News

Smart Growth America is seeking an experienced professional in web development and data visualization to translate our Complete Streets Policy Evaluation Tool into a user-friendly online experience that also captures the strength of policies across the U.S. Please submit proposals to Heidi Simon, Director of Thriving Communities, hsimon@smartgrowthamerica.org by Sunday, October 15.

About SGA

Smart Growth America (SGA) is a national non-profit organization that is dedicated to advancing equitable, sustainable land use, development, and transportation. The organization empowers communities through technical assistance, advocacy, and thought leadership to create livable places, healthy people, and shared prosperity. We work with elected officials at all levels, real estate developers, chambers of commerce, transportation, and urban planning professionals, and residents to improve everyday life for people across the country through better development.

About the National Complete Streets Coalition

The National Complete Streets Coalition, a program of Smart Growth America, is a non-profit, non-partisan alliance of public organizations, professionals, and advocates committed to the development and implementation of Complete Streets policies and practices.

Project Scope

Smart Growth America has developed a Complete Streets policy framework around ten key elements. Using this framework, the organization regularly grades submitted policies from across the U.S. Additionally, we make a version of our evaluation tool publicly available (found here) to those who might wish to use it to score their own completed or draft policies to identify strengths and areas for improvement in the policy. For more about the Complete Streets policy framework and how Smart Growth America scores policies, take a closer look at the ten elements of an ideal Complete Streets policy.

SGA is seeking an individual or a small firm with experience in web development and data visualization to translate the current Excel version of the policy scoring tool into a user-friendly web-based tool. We hope that this tool will also allow us to also better collect data around the state of policies in the U.S.

Our core goals for the web-based tool are to:

• Create a public-facing, ADA-compliant version of the Complete Streets Policy Evaluation tool for use by advocates, policymakers, and other stakeholders
• Allow stakeholders to leverage critical data about the elements of a Complete Streets policy to make the case for stronger legislation
• Capture efforts of policy drafting and adoption from across the U.S.
• Provide an opportunity to better report and map Complete Streets policies
• Create dynamic data visualization as the tool is used

Desired final product

Smart Growth America will work with the selected contractor to create an evaluation tool that can be embedded into the organization’s WordPress-based website and matches the tone and style of our smartgrowthamerica.org. The contractor will be expected to develop a system for capturing data through the use of the evaluation tool and ensure its accessibility to a general audience.

Coordination

Smart Growth America will provide the selected contractor with the current policy evaluation tool and consultation as to how the tool is currently used. Creative input in the design and overall product will be the responsibility of the contractor with input and feedback provided by staff at Smart Growth America. Smart Growth America will work with its partners to identify individuals with varying backgrounds to test the final product before uploading it.

Budget

Up to $10,000 is budgeted for this contract. Cost will be considered as part of the assessment of proposals. We do not expect to have a need for travel or other reimbursements in this contract

Proposal requirements

Interested applicants should submit their proposal via email to Heidi Simon, Director of Thriving Communities, hsimon@smartgrowthamerica.org by Sunday, October 15 at 11:59 p.m. EST.

Proposals should be succinct and include the following:

• A short one- or half-page letter describing your approach and interest in the project.
• A draft budget for the project.
• Some samples of recent work relevant to this project’s scope

Desired Qualifications

• A proven ability to develop online tools that are attractive and easily accessible to a general audience.
• Experience in identifying ways to capture and translate data through online forms

Timeline

Proposals are due by October 15, 2023. It is our hope to have a product in hand by November 15, 2023, although the exact delivery date can be discussed. No work will be allowed to continue past December 31, 2023.