RFP: Storywalk Designer and Community Engagement Consultant
View the Storywalk RFP Presentation from the Virtual Information Session
Type: Request for Proposal (RFP)
Contract Title: Storywalk Designer and Community Engagement Consultant (Contractor)
Eligible Applicants: For-Profit and/or Non-Profit Organizations
Compensation: $40,000
Contract Term: Up to one (1) year.
Number of Contracts: One (1)
Expected Start Date: September 2024
Virtual Information Session: Thursday, July 25, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. EDT (register here)
Questions Due: Friday, August 2, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. EDT
Answers Published on communityfund.nyc: No later than Friday, August 9, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. EDT
RFP Response Deadline: Sunday, August 18, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. EDT
Organizational Overview
The Fund for Public Housing, Inc., d/b/a Public Housing Community Fund, was founded as a nonprofit (501c3) organization in 2016 to support the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and its residents. The Fund creates and leverages resources and relationships to enhance the opportunities and quality of life for NYCHA residents, while uplifting the importance of public housing to our city. The Fund aims to engage people and partners to build a stronger, more equitable New York City by investing in public housing communities. We invest in programs focused on leadership development, financial empowerment, community health, and workforce training for residents of the NYCHA community.
The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), the largest public housing authority in North America, was created in 1935 to provide decent, affordable housing for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers. NYCHA is home to roughly 1 in 16 New Yorkers across over 177,000 apartments within 335 housing developments. NYCHA serves over 339,000 residents through the conventional public housing program (Section 9), over 29,000 residents at developments that have been converted to PACT/RAD, and over 92,000 families through federal rent subsidies (the Section 8 Leased Housing Program). In addition, NYCHA connects residents to opportunities in financial empowerment, business development, career advancement, and educational programs. With a housing stock that spans all five boroughs, NYCHA is a city within a city.
About New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and NYCHA’s Architecture & Engineering Services Department
The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), the largest public housing authority in North America, was created in 1935 to provide decent, affordable housing for low- and moderate-income New Yorkers. NYCHA is home to roughly 1 in 16 New Yorkers across over 177,000 apartments within 335 housing developments. NYCHA serves over 339,000 residents through the conventional public housing program (Section 9), over 29,000 residents at developments that have been converted to PACT/RAD, and over 92,000 families through federal rent subsidies (the Section 8 Leased Housing Program). In addition, NYCHA connects residents to opportunities for financial empowerment, business development, career advancement, and educational programs. With a housing stock that spans all five boroughs, NYCHA is a city within a city.
NYCHA's Architecture and Engineering Services (AES) Department is responsible for implementing NYCHA’s Connected Communities program, which advances the agency's participatory design practices, site planning and policy, and implementation of public-private partnerships. The program's award-winning Connected Communities Guidebook and Open Space Masterplan provide a comprehensive urban design approach and facilitate fundraising and partnership projects toward modernizing NYCHA's open spaces. The program works with City agencies as well as private and non-profit partners to execute these projects that lead to resilient communities and elevate residents' quality of life.
Project Background
The Capital Project to restore Exodus and Dance frieze at the Kingsborough Houses is a project led by The Public Housing Community Fund (PHCF), funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in partnership with the Fulton Art Fair, New York City Housing Authority, New York City Council, the Kingsborough Housing Resident Association,b the Kingsborough Houses Stakeholder Advisory Group, Weeksville Heritage Center, African Peach Arts Coalition and other local cultural institutions and Community-Based Organization partners (CBOs). The project is informed by engagement with a Resident Stakeholder Advisory Group, a collective of about ten seniors, adults, and youth members.
Alongside local artists and the Kingsborough Houses resident community, the project will unveil a place-based strategy that highlights shared histories, memories, and aspirations through an artist-in-residence and fellowship program. Art installations and interpretive signage or StoryWalk® will serve as mediums to reflect the voices and narratives of the community and the significance of Exodus and Dance. The project seeks to preserve the rich cultural heritage of Kingsborough Houses and the broader African American community by showcasing their stories, memories, and dreams. Meanwhile, an Artist-in-Residence and Oral History Fellow will engage in both arts and culture programming activation at Kingsborough Houses with residents between approximately March 2024 and approximately May 2025.
The Public Housing Community Fund is seeking proposals for a Storywalk Designer and Community Engagement Consultant (Contractor) to engage with the Resident Stakeholder Advisory Group, Kingsborough Houses Resident Association, and CBOs during the next phase centered around community engagement and storytelling.
The Contractor will design and install a StoryWalk feature that reflects community history through a participatory process. They will create and deliver resident-informed designs through enriching, multigenerational engagementThis resident participatory project will highlight the historical and cultural significance of the frieze and Richmond Barthé, shared memories of the neighborhood, and residents’ future dreams with the medium of community installations. In addition to the community stakeholders, the Contractor will collaborate with the Oral History Fellow and Artist-In-Resident to curate the content for the StoryWalk intervention.
The StoryWalk intervention can include but is not limited to:
Interactive Signage: Informational signs with historical facts, quotes, or stories from the community.
Story Benches: Benches with engraved plaques telling short stories or quotes from residents.
Story Poles: Decorative poles with carvings or paintings representing various community stories.
Interactive Panels: Panels with movable parts or touchable elements that reveal different parts of a story.
Historical Markers: Plaques or markers at significant sites with detailed descriptions of their historical importance.
Pathway Markings: Painted or engraved paths with footprints, symbols, or short text that lead participants through the StoryWalk.
Key Responsibilities of the Consultant (Contractor)
Over a 4-month period the Contractor will report to the PHCF’s Executive Director and PHCF’s Community Programs and Placemaking Lead and, as directed, to NYCHA’s Asset and Capital Management Unit under the guidance of PHCF.
Resident Engagement and Outreach
The Contractor will be expected to:
Design and execute community-informed public realm enhancementswith the best practices in design principles.
Work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders, including residents, advisory groups, and municipal agencies.
Schedule and implement in-person workshops for multi-generation residents.
2. Research and Planning
The Contractor will be expected to:
Conduct site analysis, and collaborate with the Oral History Fellow and Artist in Residence to gather historical and cultural context, and develop design briefs based on community input.
Translate community narratives into design concepts for place-based design interventions and related urban design elements.
Communicate preliminary design iterations and proposals to residents and PHCF throughout the project.
3. Design and Installation
The Contractor will be expected to:
Produce detailed design drawings, renderings, and sketches that communicate the proposed interventions and their integration within the Kingsborough Houses community.
Prepare comprehensive documentation and maintenance guidelines for installed interventions, ensuring they are accessible to residents and relevant stakeholders.
Develop opportunities for residents to directly engage with the entire design and installation process, including design iterations, construction milestones, and final adjustments based on community input.
Coordinate approval process for proposed intervention with NYCHA and PHCF project teams.
4. Project Documentation
The Contractor will be expected to:
Provide regular progress updates and milestone reviews with the project PHCF and Stakeholder Advisory Group.
Evaluate the outcomes based on project impact and adherence to the Agreement.
Maintain comprehensive project process documentation, including design iterations and final deliverables.
Oversee the fabrication, installation, and construction phases, ensuring adherence to budget, schedule, and health and safety standards of the New York City Housing Authority. The construction budget ranges from $160,000 to $167,000.
The Contractor will obtain necessary photo and video release waivers from subjects when required and as PHCF directs.
Goals and Expected Outcomes:
The selected Contractor will:
Develop and present a work plan for the residents in the third month of signing the Agreement.
Organize a community engagement document with collected input and feedback from workshops and meetings.
Develop proposals for place-based design interventions and detailed design drawings and specifications for selected interventions.
Execute the installation and construction documentation of interventions.
The Contractor will be required to provide a set of deliverables related to the scope of work to NYCHA and the Public Housing Community Fund, and obtain sign off of final designs from NYCHA Kingsborough Houses Tenant Leadership and Property Manager.
Applicant Eligibility
The Fund is open to proposals from individuals, small groups, or qualified entities, including for-profit companies and/or non-profit organizations.
Minimum Qualification Requirements
Below are the minimum requirements for this work:
Experience: Demonstrated experience in designing and implementing public art installations, community engagement projects, or similar initiatives that involve storytelling and historical representation.
Expertise: Expertise in conducting participatory processes that involve community members in design decisions, ensuring resident-informed designs.
Portfolio: A portfolio showcasing previous work that includes signage, public art, or community-based installations.
References: At least one reference from previous clients or communities where similar projects have been successfully completed.
Understanding of Community: Understanding of the local community's history, culture, and values, demonstrated through past projects or proposals.
Compliance: Compliance with local regulations, including permits and environmental considerations for public installations.
Team Composition: Clearly defined roles and qualifications of the team members who will be involved in the project, including artists, historians, community engagement specialists, etc.
Budget and Schedule Management: Experience in managing budgets for similar projects, ensuring efficient use of resources without compromising quality.
Preferred Qualifications
Prior experience working with NYCHA or another housing authority.
Contract Term and Compensation
The selected Consultant (Contractor) will be awarded a contract for up to one (1) year not to exceed $40,000.
One contract will be awarded
Up to one (1) year
Contract will be deliverable based with milestones
Compensation not to exceed $40,000
The Contract is expected to be awarded by September 2024
Questions and Answers
All questions regarding this Request for Proposal should be submitted to info@communityfund.nyc with the subject line: NYCHA Storywalk Consultant – Questions. Questions must be received by Friday, August 2, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. EDT. All questions will be answered directly and published with answers publicly on the Fund’s website at communityfund.nyc no later than Friday, August 9, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. EDT. The Fund will not answer any questions regarding this Request for Proposal by phone or any other method than described above and all questions will be made public along with answers on the Fund’s website.
A Virtual Information Session will be held on Thursday, July 25, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. EDT. Please register at https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcscuqrqjkpGtCtzf6k3C7zlH-p3HlMosmp.
Proposal Requirements
Cover Letter (maximum 1 page)
Cover letter should explain why the Proposer is interested in this work and the strengths and level of commitment the Proposer brings to the project.
2. Qualifications & Experience (maximum 2 pages)
Proposers should describe relevant experience and qualifications to perform the work described in this RFP, specifically responding to the qualifications outlined as Minimum and Preferred Qualifications above. Include a brief history of the organization and demonstrate the organizational capacity to meet the objectives of this project and relevant experience in community engagement, working in NYCHA (if applicable), experience designing StoryWalk® features, and your design process, including pictures of previous design and engagement programming in the final single PDF document.
3. Proposed Approach (maximum 2 pages)
Proposers should outline an approach to executing the proposed project in a 4 month timeline, and budget allocated. Include a high-level schedule, staff plans, community engagement and design process.
4. Resumes of Key Staff (maximum 5 pages)
Resumes for key staff who will be working on this project should be included, with indication of any positions for which Contractor will need to hire to complete the project.
Additional/Preferred Requirements:
Evaluation and Feedback Mechanisms: Outline how you will gather feedback from community members throughout the project and evaluate the success of the StoryWalk in meeting its objectives.
Inclusivity and Accessibility: Detail strategies to ensure the StoryWalk is accessible to diverse community members, including those with disabilities or language barriers. This could involve considerations like multilingual signage, ADA compliance, and universal design principles.
Community Partnerships: Describe any existing or proposed partnerships with local community organizations, schools, or cultural institutions that will enhance community engagement and project outcomes.
All components of the proposal must be formatted with one-inch margins, single spaced, in a standard 12-point font.
Proposals should be submitted as a single PDF document.
Responses are due by Sunday, August 18, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. EDT by email to info@communityfund.nyc with the subject line: NYCHA Storywalk Consultant Proposal.
Evaluation Criteria
Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
Strength and relevance of Proposer’s qualifications and experience, including a history of successful community engagement and design efforts as it relates to StoryWalk®,
Creativity and thoroughness of Proposer’s approach to completing the project,
Capacity to start the project in a timely manner,
Demonstration of commitment to delivering high-quality, implementable designs, that can be sustained in resident communities.
Pictures showcasing previous design and engagement programming should be included.
The Fund for Public Housing, Inc., d/b/a Public Housing Community Fund, provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
