- Status:
- Publication date: 11 January 2023
- Due date: by 23 January 2023
- Project Management:
- Personnel
Committee of the W3C, Inc. Board of Directors
- Document & access level:
- You
may generate
a PDF of this document. This document is public.
1. Summary
The World Wide Web Consortium
Inc. (W3C) is issuing this Request for Proposals for the
services of an Executive Search Firm (Firm) to assist in the
recruitment of a Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The Firm shall
assist the Personnel Committee of the W3C, Inc. Board of
Directors in attracting, interviewing, and hiring a Chief
Executive Officer.
Requested services include the development of a position
description and terms of employment, development of recruitment
plan, conducting a global search, vetting of qualified
candidates, and decision assistance in final selection. The Firm
will coordinate its efforts with the Chairs of the W3C Personnel
Committee.
2. Introduction to W3C
W3C celebrated its 25th anniversary in October 2019. W3C’s
mission is to lead the World Wide Web to its full potential by
developing protocols and guidelines that ensure the long-term
growth and sustainability of the Web. The Web provides social
value by enabling human communication, commerce, and
opportunities to share knowledge. W3C's standards define key
parts of what makes the World Wide Web work including horizontal
efforts to develop standards in support of accessibility,
privacy, and internationalization. One of W3C's primary goals is
to make these benefits available to all people, whatever their
hardware, software, network infrastructure, device, native
language, culture, geographical location, or ability.
Historically, four institutions partnered to "host" W3C: MIT
(in Cambridge, MA, USA), ERCIM (France), Keio University
(Japan), and Beihang University (China) with staff members
distributed around the world and a consolidated operating budget
of approximately US $9.2M. W3C incorporated in Delaware in 2019 and
formed its inaugural Board of Directors in October 2022. W3C
filed with the IRS in December 2022 for recognition of exemption
as a 501(c)(3) non-profit which will continue to work with the
distributed staff while consolidating financial and
administrative functions.
You can read more
on W3C's
organizational structure.
3. Services Requested
The W3C Personnel Committee seeks the following services to
assist in the process of identifying a new CEO:
- In collaboration with the W3C Personnel Committee, develop
a job position suitable for a global search that is consistent
with W3C, Inc. Bylaws, as well as the future needs of the
Consortium.
- Coordinate with the W3C Personnel Committee Chairs
throughout the process.
- Conduct a global search to identify a diverse pool of
highly qualified individuals to serve as the W3C CEO. This
portion of the search is expected to be completed three (3)
months after the execution of this contract.
- In coordination with the W3C Personnel Committee, develop
evaluation criteria to be used.
- Vetting of qualified candidates to identify those both
willing and most worthy of consideration; provide those
candidates to the Personnel Committee.
- Inform each candidate that makes it to the final selection
that their names will be shared with the W3C Personnel
Committee and consequently the W3C Board of Directors.
- Development of an executive offer for the most qualified
candidate to include benefits and terms of employment. The
executive offer will be evaluated by the W3C Board of
Directors as part of the final selection process. It is
expected that the CEO will serve an initial 3-year term with
subsequent 3-year terms, based upon performance.
It is desired that the entire search process be concluded in
four to six months from execution of the contract.
4. RFP Submission Requirements
Proposals should be no more than 15 pages, not including
references, and cover the following:
- Organization Description: Brief history and summary of
your firm and expertise.
- Recruitment Approach: Describe the process to be used to
find a successful candidate for the W3C CEO role. Detail how
you will accomplish the above scope of work, including a clear
delineation of the firm’s responsibilities and the
expectations of W3C. Include any networks to be used on behalf
of this search.
- Deliverables: Delineate how success will be measured
throughout the process.
- Proposed Timeline: Estimate the start and end dates for
each phase of the search process.
- Budget: Proposed cost along with narrative description of
what is included in this cost.
- References: Provide two references:
- A successful CEO search, where the CEO has been with
the organization more than three years. Please provide
contact information for both the CEO and, if possible, the
board member contact with whom the firm contracted.
- A recent (within the past 12 months) CEO
placement. Please provide contact information for the CEO
as well as the board or staff contact with whom the firm
worked most closely.
Please note that the W3C Personnel Committee and the W3C
Board of Directors include people with visual disabilities and
people for whom English is not their first language. You should
take this into consideration when preparing your proposal.
Proposals must be sent electronically in a single
file to: ceo-search-rfp@w3.org with subject line: W3C CEO
Search.
By submitting a proposal, the firm authorizes W3C to contact
references to evaluate the firm’s qualifications for this
project.
5. Evaluation Criteria
All proposals will be evaluated based on the following key
criteria:
- Performance capability—the extent to which the proposal
demonstrates the firm’s ability to provide the depth and
breadth of experience, skills, knowledge and creativity
generally required by this project
- Understanding of and commitment to W3C’s mission, values,
programs, and strategic objectives
- Demonstrated experience with similar-sized global,
nonprofit organizations
- Completeness and quality of response, including clear
deliverables and reasonable approach
- Proposed cost and timeline
- References
While the order of these factors does not generally denote
relative importance, W3C acknowledges that selecting best value
providers primarily requires a balanced combination of (1)
reasonable rates, (2) strong experience and demonstrated
expertise in providing Executive Search Services, and (3) a
demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusion through
ownership or existing collaborative relationships.
Disclaimer: This RFP does not commit W3C to select any firm,
award any work order, pay any costs incurred in preparing a
response, or procure or contract for any services or
supplies. W3C reserves the right to accept or reject any or all
submittals received, cancel or modify the RFP in part or in its
entirety, or change the RFP guidelines, when it is in the best
interests of W3C to do so.
6. RFP Selection Process
- W3C distributes request for proposals Wednesday, January
11, 2023. Note: Members of the W3C Team and Personnel
Committee will be available for informational discovery and
clarification.
- Interested parties must respond by Monday, January 23,
2023.
- The W3C Personnel Committee will review all proposals and
select the top 2 candidate firms. Target date is Monday,
February 6, 2023.
- The committee will set up meetings with the final
candidates and key W3C personnel. Target completion date of
these meetings is Monday, February 20, 2023.
- contract will be finalized with the selected firm. Target
kick-off date is early-March 2023.