SEALED BID
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
FOR
OFFICE OF CHILD SUPPORT
FEASIBILITY STUDY & SYSTEM REPLACEMENT PROJECT SUPPORT
Expected RFP Schedule Summary:
RFP Posted / May 17, 2013Bidder’s Conference / May 29, 2013 from 10 a.m. to noon
Bidder’s Questions Due / May 29, 2013
Letter of Intent to Bid / June 7, 2013
State Response to Questions / June 5, 2013
Proposal Due / June 20, 2013 at 2:00 PM
Bid Opening / 3:00 pm on the day that proposals are due.
Selection Notification / No later thanJuly 5, 2013
Commencement of Contract / July/August, 2013
LOCATION OF BID OPENING:Conference Room A, 208 Hurricane Lane, Suite 103
Williston, Vermont
PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT ALL NOTIFICATIONS, RELEASES, AND AMENDMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS RFP WILL BE POSTED AT:
THE STATE WILL MAKE NO ATTEMPT TO CONTACT VENDORS WITH UPDATED INFORMATION. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EACH VENDOR TO PERIODICALLY CHECK FOR ANY AND ALL NOTIFICATIONS, RELEASES AND AMENDMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE RFP.
CONTACT: Roberta Garrand
TELEPHONE:(802) 279-3879
E-MAIL:
FAX:(802) 769-6429
Date: May 17, 2013
State of Vermont
Department for Children and Families
Sealed Bid
Request for Proposals
title: DCF Office of Child Support
Feasibility Study& System Replacement Project Support
Requisition Number: 03440-OCS05-2013
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1 Information for the Bidder
1.GENERAL PROVISIONS
1.1.INTRODUCTION
1.2.FEDERAL AND STATE GUIDELINES, STANDARDS AND CONDITIONS
1.3.SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
1.4.SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT
1.5.LETTER OF INTENT – PRE-REQUISITE
1.6.BIDDER’S CONFERENCE
1.7.INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS
1.8.FACSIMILE COMMUNICATION
1.9.BID OPENING
1.10.PUBLIC RECORD
1.11.COSTS OF PROPOSAL PREPARATION
1.12.RECEIPT OF INSUFFICIENT COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS
1.13.NON-RESPONSIVE PROPOSALS/WAIVER OF MINOR IRREGULARITIES
1.14.RFP AMENDMENTS
1.15.Rejection RIGHTs
1.16.AUTHORITY TO BIND DCF
2.PROPOSAL REVIEW
2.1.SCORING
2.2.SELECTION OF THE APPARENTLY SUCCESSFUL BIDDER
2.3.NOTIFICATION OF AWARD
3.CONTRACT DEVELOPMENT
3.1.CONTRACT TERM
3.2.CONTRACT stipulations
3.3.REMITTANCE of PAYMENT
3.4.Contract Acceptance
4.STATE and AGENCY CUSTOMARY CONTRACTING PROVISIONS
4.1.ATTACHMENT C6
4.2. ATTACHMENT F0
CHAPTER 2 Information from the Bidder
5.RESPONSES
5. 2Qualityof BIDDER’S Experience
5.3BIDDER’S CAPACITY
CHAPTER 3 Technical Proposal/Responsiveness to specifications of work
6.0Technical Proposal
Appendix A Required General Forms
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
CERTIFICATIONS and ASSURANCES
RFP/PROJECT:
CHAPTER 1Information for the Bidder
- GENERAL PROVISIONS
1.1.INTRODUCTION
The Vermont Department for Children and Families, Office of Child Support, (hereinafter called DCF)is seeking to establish a contract with one company that can conduct a feasibility study and provide system replacement support as described in Attachment A, Specifications of Work. This will includean evaluation of options available to address the system issues with its ACCESS mainframe system that will include an alternatives analysis and cost benefit analysis of each option. The selected consultant willprovide additional system replacement support services to implement the option chosen. DCF will use the feasibility study, among other purposes, to develop a realistic scope for the information systems project including an estimate of project costs and duration before presenting to the Vermont Legislature with a request for approval and funding. We anticipate the feasibility study to be completed in 4 months, but no later than 10/01/13. The additional tasks specified in Attachment A are contingent upon securing the Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) approval and legislative spending authority.
The specific objectives of this RFP are to identify and select a qualified Bidder that:
• Has demonstrated experience in conducting technology based feasibility studies in the child support and public sector.
• Has an extensive understanding of child support enforcement systems.
• Has considerable experience in business process and systems analysis.
• Has experience with modernization and migration of legacy systems.
• Has an understanding of various large system computing platforms and the future direction of these platforms.
• Have familiarity with federal regulations codified at 45 CFR Part 95 and related documents governing IT service procurement.
• Has knowledge of the requirements and experience with Child Support System Certification.
• Has demonstrated experience using industry-standard project management practices.
• Will adhere to DCF’s approved schedule and provide timely, accurate, and reliable status information.
• Has the knowledge and experience to successfully complete the Deliverables as outlined in Attachment A, Specifications of Work.
The current ACCESS system environment is running an operating system of ZOS V1.9 – (v1.11 by 2/1/2011). The programming language is Natural 4.2.3. The database is ADABAS V7.4.4 and has a metadata model of Predict V4.5.2; uses APAS/INSIGHT V4.01.01 to monitor ADABAS activity; and AOS (ADABAS Online Services) V7.4.4 allows the system to perform ADABAS database administration tasks in an on-line environment. The system environment uses CONNECT:DIRECT version 4.3.4 and Cyberfusion V6.4 for a secure file exchange solution for data transfers between agencies. The system also uses Software AG’s EntireX suite of products version 8.1.1 for leveraging our legacy solution for use on other platforms as well as Event Replicator 3.2.1
1.2.FEDERAL AND STATE GUIDELINES, STANDARDS AND CONDITIONS
The State of Vermont has required that all contracts have clearly defined outcomes and performance standards. The State will work with the selected vendor to define the final performance standards that will be incorporated into the contract. During the RFP the State asks that the vendor propose detailed, proven performance requirements and standards that have the following attributes:
- Are quantifiable,
- Focus on critical outcomes,
- Stress the performance of the system and not the specific methods or processes used,
- Minimize subjective evaluation by stating clear criteria,
- Are realistic,
- Are unambiguous, and
- Include a measurement period (per day, per item, per month)
1.3.SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
The expected timetable, including the Proposal Due Date and other important dates, is set forth below.
RFP Posted / May 17, 2013Bidder’s Conference / May 29, 2013 @ 10 a.m. - noon
Bidder’s Questions Due / May 29, 2013
Intent to Bid / June 7, 2013 by 4:30 p.m.
Dept Response/Posting to EBB / June 5, 2013
Proposal Due / June 20, 2013 @ 2 p.m.
Bid Opening / 3:00 PM on the day that proposals are due
Selection Notification / No later than
July 5, 2013
Commencement of Contract / July/August, 2013
1.4.SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT
All communications concerning this Request for Proposal (RFP) are to be addressed in writing to the attention of: Roberta Garrand, DCF – Office of Child Support, 103 South Main Street, Waterbury, Vermont 05671-1901 or . Roberta Garrandwill be the sole contact for this proposal. Attempts by bidders to contact any other party could result in the rejection of their proposal.
1.5.LETTER of INTENT - PRE-REQUISITE
In order to ensure all necessary communication with the appropriate bidders and to prepare for the review of proposals, one letter of intent to bid must be submitted per bidder. The letter must identify the programs for which it is intending to submit a proposal.
Letters of Intent must be submitted by June 7, 2013by 4:30 p.m. to:
Roberta Garrand
Office of Child Support
103 South Main Street
Waterbury, Vermont 05671-1901
1.6.QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD
Any vendor requiring clarification of any section of this proposal must submit specific questions in writingaccording to the Schedule listed in Section 1.3. Questions must be e-mailed to the RFP Contact listed Section 1.4 of this proposal. Any question not raised in writing on or before the last day of the initial question period is waived. Responses to the questions sent will be posted to the Electronic Bulletin Board website
1.7.BIDDER’S CONFERENCE
The Bidder’s Conference will be conducted via conference call on May 29, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. Bidder’s wishing to participate in the Bidder’s Conference should request the meeting access information from Roberta Garrand via email at .
1.8.INSTRUCTIONS TO BIDDERS
The Proposal Packet: A proposal packet is the entire package of information sent by one bidder in response to this RFP. Each bidder may submit only one proposal packet. If a bidder sends multiple proposals for the same RFP, DCF will reject all of the bidder’s proposals. The proposal must include:
1.8.1.Certification and Assurances: One copy of the signed Certifications and Assurances, found in Appendix A, signed by a person authorized to bind your Company to a contract.
1.8.2.References: Provide the names, addresses, and phone numbers of at least three companies with whom you have transacted similar business in the last 12 months. You must include contact names who can talk knowledgeably about performance.
1.8.3.Insurance certificate: As part of the proposal packet the bidder must provide current certificates of insurance of which may or may not meet the minimum requirements laid out in the section 4 of this document. Any questions a bidder may have concerning the necessary insurance coverage must be raised during the question and answer period set out in section 1.6 of this document. In the absence of a question, and upon contract negotiations, the apparently successful bidder must provide a certificate of insurance that meets the minimum coverage specified in section 4 of this document. See Appendix A.
1.8.4.Any other attachments to the proposal labeled and attached.
1.8.5.Letter of Submittal: One letter of submittal signed by a person authorized to bind your organization to a contract. Your letter must include:
1.8.5.1.Identifying information about your organization and any sub-contractors. Include the name of the organization, names, addresses, telephone numbers, and address of principal officers and project/program leader, and a description of the type of organization you operate.
1.8.5.2.A detailed list of all materials and enclosures being sent in the proposal.
1.8.5.3.Any other statements you wish to convey to the Department for Children and Families Office of Child Support.
1.8.5.4.Any alternative contract language you wish to propose. If alternate contract language is longer than one page, attach it to your letter in a separate document.
1.8.6.Your proposal should respond to the points listed in the scoring sheet (see Section 2.1SCORING for more detail).
1.8.6.1.Bidder’s Qualifications – Corporate Experience: Demonstrated experience with similar maintenance or enhancement projects
1.8.6.2.Bidder’s Capacity to Perform – Staff Qualifications: Demonstrated experience of staff proposed for the project.
1.8.6.3.Responsiveness to Specifications – Planning, management, and the technical approach in the proposed solutions.
1.8.6.4.Cost
1.8.7.Proposal Format:
1.8.7.1.Use standard 8.5" x 11" white paper. Documents must be single-spaced and use not less than a twelve point font.
1.8.7.2.Send two (2) identical printed copies of the proposal you are submitting by mail (see Section 1.8.8.2. below for due date) and include a computer file copy of the document on a CD using Microsoft Word in the proposal packet.
State your organization's name on each page of your proposal and on any other information you are submitting.
1.8.7.3.Write the proposal in the order given in Attachment A, Sections 1.1 Technical Proposal.
1.8.8.Delivery of Proposal:
The Office of Child Support is located in the IBM Complex which has specific security requirements to access. Bidders wishing to hand deliver should make arrangements in advance with the RFP point of contact: Two (2) copies of the proposal should be delivered using either of the methods below to:
US Mail:
Roberta Garrand,OCS Administrator
DCF – Office of Child Support
103 South Main Street
Waterbury, Vermont 05671-1901
Delivery via FedEx or UPS should be delivered to the following physical address:
Office of Child Support
ATTN: Pam Mack
1000 River Road
Essex Jct., VT05452
1.8.8.1.Your proposal (all components including hard copies AND e-mail and/or CD copy) whether mailed or hand delivered, must arrive at the Office of Child Supportno later than 2:00 p.m. on June 20, 2013. Late responses shall not be accepted and shall automatically be disqualified from further consideration. The method of delivery shall be at your discretion, and shall be at your sole risk to assure delivery at the designated office.
1.8.8.1.1.The Office of Child Support does not take responsibility for any problems in mail or delivery, either within or outside the Office of Child Support. Receipt by any other office or mailroom is not equivalent to receipt by the Office of Child Support.
1.9.FACSIMILE COMMUNICATION
You may use facsimile communication (FAX) for any communication required in this RFP - EXCEPT for your proposal and protest, if any. You may not send your proposal or protest by facsimile communication.
1.10.BID OPENING
The bid opening will be held in Conference Room A, 208 Hurricane Lane, Suite 103,Williston, Vermontand is open to the public. Typically, the Office of Child Support will open the bid, read the name and address of the bidder, and read the bid amount. Bid openings are open to members of the public. However, no further information pertaining to the bid will be available at that time other then the bid amount, name and address of the bidder. The Office of Child Support reserves the right to limit the information disclosed at the bid opening to the name and address of the bidder when, in its sole discretion, it is determined that the nature, type, or size of the bid is such that Office of Child Support cannot immediately (at the opening) establish that the bids are in compliance with the RFP. As such, there will be cases in which the bid amount will not be read at the bid opening. Bid results are a public record, however, the bid results are exempt from disclosure to the public until the award has been made and the contract is executed with the apparently successful bidder.
1.11.PUBLIC RECORD
All bid proposals and submitted information connected to this RFP may be subject to disclosure under the State’s access to public records law. The successful bidder’s response will become part of the official contract file. Once the contract is finalized, material associated with its negotiation is amatter of public record except for those materials that are specifically exempted under the law. One such exemption is information that constitutes a trade secret, is proprietary, or is confidential. If the response includes material that isconsidered by the bidder to be proprietary and confidential under 1 V.S.A., Ch. 5 Sec. 317, the bidder shallclearly designate the material as such prior to bid submission.The bidder must identify each page or section of the response that it believes is proprietary andconfidential and provide a written explanation relating to each marked portion to justify the denial of a public record request should Office of Purchasing & Contracting receive such a request. The letter must address the proprietary or confidential nature of each marked section, provide the legal authority relied on, and explain the harm that would occur should the material be disclosed. Under nocircumstances can the entire response or price information be marked confidential. Responses somarked may not be considered and will be returned to the bidder.
1.11.1.All proposals shall become the property of Office of Purchasing & Contracting.
1.11.2.All public records of Office of Purchasing & Contracting may be disclosed, except that RFP records shall not be released until the Contractor and DCF have executed the contract. At that time, the unsuccessful bidders may request a copy of their own score sheets as well as request to view the successful bidder’s proposal at the Office of Purchasing & Contracting. The name of any bidder submitting a response shall also be a matter of public record. Other persons or organizations may also make a request at that time or at a later date.
1.11.3.Consistent with state law, the Office of Child Support will not disclose RFP records until execution of the contract(s). At that time, upon receipt of a public records request, information about the competitive procurement may be subject to disclosure. The Office of Child Support will review the submitted bids and related materials and consider whether those portions specifically marked by a bidder as falling within one of the exceptions of 1 V.S.A., Ch. 5 Sec. 317 are legally exempt. If in the Office of Child Support’s judgment, pages or sections marked as proprietary or confidential are not proprietary or confidential; the Office of Child Support will contact the bidder to provide the bidder with an opportunity to prevent the disclosure of those marked portions of its bid.
1.12.COSTS OF PROPOSAL PREPARATION
DCF will not pay any bidder costs associated with preparing or presenting any proposal in response to this RFP.
1.13.RECEIPT OF INSUFFICIENT COMPETITIVE PROPOSALS
If DCF receives one or fewer responsive proposals as a result of this RFP, DCF reserves the right to select the Contractor which best meets DCF’s needs. The Contractor will be selected by the Department for Children and Families’ Office of Child Support (hereinafter called DCF) management. The Contractor selected need not be the sole bidder but will be required to document their ability to meet the requirements identified in this RFP. DCF reserves the right to obtain clarification or additional information necessary to properly evaluate a proposal or any part thereof. Failure of a bidder to respond to a request for additional information or clarification could result in rejection of that bidder’s proposal.
1.14.NON-RESPONSIVE PROPOSALS/WAIVER OF MINOR IRREGULARITIES
Read all instructions carefully. If you do not comply with any part of this RFP, DCF may, at its sole option, reject your proposal as non-responsive. DCF reserves the right to waive minor irregularities contained in any proposal.
1.15.RFP AMENDMENTS
DCF reserves the right to amend this RFP. DCF will mail any RFP amendments to all bidders who were sent the RFP and post amendments to the Electronic Bulletin Board
1.16.Rejection RIGHTs
DCF may, at any time and at its sole discretion and without penalty, reject any and all proposals and issue no contract as a result of this RFP. Further more, a proposal may be rejected for one or more of the following reasons or for any other reason deemed to be in the best interest of the State:
1.16.1.The failure of the bidder to adhere to one or more provisions established in this RFP.
1.16.2. The failure of the bidder to submit required information in the format specified in this RFP.
1.16.3. The failure of the bidder to adhere to generally accepted ethical and professional principles during the RFP process.
1.17.AUTHORITY TO BIND DCF