Request for Quote (RFQ) for Workforce Development Survey Design and Analysis Project

The Lake County Resource Conservation District (LCRCD) is seeking a qualified candidate familiar
with social science methods to submit a quote to collaboratively develop a survey and process
qualitative data for a regional workforce assessment in the forestry and fire sectors.

1. Project Background and Objectives

LCRCD is pleased to be participating in Forest WRX Alliance’s “Developing a Climate
Forward Workforce and Innovation Pipeline for Forest and Community Resilience” project,
which was recently awarded funding through Redwood Region RISE (California Jobs First)’s
Catalyst Awards.

As part of this collaborative project, LCRCD is leading the component titled “Advancing Career
Pathways in Forest Stewardship.” This component is designed to help regional leaders better
understand workforce recruitment, career training opportunities, and staff retention in the forest
health and wildfire resilience sector.

The overarching goal of this project is to better support regional workforce development in our
region, which includes Lake, Mendocino, Humboldt, and Del Norte counties.

Towards that end, over the next year, LCRCD and collaborators will conduct a regional workforce
assessment, produce a comprehensive report of findings, and develop specific recommendations for
advancing forestry and fire career pathways in our region. This process will connect to initiatives
unfolding at the state level, including the Workforce Development Work Group convened by the
California Wildfire & Forest Resilience Task Force and Regional Resource Kits.

This project was developed in an effort to meaningfully engage and compensate organizations across
the region that are already focusing on workforce development to ensure that their successes are
elevated, the right questions are asked, relevant data is consolidated, and the appropriate
interventions are recommended.

In order to do so, LCRCD is collaborating with a team of five core regional partners (listed below) to
gather information about ongoing workforce development efforts in our region, identify gaps, and
recognize opportunities. This core project team will be working with a consulting social scientist to
develop and distribute a regional survey. The aim is to collect data from a variety of governmental
agencies, private sector businesses and contractors, educational institutions, and other organizations
(e.g., fire departments, special districts, non-profits, etc.) actively working in the forest health,
wildfire resilience, and/or workforce development/training sectors. Survey respondents will be
compensated for their time.

Our core regional partners are as follows:
● Mattole Restoration Council
● Mid-Klamath Watershed Council
● Northern Mendocino Ecosystem Recovery Alliance
● Tribal EcoRestoration Alliance (TERA)
● Watershed Research and Training Center

2. Scope of Services

The selected consultant will be responsible for the following tasks:

● Regular coordination and communication with the core project team and LCRCD staff
through August of 2026:

○ Up to four (4) one-hour virtual meetings via Zoom with the core project team to
discuss regional context, forestry and fire sectors, and workforce dynamics; including
development, recruitment, and retention as necessary (depending on consultant
experience);

○ Two (2) one-hour virtual meetings via Zoom with the core project team to present and
refine the sampling strategy, including revising survey questions;

○ Two (2) one-hour virtual meetings via Zoom to: (1) present preliminary survey results
to the core project team; and (2) present final analysis of results and report;

○ Up to six (6) half-hour virtual check-in meetings with LCRCD staff as necessary to
assess progress; and

○ One (1) mid-contract progress report and (1) final summary of work performed
submitted to LCRCD staff to demonstrate alignment with subaward funding and
stated project objectives.

● Reviewing project materials and relevant resources shared by the core project team,
including (but not limited to) the following: working list of potential survey respondents,
which preliminarily includes approximately 40 organizations; existing workforce
development and training program materials; and relevant economic and employment data
prior to February 2026;

● Survey design, including collaboratively designing the sampling strategy, identifying the
appropriate methodology, and developing and refining survey instruments with input from
the core project team as necessary in the first calendar quarter of 2026;

● Lead data collection and data quality control, including assisting LCRCD staff with
survey distribution and follow-up communication utilizing appropriate and ethical methods
that ensure the data collection process is reliable, unbiased, and valid over a four-month
period to conclude before June 2026;

● Reviewing and analyzing results, including synthesizing and analyzing survey results using
appropriate statistical and/or qualitative methods through July 2026;

● Co-authoring a report summarizing results with the core project team, including preparing
a comprehensive report of findings providing insights and recommendations gleaned from the
survey process; and potentially supporting the development of a presentation and/or digital
materials to deliver to grantors, collaborators, and potentially the public to be completed by
August 2026.

3. Consultant qualifications and experience

Required

● Applied experience in social science methods and engagement work, including
conducting social science research, developing and administering surveys; conducting or
facilitating interviews; and a familiarity with qualitative data analysis and methods; and

● Commitment to ethical research practices, including adherence to ethical guidelines for
human subjects research and regulatory practices.

Desired

● Familiarity with the region, including prior work experience in Lake, Mendocino,
Humboldt, and/or Del Norte counties;

● Familiarity with geographical context of the topic and/or sector(s) of interest, including
prior experience or understanding of workforce development opportunities and challenges
within forestry, fire, and other natural resource management fields in rural regions of the U.S.
Specific topics of interest include recruitment, professional development, career pathways,
and employee retention;

● Experience conducting outreach with Tribes and Tribal communities and/or willingness
to learn and apply best practices for Tribal engagement; and

● Fluency in written and spoken Spanish, including the ability to develop and deliver survey
materials and analyze responses in Spanish.

4. Submission Requirements

Interested consultants are requested to submit qualifications and a quote that includes the following:

● Resume or CV including a detailed description of the consultant or consultant team’s
experience, particularly with similar projects.

● Cover letter expressing interest and highlighting the consultant or consultant team’s
suitability for the project;

● Proposed methods demonstrating a clear understanding of the project objectives, including a
clear outline of the proposed approach to survey design, data collection, analysis, and
reporting;

● Project timeline, including a realistic and achievable project schedule featuring key
milestones and deliverables;

● Representative writing sample of prior work;

● Detailed budget proposal, including an itemized breakdown of costs, including personnel
time, materials, software, and other expenses; and

● Name and contact information (phone number and/or email) of at least three (3) references
from recent projects, all of which were conducted within the last five years. Please also
provide a list of similar clients if possible.

Submission deadline: December 5, 2025 at 5:00PM PST

Please submit all application materials and direct all questions to Nicole Lau, LCRCD Community Forester, at [email protected].