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HomeMy WebLinkAboutEMC Response to City of Diamond Bar RFP CM_2025_03RESPONSE TO RFP Invitation #CM_2025_03 Public Opinion Polling Services Prepared for: City of Diamond Bar, CA Submitted by: EMC Research Proposal for the City of Diamond Bar - 5.docx EMC Research, Inc. February 24, 2025 Contact: Jessica Polsky-Sanchez | Principal jessica@emcresearch.com ; (510) 550-8933 2001 Broadway, Suite 110 Oakland, CA 94612 Table of Contents A. Cover Letter .............................................................................................. 3 B. Project Team ............................................................................................. 6 C. Firm’s Experience & References ................................................................ 8 D. Methodology & Project Understanding ..................................................... 9 E. Cost of Services ....................................................................................... 11 F. Insurance ................................................................................................ 11 G. Consulting Services Agreement ............................................................... 11 EMC Response to RFP #CM_2025_03 -3- A. Cover Letter February 24, 2025 Alex Batres, Management Analyst City of Diamond Bar 21810 Copley Dr Diamond Bar, CA, 91765 Dear Mr. Batres, Thank you for the opportunity to submit our proposal to prepare and conduct public opinion polling on behalf of the City of Diamond Bar. EMC Research Inc. would be pleased to collaborate with Diamond Bar on this effort, as we strive to help local municipalities, regional governments, and public agencies in making high-impact decisions to improve the lives of the people and communities they serve. The enclosed outlines EMC Research’s relevant qualifications. EMC Research is a majority women-owned full-service opinion research firm serving a broad range of clients since 1989. We pride ourselves on providing highly accurate data and staying on the cutting edge of industry innovations. We believe EMC is especially well-matched to provide high quality research services on behalf of Diamond Bar because: We know what works. We combine years of practical experience with an in-depth academic understanding of the science of research. We’ve conducted thousands of research projects using a variety of research methodologies and have extensive experience assessing the feasibility of local revenue measures and helping agencies large and small use research results to craft paths to victory at the ballot box. We know California. EMC Research is one of California's premier opinion research firms, with extensive experience conducting similar projects for public agencies and cities throughout California. We have conducted opinion research in and throughout the state for 35 years. This breadth of experience gives us a three-dimensional view of how voters think about various issues and an understanding of what methodology best represents this unique area. We know revenue measure feasibility research. Our work and strategic advice has helped hundreds of public agencies and cities achieve their goals of successful funding measures. EMC is proud to have been a part of successful measures totaling more than $70 Billion dollars. EMC Research brings to the table a committed team of research and consulting professionals. We will listen to your needs, design the best combination of research methods, collect reliable and accurate data, and synthesize research results into a product that is easy to understand and apply to further your strategic goals and initiatives. All conditions proposed are valid for a period of at least 90 calendar days. Thank you for your consideration, and we look forward to the prospect of working with you. Sincerely, Jessica Polsky-Sanchez, Principal EMC Research, Inc 2001 Broadway, Suite 110 Oakland, CA 94612 (510) 550-8933 jessica@EMCresearch.com EMC Response to RFP #CM_2025_03 -4- Firm Profile EMC Research is a national full-service opinion research firm serving an extensive and diverse range of public and private sector clients since 1989. We are known for crafting insightful research tools, collecting highly accurate data, and providing analysis that answers the key strategic questions and challenges our clients face. EMC is proud to be a certified women-owned business. Our expertise includes: EMC Research has more than 30 years of experience developing survey methodology and work plans, including determining the appropriate number of survey questions, suggested content, and innovative ways to maximize engagement, on behalf of California's public agencies and local governments. EMC has a proven record of using creative, methodologically sound strategies for capturing data from hard-to- reach populations. We are also well aware of the timelines and processes a public environment brings. We frequently contract with public agencies on a variety of projects, including a range of methodologies. These projects have ranged from ad hoc work to extensive annual contracts covering various research supporting strategic planning. We strive to make this research understandable and usable for internal staff and external stakeholders. We are on the cutting edge of new quantitative methodologies and approaches to addressing declining survey participation and disparities in representation. We routinely utilize email-to-web, web panels, text invitations, and address-based sampling mail-based approaches for our surveys. Our innovative spirit also extends to the tools and measures we take to manage projects, maintain quality control, and on analysis and reporting. We provide a unique combination of decades of experience paired with the innovation required to solve the challenges that have faced the industry over time. By embracing new tools and technologies as they develop, we have evolved with the industry's demands, allowing us to thrive in our fourth decade of business. We have learned the unique challenges and requirements of conducting research for public agencies, including presenting politically sensitive opinion research in a public setting, dealing with media inquiries, and meeting open records requirements. Our public agency clients return to EMC Research EMC Response to RFP #CM_2025_03 -5- year after year because of our ability to present research findings in the local political environment, flexibly to work with their needs, and handle projects of many sizes, scopes, and levels of complexity. When kicking off any project with the City of Diamond Bar, we will first work closely with the City to understand the core goals and decisions our research needs to inform and understand the audiences the study will serve. We will review the sampling and approach options that will allow us to best reach those audiences and meet the research goals within the City's budget. When you hire EMC Research, you are bringing on a partner that is truly invested in your goals. Our clients have turned to us time and time again to provide data-driven, actionable recommendations that are critical to their success. EMC Response to RFP #CM_2025_03 -6- B. Project Team At EMC Research, we believe that teams are best served by a fully integrated and collaborative team. Project Lead Jessica Polsky-Sanchez will be an active lead of your team from day one, ready to participate in early conversations around announcement, rollout, and strategy. We ensure each client gets attention from every member of our project team to handle this research project in an expedient manner. The team would be structured as follows: • Jessica Polsky-Sanchez, Principal: Jessica Polsky-Sanchez will be the Account Manager, primary client contact and project lead, available for meetings with the City to discuss the project approach and timeline, provide input on drafting the questionnaire, develop key findings and recommendations after data collection is complete, and meet with the City to discuss and present survey results. • EMC Research Project Manager: EMC will assign a Project Manager to be the secondary point of contact for the City of Diamond Bar. The Project Manager will manage the overall project including its schedules, team members, and deliverables. They will also assist Jessica with leading calls and meetings with Diamond Bar to discuss the project approach and timeline, drafting the questionnaire, questionnaire revisions, managing and overseeing data collection, providing data analysis and presentation design, and presenting survey results. • EMC Research Strategy Associate: EMC will assign a Strategy Associate to assist with this project. This team member will assist with questionnaire edits, data collection, management, and analysis, and creation of deliverables. He or she will be supervised by senior management and all deliverables created by the Strategy Associate will be thoroughly reviewed and checked for accuracy. • EMC Research Data Associate: EMC will assign a Data Associate to assist with this project. This team member will prepare and merge the survey sample, manage data collection, code data for analysis, and provide crosstabulations. All deliverables created by the Data Associate will be thoroughly reviewed and checked for accuracy. An organization chart indicating principals and key project team members is below: EMC Response to RFP #CM_2025_03 -7- Jessica Polsky-Sanchez, Principal Oakland, CA | (510) 550-8933 | Jessica@EMCresearch.com Highlights • Experience in opinion research since 2007 • Considered an expert in California public agency opinion research • Years of survey research experience working with cities, counties, school districts, water districts, public health departments, and other public entities across the state Biography Jessica brings her high standards for accuracy and attention to detail to every project she manages for EMC clients. From her study of social psychology, Jessica uses her knowledge of psychological influences on decision-making to provide an understanding of underlying motivations. Her expertise informs her research design and allows her analysis to look beyond the obvious to uncover unique recommendations and strategies. Jessica truly enjoys finding solutions to client problems and helping them succeed in implementing improvements that impact everyday lives. Her clients include many public agencies, and her research has resulted in billions of dollars in revenue for local schools, parks and open space districts, successful campaigns to expand water conservation and improved access to health care for the underserved. Prior to joining EMC, Jessica pursued contemporary jazz dance and was a law clerk at a disability rights law firm. Education Bachelor of Arts, Psychology| 1997 | University of Michigan Masters of Arts, Social Psychology | 2007 | San Francisco State University Some of Jessica’s current and recent clients include: • City of Davis • City of Mountain View • City of Sonoma • City of Capitola • City of Woodland • City of San Ramon • Los Angeles Unified School District • Palmdale School District • Sierra Sands Unified School District EMC Response to RFP #CM_2025_03 -8- C. Firm’s Experience & References The following references highlight some of the similar research we have conducted recently on behalf of other clients. In these projects, we have served as a committed and responsive member of the team. All of the projects were completed on time and on budget. City of Davis Reference: Mike Webb | Title: City Manager, City Manager’s Office Phone: (530) 757-5602 | Email: mwebb@cityofdavis.org EMC Research worked with the City of Davis in 2019 to understand resident satisfaction, explore preferred methods of communication about Davis news and events, and test support for renewing the City's existing 1% sales tax. The sales tax was renewed on the March 2020 ballot with nearly 83% support. In 2022 the city once again turned to EMC Research to provide updated research about resident satisfaction and perceptions around public safety. EMC again worked with Davis in 2023 as the city contemplated a potential ballot measure, and a 1 cent sales tax was approved with 64% support on the November 2024 ballot. City of Sonoma Reference: David Guhin | Title: City Manager Phone: (707) 933-2213 | Email: dguhin@sonomacity.org In April 2024, EMC conducted a multimodal survey of likely November 2024 voters in the City of Sonoma regarding a potential sales tax measure. Survey topics around general tax sensitivity, support for the proposed sales tax measure, perceived importance of components, and both positive and negative messaging themes helped inform the City Council that a measure was feasible, and a priority for a majority of City voters. Measure T was placed on the November 2024 ballot and passed with 58.5% support. City of Capitola Reference: Jamie Goldstein| Title: City Manager Phone: (831) 475-7300 | Email: jgoldstein@ci.capitola.ca.u In January 2024, EMC conducted a multi-modal survey of likely November 2024 voters in the City of Capitola regarding a potential sales tax measure. The survey examined voters' attitudes towards City government, general tax sensitivity, support for a potential sales tax measure, perceived importance of measure components, and the impact of information, as well as viability for a potential GO bond. Survey findings helped the city make assumptions about a sales tax measure’s feasibility and also informed changes to the measure language and structure. Measure Y was placed on the November 2024 ballot and passed with 67.5% support. EMC Response to RFP #CM_2025_03 -9- D. Methodology & Project Understanding EMC will conduct a comprehensive assessment of the City’s budget, infrastructure needs, and community priorities to identify viable revenue measure options. Our approach includes designing and executing statistically valid multilingual surveys to gauge community support, analyzing optimal election timing, and providing data-driven recommendations. The findings, along with strategic insights and actionable recommendations, will be presented in a detailed final report to key stakeholders. Part 1 – Public Opinion Survey For this research, we recommend conducting a mixed-mode survey of 400 voters in the City of Diamond Bar. A sample size of 400 completed interviews, which corresponds to a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points at the 95% confidence interval, will yield results that are generalizable to the voter population in the City, and allow us to provide analysis and recommendations to the City on the best election cycle for a potential revenue ballot measure, considering voter engagements, and community priorities. The survey will likely average 15-18 minutes in length to provide in-depth, actionable feedback from voters. Interviews, including both live telephone and online, will be offered in multiple languages to ensure representativeness, including English, Chinese (Mandarin), and Korean languages. This approach ensures representativeness and inclusiveness by reaching voters in multiple ways: by phone, by email and by text message. Voters reached by phone will take the survey with a live interviewer, while those reached by text or email will be invited to complete the survey online. We take multiple steps to ensure that our survey samples are demographically representative of voters, lending validity and reliability to the results. The sampling procedures will be consistent with generally recognized, scientifically valid sampling techniques designed to produce a survey reflective of the voter population. After reviewing the City’s culture, current budget, Capital Improvement program, and infrastructure needs, EMC will designs a questionnaire to assess the needs and opinions of the public, highlight community support for specific projects and services, preferred revenue measures, the impact on revenue based on survey responses and determine community interests related to potential ballot measures. Our survey questionnaires are not cookie-cutter. We will work with you to develop a survey that capitalizes on our expertise while addressing your specific challenges. For example, we can design the survey to test more than one revenue mechanism (such as type of ballot measure or monetary amount) and also test messaging in favor of and opposed to the proposed ballot measures to gauge any weaknesses or areas that may require public education or outreach. We will not begin any data collection until all parties are satisfied with the final survey instrument. Challenges/Research Options A significant challenge to the City’s stated research objectives would be to gather reliable feedback about multiple ballot measures and various tax rates within a single poll. To prevent order effects (for example, registering a false positive when asking about a lower tax amount after asking about a higher one), EMC would typically recommend split-sample methodology whereby respondents would be randomly assigned to be asked about one option or another, rather than both (or multiple) options. While this helps prevent order effects, there are tradeoffs - it could compromise data reliability, as splitting the sample of 400 respondents would significantly reduce the sample size for each subset, thereby lowering the confidence level of the results within each split sample. One solution is to increase the overall sample size to 500 interviews, the maximum we believe is feasible in the jurisdiction. EMC Response to RFP #CM_2025_03 -10- However, the each split would still only be 250n and have a margin of error of 6.2 percentage points. An alternative would be to use a follow-up tracking survey to refine measure type or amount after getting preliminary results from the baseline survey. Both options are provided below in our pricing section. Part II – Communications and Reporting We understand public agencies and the sensitivity of working for the public. Before issuing the final report, we will meet with City staff to review the draft report and recommendations to be presented to the City Council. The Consultant will present data and recommendations to the City Council at a regular City Council meeting determined by City staff. Part III - Additional Tasks Following the initial baseline poll, we will work with you to determine additional research if needed. Depending on the results and timing of the baseline survey, it may be prudent to plan for a tracking survey to be conducted close to the deadline for placing a measure on the ballot to aid in making a final “go/no-go” decision. This tracking survey would likely be shorter and more focused on testing the level of support for an agreed upon measure (with language that is refined based on the results of the baseline survey) and testing key messages that may aid in voter comprehension surrounding the measure. The methodology for a tracking survey would mirror that of the baseline with a sample size of 300 likely voters, and we anticipate an average questionnaire length of 12 minutes. EMC would discuss the pros and cons of the tracking survey option with the client and consultant team and make a recommendation about the usefulness of this component as the time approaches. In summary, for this project, EMC will complete the following: • Develop final research design in consultation with the client; • Design a survey questionnaire in consultation with the client; o Deliverable: final poll questionnaire • Translate the survey into Chinese (Mandarin and Korean); • Collect survey data through interviews conducted by telephone from a central telephone bank, supervised by an on-duty supervisor; • Adapt the questionnaire for online application; program and host the survey using professional survey software; manage the deployment of survey invitations via text and email; and collect survey responses online; • Monitor data collection daily to ensure the process is going according to plan, and adjust strategies as-needed to ensure a representative sample of the City’s voter universe; • Tabulate, code, clean, and weight the survey data from both modes; o Deliverable: topline poll results • Perform in-depth analysis of the data; • Produce cross-tabulations of voter responses based on key demographic information, such as but not limited to City Council District, ethnicity, age, homeownership status, etc.; o Deliverable: crosstabs • Prepare a report of results with charts, analysis, and recommendations; o Deliverable: detailed report, including graphic presentation of key findings, analysis and recommendations, provided electronically for distribution • Present results and analysis to key stakeholders; • Be available for consultation on findings and strategy. EMC Response to RFP #CM_2025_03 -11- E. Cost of Services The cost of the survey is determined by many factors, particularly the mode of interviews, length of the questionnaire, languages needed, and the number of interviews completed. EMC is committed to providing competitive pricing for our clients and we are happy to discuss our proposed research approach as well as other methodological options that would provide useful, actionable data within your budget. Please do not hesitate to ask if you have questions about the pricing or would like to discuss the fee for other options. We understand that you are receiving bids from other firms. Should your final decision come down to cost, we would appreciate an opportunity to price match competitive bids. Please note that it is our assumption that most meetings will happen virtually, and our price assumes one in person meeting if needed to present results. Other in-person would be billed at cost. Survey Sample Size Survey Length Price Baseline Mixed-mode Survey of Voters (Offered in English, Chinese (Mandarin) & Korean) 400n 15 minutes $38,400 18 minutes $42,000 Optional: 100 interviews increase (Offered in English, Chinese (Mandarin) & Korean) Additional 100n 15 minutes $1,000 18 minutes $1,400 Optional: Mixed-mode Tracking Survey of Voters Survey (Offered in English, Chinese (Mandarin) & Korean) 400n 12 minutes $36,500 F. Insurance EMC confirms that Proof of insurance requirements addressed in the professional services agreement of this Request for Proposal shall be submitted upon execution of the contract as defined under the City’s existing purchasing Ordinance. G. Consulting Services Agreement EMC agrees to the City’s Consulting Services Agreement terms and conditions.