Request for Proposals: Executive Recruitment Services - City Manager Search

1. INTRODUCTION / INVITATION

The City of Abilene, Kansas ("City") invites qualified executive recruitment firms to submit proposals to provide professional executive recruitment services for the selection of the City's next City Manager.

The City seeks a firm with demonstrated expertise in municipal executive recruitment and a proven record of successfully guiding governing bodies through all phases of a City Manager search process. The selected firm shall serve as both a recruitment consultant and process advisor, providing professional guidance, best-practice recommendations, and comprehensive recruitment services from project initiation through onboarding of the selected candidate.

The City desires a recruitment process that is thorough, transparent, professionally managed, and designed to identify the most qualified candidate while providing appropriate opportunities for stakeholder and community input.

2. COMMUNITY PROFILE

The City of Abilene is located in Dickinson County, Kansas, and serves approximately 6,400 residents. Known for its historic character, strong quality of life, and role as the hometown of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Abilene offers a unique blend of heritage, tourism, business development, and small-town values.

The City operates under the Commission-Manager form of government. A five-member elected City Commission establishes policy and strategic direction, while the City Manager serves as the chief administrative officer responsible for overseeing municipal operations and implementing Commission policies.

The City provides a full range of municipal services, including police, fire, public works, utilities, parks and recreation, community development, and administrative services.

3. PROJECT BACKGROUND

The City is seeking professional assistance to recruit and select its next City Manager.

The City desires a recruitment process that reflects current municipal best practices, provides meaningful opportunities for stakeholder participation, balances candidate confidentiality with public trust, and includes comprehensive candidate evaluation and due diligence.

The City expects the selected firm to provide leadership and guidance throughout the recruitment process and to proactively identify risks, decision points, and best practices for the City Commission.

4. PURPOSE

The purpose of this Request for Proposals is to select a qualified executive recruitment firm capable of conducting a comprehensive City Manager recruitment process and assisting the City Commission in identifying, evaluating, and selecting the most qualified candidate.

The selected firm shall provide professional recruitment services, process guidance, candidate evaluation, stakeholder engagement support, due diligence investigations, contract negotiation assistance, and onboarding support.

5. PROJECT OBJECTIVES

The selected firm shall assist the City in conducting a recruitment process that:

1. Attracts highly qualified candidates from local, regional, and national markets.
2. Provides professional guidance and best-practice recommendations throughout the recruitment process.
3. Encourages meaningful stakeholder and community engagement.
4. Balances candidate confidentiality with transparency and public trust.
5. Identifies candidate strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and risks through comprehensive evaluation and due diligence.
6. Minimizes legal, operational, governance, reputational, and public trust risks.
7. Produces a successful long-term placement.
8. Provides a structured and defensible selection process.

6. SCOPE OF SERVICESTask 1 – Recruitment Planning and Process Development

The selected firm shall:

• Conduct interviews with City Commissioners.
• Conduct interviews with department directors and key staff.
• Conduct interviews with community stakeholders identified by the City.
• Facilitate a City Commission workshop regarding recruitment best practices.
• Develop a written recruitment plan and project schedule.
• Advise the City regarding candidate confidentiality, public engagement, due diligence, and finalist selection.

Task 2 – Recruitment Profile Development

The selected firm shall develop a comprehensive recruitment profile reflecting the City's needs and expectations. The profile shall identify:

• Desired qualifications
• Leadership characteristics
• Management competencies
• Community expectations
• Strategic challenges
• Organizational priorities

Task 3 – Candidate Recruitment

The selected firm shall:

• Conduct a national recruitment effort.
• Recruit passive candidates.
• Utilize professional networks and targeted outreach.
• Conduct diversity-focused recruitment efforts.
• Prepare recruitment marketing materials.
• Advertise through appropriate professional organizations and recruitment outlets.

The proposal shall describe how the firm actively recruits candidates beyond traditional advertising methods.

Task 4 – Candidate Screening and Assessment

The selected firm shall:

• Review all applications.
• Conduct structured screening interviews.
• Verify qualifications and experience.
• Evaluate candidates using established leadership and competency criteria.
• Recommend semifinalists and finalists.

Task 5 – Finalist Selection, Stakeholder Engagement, and Public Participation

The selected firm shall facilitate a finalist process that provides meaningful opportunities for stakeholder and community participation.

Services shall include:

• Finalist interviews.
• Community meet-and-greet sessions.
• Department director meetings.
• Employee engagement opportunities.
• Stakeholder meetings, as appropriate.
• Public feedback collection.

Finalist Process Requirement
The City Commission shall receive stakeholder, staff, and public feedback regarding finalists prior to selecting a preferred candidate and prior to approval of an employment agreement.

No finalist shall be recommended for appointment, and no employment agreement shall be substantially negotiated, until:

• Public engagement activities have been completed;
• Stakeholder feedback opportunities have been completed;
• Due diligence investigations have been completed; and
• The results have been presented to the City Commission.

Task 6 – Comprehensive Due Diligence Investigation

The City considers due diligence and candidate vetting to be critical components of this recruitment. Prior to conducting finalist investigations, the selected firm shall submit a written Due Diligence Plan for review by the City Commission. The Due Diligence Plan shall identify:

• Databases to be searched;
• Court records to be reviewed;
• Media and internet search methodologies;
• Reference-check procedures;
• Third-party vendors utilized;
• Services performed directly by the firm.

The City Commission reserves the right to request modifications to the Due Diligence Plan.

Required Investigations
At a minimum, investigations shall include:

Employment and Education Verification

• Employment history
• Position verification
• Education credentials
• Professional certifications

Criminal History Review

• National criminal history review
• State criminal records review

Civil Litigation Review

• Civil lawsuits
• Small claims actions
• Pending litigation
• Judgments
• Bankruptcy filings
• Administrative proceedings

Professional and Ethics Review

• Ethics complaints
• Professional disciplinary actions
• Regulatory findings
• Professional misconduct allegations

Reputation and Public Trust Review

• News and media searches
• Internet searches
• Social media review
• Public meeting records
• Public controversy review
• Economic development controversies
• Public trust concerns
• Reputational concerns
• Publicly reported conflicts of interest

Reference Checks

The firm shall conduct references with:

• Current supervisors
• Former supervisors
• Direct reports
• Professional peers

Candidate-provided references alone shall not satisfy this requirement.

Task 7 – Selection and Contract Negotiation

The selected firm shall assist the City Commission with:

• Final candidate evaluation.
• Compensation benchmarking.
• Employment agreement development.
• Contract negotiations.
• Transition planning.

The City shall not enter into substantial contract negotiations until public engagement activities and due diligence investigations have been completed.

Task 8 – Onboarding and Follow-Up

The selected firm shall provide:

• Transition assistance.
• Onboarding recommendations.
• Six-month follow-up consultation.
• Twelve-month follow-up consultation.

7. DELIVERABLES

The selected firm shall provide:

1. Recruitment Plan
2. Project Schedule
3. Communication Plan
4. Stakeholder Engagement Plan
5. Public Engagement Plan
6. Recruitment Risk Assessment
7. Recruitment Brochure
8. Candidate Evaluation Reports
9. Finalist Feedback Report
10. Written Due Diligence Reports
11. Compensation Analysis
12. Final Recruitment Summary Report

8. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

Proposals shall include:

• Cover Letter - Signed by an authorized representative.
• Firm Qualifications - Description of the firm's experience and qualifications.
• Relevant Experience - Experience conducting City Manager and municipal executive recruitments, particularly in Kansas and the Midwest.
• Project Team - Identification of key personnel and relevant experience.
• Recruitment Methodology - Detailed description of the proposed recruitment process.
• Public Engagement Methodology - Description of how the firm will engage stakeholders, employees, and the public.
• Due Diligence Methodology- Detailed explanation of candidate vetting practices, including investigation of:
  • Civil litigation
  • Pending lawsuits
  • Small claims actions
  • Ethics complaints
  • News coverage
  • Public controversies
  • Social media activity
  • Economic development disputes
  • Public trust concerns

The proposer shall identify which services are performed internally and which are outsourced.

• Due Diligence Experience and Risk Assessment - Provide at least one example from a municipal executive recruitment in which information discovered during due diligence raised concerns regarding a finalist candidate.

Describe:

• How the information was discovered;
• Whether the candidate disclosed it;
• How it was communicated to the client;
• Recommendations made by the firm; and
• The outcome.

Confidential information may be redacted.

• Sample Deliverables- Provide examples of:
  • Recruitment Profiles
  • Candidate Assessment Reports
  • Due Diligence Reports
  • Finalist Feedback Reports
• References - Provide references from at least five municipal executive recruitments completed within the last five years.
• Fee Proposal

Provide:

• Fixed professional fee
• Advertising costs
• Background investigation costs
• Travel costs
• Optional services
• Additional reimbursable expenses
• Replacement Search Guarantee- The proposer shall describe its replacement-search policy, including:
  • Duration of the guarantee period;
  • Circumstances under which the guarantee applies;
  • Any exclusions or limitations;
  • Services included in a replacement search; and
  • Any costs that would remain the responsibility of the City.

Preference may be given to firms offering replacement-search services for a period of up to twenty-four (24) months following appointment of the selected candidate.

Proposers may include recommended modifications to the proposed project schedule, including accelerated timelines, provided the proposer explains how all required services, stakeholder engagement activities, and due diligence requirements will be completed.

9. EVALUATION CRITERIA

Criteria	Weight
Municipal Executive Recruitment Experience	25%
City Manager Recruitment Experience	20%
Recruitment Methodology	15%
Due Diligence Methodology	20%
Public Engagement Approach	10%
Project Team Qualifications	5%
Cost	5%

10. SELECTION PROCESS

The City reserves the right to:

• Reject any or all proposals.
• Request additional information.
• Conduct interviews with selected firms.
• Negotiate scope and fees.
• Select the proposal determined to be in the best interest of the City.

Shortlisted Firm Interviews

Shortlisted firms should be prepared to discuss:

• Recruitment Process Leadership
• Due Diligence Methodology
• Candidate Risk Identification
• Due Diligence Accountability
• Public Engagement Strategies
• Finalist Selection Processes

11. SCHEDULE

The anticipated project schedule is as follows:

Milestone	Date
RFP Issued	June 23, 2026
Questions Due	July 6, 2026
Proposals Due	July 20, 2026
Shortlist Interviews	August 10, 2026
Firm Selection	August 24, 2026
Recruitment Profile Completed	September 18, 2026
Candidate Recruitment Period	September 21 – October 30, 2026
Finalist Interviews	November 9 - 10, 2026
Public Engagement Activities	November 16 – 19, 2026
Selection of Preferred Candidate	December 7, 2026
Employment Agreement Approval	December 14, 2026

The City reserves the right to modify the schedule as necessary.

Alternative Schedules

The schedule provided above reflects the City's anticipated timeline and preferred recruitment process. Proposers may recommend alternative or accelerated schedules if they believe such schedules can achieve the objectives of this RFP without compromising recruitment quality, stakeholder engagement, candidate evaluation, due diligence, or public participation.

Any proposed alternative schedule shall identify:

• Key milestones;
• Estimated completion dates;
• Assumptions regarding City Commission availability;
• Any modifications to the recruitment process; and
• The rationale supporting the proposed timeline.

The City reserves the right to accept, modify, or reject any proposed alternative schedule.

12. TERMS AND CONDITIONS

The City reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, waive irregularities, request clarification of proposals, and negotiate with the selected firm. The City shall not reimburse proposers for costs associated with proposal preparation or interviews.

The selected firm shall maintain insurance coverage, including:

• General Liability: $1,000,000 per occurrence / $2,000,000 aggregate
• Professional Liability: $1,000,000 minimum
• Workers' Compensation: Statutory Limits

Proposals shall be handled in accordance with the Kansas Open Records Act (KORA).

Respondents shall clearly identify any information claimed to be exempt from disclosure.

13. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Late submissions will not be considered.

The City reserves the right to request up to six (6) printed copies of any proposal from firms selected for further consideration.

Questions regarding this RFP shall be submitted in writing to the City Clerk by the date identified in the Schedule section.

RFP Executive Recruitment Services - Abilene Kansas City Manager Search