Grant RFP Now Open for State Municipal Measurement Program Subscriptions

Emerge Knowledge and The Recycling Partnership have teamed up to launch the Municipal Measurement Program (MMP), a data reporting and tracking platform that delivers powerful metrics for municipal recycling programs.

The MMP can help states establish a standardized basis for measuring the performance of all municipal programs and it includes feedback and links to tools that can help improve that performance. In the MMP system, a municipality enters base data on their community, and then enters additional data on the kinds of programs they operate, including MSW residential collection, curbside recycling, drop-off, multifamily and organics collection.  MMP creates metrics and performance recommendations that are customized to the data that is entered by the municipality.

States using MMP will have access to all data entered by municipalities in their state and have additional opportunities to conduct quality control reviews of the data. States can use the MMP to:

  • Gather and track detailed information on curbside programs, including collection formats, tonnage, and key performance indicators such as pounds per household served.
  • Collect additional critical data on drop-off, education, organics collection, and other programs.
  • Compare the performance of programs and identify opportunities for intervention with technical assistance and grants.

 

Grants for State MMP System Subscriptions

The Recycling Partnership is offering up to three grants to state recycling programs to pay for the first year of a state’s subscription to MMP.  The grant would pay for the first year subscription only; all subsequent year subscription expenses would be the responsibility of the grantee.  The grants are open to lead state government entities who are responsible for recycling, although non-profit state recycling associations may be eligible to receive funding and to act as the MMP administrator with the expressed support of the state government recycling program.  As a condition of receiving the grant, state agency applicants would:

  • Be required to make the tool available to all municipalities statewide and have a strong plan to promote use of MMP by as many municipalities as possible.
  • Be willing to consider conducting quality control and verification of submitted municipal data, using a verification protocol developed by The Recycling Partnership and Emerge Knowledge.

 

Proposal Submittal Content

Proposals for this funding should include:

  • Description of current state municipal reporting activities and platforms, including details on the following:
    • The kinds of data collected (attachment of a data field list is encouraged)
    • The process the state uses to assess and quality control the data
    • Statutes or rules in place that require municipal reporting
      • If no mandatory reporting is currently required, describe how municipalities are encouraged to report data
    • Titles and basic descriptions of duties of staff who will be involved in MMP deployment, with email and phone contact information.
    • Description of how the MMP will be promoted for use by all municipalities statewide.
    • Description of how the state might conduct quality control and verification processes and how those processes will be resourced.
    • Timeline for MMP deployment.
    • Description or notation of any barriers to timely MMP deployment in any of the following areas:
      • Does your agency have any IT/software spending thresholds? If yes, please describe.
      • Has your agency previously entered into a contract for subscription-based software-as-a-service? If no, what (if any) barriers do you anticipate in contracting?
  • Can your agency purchase a software subscription using a standard contract? If No, please describe what contracting approach is required.
  • Can your agency authorize and accept online terms of use for subscription-based software-as-a-service?
  • How much lead time is required to complete the purchase of MMP (including contracting and payment processing)?
  • Can your agency accept funding support from a 3rd party organization (i.e. The Recycling Partnership) to cover the subscription cost? If no, describe how funding support could be received.
  • Will you require any vendor system registrations? If yes, please briefly describe.

 

Proposal Submittals and Award Decisions

State recycling agencies who want to apply for MMP deployment grants must submit a proposal covering the content described above to Liz Bedard at ebedard@recyclingpartnership.org  no later than May 24, 2019.  Address questions about this RFP to either Liz Bedard at the above email address or to Scott Mouw at smouw@recyclingpartnership.org.

The Recycling Partnership will review all submittals and make final award decisions by May 31, 2019.  Critical criteria for award decisions will include but not be limited to:

  • The ability of the state applicant to maximize the usage of MMP by municipalities statewide
  • The capability of the state applicant to conduct quality control and data verification processes
  • The timeline for MMP deployment