Contract Summary

Facilitator and Facilitation Services to be used to procure similar to those services listed below, or any other services associated with Facilitators and Facilitation services.

Facilitators and Facilitation

Facilitation shall include, but is not limited to, services to provide an objective third party to help design meetings or public sessions, guide discussions, decision making, planning, or information sharing sessions attended by people with differing positions, agendas, etc.

Facilitators should be able to:
• Analyze and understand current issues and conflicts.
• Recommend right techniques/tools for team improvement.
• Provide training and support.
• Participate and manage team meetings.
• Ensure time keeping throughout the project.
• Ensure effective communications.

Facilitators should understand the following concepts:
• Guiding customs of the community with whom the facilitation is occurring.
• Observational skills; recognizing contributions of individuals in the group.
• Flexibility.
• Imagination and brainstorming within a specific time frame.
• Perseverance and tolerance.
• Balance - between individual opinions and group.
• Encourage and validate.
• Questioning with silence.
• Explicit and implicit connections.

Facilitators should possess the following skills:
• Good preparation skills.
• The ability to create an appropriate environment for the meeting.
• Setting expectations and ensuring clarity of purpose, role and outcomes.
• The ability to quickly develop rapport and establish trust.
• Active listening skills.
• The ability to ask ‘good’ questions and be appropriately challenging.
• Be non-judgmental.
• Be supportive.

Facilitators should be:
• External to the team and to be seen as independent by the team.
• Confident at meetings involving professionals, and experienced at meeting facilitation.
• Neutral to the results obtained.

Facilitators should NOT be:
• A member of the team or work with or alongside the team on a day-to-day basis.
• Significantly more junior than the most senior member of the team.
• Managed or accountable to a member of the team, or manage anyone within the team.

Facilitator steps to be performed:
• Schedule and agree key dates for meetings.
• Prepare for the meetings.
• Facilitate the meetings.
• Record all meeting actions.

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***What are 2-Tier Contracts?***
DES manages multiple 2-Tier Contracts for non-IT professional services. These non-IT 2-Tier Contracts work like this:
• Tier 1: General (wide) category scope procurement is posted and completed by Enterprise Services to Pre-Qualify Bidders with in a category (example Facilitators & Facilitation Services, Organizational Development)
• Tier 2: Detailed (specific) scope project procurement posted and completed by the Purchaser to award work to one (1) or more Pre-Qualified Bidders/Contractors as established in Tier 1.

***2nd Tier Process***
When it comes to the Tier 2 process, purchasers have 2 options, depending on the size of the project. It is important to follow the process outlined below to ensure that competition is happening as required by RCW 39.26.

Option 1: Rapid Selection – For small projects under $30,000 (excluding sales tax) or $40,000 (excluding sales tax) if the purchase is being made from a microbusiness, minibusiness or small business as defined by RCW 39.26.010, Purchasers can complete a Rapid Selection Award (no competition required). You can also find more information by reviewing Policy # DES-125-03.
Option 2: Tier 2 Solicitation– For larger projects (over the $30k & $40k ceilings explained in Option 1) purchasers must complete a Tier 2 Solicitation. Details on the 2nd Tier solicitation can be found in the Tier 2 Handbook (under the "Resources" drop-down list below).

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