RFP: Digital Information Hub Project Design and Implementation

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS:  

Consultancy: Digital Information Hub Project Design and Implementation 

Deadline for submission: May 12th 11:59 PM CST   

Home is Here NOLA is seeking proposals from an individual and/or team with proven expertise in digital technology, app development and strong skills in project design and development. We are looking for a consultant(s) available for immediate start. The proposed time frame is May 2024 – April  2025.   

About Home is Here NOLA: 

Home is Here is a grassroots nonprofit organization with a mission to cultivate community-based systems of support with newly arrived immigrants in the Gulf South. We envision a world where newly arrived community members experience safety, a sense of belonging, and equitable participation in/benefit from systems co-created by and for all.  

Background   

Louisiana detains more immigrants than any other state outside of Texas in its eight rural detention centers. Upon release, most asylum-seekers quickly disperse to cities throughout the U.S. that do not have free post-release legal aid or legal orientation services and where they often cannot access immediate legal representation. This causes much confusion and anxiety; risks exploitative, fraudulent, unethical or incompetent legal advice; and can prevent people from taking the necessary steps to apply for or meaningfully defend their eligibility for legal status and other protections from deportation. 

There is a need for relevant information to guide this community through the general immigration process in order to demystify its complexity in a language and format that is accessible so that people can safely exercise agency in their own legal defense and protection. We’ve learned that this is largely a delivery model question – Quality information needs to delivered at an impactful scope and scale, as well as in a way that’s trusted, consistent, responsive, and accessible in a variety of formats and languages to accommodate for various literacy and technology barriers within a transient community. 

Our goal is to invest in new immigration legal aid capacity-building initiatives that are community-owned, partnered, and meaningfully accessible for marginalized immigrants in the underserved Gulf South region, with the overall goal of seeking to remedy the lack of equitable and accessible legal aid infrastructure for this community. Working closely alongside like-minded organizations in a state with the second highest detention rate in the country and one of the lowest rates of legal representation in immigration court, expanding rights-based community education, community defense, and legal aid capacity is critical to achieve this vision. 

Together with Louisiana Organization for Refugees and Immigrants (LORI) and Organiza Texas, LLC., this RFP project is part of a larger Community Education and Defense Project with two goals: 

1. Organize a community safety initiative to create sustainably empowered, civically engaged immigrant community members in Louisiana;  
2. Cultivate a committed core of providers who can affordably offer an effective form of legal aid to this community.  

Scope of Work 

This project is aimed at developing a technology-based digital tool designed to deliver specialized legal orientation information to newly arrived asylum-seekers and other immigrants being released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody in Louisiana. The legal orientation information already exists as a written curriculum. General scope of customization/questions and curriculum content list can be accessed HERE. We expect this digital space will leverage existing technology through app-based texting platforms that immigrants already use and can easily access, and that it will deliver this information in customized, responsive, and accessible ways based on user needs. 

• Consultation and specifications gathering to determine design, content, and functionality needs; 
• Technical needs assessment – To identify and evaluate tech platforms and tools given the scope of work/goals, user base, and budget needs; 
• Platform selection and prototype design and development; 
• Prototype piloting and adaptation; 
• Final technology-based tool to deliver user-responsive, specialized, and essential post-release legal orientation information in multiple common languages; 
• Monitoring, adjustment, training and final handover of tools designed.  

Primary Responsibilities  

• Research and evaluate existing phone-based technology tools and platforms most commonly used by immigrants; 
• Select and set up platform(s) contract; 
• Design customization of tool for delivery model; 
• Discern content and content delivery format(s); ** 
• Design, develop, and pilot tool for testing and feedback;  
• Monitor and evaluate use trends and outcome indicators; 
• Participate in regular calls for collaboration, progress updates, etc. 

** Responsibilities outsourced under separate contract include: Adapting content for accessibility (i.e. translation, captioning, audio/video production for those with low literacy, etc.). 

Key deliverables  

• Technical/Specifications needs assessment; 
• Design and development of prototype for pilot testing, modifications and re-testing of multiple groups of immigrants over several months; 
• Initial evaluation data, analysis, and recommendations and final report/user manual; 
• A free for user digital tool compatible with smartphones and accessible through already existing platform(s) most used by immigrant community members to deliver user-responsive, specialized and essential post-release legal orientation information in multiple languages by Nov 2024.  

Timeline  

Consultancy is expected to begin May 2024 for delivery of initial digital tool by November 2024 latest. Ongoing monitoring and continued adjustments and technical support to continue through April 2025. 

Budget  

The budget for the full scope of this consultancy is up to USD $12,000.00. This includes time and labor for primary responsibilities: technology platforms identification, subscriptions to technology platforms, electronic equipment, accessories, design, development, testing and system management, travel, monitoring, and evaluation at a rate range of $75-$100/hour for 90-120 hours. 

Outreach and consultation w/immigrant users for evaluation and dissemination of information on access to the tool can be additionally compensated at up to $3,000 if included in the proposal. 

This budget specifically excludes interpretation, translation, captioning, audio/video production, shipping of any equipment as well as organizational in-kind support and consultation time with Home is Here.    

The consultant is expected to present a clear, concise and realistic budget showing their fee breakdown.   

Consultant/Consultant Team Profile  

• Experience in developing customized responsive platforms and/or databases using existing app technology; 
• Exceptional project management skills, ideally with 2+ years of relevant experience in project management;  
• Prior experience in delivering legal education preferred; 
• Fluency in Spanish a benefit; 
• Clear and straightforward writing and oral communication skills; 
• Creative and strategic thinker who recognizes both the power and the limits of tech; 
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with immigrants and others in ways that are accountable to organized communities and center voices of working-class BIPOC and immigrants; 
• Commitment to providing high quality, accessible information to empower and support agency and leadership among those who are navigating the immigration system on their own. 

Submission of Proposal  

We are seeking a proposal that aims to propose a process for this scope of work with milestones, timeframes, and budget. Interested consultants are requested to send the following:   

1. Expression of interest that includes any specifications on proposed work plan, timeline, and budget (please keep to a page); 
2. Resume; 
3. Two references familiar with your relevant experience;  
4. Samples of previous work or materials showcasing relevant skills and experience (optional) 

Proposals are to be submitted to info@homeisherenola.org no later than May 5, 2024, 11:59 PM CST. Please include the following subject line in the application correspondence: Consultancy Proposal.  Proposals reviewed on a rolling basis.   

Selection Criteria  

Selection will be based upon the proposal and interviews with appropriate consideration given to operational, technical, cost, and management requirements. Key considerations: 

• Evidence of the consultant’s qualifications to provide the above services and ability to deliver the indicated services in accordance with the specifications set out in this RFP. 
• Background and experience in conducting similar assignments.  

Please contact info@homeisherenola.org with any questions about this RFP by May 3rd using the subject heading: Consultancy Questions.