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Personal Services Contracts

This page provides an overview of procedures local governments in Washington State should follow when contracting for personal services, including definitions and examples of personal services, competitive processes, RFPs vs. RFQs, and examples of personal service contracts and solicitations.

It is part of MRSC’s series on Purchasing and Contracting.

For more detailed information, download MRSC's publication Contracting for Services.

What are Personal Services?

State law does not provide an overarching definition of “personal services” for local governments, as for the most part there are no specific statutory requirements. However, there is a definition in RCW 53.19.010 (specific to port districts) that is still useful for other types of government agencies:

"Personal service” means professional or technical expertise provided by a consultant to accomplish a specific study, project, task, or other work statement which may not reasonably be required in connection with a public works project meeting the definition in RCW 39.04.010(4). “Personal service” does not include purchased services or professional [architecture and engineering] services procured using the competitive selection requirements in chapter 39.80 RCW.

Personal services are mostly intellectual in nature and usually tailored to the unique needs of each organization. Examples include, but are not limited to:

  • Accounting and financial advising
  • Comprehensive plans (as long as the planning services do not involve professional architecture or engineering services under chapter 39.80 RCW)
  • Economic analysis and consultation
  • Executive recruitment
  • Grant writing
  • Graphic design
  • Legal services
  • Medical and psychological services
  • Meeting facilitation
  • Organizational development and strategic planning
  • Promotions, public relations, and marketing
  • Training
  • Utility rate studies

Certain personal services may require that a consultant have licensing or certification to be a qualified contract provider – such as accounting, legal, or medical services.

Practice Tip: Personal services should not be confused with professional architecture and engineering (A&E) services, nor should they be confused with purchased services, which are generally routine, repetitive, or mechanical in nature and support an agency's day-to-day operations.

The terminology around “personal services” and “professional services” varies and can cause confusion. For example, some people use the term “professional services” as an umbrella term for any type of consulting service and/or service requiring licensing, while others refer to architecture and engineering services specifically as “professional services.” For clarity and consistency, MRSC uses the terms “professional architecture and engineering services” (or “A&E services”) and refers to non-A&E consulting services as “personal services.”

The exact terminology used by a particular jurisdiction is not as important as making sure the jurisdiction’s policies clearly define and distinguish between the different types of service contracts and that agency staff and officials understand the differences.

Statutory Requirements

Below is a summary of the statutory requirements for personal services contracts:

  • All local governments except ports and public facilities districts: Most local governments in Washington – including cities, counties, and special purpose districts other than ports and PFDs – have no statutory requirements for personal services contracts and should establish their own policies and procedures.
  • Port districts: Chapter 53.19 RCW establishes competitive requirements for port district personal services contracts. For details, download MRSC's Personal Services Contracting Manual for Washington Ports.
  • Public facilities districts (PFDs): RCW 35.57.070 governs PFDs created by cities and requires the PFDs to “publish notice, establish criteria, receive and evaluate proposals, and negotiate with respondents.” The exact details must be established by district resolution, and competitive bidding is not required. The same criteria apply for PFDs created by counties, except that RCW 36.100.180 requires competitive bidding for contracts over $150,000. The exact competitive process is not specified.

Competitive Process

Local governments generally have significant flexibility in determining how to solicit competition. However, if the project includes grant funding, the grant conditions may require a specific solicitation process.

Generally, the more complex or expensive the project is anticipated to be, the more rigorous the solicitation process should be. Local governments must also consider their own resolutions, policies, and procedures to determine their own local contracting requirements for minimal, informal, and formal competition.

Suggested competitive procedures and dollar limit thresholds are available in "Table C-Soliciting for Personal Services" of our Contracting for Services publication.

Requests for Proposals (RFPs) are the most common solicitation process used for personal services, although Requests for Qualifications (RFQs) may also be distributed separately from or in combination with an RFP.

Requests for Qualifications

RFQs ask only for a firm’s general capabilities, including:

  • List of principals
  • Previous projects
  • Number of employees
  • Licenses

Local governments may distribute RFQs for a services roster or as part of a formal competitive solicitation. In the case of a formal competitive solicitation, the RFQ can be combined with a Request for Proposals, or it could be distributed as the first step in the review process prior to distributing RFPs.

Requests for Proposals

RFPs ask proposes to submit qualifications, if not already on file, and a proposed scope of services in response to the agency’s specific needs. At a minimum, every RFP should include:

  • Statement of need (scope). This should be well-written with an adequate level of detail describing the project tasks and products, and listing the availability of supporting documents.
  • Estimated project budget. State the estimated budget, but note that the amount is only an estimate.
  • Estimated schedule. This should be realistic and closely tied to the scope.
  • Evaluation criteria. Be clear and tie the criteria to the scope. Provide the scoring criteria, and provide the decision schedule if available.
  • Proposal elements. List all the information that interested firms should submit, including the firm’s general approach to the project, a list of key personnel who would work on the project with their experience and availability, and general scope and deliverables. Keep the submittal requirements, page limitations, and due date in the same section of the RFP. Allow for flexibility in the format of responses.
  • Submittal deadline. Allow an adequate response time of 3-4 weeks. Accept electronic proposals, and acknowledge receipt of all proposals.
  • Agency’s standard terms and conditions. Attach a copy of the terms and conditions, if available, to the RFP.

Other common RFP elements include:

  • Background on the agency and project, including budgets
  • Reference documents, although large documents may be posted to a website and referenced in the document
  • Whether interviews will be included as part of the selection process
  • The pre-proposal conference schedule
  • Public disclosure guidance
  • Notice that costs incurred in the development of proposals and the selection process will be assumed by the proposers
  • Formal certification by the proposer of its authorization to submit the proposal, time validity of the proposal, non-collusion, etc.

Examples of Personal Service Contracts and Solicitations

Below are selected examples of personal services contracts and solicitations. Again, remember that port districts and PUDs have certain statutory requirements, while all other local governments do not.

Port District Personal Services

Legal Services

Financial Services

  • Redmond Indirect Cost Study RFP (2023) – Prepare indirect cost study and develop cost allocation policies and procedures
  • Leavenworth Utility Rate Study RFP (2023) – Utility rate study of city's water, sanitary sewer, stormwater, and commercial solid waste services with a minimum six-year horizon; includes standard professional services agreement
  • Mukilteo Grant Writing Services RFP (2023) – Grant research and writing services, including new grant submittals as well as submittal/administration of grant materials for previously awarded grants
  • Sumner Utility Rate Study RFQ (2023) – Provide financial analysis of water, wastewater, and stormwater utilities and prepare recommendations for utility rates and fees
  • Walla Walla Investment Advisory Services RFP (2023) – Full-time advisory services for city's investment portfolio; 3-year term with optional extensions

Recruitment and Retention Services

IT and Website Services

Planning Services

If the desired planning services include any architecture, landscape architecture, engineering, or surveying elements, they should be solicited as professional architecture and engineering (A&E) service contracts using qualifications-based selection.

Government Relations and Lobbying Services

Other Personal Services


Last Modified: March 14, 2024