Why One District Decided to Use an RFI — Not an RFP

At a time when budgets are tight and educational wants are excessive, some faculty districts are turning to a radical, however time-consuming choice for attending to know new distributors — a request for info.

That course of is much like a request for proposals, which districts are usually legally required to run in the event that they plan to spend a big chunk of cash on a services or products.

The district lays out its objectives, issues, and desires, and receives bids from distributors that define their services and products and the way they’ll profit the district.

However, not like an RFP, no contract is signed on the finish.

The purpose of a request for info is, because the identify suggests, to get a greater sense of what’s on the market within the Ok-12 house, and what distributors can provide a college district, stated Deidra Whittenberger, coordinator of federal applications and grants growth for Volusia County Faculties.

Her district, which has round 60,000 college students in Florida, not too long ago ran its first RFI, which centered on elementary curriculum, instruments, and supplies.

Whereas the method takes longer and requires extra devoted employees than different choices for attending to know distributors — like attending a convention or studying by way of chilly pitches of their inbox — it additionally gives extra assurance {that a} system has thought-about all of the choices, and opens the door for extra communication between directors and firms.

That makes it an interesting choice at a time when many directors say their emails are overwhelmed by gross sales reps, districts are juggling extra ed-tech instruments than ever earlier than, and leaders are beneath strain to spend every greenback of shrinking budgets successfully.

“Doing an RFI, for us, continues to be a more recent course of, and possibly for different districts as properly,” Whittenberger stated. “More often than not, they most likely simply suppose: We’d like a product, we’ve acquired to go discover a vendor. However actually taking the time to take a step again and verify what the necessity is versus what’s on the market may in the end save [districts] money and time in the long term.”

EdWeek Market Transient not too long ago spoke with Whittenberger about her RFI expertise: Why her district selected this selection, what the method was like, and what it meant for her faculty system’s relationship with distributors.

How has utilizing an RFI been completely different than your expertise counting on RFPs?

Our RFI was particularly taking a look at elementary licenses that we pay for, as a result of there are such a lot of platforms on the market and we wished to ensure that we had the correct distributors at play.

It was a fairly a prolonged course of so far as what they needed to submit after which what we needed to overview. We wished to see what was on the market, and to see if the merchandise that we had been paying for are the very best merchandise.

[Different than an RFP,] there was no assure that anyone is ever going to get a contract… and we didn’t give anyone something on the finish.

What spurred your district to begin utilizing RFIs?

It was actually taking a look at what number of merchandise had been being paid for, after which taking a look at how they overlap.

We could pay for 10 merchandise they usually all hit on fluency. So is there a greater one which we needs to be streamlining our employees and our college students to be utilizing so it’s a greater use of our cash and a greater use of individuals’s time? Are we simply spending an excessive amount of cash on too many merchandise? Can we slim it down?

There’s much more on the market because the pandemic. I really feel like there are distributors all over the place, distributors that I’ve by no means heard of, they usually’re all attempting to get in.

What makes this a preferable avenue for gathering details about distributors?

While you get a pitch, more often than not you need to pay for one thing. And after we are coping with federal funds, we have to be certain that we’re spending our cash with constancy.

Earlier than we even take a look at spending our cash, we wish to overview the entire merchandise which are on the market so we’re spending our cash with constancy and getting a return on funding that’s measurable [and] that’s going to satisfy probably the most wants of our district.

As a result of if not, most applications take about three years to find out in the event that they’re efficient or not. We take a look at this yearly, however three years is often the minimize off — if it’s not working after three years, you most likely shouldn’t proceed to spend cash.

We had been attempting to make sure that at one 12 months we will take a look at our return on funding and decide if that’s one thing we wish to fund for 3 years. You’re in a position to take care of one 12 months [after an RFI] as a result of you’ve got extra info going into it.

Did you get extra concepts about learn how to resolve the problem the district is attempting to handle?

Once we see 30 distributors, we will see what every of them does after which see if our want is definitely somewhere else — we is perhaps asking an excessive amount of from a vendor. After which after we do get an RFP on the market, we find yourself spending extra money.

So utilizing an RFI can also be a manner to make sure the district is being reasonable in its ask of distributors?

By seeing what’s on the market after which measuring what our goal is, we will transfer to an RFP course of with clear aims {that a} vendor would want to satisfy.

It’s positively not nearly [vendors]. Perhaps we should be extra streamlined with what we’re asking for from a vendor as properly.

You stated the RFI is a prolonged course of. What does it contain?

We made a small group and determined what we had been going to place in our RFI, in order that was step one. Then our procurement group put it on the market for X quantity of days. They compiled all of it right into a drive after which it will get filtered. Typically [the district] does need to commute if [a vendor is] lacking a chunk, and it’s dated when every vendor set it up.

Then the remainder of the committee is chosen. We had completely different departments and stakeholders — folks with completely different experiences — on the desk.

We had a window after we reviewed [submissions] electronically, and we’d write down any extra questions that we might have particularly. We despatched it to our buying division and in that window, they despatched it again out to the distributors.

In any case of these questions had been answered, we had a presentation course of. So [the vendors] all got here again in and introduced to all of us. They did a couple of 15-minute presentation in regards to the product. There was a query and reply portion on the finish. As soon as we noticed all of the distributors, we additionally had a remaining query course of for follow-up questions.

What do you do with all of that info?

We sat down and reviewed the entire info that has been collected — which is a plethora of knowledge — in order that in a 12 months or two when we’re going to exit for an RFP and ask: What do we have to ask for? Will we should be extra particular? Now we have all of this information collected.

We’ll meet quarterly to go over every thing that we noticed and what we wish to begin seeing for after we do put out an RFP.

Who within the district is concerned on this course of?

Our overview group had over 30 folks from completely different departments, all from completely different ranges and completely different viewpoints.

We had a consultant from virtually each topic space: ELA, math, science, social research; your entire tech group had those who had been there; and, in fact, the buying group. We had educators from completely different ranges of expertise, as a result of a more recent trainer who’s simply popping out of faculty could also be extra updated on issues than an skilled veteran trainer.

Our superintendent was not accessible to commit that a lot time to the method, however we had lots of our cabinet-level members there, lots of our management.

What sort of information had been you seeking to see from these corporations?

In fact we wished to see requirements alignment. We checked out which different districts are utilizing the seller or program that we had been amassing info from, simply because we do have an ideal community accessible. So not solely can we get the data from the seller, however we may attain out to a neighboring district and [ask], “How was that working for you guys?”

While you’re taking a look at expertise purchases, in fact [our committee] wished to verify it integrates with our system.

When you find yourself searching for a vendor that’s coming in and offering a service, we’re asking what legal guidelines they’re following, that they’re totally background-checked earlier than we enable them onto our property.

After which we additionally requested them if that they had any awards that their applications have gained. As a result of I’m not a math particular person, but when they gained this prestigious math award that solely 10 corporations in your entire state have gained — that’s clearly a [confirmation] that they’re doing an incredible job.

What sort of response do you get from distributors? Any suggestions on the RFI course of?

We most likely had about 50 submissions after which we narrowed it all the way down to about 30 presenters.

We didn’t have lots of suggestions. I do know it’s lots of work for [vendors] to place [RFI responses] collectively. However the packets that they introduced had been similar to a packet that they’d current for an RFP as properly. The one distinction is we’re not guaranteeing anyone a contract. So it may in the end be the identical pitch.

For us, it’s about clear expectations and questions extra so than wanting to ensure they’re getting the cash. With the RFI we most likely have a bit of bit extra of an open communication than an RFP as a result of RFPs are so particular on what you’re, or are usually not allowed to ask from a vendor. From my standpoint, we had a bit of bit extra flexibility [to say]: “We actually wish to see this.”

Do you see this as a option to construct a relationship with an organization?

I do suppose it’s a good way for corporations to construct relationships. Even when [what they offer] doesn’t meet the precise RFI that we had on the time, it doesn’t imply that they aren’t an choice for a distinct request that we would have later.

It expands on present relationships, too, as a result of generally if you put out an RFP you’re very particular and slim. We would not know that this firm additionally gives skilled growth, for instance. If we’re shopping for a product from an organization and I’m solely doing an RFP for a particular product, I may not know [I can also ask for PD services.]

How usually do you suppose RFIs are usually utilized, and for what varieties of merchandise?

We’re doing it about annually, and I don’t see us doing it extra usually than annually. For us, it’s for curriculum kind merchandise, simply due to the plethora of distributors which are on the market.

I may see us utilizing this course of in numerous methods a bit of bit farther down the street.

Are there any widespread errors that you simply see distributors make relating to RFPs or RFIs?

Even when they didn’t suppose that something goes to return from it, convey every thing that you simply suppose we could possibly be asking for in a presentation. We’re going to take the time to undergo every thing that you simply submit.

Present us every thing your organization gives, as a result of I most likely didn’t know. We’ve most likely used one vendor for a very long time. And we would wish to keep it up, however we simply didn’t know that you simply do it. Don’t promote your organization brief.

Although it’s time-consuming, it’s positively value what you place into it.

This dialog has been edited for size and readability.