If you are putting together a search process for a Head of School search or Superintendent of Schools search, Tradition recommends that you create and distribute a Request for Proposals (RFP). It should contain the following:
- Introduction
- Title of RFP
- Introduction to the Organization and its Strategic Plan Goals
- Introduction to the Context of the Search: When is your current leader leaving, how long has he or she been there, etc?
- Scope of Work: What do you want the search consultant to do, and what do you anticipate doing yourself:
- Anticipated Schedule of Events from RFP release date to hire date
- Submission Guidelines: Do you want submissions by email, web upload, or snail mail? Provide deadline date and submission guidelines.
- Evaluation Criteria or Algorithm
- Legal requirements of your process including a statement such as, “This solicitation shall not be construed in any manner to be an obligation by the Organization to enter into an agreement with any contractor. The Organization’s board reserves the right to reject any or all responses.”
- Questions
- Name, email address, telephone number, physical address, and website for the search firm’s primary contact
- Firm’s mission statement or philosophy, if any
- Affirmation of firm’s ability to support each line identified in the Scope of Work. You can offer: A summary statement of “Our proposal will support all of the items identified in the Scope of Work” is acceptable.
- Administrative tasks that will be assigned to the hiring organization
- Any recommendations for modifications to the Scope of Work or Anticipated Schedule of Events
- Identify similar searches completed in the last two years with organizations of comparable size, in the same region, with the same type of demographic, etc
- Names, locations, and resumes for the consultant(s) to be assigned to the search
- Identify other staff the firm will use to complete the search
- Describe the expected number of qualified candidates your firm would be able to bring forward as semi-finalists
- Fixed costs of the search
- Variable costs of the search, estimated
- What the consultant views as specific challenges of this search
- What the consultant views as specific assets of the organization in this search
- The extent to which a search consultant will customize the process to the needs of this organization
- References, typically at least three, with email address and telephone number of references and the date and context of the association with that reference
The content of this sample RFP was curated from a variety of sources including the Bellevue (Washington) School District Superintendent Search RFP, the Mercer Island (Washington) School District Superintendent Search RFP, the Bridges Middle School Head of School Search RFP, and the Indeed.com guide to writing an RFP.
If we can help you with the RFP-writing process or if you have an RFP and are looking for a consultant, please use the Tradition Search Partners contact page. We will reply within 24 hours. Thank you and best wishes with your search process.