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REQUEST FOR EXTERNAL EVALUATION CONTRACT PROPOSALS
Evaluation of Let’s Go! SC Community Implementation Project
Eat Smart, Move More South Carolina
Eat Smart Move More South Carolina (ESMMSC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization
dedicated to advancing community-led change to reduce obesity by making the healthy choice
the easy choice for every South Carolinian. ESMMSC increases access to healthy eating and
active living by partnering with community leaders and focusing on policy, systems and
environmental (PSE) changes that influence people to make healthy choices. ESMMSC’s three
areas of strategic focus are community action, youth engagement, and advocacy.
Since 2010, Eat Smart, Move More has been working with community partners to create,
implement and evaluate appropriate strategies to create environments supportive of healthy
eating and active living. There are currently 21 local Eat Smart Move More chapters and several
other Healthy Eating/Active Living (HEAL) community coalitions which reach 41 of South
Carolina’s 46 counties. Each local coalition consists of a variety of local partners including state
agencies, business and industry, health care organizations, schools, academia, community
based groups and a broad range of other stakeholders to capitalize and leverage differing areas
of expertise, skills and resources.
Let’s Go! SC Community Implementation
The purpose of the Let’s Go! SC Community Implementation project is to replicate the success
and apply lessons learned from Let’s Go! Colleton County. Let’s Go! Colleton County spanned
2009-2014 and had measureable success in each the project’s focus areas. With additional
funding from the BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation, ESMMSC in partnership
with six community coalitions, will use a best practice, multi-sectoral approach to create
healthier communities by increasing access to healthy eating and active living. Each of the six
coalitions will be guided by a diverse Leadership Team and focus on the following objectives:
1. Increase opportunities for choosing healthy foods and daily physical activity in
communities and schools.
2. Participate in the statewide implementation of FITNESSGRAM.
3. Increase youth engagement and youth voice by establishing and maintaining The
Healthy Young People Empowerment (HYPE) Project teams as part of local coalition
work.
4. Populate the LetsGoSC.org mapping instrument for residents to locate places to access
healthy foods and physical activity in their community.
The Leadership Teams will have representation from the Coalition Chairperson, school district,
local government, Department of Health, HYPE adult advisor, and another community
organization of choice. Additionally, each community will have a paid Coalition Coach who will
serve as the local project coordinator. Appendix A contains a project summary.
Evaluation Purpose and Scope
Eat Smart, Move More SC seeks proposals from experienced evaluators to develop and
implement a process and outcome evaluation with a subset of key partners from across the
state. The evaluator will design an approach that assesses coalition strategy implementation at
the school and community level, using both qualitative and quantitative methods.
The goal of the evaluation is to determine the success of the implementation of a multisectorial model for obesity prevention. Each of the six project counties will have an annual
action plan that specifies objectives. The evaluator will work with the Project Manager to
ensure the action plans have measurable outcomes. The following indicators are samples of
expected evaluation criteria.
1. Increased opportunities for healthy foods and daily physical activity
(These indicators may vary based on community action plans. The following are examples.)
a. Indicator: number of jurisdictions who have complete streets
resolutions/ordinances
b. Indicator: average score on the Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s Healthy
Schools Program Assessment.
c. Indicator: number of farmers markets that accept EBT/SNAP
2. FITNESSGRAM®
a. Indicator: student fitness level
b. Indicator: student BMI
3. Healthy Young People Empowerment (HYPE) Project
a. Indicator: demonstrated skill for community engagement
b. Indicator: reported intention for healthy eating and physical activity
4. LetsGoSC.org
a. Indicator: number of counties with populated data on Let’s Go SC mapping tool
b. Indicator: google analytics reports of site traffic
In addition to the local community action plans, the following components are integral and
should be a priority focus of the evaluation plan. This section of the plan will focus on the
process of implementation and identify key components for success. The evaluator will work
with the Project Manager to identify additional questions and finalize the list.
1. Community Strategy Implementation: Using community assessment data, coalitions
will develop annual objectives and implement action plans focused on PSE change
strategies
a. Determine critical components for and barriers to successful implementation
2. Policy Promotion: Each PSE strategy will be promoted with Let’s Go! marketing and a
small programmatic effort to engage community members (e.g. reducing sugarsweetened beverages challenge).
a. Determine impact of programmatic effort
b. Track community participation
3. School District participation in the Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s (AHG) Healthy
Schools Program: At least one school district in each county will participate
a. Determine how Community Coach influences school success
b. Work with AHG to measure the difference between schools who have an
engaged Community Coach and those that do not
4. HYPE youth engagement in Coalition efforts: Youth advocates will work with coalition
members to become a standard component of community change
a. Determine critical components for and barriers to youth integration
Below is a sample of critical evaluation questions.
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2.
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4.
How do community partners understand the role of a community coalition?
What do community partners see as the primary role of the community coalition?
What outcomes have partners experienced at the school and community level?
What do community partners perceive as the most significant change that has
happened (within the last year, three years, within each focus area, etc.)?
5. How do community partners view youth as coalition partners?
6. What factors impact Community Coach sustainability?
7. What factors impact coalition member retention?
8. What strategy implementation factors need to be considered if other coalitions want to
use this model?
9. What are the characteristics of a highly successful coalition?
10. To what extent have coalitions leveraged additional resources?
11. What is the reach of the project?
Deliverables
The contract will span 2015-2017. Annual deliverables will be specified when the evaluator is
selected.
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Engage and collaborate with ESMMSC project committee and community coalition
partners throughout the evaluation timeline
Develop interview and/or focus group questions collaboratively with ESMMSC staff and
coalition partners
Develop a project logic model, outlining all evaluation questions
Design an evaluation plan including a project logic model, evaluation questions, and
data collection procedures
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Provide (and develop as needed) all data collection tools and materials
Provide final written report and presentation
Provide timely and regular updates to ESMMSC staff and coalition partners
RFP and Project Timeline
The project timeline spans January 2015-December 2017. The RFP submission deadline is April
15, 2015.
The budget for this evaluation is up to $120,000 for a three-year period, which includes travel,
personnel, meeting expenses, and administrative costs. If needed, incentives for focus groups
will be funded by ESMMSC and will be separate from this contract. The vendor should provide
a detailed proposed budget, including approximate number of hours, cost per hour, and
justifications of all major expenditures.
Contract Application Process
To be considered for this contract, applicants must submit a proposal that addresses the
following topics, totaling no more than 12 single spaced pages, excluding appendix materials.
Upon review, selected applicants may receive a request for additional information or a phone
interview.
A. Executive Summary
The executive summary will consist of the proposal cover letter highlighting the
contents of the proposal. Please include a description of your interest in performing this
evaluation, including interest in specific elements.
B. Organizational Overview
This section will include background information on the applicant’s organization and
should give details of organizational experience with similar projects. Provide an
overview of the business philosophy, values, practices, and areas of expertise and
specialization that distinguish your organization from your competitors/colleagues.
Include information about the signature approach and strengths of your organization,
and other information that describes your organization’s unique capacity to perform
this evaluation, including the method by which your clients’ needs are understood and
integrated into project design.
C. Project Staffing and Experience
This section will detail your organization’s professional expertise and experience as it
relates to the staff working on this specific evaluation. This section must include the
proposed staffing to be assigned to this project. As an appendix, please provide two
executive summaries from recent evaluation reports the lead evaluator(s) have
conducted/led.
D. Technical Proposal
This section should include, in narrative and outline, the plan proposed to accomplish
the scope of work and address the evaluation questions. This section must provide a
comprehensive narrative that sets out the proposed evaluation plan and methodology
intended and how the methodology meets the needs of the project.
E. Budgetary Proposal
This section shall outline the daily rates of the proposed team members, and what
other expenses or incidentals would apply.
1. Personnel Costs: Distinguish between in-house and subcontracted personnel and
2.
3.
4.
5.
calculate the total costs required to execute the proposed evaluation within the
required timeline.
Material Production Costs: Identify all costs related to the production of
materials for the evaluation project.
Travel Expenses: Identify all reimbursable travel expenses and detail how the
expenses will be verified.
Operational Expenses: Identify all operational expenses that will be incurred in
the performance of this contract, such as packaging, postage, express
photocopying, telephone, shipping, delivery, and transcription. If the
organization is an academic institution, please include the organization’s
indirect cost rate. Identify and submit rates for operation-related expenses.
Detail how the expenses will be verified.
Miscellaneous Expenses: Identify all miscellaneous expenses that will be
incurred in performance of this contract, not previously covered in the items
listed above. Submit rates for each miscellaneousexpense identified. Any costs
associated with ESMMSC outside the scope of this price proposal should also be
listed. Detail how the expenses will be verified.
Selection Criteria
An evaluator or evaluation team will be selected based on the key criteria that include:
● Demonstration that the proposed evaluation team understands the goals and
objectives of the evaluation.
● A clear description of a specific plan for systematic data collection and analysis.
● Evidence of a strong evaluation design and appropriate methodology.
● Experience conducting multi-site evaluations.
● Specificity and appropriateness of data analysis; plans for quantitative and qualitative
data analyses and estimates of statistical power for each sample.
● A description of the strengths and weaknesses of the proposed evaluation design and
methods used.
● Research qualifications and experience of the evaluation team.
● Appropriateness of proposed budget and project timeline.
Submission
The submission deadline is 5:00pm EST on April 15, 2015. The RFP will remain open until a
contract has been selected. Please submit proposals by email in pdf format to Lauren Neely,
Project Manager, at [email protected]. The subject line should read: “RFP—
Let’s Go! SC Evaluation”.
Appendix A.
Project Summary
Through a coordinated approach, each of the coalitions, in partnership with a HYPE team, will
increase options for healthy eating and active living. Community Coalition Coaches will be
identified to support implementation at the local level. Community coalition members and
HYPE Adult Advisors will attend the Leadership Institute Training which will lay the groundwork
for community assessments, action plan development, and evaluation. All strategies will align
with the SC Obesity Action Plan and are based on the CDC’s The Community Guide. Strategies
include:
Healthy Young People Empowerment (HYPE) Project-The purpose of the HYPE Project is to
recruit, train, and engage middle and high school youth in PSE obesity change efforts. The HYPE
Project builds the skills of youth so they can become a voice in their communities and be
lifelong champions of positive change.Each community will recruit a HYPE team and integrate
youth empowerment strategies in the coalition and advocacy efforts. HYPE Adult Advisors and
youth members are trained through a national award-winning curriculum.
Community- The coalition will improve the social and built environment to create communities
where HEAL options are accessible and affordable to everyone. Strategies such as enhancing
farmers markets to accept EBT/SNAP, health in county/city plans, complete streets promotion,
and school shared use agreements will be determined by the local coalitions based on an
assessment process.
Schools- In partnership with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation and SCDHEC, the
Community Coalition Coach will work with schools to complete the Alliance for a Healthier
Generation’s Healthy Schools Program Assessment and Six Steps to a Healthier School. Each
school develops and implements an action plan to create a healthier school environment.
Coalitions may also work with community organizations to implement the Alliance’s Healthy
Out-of-School Time process.
ESMMSC will support the statewide implementation of FITNESSGRAM® by requiring that a
school district in participating communities participate in the statewide implementation
beginning in the 2015/16 school year. FITNESSGRAM® data will be used to track fitness levels
(grades 5, 8, and high school) and BMI (grades 2, 5, 8, high school) of youth.
Let’s Go SC--LetsGoSC.org is an interactive database with a searchable map of HEAL options in
South Carolina. Each coalition will populate county information and update as options increase.
The content and traffic to the LetsGoSC.org website is continuously monitored.