April 15, 2024

Submissions Due September 20 | Submit to ariordan@ambulance.org | Notification of Award on October 15

Overview

The American Ambulance Association (AAA) invites proposals from qualified strategic planning consultants to facilitate the development of a comprehensive five-year strategic plan. The strategic plan will guide AAA’s initiatives from 2025 to 2030, ensuring alignment with the organization’s mission: “Caring for People—First.”

AAA is dedicated to safeguarding the future of mobile healthcare through advocacy, thought leadership, and education. Our goal is to support and sustain our members as they deliver high-quality, on-demand healthcare to their communities. We are seeking a consultant who can help us refine our strategic vision, address current and future challenges, and enhance our capacity to serve the EMS community.

Scope of Services

The selected consultant will be expected to:

• Assessment and Engagement:
  • Collaborate with AAA’s leadership, staff, and members to understand the organization’s mission, vision, values, and current strategic position.
  • Conduct interviews, surveys, and workshops to gather input from key stakeholders, including AAA members, board members, customers, regulators, and legislative staff.
  • Perform a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) or similar exercise to identify the critical areas of focus for the organization.
• Strategic Planning Process:
  • Facilitate a 2-day board strategic planning workshop in January 2025 at a date and location to be determined. The consultant should include a description of their process for collecting information in advance of the workshop, a sample agenda for the workshop, a description of the style and techniques used during facilitation, and the expected date of completion for the final strategic plan.
  • Develop a comprehensive strategic planning framework that includes clear goals, objectives, and key performance indicators (KPIs).
  • Assist AAA in identifying Critical Success Factors, Objectives, Tactics, Metrics, and the Responsible Party (or similar) for each element of the strategic plan.
  • Develop a plan to build buy-in from both AAA leaders and the general membership to ensure widespread support and successful implementation of the strategic plan.
  • Topics to be discussed during the strategic planning process include, but are not limited to:
    • The future of EMS providers with a sole focus on healthcare.
    • Positioning AAA as a national leader in healthcare policy.
    • Enhancing the perception of AAA members and the care they provide by the public and legislators.
    • Increasing member engagement and delivering meaningful, timely benefits to members.
    • Growing membership and event revenue.
    • Building revenue for the association to ensure ongoing financial viability.
    • Growing and engaging the next generation of mobile healthcare talent in the association and EMS advocacy.
    • Structure and composition of the AAA Board and committees to support the strategic plan.
  • Provide regular updates and progress reports to the AAA strategic planning team.
• Plan Development:
  • Draft the strategic plan, incorporating feedback from AAA leadership and members.
  • Ensure the plan includes actionable strategies, timelines, and resource allocation guidelines to achieve the outlined goals.
  • Include a plan for building buy-in from AAA leaders and the general membership as part of the overall strategic plan.
  • Present a final strategic plan to the AAA Board by June 2025 for approval, including a roadmap for implementation and monitoring progress.
• Implementation Support:
  • Offer recommendations for aligning AAA’s resources, operations, and governance structures with the strategic plan.
  • Provide guidance on communication strategies to ensure that the plan is understood and embraced by all stakeholders.
  • Include options for continued engagement and support through the first year of implementation.

Proposal Requirements

Proposals should include the following:

• Cover Sheet:
  • Firm name, contact person, title of contact person, email address, phone number, and website.
• Consultant Profile:
  • A brief description of the consultant or firm, including an overview of experience relevant to strategic planning, particularly in the nonprofit or healthcare sectors.
  • Organizational structure and bios of key team members who will work on the project.
• Approach and Methodology:
  • A detailed description of the proposed approach to the strategic planning process, including how you will engage stakeholders, conduct assessments, and develop the strategic plan.
  • An outline of how you will assist AAA in identifying Critical Success Factors, Objectives, Tactics, Metrics, and the Responsible Party for each element of the plan.
  • A description of your process for collecting information in advance of the 2-day strategic planning workshop, a sample agenda for the workshop, and the expected date of completion for the final strategic plan.
  • A timeline of key milestones and deliverables.
• Experience and References:
  • Examples of previous strategic planning projects completed for similar organizations, including samples of past work and two references that can speak to your work’s quality and impact.
• Budget:
  • A comprehensive budget proposal, including consultant fees, travel expenses, and any other costs associated with the project. There is not a predetermined maximum cost for this project.
• Additional Support:
  • An outline of any ongoing support or follow-up services that can be provided after the strategic plan is developed.

Selection Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following scoring rubric:

Submission Instructions

Proposals must be submitted electronically by September 20, 2024, 5:00 PM ET, to Amanda Riordan at ariordan@ambulance.org.

AAA looks forward to collaborating with a strategic planning consultant who shares our commitment to advancing the field of mobile healthcare. We appreciate your interest in supporting our mission to “Care for People—First.”