The San Juan Water Conservancy District (SJWCD) is inviting proposals from qualified parties to provide consulting services for:
(1) community engagement expertise to develop a strategy for community education and communication on water issues that impact our region and also promotes the ability of the SJWCD to achieve all stated goals identified in our 2021 Strategic Plan;
(2) coordination of community feedback panels to develop effective messaging on water issues;
(3) development of education and communication materials including graphic artwork brochures, presentations, articles for publication, and online distribution.
In May 2021 members of the SJWCD Board participated with leaders of other community organizations in Pagosa Springs and Archuleta County in a workshop offered by the Sonoran Institute to assist communities in incorporating water considerations in their growth plans. Please see the Sonoran Institute website for more information on these Growing Water Smart workshops (https://resilientwest.org/2020/co-gws-rfa/).
The Pagosa Springs/Archuleta County Growing Water Smart workshop team developed multiple objectives aimed at addressing water issues in the Upper San Juan River Basin. A key objective involves communication and education of the community on water issues that impact the region. As this objective meshes well with the SJWCD Strategic Plan objectives, the SJWCD has agreed to consolidate, coordinate, and manage these education and communication efforts.
You can download the RFP here.
Timeline:
(1) Request for Proposals announced – September 1, 2021
(2) Last date to submit questions – September 20, 2021 at 5pm MDT
(3) Response to questions (anticipated) – September 27, 2021. Answers given to questions submitted will be posted to the SJWCD website.
(4) Final Proposal due date – October 8, 2021 5:00pm MDT
(5) Interviews for finalists – Week of October 11, 2021
(6) Contract award (anticipated) – October 25, 2021
In early 2021, the SJWCD published its Strategic Plan outlining its strategic objectives and associated actions required to accomplish these objectives. The strategic objectives include determining the water needs (agricultural, municipal, environmental, and recreational) of the District, and how the San Juan River Headwaters Project and other projects might meet those needs; education of the community regarding critical water issues that face the District, the Southwest Basin of Colorado, and the Colorado River Basin and its tributaries; conservation of limited water resources through continued existing programs and initiation of new programs; ensuring the financial health and viability of the District through cost-effective asset management including, but not limited to the District’s water rights and collaboration with existing and new partners; and establishing a reputation of operational excellence through communication both internally and externally with partners and the general public.
The Strategic Plan may be found on the SJWCD website.