Community Engagement and Communications Support Services

The vendor is required to provide community engagement and communications support services for strategic planning, facilitation, communication, and project management support for public engagement related to the update of agency electric integrated resource plan (EIRP). 
1. Design, facilitate, and document community engagement activities
•    Conducting three (3) to four (4) in-person charrettes (interactive workshops), each engaging a consistent and diverse group of stakeholders including agency customers, community organizations, industry representatives, and environmental groups. 
•    Each charrette shall focus on clearly defined topics and outcomes.
•    Each charrette shall address:
o    Community values related to central state energy future
o    Risk tolerance and trade-offs concerning reliability, sustainability, resiliency, and affordability
o    Education on resource and generation options, including technology readiness, costs, And benefits
o    review of EIRP data and materials provided by agency technical consultant, and relevant third parties (e.g., modeling results, customer research, industry benchmarks)
•    Development of a facilitation guide and engagement plan
•    Identify and recommend participants representative of the community’s demographic and stakeholder diversity. 
•    Final participant selection shall be subject to agency approval.
•    Develop materials, logistics, and implementation support for all workshops, including pre-event run-throughs as needed
•    Facilitation of all charrettes and document participant feedback
•    Prepare summary reports and briefings to agency management and commissioners, as requested
•    Coordinate additional outreach meetings with stakeholders and customer groups, as directed by agency, to obtain targeted feedback and provide informational briefings
2. Develop and implement a communications plan in support of community engagement
•    Develop a comprehensive communications plan that includes:
o    Key messages and responses to frequently asked questions for varied audiences (agency leadership, outreach teams, commissioners, and the public)
o    Guidance for agency staff on public communication tools and channels
o    Regularly update communications materials to reflect the latest verified content provided by agency or its technical consultants
•    Develop and maintain a dedicated EIRP webpage or landing page:
o    Provide regular content updates and maintain accuracy
o    Monitor public inquiries submitted through online forms and prepare draft responses for agency review and release, if applicable.
•    Create educational and promotional materials, such as handouts, fact sheets, and videos, to support public understanding of the EIRP process and engagement opportunities
3. Prepare final report on community engagement and communications
•    Summarize the methods and tools used for stakeholder engagement and public outreach
•    Include feedback received, key findings, and lessons learned
•    Incorporate input from internal agency teams and external partners as appropriate
4. Project management
•    Project charter
•    Detailed project plan (timeline, budget, risks, and resource allocations)
•    Risk mitigation plan
•    Regular status updates to agency
•    Documentation of change requests and action items
•    Final project report and complete archive of deliverables.

- Pre-Response Conference Date: August 20, 2025
- Questions/Inquires Deadline: August 26, 2025