A request for proposals has been issued by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), which is looking to hire a consultant to help the agency make changes in organizational culture and climate.

The RFP reads: “The VTA workforce has suffered extreme trauma and setbacks from multiple crises, starting with the COVID pandemic in early 2020, followed by a crippling cyber attack and the tragic mass shooting on May 26, 2021. This was compounded by the long-standing and previously known structural issues reported by the VTA board of directors in a referral to the administration on September 2, 2021. ”

The authority explains that a $ 20 million state funding initiative, led by California State Senator Dave Cortese (D-15), led to the creation of a union- management responsible for adopting a collaborative approach in deciding how funds should be used.

Santa Clara VTA states that the funding provides “the opportunity to make lasting structural changes that will improve the internal support system for VTA employees and improve the work environment to allow all VTA employees to feel respected, safe and confident to do their job providing a vital audience. transit service to residents of Santa Clara County.

At a minimum, interested entities should have:

• Experience in a public environment and understanding of the union environment.
• Experience with trauma-informed approaches to communication systems and culture change.
• Ability to provide ongoing coaching services.
• Experience in conducting surveys of organizations.
• Experience in conducting interviews and focus groups exploring challenges and opportunities for improvement.

Santa Clara VTA asks those interested to apply on its website after registering as a sales agency. The deadline for submitting proposals is January 31, 2022, 4:00 p.m. PT.

A link to the RFP is provided for convenience; interested entities should follow the process outlined by the authority for submitting proposals.