Wayne State College CRM RFPPage #2
1 General Information
1.1 Notice
The Board of Trustees of the Nebraska State Colleges dba Wayne State College (“WSC”, “College”) will receive responses to a Request for Proposal (RFP) in the form of sealed bids for Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions to facilitate both prospective student recruiting and existing student retention activities, with an initial focus on recruiting. Please see section 3.1 for bidding instructions.
1.2 Purpose
WSC seeks to purchase and implement a CRM to replace its current recruiting CRM software. WSC desires a solution, including software, implementation, and support which will:
· Improve the quality, clarity, and impact of the prospect experience with WSC.
· Provide the campus with a platform in which units can work more collaboratively with the admissions team in the recruiting and relationship building process.
· Provide the admissions team with tools to support a continual process improvement model, including analytics on current processes and tools to enhance processes.
· Provide a data rich platform with opportunities to use data effectively at the tactical, operational, and strategic level
· Resolve technical challenges presented by the current CRM solution for members of the admissions team working in rural areas with limited connectivity
· Provide security for applicant data
WSC is a member of the Nebraska State College System (NSCS) and, as such, has two sister institutions, Chadron State College and Peru State College. Reponses should be written in such a way that any campus within the NSCS and/or the NSCS system office could also purchase solutions and services from this RFP at their independent discretion.
1.3 Definitions
Definitions used in these requirements and any resultant contract documents shall have the respective meaning as herein given.
— Respondent/Vendor -- a party submitting a proposal based on these specifications.
— Solution – software, infrastructure, hosting, implementation, training, and all other components of a complete solution to accomplish the goals of the RFP
— Contractor/Consultant -- the party that submits the successful proposal and subsequently enters into a contract with the College.
— College – Chadron State College, Peru State College, or Wayne State College.
— Federal -- all agencies, departments or other subdivisions of the Government of the United States of America.
— State -- the State of Nebraska, including all agencies, departments or other subdivisions thereof.
— Accounting Period -- the reporting and payment dates for both Contractor and College as defined by the contract document.
— Regular Academic Year -- begins with the opening of the fall semester and ending with the close of the spring semester as established by the College's approved academic calendar.
— Summer Term-- begins with the start of the first summer session and ends with the end of the last summer session.
— Purpose – the need expressed in section 1.2 of this document.
— Services – the combination of products and services proposed by the Respondent, which meets the purpose and goals of this RFP.
1.4 Basis of Proposals
Proposals shall be consistent with specifications contained in this Request for Proposals, including all sections. Telephone or fax proposals will NOT be accepted. No Respondent may withdraw a proposal for a period of sixty (60) days after the date of proposal opening.
It is the responsibility of the prospective Respondent submitting a proposal to become fully acquainted with this RFP and the conditions for providing the solution.
1.5 Contractor Selection
The Respondents will be screened and a Contractor selected on the basis of any and all information that the College deems pertinent to the Purpose of the RFP. The College reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to accept other than the low bid, to negotiate with one or more Respondents on the basis of their initial proposal, and to waive informalities or technicalities in the bidding and evaluation process.
1.6 Notice of Intent to Award
All Respondents submitting proposals will be promptly notified after the College has approved the intent to award the contract to the successful Respondent, contingent upon successful negotiation of the contract.
1.7 Contract and Contract Documents
The College and the successful Respondent shall enter into a written contract, the terms of which shall reference conditions and specifications put forth in Section 6 of this Request for Proposal. Note that responses to this RFP will include the submission of a draft contract, per Section 7.
2 CRITICAL DATES
The following summary outlines the critical dates in the process of selecting a Contractor.
September 15, 2017 - Request for Proposal Issued
Specifications, including the calendar of events, Respondent’s qualification requirements, and other information, are published and available to prospective Respondents.
September 29, 2017 – Deadline for written questions
All questions are due via e-mail to the RFP Communications Liaison by 4:00PM CDT. The subject line for written questions must be “WSC CRM RFP Written Questions”.
October 6, 2017 – WSC provides responses to Respondent questions.
October 13 20, 2017 - Proposals submitted in response to this Request for Proposal must be received by 2:00PM CDT at the Office of the Vice President for Administration and Finance.
October 20 27, 2017 – WSC announces finalists
October 26-27 November 6-7, 2017 – Finalist presentations on campus (virtual presence allowed)
November 10, 2017 – WSC announces intent to award – contract negotiation begins
December 1, 2017 – Implementation begins
3 INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS
3.1 Proposal Submission
Respondent Proposals shall be submitted in sealed envelopes marked as noted in section 3.1.1, received at the location specified in 3.1.2 until the time specified in 3.1.3. A complete proposal shall consist of the items listed in section 3.1.5. All deadline times in this document are Central Daylight Time (CDT).
3.1.1 RFP Identification
· Wayne State College
· CRM Proposal
3.1.2 RFP Opening Location
· Office of the Vice President for Administration and Finance
· Wayne State College
· 1111 Main Street
· Wayne, NE 68787
3.1.3 RFP Due Date
· 2:00 PM, October 13th, 2017
3.1.4 RFP Responsible parties
3.1.4.1 RFP and Contract Responsible Party
John Dunning
Chief Information Officer
Wayne State College
1111 Main Street
Wayne, NE 68787
Phone: 402-375-7286
3.1.4.2 RFP Communications Liaison
Same as 3.1.4.1
3.2 RFP Response Contents
· Original Proposal
· One electronic copy
4 Proposal Organization
Respondents must provide written responses or acknowledgements to the following questions and statements intended to establish their qualification to provide the Solution in accordance with the specifications included in this RFP. Responses should be numbered to coincide with the numbering of the questions below and should be presented in the sequence indicated. This information must be included as part of the response even if the same or similar information was previously provided to the College as part of previous bids or proposals. Responses should be straightforward and concise while still covering the topics adequately. Omissions, inaccuracies or misstatements may be cause for disqualification of the Respondent.
4.1 RFP Communication
All communications and/or questions regarding this request should be in writing, and Respondents are encouraged to e-mail written questions to the RFP Communications Liaison listed in Section 3.1.4.
4.2 RFP Errors
If any significant ambiguity, error, conflict, discrepancy, omission, or other deficiency is discovered in this RFP, Respondents have five (5) business days prior to the RFP due date to notify, in writing, the RFP Communications Liaison of such error and request modification or clarification of the RFP document. All written questions will receive responses in writing, posted to the WSC website.
In the event that it becomes necessary to provide additional clarifying data or information, or to revise any part of this RFP, supplements or revisions will be provided to all recipients of this initial RFP, and posted to the WSC website.
5 College PROFILE
5.1 College History
Wayne State College is one of three colleges governed by the Board of Trustees of Nebraska State Colleges, the other two being Chadron State College and Peru State College. The College traces its history back to 1891, when Professor James M. Pile founded the Nebraska Normal College, a private institution operated by Professor Pile until his death in 1908. In 1909, the Nebraska State legislature authorized the purchase of the property, buildings and equipment of the Nebraska Normal College. In September of 1910, the institution opened as a State Normal School under the leadership of President U.S. Conn.
In 1921, the school became a State Normal School and Teachers College and was authorized to grant baccalaureate degrees in education. In 1949, the Legislature changed the name of the institution to Nebraska State Teachers College at Wayne and granted the authority to confer baccalaureate degrees for study in the liberal arts. The graduate program leading to a Master's degree was authorized in 1955. In 1963, the Legislature changed the name of the College to Wayne State College. In 1992, the College added the Master of Business Administration to the degree programs it offers.
Wayne State is located in Wayne, Nebraska, a community of about 5,700 in the northeastern region of the state. The city has a diversified economy, which includes agriculture, manufacturing and service enterprises. Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska and Sioux City, Iowa, are within easy driving distance of Wayne, and all three cities are served by scheduled airlines. An airport for general aviation is located in the City of Wayne for use by business and other travelers in private or charter planes.
5.2 College Mission
Wayne State College, as part of the three-school state college system, is a regional public institution geographically positioned to serve the needs of Northeast Nebraska. The College's basic mission is twofold: it strives to develop students of a wide range of academic abilities through quality teaching and support, and to assist with the development of its service region through the delivery of public service programs and activities.
The College is primarily an undergraduate institution offering a comprehensive curriculum with equal emphasis on the arts and sciences, business and teacher education. Graduate programs are offered at the Master's level in education and business administration and at the specialist level in education.
The College has built upon its rich tradition as a teacher’s college by emphasizing strong teaching and helpful out-of-class support in a personalized setting. A comprehensive co-curricular program of student activities offered in a manageable residential setting provides students with opportunities to enhance personal characteristics and leadership abilities. In addition, the College has extended its tradition of helping by becoming a regional service center enhancing the quality of life and fostering development in its largely rural service region. The public service programs and activities provided are, in large part, a product of the applied research and community service activities of the College's faculty and staff.
The College currently enrolls approximately 3,600 students and has the capacity to house 1,615 students on campus.
5.3 Enrollment History
Enrollment at the College has remained stable over the last ten years. The College is undertaking significant marketing initiatives to target increased enrollment in our traditional, undergraduate programs. Residence hall occupancy has followed the same trend as on-campus enrollments. The College would like to increase enrollment in the future.
5.4 College/Contractor Relations
The College believes a quality contractual arrangement is most likely to be achieved when there is good communication between various College entities and the Contractor. To assure effective communication, the College will identify a liaison officer to serve as the primary representative to the Contractor and will identify those other College officials with specific responsibilities to the Solution.
6 GENERAL CONDITIONS OF THE CONTRACT
All Respondents must indicate their ability to comply with the following terms, which are intended to be included in a contract entered into with the Contractor:
6.1 Prompt Payment Act
In the event any amount due under any contract resulting from this RFP remains unpaid for forty-five (45) days after the due date, the unpaid amount shall bear interest from the 31st day after the due date at the rate specified in the Prompt Payment Act, Neb. Rev. Stat. §§81-2401 to 81-2408.
6.2 Independent Contractor
The Contractor shall be an independent contractor and not a College employee for all purposes, including, but not limited to, the application of the Fair Labor Standards Act, minimum wage and overtime payments, the Federal Insurance Contribution Act, the Social Security Act, the Federal Unemployment Tax Act, the provisions of the Internal Revenue Code, any Nebraska revenue and taxation law, Nebraska workers' compensation law and Nebraska unemployment insurance law.
The Contractor agrees that it is a separate and independent enterprise from the College, that it has a full opportunity to find other business, that it has made its own investment in its business, and that it shall utilize a high level of skill necessary to perform the work. The contract shall not create any partnership, joint venture, or joint employment relationship between the Contractor and the College, and the College shall not be liable for any obligation incurred by the Contractor, including but not limited to, unpaid minimum wages or overtime premiums. If the Contractor has employees or subcontractors, the Contractor further agrees to maintain at least the prescribed minimum workers' compensation insurance coverage for all of the Contractor's employees for the duration of this contract. The Contractor agrees to furnish the College proof of workers' compensation insurance coverage upon request.
6.3 Liability Insurance Requirements
· The Contractor is required to carry liability insurance of one (1) million dollars per occurrence. The Contractor's insurance policy shall be primary and non-contributory. The College shall be named as an additional insured party on the policy and the certificate of insurance shall reflect that the policy waives its right of subrogation against the College. A copy of the certificate shall be provided to the College.
· Copies of certification of insurance shall be provided by the Contractor at the beginning of contract negotiations. If work performed under this contract will span multiple years, the Contractor must provide annual evidence of recertification.