REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL: STRATEGIC PLANNING
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: JULY 26 (Mon), 2021
Total budget: up to $10,000
Please submit your proposal to: admin@theatreofyugen.org
The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to solicit proposals from consultants experienced in strategic planning to lead Theatre of Yugen Board of Directors and management staff through a long-range strategic planning process.
Specifically, Theatre of Yugen (“Yugen”) is seeking a consultant to provide the following services:
Work with a Strategic Planning Team, comprised of Board Members, Community Advisors, as well as management staff, to articulate a clear strategic plan for 2022-2027.
This plan should include Yugen’s renewed mission, vision, values and goals, as well as specific strategies for fund-development, communication, programming and facility (NOHSpace) management objectives for the organization to pursue over the next 5 years.
Conduct a small scope internal and external survey to evaluate Yugen’s success in achieving its mission and goals in the past 5 years and conduct a general SWOT analysis of internal and external perceptions of the organization.
Develop a timetable of implementation with specific measurable benchmarks, objectives and tasks to be accomplished to achieve goals. Identify clear, measurable outcomes for how to measure organizational and strategic effectiveness, impact, and success.
Establish a framework and process for the organization’s leadership to effectively implement the strategic plan and monitor progress toward achievement of goals and objectives.
Facilitate all meetings and provide leadership, direction and expert consultation and advice related to the development of an effective strategic plan, including successful implementation.
Deliverable should be a clear, easily consumed, strategic planning roadmap, accompanied by a strategic planning timeline, implementation and evaluation methodology.
Specific areas that need to be addressed in the creation of a 5 year strategic plan include but may not be limited to:
An environmental scan that examines internal and external opportunities and perceptions impacting the organization’s ability to achieve mission.
A thorough assessment of infrastructure needs including, but not limited to space, technology, human capital and financial resources.
The development of a sustainable financial and programmatic model to achieve goals
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Organization's Mission Statement and Purpose:
Located in the Mission District of San Francisco, Theatre of Yugen ("Yugen") has been dedicated to creating intercultural, multi-sensory works inspired by the 600 year-old Japanese theatre traditions of Noh and Kyogen. By drawing on the Japanese aesthetics of "yugen” (derived from the Japanese word “yu” meaning “deep, quiet, or other-worldly,” and “gen” meaning “subtle, profound, or obscured”), Yugen produces original works characterized by artistic hybridity and collaborates with artists of various genres to promote intercultural understanding through traditional Japanese theatre and its contemporary interpretations.
Organization's Core Programs and Services:
Yugen was founded in 1978 as a site for experimentation focusing on the Japanese theatrical traditions of Noh and Kyogen and their contemporary interpretations. Since its inception, Yugen and its venue NOHSpace located in San Francisco’s oldest artist cooperative Project Artaud in the Mission District have been a gathering place for different cultures, communities and traditions. In addition to productions and presentations, Yugen also became a training center to teach these ancient theatrical forms to future generations in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond.
In addition to community programming and co-presentation series, Yugen delivers and engages diverse community demographic in San Francisco through the following programs:
● Performances: Yugen presents average 1-2 major productions with 4-5 smaller presentations annually.
● Artist-in-Residence: Artists work variously as collaborators on new productions and to lead workshops.
● Training and Apprenticeship: Students and apprentices work with local and international performers and teachers in workshops, works in-progress, and full productions.
● Educational Program: Yugen’s educational initiatives include in-school and in-theater residencies for students of all ages. Programs include “Welcome to Kyogen,” “Little Bunnies,” “Passport Workshop,” “School Assembly,” “Kyogen Characters on Parade!” and “Crazy for Words.” Each program or residency covers various subjects, ranging from principles of posture and movement, classic dances and puppetry, to children-friendly performances of classic Kyogen plays.
In the recent few years, we have been committed to providing audiences with multi-sensory theatrical experiences. One of the threads has been incorporating Japanese foodways into our projects and presentations, coinciding with the timing of “Washoku” (Japanese cuisine) added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list and becoming ever more popular.
Organizational Management and Leadership Transitions:
Theatre of Yugen was led by its founding artistic director, Yuriko Doi, from its inception until 1999. Beginning in 1999, the organization has been led by various configurations of senior Kyogen company members. In January 2020, two performing arts management professionals Kyoko Yoshida and Miwa Kaneko became Co-Directors of Yugen.
See more information on history and bios.
PROJECT REQUIREMENTS & TIMELINE:
1. Yugen is seeking proposals from candidates who are capable of providing all of the above stated services and who can provide additional expertise to help the organization and the community it serves achieve a successful strategic planning outcome.
2. The strategic planning process with the selected consultant needs to commence at the beginning of August 2021, and the final deliverable (actual strategic plan) must be completed by June 30, 2022.
3. While Yugen understands that completing this project requires significant and active Board and staff involvement, it is important to note that the candidates selected will be responsible for completing all project work products and final deliverables (e.g. writing organizational assessments, writing the actual strategic plan, etc.). The staff will not be expected to be involved in writing work project products or final project deliverables.
4. Candidates are to propose which aspects of the project will require Board and/or staff involvement and include the expected time requirements for all activities involving their participation.
5. Proposals must include a clear description of the candidate’s plan to complete all of the project components (i.e. in what order will the projects be completed, how long each component will take to complete, etc.)
6. Candidates must include in their project timelines “check-in” points for Yugen and funder to be provided with project status updates. As work products/deliverables are completed prior to the established check-in points, candidates will be required to send Yugen and the project funder(s) these materials to facilitate the status update meetings and/or conference calls. The successful candidate will be responsible for setting up the check-in meetings/calls, preparing an agenda for each meeting/call, sending out meeting invites and writing meeting minutes.
7. In addition to the check-in meetings and/or conference calls, the candidate will be expected to present a status update on her/his/their preliminary findings and recommendations prior to writing the final project deliverables and strategic plan.
8. Yugen will be responsible for implementing the recommendations from all final deliverables; however, it is expected that the consultant selected will provide the organization with ongoing coaching and implementation support as needed, per letter of agreement.
9. The total budget for this contract should not exceed $10,000.
EVALUATION CRITERIA
The proposal should provide an executive summary of the work that will be performed by the consultant and a detailed work breakdown structure, with time frames, of the steps that will be taken to develop a strategic plan. In selecting a contract for consulting services to develop a long-range strategic plan for the organization, Yugen will examine a number of factors and criteria will include:
1. The extent to which the proposal clearly describes the scope of work
2. Specific plans or methodology to be used to perform the services
3. Qualifications and experience of consultant in providing strategic planning development
4. Availability for work to be conducted during August 2021 - June 2022 with strategic plan draft presented to the Yugen Board no later than at Yugen’s June board meeting.
5. Project Budget
6. Knowledge and relationship with Japanese and/or Asian American culture and community.
APPLICATION PROCESS & PROCEDURES:
Please provide a complete written response to this RFP, not exceeding 5 pages. Proposals should include:
1. A brief Executive Summary, including past experiences and approaches in conducting Strategic Planning.
2. A description of the candidate’s general approach to strategic planning consultation, including methodology, perspective, or philosophy that guides your work with organizations in this undertaking
3. How the consultant will address the management issues to be examined at Yugen
4. A list of project deliverables to be created with a detailed timeline for each deliverable and overall project completion
5. A detailed budget that breaks out expenses
6. Credentials and qualifications of key personnel who will take responsibility for working directly on this project, including three references
7. Example(s) of a finished strategic plan created by your company
8. Candidates must submit one electronic copy of the proposal. Please note that Yugen will not return any proposals it receives and will not reimburse candidates for any costs they incur in developing their proposals.
Please email the completed proposal by July 26, 2021, to admin@theatreofyugen.org