as a group and update job descriptions based on the results.
  • Conduct training sessions for key staff after the acceptance of the study.
• Job Descriptions and Titles:  
  • Conduct job analyses on all positions.
  • Identify areas of misalignment and deficiencies and propose corrections.
• Pay Grades:
  • Provide a compression analysis and recommendations to assist with placing future employees on the most applicable pay plan and determining whether current employees should be placed on a different pay plan.
  • Provide a minimum and maximum range for each grade and an analysis of what distinguishes each grade and why positions should be placed in a particular grade.
  • Recommend adjustments for market alignment.
  • Provided justifiable pay differential between classes and outlined progression opportunities for increased compensation.
  • Provide alternatives to step and grade plans and remove any outdated or unnecessary steps or grades.
• Supplemental Pay and Adjustments
  • Assess the viability and implementation of supplemental pay (e.g., certifications, longevity, education, language, tuition reimbursement) and recommend strategies for addition, removal, or modifications.
  • Recommend plans for cost-of-living adjustments and living wage considerations on an annual basis, with different scenarios based on current economic factors.
• Step Plans
  • Develop step plans for civilian and non-civilian employees, including:
    • Provide tools and recommendations for initial placement of current positions on the pay scale.
    • Milestones for recommended increases.
    • Policies for annual increases, promotions, demotions, and out-of-step adjustments.
    • Plans for employees at the maximum step level.
• Future Planning
  • Provide tools and recommendations for adding new positions to the pay scale.
  • Provide policies for reclassification requests of current or new positions.
  • Propose a classification tool and define approval authority for new positions.
  • Provide tools to address career ladders and promotional opportunities to provide recognizable paths for employee growth within the organization.
• Presentations and Deliverables
  • Include recommendations for implementation, strengths/weaknesses, and ongoing maintenance using narratives, charts, and graphs to make recommendations easy to understand for City Council and staff stakeholders.
  • Provide detailed plans for both phased and immediate implementation for proposed recommendations, including cost projections for various implementation scenarios.
  • Develop and provide a robust communications plan to inform and educate employees and stakeholders about the study's purpose, progress, and results.

The final deliverables must provide actionable recommendations tailored to the City’s needs, ensuring alignment with current and future organizational goals. Throughout the process, City leadership should be updated regularly. A communication plan to outline the timeframe, City involvement, and all key milestones should be included as part of the study.

Submission of Questions

Any questions should be submitted in writing to:

Lori McLaughlin, Human Resource Director

City of Gatesville

lmclaughlin@gatesvilletx.com

Addendums to the RFP

The City of Gatesville is not responsible for any oral instructions related to the project. Any official changes to this RFP will be in the form of a written addendum, which will be published on the City website at https://www.gatesvilletx.com/rfps.

Withdrawal of RFP

The City reserves the right to withdraw the RFP at any point. A firm may withdraw its proposal by submitting a written request stating the reason for withdrawal at any time prior to the specified solicitation due time and date.

General Information:

1. The City of Gatesville reserves the right to reject any or all proposals to waive any informality or irregularity in any proposal received, and to be the sole judge of the merits of the respective proposals received.
2. The consultant will be an integral member of the Project Team, which will consist of City staff, elected officials, and a potential citizen volunteer committee involved in the process.

RFP Schedule

The dates and times listed below are estimated and are subject to change without notice.

1. Deadline for written questions to be sent to lmclaughlin@gatesvilletx.com at 5:00 P.M. on June 24, 2025.
2. One (1) original and one (1) electronic copy of the Proposals due no later than 3:00 PM (Central Time) on July 1, 2025.
3. Presentation and Interview with the selection committee (if necessary) – To Be Determined.
4. Approximate date for City Council Meeting to approve selection and Professional Services agreement, including the Scope of Services – To Be Determined.

Submission Instructions

Proposals should be delivered or sent to 803 E Main St., Gatesville, TX 76528. All proposals should be addressed to Lori McLaughlin, Human Resource Director, and marked with “RFP 2025-HR”. The City of Gatesville will receive sealed proposals until 3:00 P.M. on July 1, 2025. Any proposals received after that time and date will be returned unopened to the bidder. Proposals should contain one (1) bound original and one (1) electronic copy.

Instructions to Proposers

The proposals should include the information below and shall follow the format below.

• Cover Letter/Executive Summary
• Tab 1 - Project Team:
• • Resumes that describe the capabilities and experience of each team member, and include the team member’s name, title, education, licenses, certifications, professional associations, and a brief overview of professional experience.
• • Organizational chart identifying the key staff assigned to this project.
• Tab 2 - Team Relevant Experience:
• • Include a summary of at least three similar projects within the last five years.
• • • Identify the project owner and location, including contact name, title, current phone number, and e-mail address for each listed project.
• • • Identify the deliverable(s) provided to the customer and what changes the customer adopted, if any.
• Tab 3 - Project Approach:
• • Describe your technical plan and timeline for accomplishing the scope of services, including at a minimum:
• • • A work plan for accomplishing the scope of services, including time estimates and identifying the time needed for specific City personnel. Include a timeline for completion. Detail when each deliverable will occur.
• • • A plan for assisting the City in future years when needed.
• • Include one sample of a completed Classification Study.
• Tab 4 – Price Proposal Form

Include the total price to complete the project as described in the RFP. The price proposal should be filled out on the “Price Proposal Form” immediately following this Request for Proposal.

• Certificate of Interested Parties (1295) Form – A Certificate of Interested Parties Form must be submitted with the original proposal. The 1295 form and instructions for completion can be found at the following link:

https://www.ethics.state.tx.us/filinginfo/1295/

• Evaluation Criteria

All proposals received will be reviewed, evaluated, and ranked according to a numerical scoring system based on the responses to the criteria listed below. The City may elect to interview firms. Proposals will be evaluated as follows:

Questions regarding the project can be sent to Lori McLaughlin at lmclaughlin@gatesvilletx.com. Questions will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. on June 24, 2025.

Award and Negotiation

The City reserves the right to reject any or all Proposals. The highest-ranked Respondent(s) may be invited to enter into Contract negotiations with the City of Gatesville. If an agreement cannot be reached with the highest-ranked Respondent(s), the City shall notify the Respondent and terminate negotiations. The second-highest Respondent may be contacted for talks. The process may continue until successful negotiations are achieved. The City reserves the right to terminate negotiations with any Respondents should it be in the City’s best interest.

Insurance

All respondents must submit proof of insurance coverage with the RFP. Proof shall be by submission of copies of current policies or current Certificates of Insurance, including the effective dates of coverage.

Anti-Collusion

In submitting an offer, Respondent certifies that they have not participated in nor been party to any collusion, price fixing, or other illegal or unethical agreements with any company, firm, or person concerning the pricing offered.

No Prohibited Interest

Respondent acknowledges awareness of the state laws and applicable City Charter provisions regarding conflicts of interest and required disclosures. No officer, employee or agent of the City shall participate in the negotiation, selection, discussion, award or administration of a contract or procurement supported by public funds if: 1) that individual has a substantial interest in a person or entity, as defined by the City’s Charter, Code of Ordinances and/or Chapter 171 or 176 of the Texas Local Government Code, that is the subject of the contract or procurement; or 2) a conflict of interest, either real or apparent, would be involved, as defined therein.

Non-Resident Bidders/No Israel Boycott

Texas Government Code, Chapter 2252, Texas law prohibits city and governmental units from awarding contracts to a non-resident bidder/proposer unless the amount of such bid is lower than the lowest bid by a Texas resident by the amount a Texas resident would be required to underbid the non-resident bidder/proposer on a bid/proposal for goods and services in the non-resident bidder’s state. Texas Government Code, Chapter 2270 prohibits a governmental entity from entering into a contract with a company for goods or services unless the contract contains a written verification from the company that it: (1) does not boycott Israel; and (2) will not boycott Israel during the term of the contract.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Respondent agrees that it will not discriminate in hiring, promotion, treatment, or other terms and conditions of employment based on race, sex, national origin, age, disability, or in any way violate Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and amendments, except as permitted by said laws.

Anti-Lobbying Provision

During the period between the RFP submission date and the contract award, respondents, including their agents and representatives, shall not directly discuss or promote their Proposal with any City Council or City staff member except during City-sponsored inquiries, briefings, interviews, or presentations. Violation of this provision shall result in the rejection of the respondent's Proposal and disqualification from future consideration of similar RFP’s.

Jurisdiction

Contract(s) executed as part of this solicitation shall be subject to and governed by the laws of the State of Texas. Any obligations and payments are due and payable in Gatesville, Texas. The parties agree that the venue for any lawsuits, cause of action, arbitration, and/or any other dispute(s) shall be Gatesville, Texas.

Conflict of Interest

A statement indicating the respondent has no conflict of interest with the City, including any past or present employees or past or present elected officials of the City, must be submitted with the statement of qualifications. Chapter 176 of the Texas Local Government Code requires that any vendor or person considering doing business with a local government entity disclose in the Questionnaire Form CIQ the vendor's or person’s affiliation or business relationship that might cause a conflict of interest with a local government entity. By law, this questionnaire must be filed with the City Secretary no later than the 7th business day after the date the person becomes aware of facts that require the statement to be filed. See Section 176.006, Local Government Code. A person commits an offense if the person violates Section 176.006, Local Government Code. An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor. For more information or to obtain the Questionnaire CIQ, visit the Texas Ethics Commission web page at www.ethics.state.tx.us/forms/CIQ.pdf.

Confidential Information

Any information deemed confidential by the respondent should be clearly annotated on the pages where it is contained. The City cannot guarantee that it will not be required to disclose all or part of any public record under the Texas Public Information Act, since information deemed confidential by the respondent may not be confidential under Texas Law or under a Court order.

Price Proposal Form

The price shall be a not-to-exceed amount and shall include reimbursable expenses. The City reserves the right to negotiate proposed amounts with the selected firm. A detailed breakdown of costs will be negotiated with the chosen firm.

PRICE

$___________________________________________________________________________

The individual signing this certifies that he/she is a legal agent of the Company, authorized to submit on behalf of the Company, and legally responsible for the decisions regarding the supporting documentation provided.

Company Name:                  __________________________________________________

Authorized Representative: __________________________________________________

Signature:                            __________________________________________________

Printed name:                      __________________________________________________

Title:                                   __________________________________________________

Date:                                   __________________________________________________