WCC-24-006 - AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PLAN WESTCHESTER COMMUNITY COLLEGE

IV.       SCOPE OF WORK:

The selected proposer will provide an Affirmative Action plan for the College as described and more fully set forth below:

The Affirmative Action Plan ("AAP") is required by federal law and should support the following strategic plans at Westchester Community College:
 

• Westchester Community College Strategic Plan – See: https://www.sunywcc.edu/about/strategic-plan/

• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Strategic Plan  - is currently under development – please refer to the WCC Strategic Plan – referenced above.

• Workforce Analysis
• Faculty Diversity Strategic Plan
• Job Groups, Disciplines, and Labor Market Availability
• Utilization Analysis

• VETS 4212 Reports: Consultant must provide advice relating to VETS 4212 reports.

• Communication regarding the nature of this project will be critical to its success. Consultant,  at its expense, will conduct, either on Teams or Zoom or some similar virtual meeting forum, a meeting to discuss with the appropriate representatives of the College this project and the anticipated outcome with the appropriate staff.  During this call, Consultant should review the affirmative action legal obligations and requirements:  including recordkeeping and possible discrimination issues, as well as any other compliance-related issues that SUNY Westchester Community  College  wishes to discuss. This call would provide the opportunity for WCC's employees involved in the AAP process to ask questions and would help ensure consistency of policies and procedures In this area.

• Compliance Advice and Assistance: Consultant must provide a review of the report either on Teams or Zoom or some similar virtual meeting forum to discuss with the appropriate representatives of the College the results of the AAPs and related analyses to ensure their awareness of the affirmative action regulatory requirements and OFCCP's often-changing focus.

• The Successful Proposer should have sufficient  electronic software and analytical tools to assist in ensuring data integrity and efficient processing. The Consultant must ensure organizational and data integrity before the AAP preparation process begins, review the accuracy of every AAP before it is finalized, and are available to respond to the College's questions after the AAPs have been delivered.
• Consultant must provide a list of data in an electronic format indicating what  data is needed for the preparation of the AAPs. This data can usually be downloaded from Human Resource Information System (“HRIS”) (PeopleSoft is used by the College) and applicant tracking systems (HIREZON).

• After Consultant receives the information requested, the Consultant will prepare the required statistical analyses included and/or referenced in the Minorities/Females AAP;

• Consultant must prepare  analyses by job group, of selection, promotion, and termination data, in compliance with the affirmative action guidelines and the requirements of the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selections Procedures (UGESP).

• Deliverables include AAPs which are compliant with current regulatory requirements, a detailed and privileged letter explaining the Consultant’s  analyses and conclusions,  in conformance with the most recent compliance guide covering the affirmative action requirements and Executive Orders.  AAPs can be provided in digital format as acceptable to the College.

1. Workforce Analysis: Conduct a comprehensive analysis of the current workforce demographics, including data on race, gender, ethnicity, age, disability status, salary surveys, the job titles and AAP job groups  and other protected characteristics. Evaluate the representation of underrepresented groups in various job categories and levels within the institution.  In addition, this also includes Minorities/Women AAPs is an organizational profile in the form of a workforce analysis sorted by lowest- to highest-pay. Note that some employee records do not contain race/ethnicity, gender information (male/female), or contain non-binary/third gender values. For AAP purposes and in accordance with OFCCP guidelines, these employees are excluded from all statistical analyses and reports.
2. Job Group Analysis: The job titles and AAP job groups reflected in the workforce analysis should be detailed.  Determining the underutilization at the following locations using statistical methodology (exact binomial test) to determine underutilization:

3. Goals and Objectives: Establish specific, measurable goals and objectives for increasing diversity and representation of underrepresented groups in the workforce. Set targets for recruitment, hiring, promotion, and retention of individuals from historically marginalized or underrepresented backgrounds.
4. Recruitment and Outreach Efforts: Develop strategies to actively recruit and attract candidates from diverse backgrounds, including outreach to community organizations, professional associations, and educational institutions serving underrepresented populations. Implement inclusive recruitment practices and remove barriers to access for underrepresented candidates.
5. Selection and Hiring Practices: Review and revise hiring policies and practices to ensure fairness, transparency, and equity in the selection process. Train hiring managers and search committees on unconscious bias awareness and inclusive hiring practices. Implement measures to mitigate bias in recruitment, screening, and selection decisions.
6. Training and Development Programs: Provide training and professional development opportunities to support the advancement and retention of employees from underrepresented groups. Offer diversity and inclusion training to all staff members to foster a culture of respect, equity, and belonging.
7. Monitoring and Reporting: Establish systems for ongoing monitoring and evaluation of Affirmative Action efforts, including regular data collection and analysis to track progress towards diversity goals. Prepare annual reports documenting the institution's Affirmative Action initiatives, achievements, and areas for improvement.
8. Compliance with Legal Requirements: Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local laws and regulations governing Affirmative Action, equal employment opportunity, and nondiscrimination. Stay informed about updates to relevant laws and guidelines and adapt policies and practices accordingly.
9. Engagement and Accountability: Foster engagement and accountability among all stakeholders, including senior leadership, faculty, staff, and students. Encourage participation in diversity initiatives and establish mechanisms for feedback, review, and accountability at all levels of the organization.
10. Continuous Improvement: Commit to continuous improvement and refinement of Affirmative Action strategies based on feedback, data-driven insights, and best practices in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Regularly assess the effectiveness of policies and programs and make adjustments as needed to achieve desired outcomes.

• SUNY Westchester Community College can provide work force (an employee roster), as well as Identification of  “corporate level selections" positions, recruiting areas, feeder job titles or job groups, and recruitment areas. Consultant will, of course, be required  to assist SUNY Westchester Community College with templates and other information to help in gathering this data.

• The employee data {roster, applicant, hire, promotion, termination, compensation data, etc.) can be provided by the College in an electronic format {such as Excel).

• The Consultant will be required  to prepare analyses by job group of SUNY Westchester Community College's selection, promotion, and termination data, in compliance with the affirmative action guidelines and the requirements of the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures (UGESP). In addition, Consultant will also be required to prepare a privileged, proactive, and voluntary compensation analysis by AAP Job group. More comprehensive and robust analyses may be required. 

•  In the event of an OFCCP compliance evaluation {audit) the Consultant will be required to provide all necessary assistance.  Accordingly, please provide your hourly rates for this additional service. Additional services or charges will require an amendment to the contract.

• After completing the AAPs and various analyses requested, Consultant will be required to prepare a detailed letter, under privilege, explaining its analyses and conclusions and enclosing a copy of its most recent affirmative action compliance guide.

• In addition, Consultant must also be available by telephone or email at no additional charge for questions that will most certainly arise during the AAP preparation process.

8. to enter into an agreement for only portions (or not enter into an agreement for any) of the services contemplated by the proposal with one or more of the proposers.
1. to enter into similar agreements with other consultant on an “as needed” basis” thus, an award of an agreement to a proposer does not grant the Consultant the exclusive right to perform the Work for the County.

10. While this is a Request For Proposals and not a bid, the College reserves the right to apply the case law under General Municipal Law § 103 regarding bidder responsibility in determining whether a proposer is a responsible vendor for the purpose of this RFP process;

11. The College assumes no responsibility or liability of any kind for costs incurred in the  preparation or submission of any proposal;

50. The College is not responsible for any internal or external delivery delays which may cause any proposal to arrive beyond the stated deadline.  To be considered, proposals MUST arrive at the place specified herein and be time stamped prior to the deadline.  Late proposals will be rejected.  

1000. The College shall apply the following evaluation criteria in selecting a proposer with whom to commence contract negotiations.  Such criteria are not necessarily listed in order of importance.  The College reserves the right to weigh its evaluation criteria in any manner it deems appropriate.

• Professional qualifications and experience of assigned team on similar projects
• Ability to offer a superior assessment/analysis tool, and ease of use of such tool.
• Reliability and quality of customer service, technical support and implementation services.
• Competitive pricing
• Company’s record of innovation and growth in the industry
• Ability to provide integrated reporting, real-time analytics and data tools that enhance efficiency of operations and customer relationship management
• Implementation timeline

• Years of  experience
• Years of experience with a college or university
• Size of staff
• Experience of staff dedicated to this project

• that any proposal, attachments, additional information, etc. submitted pursuant to this Request for Proposals constitute merely a suggestion to negotiate with the County of Westchester and is not a bid under Section 103 of the New York State General Municipal Law;

• submission of a proposal, attachments, and additional information shall not entitle the proposing entity to enter into a service agreement with the County of Westchester for the required services;

• by submitting a proposal, the proposing entity agrees and understands that the County of Westchester is not obligated to respond to the proposal, nor is it legally bound in any manner whatsoever by submission of same;

• That the College may enter into similar agreements with other consultants on an “as needed” basis” thus, an award of an agreement to a proposer does not grant the Consultant the exclusive right to perform the Work for the County.

• that except with regard to formal written responses to Requests for Clarification as described in Paragraph X below, any and all counter-proposals, negotiations or any communications received by a proposing entity, its officers, employees or agents from the County, its elected officials, officers, employees or agents, shall not be binding against the County of Westchester, its elected officials, officers, employees or agents unless and until a formal written agreement for the services sought by this RFP is duly executed by both parties and approved by either the Westchester County Board of Acquisition & Contract or the College’s Board of Trustees.