Compensation Salary Study for MSUAFF Bargaining Unit

Current Scope Background Minnesota State is requesting proposals from vendors to conduct a compensation salary study for positions in the state university administrative bargaining unit (Unit 211) at the seven four-year state universities within Minnesota State. These universities are located in separate communities across Minnesota. The universities vary widely in size, as do the communities in which they are located (see Exhibit A. for geographic location and size of the universities). These communities vary from an agricultural rural setting to a culturally diverse metropolitan area. Six of the universities offer on-campus housing, complete food service and support activities. Unit 211 consists of administrative or service faculty professional positions at all seven universities, totaling approximately 770 employees. Employees in this bargaining unit generally perform duties that include providing administrative and service functions to students, the universities, and communities. For example, they perform functions like admissions, financial aid, residential life, and other academic and student affairs functions. The bargaining unit includes positions that are FLSA Exempt and FLSA Non-exempt. Employees in Unit 211 are represented by the Minnesota State University Association of Administrative and Service Faculty (hereinafter MSUAASF, ASF, or union). For simplicity, employees in Unit 211 will be referred to as “MSUAASF employees,” “ASF employees” or “bargaining unit employees” throughout this RFP. The authority to hire, promote, non-renew, and terminate MSUAASF employees is conferred upon the President of each university. The 2025-2027 collective bargaining agreement between MSUAASF and the Minnesota State Board of Trustees (hereinafter CBA or Agreement) contains provisions relating to posting vacancies when hiring individuals to fill vacancies. See Article 20, Section A. A copy of the Agreement is available at the following website: https://www.minnstate.edu/system/working/docs/contracts/msuaasf-contract.pdf The CBA also requires at least one MSUAASF representative on search committees for vacancies in the bargaining unit. See Article 20, Section E. The Agreement does not impose other procedures with respect to hiring. The state universities set the initial salaries for new employees in the bargaining unit consistent with equity, experience and market conditions. See Article 12, Section F. Additionally, the universities use a Creditable Experience Worksheet (hereinafter CEW) for assessing relevant experience. (see Exhibit B). Positions in Unit 211 can be assigned to five salary ranges, A through F with F being the highest range. See Article 12, Section A. The ranges have up to 25 steps. The minimum annual salary for positions in the bargaining unit is $46,800. See Article 12, Section B, Subd. 3. The system and universities use guidelines and a matrix to assign positions to a range. (see Exhibit C). Employees in the bargaining unit may have their compensation changed or augmented in a variety of ways such as: promotion, range reevaluation (the reassignment of a position from one range to a different range), achievement program, temporary additional responsibility pay, honoraria, career steps, and salary market adjustments. See e.g., Article 12, Sections G, H, I, and L. Nature of the RFP The System Office seeks proposals from qualified vendors to conduct a comprehensive salary study of MSUAASF employees across the seven state universities within the Minnesota State system. The purpose of this study is to ensure compensation practices are competitive, equitable, compliant, and aligned with institutional goals while reflecting current market trends in higher education. The selected vendor will analyze compensation within individual institutions to determine whether employee pay is aligned with equity, experience, and market conditions. The study should provide evidence-based, actionable insights to support fair and transparent pay policies. Project Objectives The study will: Analyze internal pay equity at each state university for positions within defined ranges. Assess external market competitiveness for comparable public higher education positions. Identify potential pay disparities, including wage compression and impacts of length of service. Recommend sustainable strategies for maintaining pay equity and competitiveness. Provide actionable tools and models for future monitoring and decision-making. Communicate results and recommendations clearly for consideration by Minnesota State. General Tasks The selected vendor will: Collaborate with the labor-management workgroup throughout the project to discuss design, position categorization, progress, and related issues. Design and execute a statistically valid analysis (e.g., multiple regression or other appropriate methods) using base salary as the dependent variable and relevant independent variables (e.g., race, sex, experience) to assess equity. Analyses will be conducted separately for each university and should address small sample sizes and market-sensitive roles. Model up to three proposed adjustment scenarios (or other meaningful scenarios recommended by the vendor) to evaluate potential impacts on equity and identify any statistically significant disparities by race or sex. Prepare a comprehensive written report detailing methodology, findings, and recommendations. The report should include: Executive summary Accessible visualizations (charts, dashboards) Implementation recommendations Cost-impact analyses Present findings virtually to relevant stakeholders at each university. Consult with the labor-management group on: Definitions of similarly situated employees Methods for assessing salaries in small programs Alternative models for universities with fewer MSUAASF members Approaches for market-sensitive positions (e.g., athletics, development) Salary-setting processes and recent changes Recommendations to address identified disparities. Minnesota State will provide the awarded vender the following data The following data elements are available: Name Employee ID Number University location Sex, race, and ethnicity Hire Date and years of experience/service Base Salary (range, step and amount) Appointment Status (e.g. probationary, fixed-term, permanent) Job Profile including Position title, FLSA, and range placement Restate each question before your response. Technical/Functional Requirements All data handling, storage, and reporting must comply with state and federal privacy and accessibility requirements (e.g., WCAG 2.1, Section 508). Vendor tools must ensure secure data transfer and storage. Reports must be deliverable in standard formats (PowerPoint, Excel, PDF). Vendor must provide documentation and training (live or recorded) for Minnesota State personnel on interpreting results and maintaining equity monitoring tools. Pre-award Informational Meeting Minnesota State will hold a voluntary pre-award informational meeting on Friday, February 13, 2026, via webinar at 11:00 am CST. It is recommended all potential or interested respondents attend the meeting. Minnesota State reserves the right to name a date which all responding Vendors will be invited to present demonstrations or participate in an interview. Join Zoom Meeting. https://minnstate.zoom.us/j/91030954382 Passcode: 978994 Budget The budget for this contract is approximately to be $100,00 per year of the contract. Selection Process The selection process includes representatives from the System Office, campus HR leadership, and ASF representatives. This group will evaluate the proposals and make a recommendation to Eric Davis, Vice Chancellor for Human Resources who will make the final decision. Evaluation Factors The following factors and their identified weight will be used to evaluate the responses: Topic Factor Weight Adherence to Minnesota State Terms and Conditions. A statement of the objectives, goals, and tasks to show or demonstrate its view and understanding of the nature of the contract 10 Work Plan. A description of the deliverables to be provided by the Responder along with a detailed work plan that identifies the major tasks to be accomplished, progress reports, timelines, and deliverables which will be used as a scheduling and managing tool, as well as the basis for invoicing. This should also include a description of data handling and retention policies. 15 Cost/Value. Identify the level of the participation of Minnesota State in the contract, as well as any other services to be provided by Minnesota State, and details of cost allowances for this participation. Include an itemized cost breakdown, including travel, hourly rates, optional services, and total cost 30 Qualifications of Respondent and its personnel. An outline of the Responder’s background and experience with examples of similar work complete by the Responder and a list of personnel who will conduct the project, detailing their training, and work experience. Resumes or other information about project personnel should not, if possible, contain personal telephone numbers, home addresses or home email addresses. If it is necessary to include personal contact information, please clearly indicate in the proposal that personal contact information is being provided. 20 Completeness, thoroughness and detail of the response Completeness, thoroughness and detail of the response as reflected by the proposal's discussions and coverage of all elements of work listed above 15 Accessibility A completed response to the linked Voluntary Product/Service Accessibility Template(s)®(VPAT) for all software, hardware, and websites as applicable (guidance available in the ‘Products’ tab). The response must contain adequate information to evaluate the responsiveness to the accessibility standards (e.g., a completed VPAT or equivalent). 10 Total: 100 Contract Terms Minnesota State desires to enter into a contract with the successful Respondent(s) effective March 23, 2026 or on the date the last recognized signature is obtained, whichever occurs later. The length of such contract will be 9 Months, or until the project is complete, whichever occurs first. If Minnesota State and Respondent are unable to negotiate and sign a contract by March 23, 2026 then Minnesota State reserves the right to seek an alternative Respondent(s). Minnesota State reserves the right to name a date which all responding Responders will be invited to present demonstrations or participate in an interview. Minnesota State does not agree to reach a decision by any certain date although it is hoped the evaluation and selection will be completed by the date identified in the Selection and Implementation Timeline. Inquiries and Submission Instructions Minnesota State accepts all questions and bid submissions exclusively through Minnesota State's e-procurement system. Hard copy submissions, emails, or submissions through any other medium will not be considered. Each Respondent is solely responsible for the timely delivery of its questions and bids by the RFx date and time deadlines. Failure to meet the deadlines shall be grounds for rejection. Oral Presentations After evaluation of written proposals, Minnesota State will shortlist responders for oral presentations and demonstrations. Shortlisted responders will be notified in writing and provided with scheduling instructions. Demonstrations are intended to validate proposed solutions and allow clarification of responses. Responders should ensure that key personnel and subject matter experts are available for the presentation on March 20, 2026, via webinar. Minnesota State will make reasonable efforts to accommodate each responder’s scheduling preferences; however, Minnesota State reserves the right to assign dates and times at its discretion.