RFP: Recruitment and Retention Instructor Contract Opportunity

1. Summary and Background
   
   

   The Recruitment and Retention Coordinator Certification (RRC) course, managed by the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), is accepting submissions for six (6) contractor positions to serve as instructors for the Recruitment and Retention Coordinator Certification course. Funding for this course is provided through a Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant.

   This opportunity is for current or retired fire department personnel with experience in volunteer recruitment and retention. Contractors will be expected to have excellent communication, facilitation, and training skills that will allow them to foster successful dialogue with course participants and instruct the course across the country.

   Interested individuals shall submit a resume and cover letter with experience and qualifications. The selection committee will review all submissions and select based on the criteria listed herein.

2. Proposal Guidelines & Timeline
   
   

   The application period for the Recruitment and Retention Contractors will be open until February 24, 2023, at 5 PM PT. Submissions will be reviewed and evaluated upon receipt. The IAFC will conduct interviews the first week of March 2023 with those selected to advance in the process. Final selections will be made, and applicants notified no later than March 6, 2023.

   Selected individuals will be provided with a contract and must agree to terms and conditions set forth by the IAFC.
   Project Timeline:

   • Contractors will be notified of final selection no later than March 6, 2023.
   • Selected contractors will need to attend a virtual train the trainer in mid-March 2023.
   • Classes are scheduled to be taught between April 2023 and November 2023.
   • The contract will end on November 30, 2023.
     
     
3. Project Purpose and Description
   
   

   The two-day RRC course focuses on placing the student in the role of the Recruitment & Retention Coordinator through class discussion, group exercises, and role playing. This course features no lectures or instructor presentations. The goal of the course is to ensure that on the task level students understand what is involved in meeting, connecting with, and recruiting and retaining quality people. On the strategic level, students understand how to set up and run a successful recruitment and retention program. At the end of the course, students will develop a recruitment and retention plan specific to their department.

   The selected contractors will be the instructors for the 10 RRC courses the IAFC is delivering from April 2023 to November 2023. Courses have been scheduled in Louisiana, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Virginia. The contractors will instruct in pairs or in groups of three depending on the class. The number of courses a contractor instructs is based on their availability.

4. Qualifications & Expectations
   
   

   Qualifications:

   Individuals submitting a resume and cover letter should speak to the following items as part of their proposal for consideration:

   • Experience with volunteer recruitment and retention.
   • Instructor experience in the fire service or other educational setting.
   • Individuals must be able to travel nationwide to instruct classes.
   • Proficiency in computer skills, Microsoft Office with the ability to learn new applications as required.
   • A/V equipment knowledge.
   • Able to provide constructive feedback to continually improve the program.
   • Current IAFC member.
   
   

   Preferred Qualifications:

   Individuals with preferred qualifications should speak to the following items in their resume and cover letter:

   • +10 years quality experience in the volunteer and combination fire service, including specific subject matter knowledge pertaining to volunteer recruitment and retention.
   • +5 years of instructor experience.
   • Experience writing recruitment and retention plans for volunteer or combination departments.
   • Experience working with a diverse community.

   Expectations of Contractor:

   • Travel as needed to course locations. During contract related travel to courses, contactors will only be paid for actual travel time, not to exceed 8 hours per day (arrival and departure).
   • Participate in a virtual train-the-trainer.
   • Take the online pre-requisite course that all students are required to take prior to attending the class.
   • Pre-Course:
   • Book travel to course locations. Travel expenses will be reimbursed in accordance with IAFC Travel Policy.
   • Review instructor guide and arrive to each class prepared to teach the course.
   • Communicate with fellow instructor(s) prior to each class.
   • Participate in pre-class call with IAFC staff to review course schedule and logistics.
   • During the Course:
   • The RRC course is a 2-day class, with travel days on each end. Instructors will be expected to arrive the afternoon/evening before the course begins and leave either at the end of the second day or the morning of the following day. There is an informal meetup of instructors and IAFC staff the night before the course begins to review any last-minute details.
   • Instruct the course by facilitating class discussions, group exercise and acting out role-play scenarios.
   • Post-Course:
   • Provide constructive course feedback to IAFC Staff
   • Complete invoice and submit travel expense reimbursements in accordance with IAFC Travel
   Policy.
5. Budget
   
   

   Selected contractors will be paid $60 per hour. For each training delivery, contractors will be paid for up to 10 hours of course prep-work, up to 16 hours for course delivery and up to 8 hours for actual travel time on arrival and departure days. Contractors will also be paid for up to 8 hours for a virtual train-the-trainer. Contractors will only be paid for hours worked that are pre-approved by the Program Manager.

   The IAFC will provide an invoice template to selected contractors, who must submit an invoice after the train-the-trainer and each class is taught.

6. Proposal Evaluation Criteria

Individuals must submit a cover letter and resume outlining their experience and qualifications for this contractor opportunity. Please submit to Program Coordinator Patrick Kidd at pkidd@iafc.org.

If you have any questions about the RFP, contact Program Manger Kaitlin Lutz at klutz@iafc.org.