Project Information

Bid Title

2026 Community-Based Strategic Plan

Issuing Agency

City of Independence

Location

Kansas

Published Date

Nov 21, 2025

Closing Date

Dec 31, 2025

Government Level

State & Local

Status

Closed

Original Source

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Bid Documents

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Project Description

Bid Title:	2026 Community-Based Strategic Plan
Category:	CITY
Status:	Open

Description: Request for Proposals – Community-Based Strategic Plan (2026–2036) The City of Independence is seeking proposals from qualified consulting firms to develop a Community-Based Strategic Plan that will guide community priorities, capital investments, and decision-making over the next decade. The project includes a new community survey, a five-year action plan (2026–2031), a ten-year strategic outlook (2026–2036), robust public engagement, and a practical performance-tracking framework that supports quarterly updates and integration of the City’s biennial survey data. Proposal Deadline: December 31, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. CST Submission: Proposals may be submitted in hard copy to the City Manager’s Office, 120 N. 6th Street, Independence, Kansas 67301, or preferably by email (PDF) to For security reasons, you must enable JavaScript to view this E-mail address. with the subject line “CBSP RFP – [Firm Name].” The full RFP is available in the related documents linked to this post. Publication Date/Time: 11/21/2025 12:00 AM Closing Date/Time: 12/31/2025 2:00 PM Related Documents: RFP - Community Based Strategic Plan - Due 12312025

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CITY OF INDEPENDENCE, KANSAS

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

Community-Based Strategic Plan (2026–2036)

Issue Date: November 21, 2025

Proposal Deadline: December 31, 2025 – 2:00 PM CST

RFP Reference: CBSP-2026-01

Submission Address:

City of Independence – City Manager’s Office

120 N. 6th Street

Independence, Kansas 67301

Electronic Submission:

Email (PDF): KellyP@IndependenceKs.gov

Subject Line: “CBSP RFP – [Firm Name]”

1. INTRODUCTION

The City of Independence is seeking proposals from qualified firms to develop a Community-

Based Strategic Plan grounded in robust community input and aligned with the City’s long-

term financial and capital planning. The City seeks a plan that strengthens community identity,

fosters collaboration, and promotes long-term resilience—consistent with modern community-

building principles.

The project includes:

 A new community survey designed and administered by the consultant

 A 5-year action plan (2026–2031)

 A 10-year strategic outlook (2026–2036)

 A public engagement process shaped by the consultant

 A tracking framework that supports quarterly updates and biennial survey metrics

 Final plan adoption scheduled for July 23, 2026

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2. PROJECT OBJECTIVES

The consultant shall:

1. Conduct a community survey as the first phase of the project, using comparable

questions from the 2021 and 2023 surveys (available on request).

2. Analyze survey results and use them to shape all subsequent planning work.

3. Facilitate a community-based engagement process.

4. Develop a practical, sustainable Strategic Plan with both short-term and long-term

horizons.

5. Provide a performance tracking structure suitable for software or spreadsheet use.

3. SCOPE OF WORK

A. Project Management

 Kickoff meeting

 Project schedule and milestones

 Monthly coordination meetings

B. Phase 1: Community Survey (Required First Step)

The consultant shall:

1. Design the Survey

 Replicate core questions from the 2021 and 2023 surveys so results remain comparable.

 Use the City's provided survey documents for reference.

 Propose any supplemental questions based on best practices.

2. Administer the Survey

 Develop a distribution plan (online, paper, mail, etc.)

 Ensure the sample is representative of the community

 Facilitate accessible public participation

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3. Analyze Survey Results

 Compare results to 2021 and 2023 trend data

 Highlight strengths, concerns, and emerging priorities

 Identify demographic variations

 Prepare presentation-ready graphics and summary tables

4. Present Findings

 Deliver survey results to City staff

 Present findings to the City Commission

 Incorporate summary results into the Strategic Plan

The Strategic Plan shall not be drafted until survey results have been analyzed and

delivered.

C. Phase 2: Public Engagement (After Survey Completion)

The City is not prescribing specific activities.

The consultant shall propose a community-based engagement plan that may include:

 Public workshops

 Stakeholder listening sessions

 Meetings with civic, educational, and business partners

 Online engagement tools

 Public review of the draft plan

Engagement must reflect survey results and be inclusive of diverse community voices. The

consultant shall use engagement strategies that specifically reach traditionally underrepresented

or harder-to-reach segments of the community, such as youth, renters, low-income households,

seniors, and minority populations

D. Phase 3: Strategic Plan Development

The plan must include:

1. Vision Statement

The plan should frame the City’s challenges and opportunities in a forward-looking, solutions-

based manner that builds on community strengths and emphasizes future potential.

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2. Strategic Priorities (3–6)

3. Goals (1–3 per priority)

4. Strategies/Initiatives

(High-level — not task-level; avoid granularity)

Strategies should consider opportunities for regional cooperation, shared services, and

partnerships with neighboring jurisdictions, educational institutions, and local organizations,

consistent with best practices in long-term community sustainability.

5. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

 Limited number

 Based on existing City data

 Updated quarterly (status updates only)

 Biennial community survey KPIs included

6. Implementation Framework

 5-year action horizon (2026–2031)

 10-year strategic outlook (2026–2036)

 Roles and responsibilities

 Annual review process

E. Phase 4: Performance Tracking Structure

Must be software-neutral and include:

 Quarterly status indicators (On Track, In Progress, Needs Attention, Completed)

 Exportable spreadsheet listing priorities, goals, strategies, KPIs, and owners

 KPI update frequencies (quarterly, annual, biennial)

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4. DELIVERABLES

Survey Deliverables

 Draft survey instrument

 Final survey

 Survey distribution plan

 Data analysis & trend comparison

 Staff briefing & Commission presentation

 Survey summary for plan appendix

Strategic Plan Deliverables

 Draft Plan submitted to staff: June 17, 2026

 Draft presentation to Commission: June 25, 2026

 Final Plan submitted to staff: July 15, 2026

 Final presentation & adoption: July 23, 2026

 Spreadsheet-compatible implementation matrix

 Public-friendly plan summary

5. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

1. Cover letter

2. Project understanding

3. Proposed methodology (survey + engagement + plan development)

4. Project schedule

5. Team qualifications & experience

6. Examples of similar plans and surveys

7. Cost proposal

8. References

6. EVALUATION CRITERIA

 Understanding of survey-driven strategic planning

 Experience conducting community surveys

 Engagement strategy quality

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Commodity Codes

• NAICS 541611Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services

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