COF Contract Process

COF determines the need for a Request for Proposal (RFP), Request for Information (RFI), a contract extension, or engagement of a new service and service provider.

1.)  Formal RFP: recommended for sizable new contracts or for renewals approximately every 5 years

2.)  Informal competitive comparison RFI: recommended every 1-3 years

3.)  Contract extension frequently built into original contract negotiation.

COF: Assessing, Analyzing and Improving the Role of Learning Technologies in Student Success FORMAL RFP

I. GENERAL INFORMATION:

Colleges of the Fenway (“COF”), is a consortium of six (6) colleges: Emmanuel College, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Massachusetts Colleges of Pharmacy and Health Sciences University, Simmons College, Wheelock College, and Wentworth Institute of Technology and is a 501c3 organization. We are seeking a vendor to provide the colleges with tools to enhance teaching and learning.

a.  Vendor will supply data collection and analysis, a presentation of the data that will identify and compare trends, identify effective practices, and competencies

b.  Reviewing Group and Decision Makers: Chief Academic Officers, Academic Technology Committee A COF Committee comprised of subject matter specialists as available through a standing Committee or a subset of delegates and the Director of Collaborative Services and/or a representative COF staff member.

Goals: The colleges are seeking services to enhance teaching and learning. The campuses have differing needs, and Section II outlines the various services of interest to some or all of the colleges. Services must be vendor neutral, as different colleges use different platforms.

Scope of Work: Student success depends on unlocking the full potential of academic technologies. The Colleges of the Fenway are looking to work with a company that will provide the colleges with deep analysis of data collected that will create efficiencies through implementing best practices and foster inter-campus collaboration.

It is the vision of the Colleges of the Fenway that the work is done over three years. An outline of the three years is as follows:

YEAR ONE – Collect data, establish a base line that includes the relationship of our LMS and standards of success – such as retention, graduation rates, enrollments, etc. Identify effective practices and minimum standards report findings and gather feedback.

YEAR TWO – Complete analysis of trend data and develop plan, identify common themes, share information and incorporate feedback, integration with teaching and learning conference, select workshop topics and speakers to offer expertise

YEAR THREE – Implement recommendations, assess by gathering feedback from faculty and students, present findings and recommended key areas to increase adoptions and competency, plan for further assessment and sustainability

This Request for Proposals (RFP) states the instructions for submitting proposals and the procedure and criteria by which a vendor may be selected:

c.  Definition of Parties: The Colleges of the Fenway and others collectively, will be referred to as “COF”. The COF Committee will be referred to as “Committee”. Respondents to the RFP will be referred to as “Bidders”. The Bidder to whom the contract is awarded will be referred to as the “vendor”.

d.  Response Requirements: Vendors are asked to replicate the sequence of the outline and follow the same numbering convention for each response.

II. Desired Services

  1. Please state vendor’s service capabilities and any requirements in each of the following areas:
  2. Advise and assist the COF with identifying relevant data types to be collected and analyzed to provide insight into the current effectiveness of specific aspects of learning management systems (LMS) use by COF.
  3. Advise and assist the COF on typical heuristics and standards for measuring learning effectiveness, e.g., grading data, time on task, retention, and the like
  4. Collect, standardize, and analyze the data from multiple learning management systems together with related user data
  5. Identify data trends, and where practicable, present trend information that is comparable to national data trends.
  6. Identify effective practices using agreed-upon criteria jointly developed by the Committee and Vendor
  7. Establish minimum standards and/or competencies for faculty

Other services and requirements:

  1. Describe the vendor’s ability to be neutral with regard to the separate major learning management systems and related platforms each college uses. Specifically, how the vendor would collect, standardize and compare data taken from several different learning management and student information systems.
  2. Describe the vendor’s ability to evaluate usage of an LMS in the context of highly experiential or non-traditional disciplines or areas of study and how you would do this.

III. Communication and Support Services

  1. Describe how the vendor would aid the COF in collecting, analyzing, and presenting data, and identifying effective practices.
  2. What kind of marketing, training, and communication would the vendor recommend?
  3. Does the vendor provide support in educating the campus / providing literature, etc.?
  4. Would the vendor conduct an onsite audit? If so, how would that work?
  5. What kind of reporting is provided? Can the vendor provide quarterly/annual reports? (please provide a sample)

IV. Billing Model

  1. Indicate willingness to bill Colleges of the Fenway centrally
  2. Describe the type of financial arrangement and billing schedule
  3. Cost savings including consortium benefit

V. Other baseline services outlined must include:

  1. Customer service guarantees
  2. SLA’s for problem resolution
  3. Escalation path
  4. Key contact(s)

VI. Bidder References: A list of three (3) business references is required. These references should be employers/colleges your firm has done business with in the past year on projects with a similar scope to this one (for this project, the colleges are particularly interested in hearing from other local colleges and universities).

  1. Evaluation Criteria: Proposals will be evaluated on many criteria deemed to be in COF’s best interests, including, but not limited to: the ability to meet specifications and contract start date of 10/1/15, responsiveness to terms and conditions, financial stability of bidder, cost to COF member institutions, procedures and policies of bidders, availability of personnel and references.
  1. Communication with COF: It is the responsibility of the Bidder to inquire about any requirement of this RFP that is not understood. Responses to inquiries, if they change or clarify the RFP in a substantial manner, will be forwarded to all parties that have received a copy of the RFP. Inquiries from invited respondents must be made to:
  1. Address: Colleges of the Fenway

Award of Proposal: Presentations may be requested of one or more Bidders deemed by the Committee to be the best suited among those submitting proposals on the basis of the selection criteria.After presentations have been conducted, the Committee may select the bidder which, in its opinion, has made the proposal that is the most responsive and most responsible and may award the contract to that bidder. The Committee reserves the right to waive minor irregularities. COF may cancel this RFP or reject any or all proposals at any time prior to an award.

Timeline and key milestones:

●  Collect names of agencies prior to June 29, 2015

●  Send notification by June 30, 2015

●  Proposal Deadline: July 21, 2015

●  Review proposals by August 10, 2015

●  Select finalists by August 17, 2015

●  Invite finalists/presenters to meeting August 26, 2015

●  Determine Contractor by no later than September 9, 2015

●  Notify participants of decision by no later than September 9, 2015

●  Sign new contract and/or Master Agreement with phased project plan by October 1, 2015

Confidentiality: The information contained in proposals submitted for COF consideration will be held in confidence.

Note: The awarded vendor will be required to execute the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Terms and Conditions document - link below.

http://inside.massart.edu/Documents/departments/administrative_services/PU-Comm-TandC.pdf

Proposal Submission: A SIGNED original and an electronic version in Microsoft Word of the proposal should be submitted on a flash drive by 4:00 p.m. July 21st to:

Colleges of the Fenway
Attention: COFADMIN

375 Longwood Avenue

Boston, MA 02215

Back up should be provided in a sealed date stamped envelope. Proposals received after the due date and time will be returned and eliminated from the process. Vendors are strongly encouraged to submit proposals in advance of the due date to avoid the possibility of missing the due date because of unforeseen circumstances. COF assumes no responsibility for delays caused by inaccurate email addresses or mail delivery service.


Proposals will be reviewed by the Committee and one or more agencies will be invited to present their proposals during the week of August 26, 2015.

GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

  1. Contract Term: The contract term shall be for a period of 3 years with distinct phases unless the committee recommends a shorter engagement commencing upon 10/1/15. With mutual agreement of the parties this contract may also be extended.
  1. Contract Data: The Contractor is required to provide COF with detailed data concerning the contract on a quarterly basis, at the completion of each contract year and periodically as requested by COF for review and evaluation.
  1. Cancellation/Termination: If the Contractor defaults in its agreement to provide personnel to the satisfaction of COF, or in any other way fail to provide service in accordance with the contract terms, COF may take whatever action it deems necessary to provide alternate services and may, at its option, immediately cancel this Contract.
  2. Equal Opportunity: In the execution of the contract, the Contractor and all subcontractors agree not to discriminate on the grounds of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin or citizenship status, age, disability or veteran’s status and to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.
  1. Sexual Harassment: COF is committed to providing a positive environment for all students and staff. Sexual harassment, whether intentional or not, undermines the quality of this educational and working climate. COF has a legal and ethical responsibility to ensure that all students and employees can learn and work in an environment free of sexual harassment.

PERFORMANCE TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

  1. Contract Administration: The Executive Director of the Colleges of the Fenway, Inc., or designee, shall be COF’s authorized representative in all matters pertaining to the administration of this contract.

SIGNATURE:

COMPANY NAME ______

By: ______

(Signature)

______

(Print Name)

______

(Title)

______

(Phone number)

______

(Email Address)

______

(Date)

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