Description
NEH’s Office of Federal/State Partnership (FSP) requires assistance to develop a new method to calculate the discretionary award level for General Operating Support awards for the state and jurisdictional humanities councils. This includes: Creation of a new methodology / formula utilizing various equity and population data sets. Identification, collection, and creation of data sources using multiple variables (such as population, income levels, rural/suburban/exurban/urban designations, educational attainment, public assistance metrics, etc.) to support data-informed decision-making. Development of several mutually exclusive competing models for the purpose of comparison and selection; these optional models will use different data sets and/or methodologies to calculate the discretionary portion of awards. Presentation of the models / methodologies, along with preliminary ranking results, to internal and external stakeholders for input. Once a model is selected, delivery of documentation and description of base model parameters (i.e. weighting, etc) to inform the development of an internally development policy document / recommendation report. Consultant responsibilities The consultant will: Research and identify options for bringing an equity lens to the calculation, including but not limited to community data, such as: Income levels Rural/suburban/exurban/urban designations Educational attainment Number of public schools, funding info, seats based on populations Public assistance metrics Population Access to fundraising/foundation support Number of public libraries per state/county/city/town Number of cultural organizations per state (museums, historical societies, theaters, etc.) Population quartiles (60 percent equal, 40 percent population) Demographic information Identify, collect, aggregate, and document data sources. Develop model documentation for the Office of Federal/State Partnership to document research and outline recommendations for equity approach data sources. Develop sample formula methodologies (in Excel or similar format) and talking points and present recommendations for distribution of the discretionary portion of the funding formula to meet Chair’s/NEH’s equity goals to the NEH working group. Create talking points and PowerPoint slides the data sources, proposed formulas, and recommendations to the NEH working group and the Chair’s Office, and externally to the SHCs. Document formulae, data sources, and models for FSP/ODE/OPB to use to develop an internal policy document and Excel (or similar format) template to use to implement the formula in future years. Deliverables Excel template or CSV files or API call, with instructions, to be used by OPB to calculate annual awards. Information about data sets researched by the consultant including: Reference list of data including source (agency, organization), date of publication, description, publisher (database, journal, etc.), URL. Documents outlining the data sets, sample formulas, and consultant recommendations. Data sources (with current links/spreadsheets) to provide data on: 1) state/county income levels for all 56 states and jurisdictions; 2) rural/suburban/exurban/urban designations by state or jurisdiction for all 56 states and jurisdictions; 3) education attainment data by state/jurisdiction for all 56 states and jurisdictions; 4) public schools by state/jurisdiction including funding information and enrollment numbers for all 56 states and jurisdictions; 5) Number of public libraries per state/jurisdiction for all 56 states and jurisdictions; 6) cultural organizations per state/jurisdiction for all 56 states and jurisdictions; and/or any other relevant data sets that arise in the process of creating a model. Why these data sources are recommended and how they might meet NEH’s goals of equitable distribution of federal funds by state/jurisdiction. A description of the ease or difficulty of assembling each data source. At least three sample models of GOS formula using each of the recommended equity approaches to present to the NEH Chair. Participation in 1 meeting with selected SHC representatives to discuss the final recommendations. Timeframe November 2023 – June 2024 (expected) November 2023: Begin work February 2024: Presentation of data sources and initial recommendations April 2024: Presentation to the NEH Chair May 2024: Final revisions by consultant June 2024: All deliverables due to FSP/NEH