84 State Street, Second Floor / Deborah B. Goldberg, Treasurer and Receiver General, Chair
Boston, Ma 02109 / Michael G. Trotsky, CFA, Executive Director and Chief Investment Officer

December 14, 2015

Potential Provider

Re: Information Technology Support Services Request for Proposals

The Massachusetts Pension Reserves Investment Management Board (“PRIM”) is requesting proposals from firms interested in providing Information Technology Support Services.

The Procurement Officer for this Request for Proposals (RFP) is Anthony J. Falzone. In order for proposals to be considered for selection, each proposal, including all attachments, must be sent electronically to the Procurement Officer via e-mail to and must be received by 3:00 p.m. ET on January 20, 2016, the RFP Response Deadline (see TIME TABLE in Section VI).

Further instructions for response submission are included in the RFP, which is available at Questions concerning the RFP must be submitted to and received by the Procurement Officer at by 3:00 p.m. ET on January 6, 2016, the RFP Question Deadline (see TIME TABLE in Section VI).

We appreciate the time and effort required to respond to this RFP. Each firm submitting a proposal to the PRIM Board can be assured that the same time and effort will be expended in evaluating each proposal. We look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Michael G. Trotsky, CFA

Executive Director and

Chief Investment Officer

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

Information Technology Support Services

December 14, 2015

Table of Contents

Description / Page
I. / Scope of Services / 4
II. / General Information / 5
III. / Selection Process and Selection Criteria / 7
IV. / Minimum Qualifications / 8
V. / RFP Specifications / 8
VI. / Time Table / 11
VII. / Questionaire / 12
VIII. / Fee Proposal / 21
IX. / Representations and Warranties / 22

Exhibits

Description / Page
A. / PRIM Disclosure Form / 23
B. / PERAC Disclosure Form / 27
C. / PRIM Investment Policy / 30

The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to solicit proposals from qualified firms to provide Information Technology Support Services. PRIM invites qualified firms to submit proposals to provide these services. PRIM may select one or more service providers based on PRIM’s evaluation of the Proposals in accordance with the Selection Criteria contained in Section III of this Request for Proposals.

  1. SCOPE OF SERVICES.

PRIM seeks proposals to provide Information Technology Support Services. Specifically, PRIM seeks a qualified vendor(s) to support PRIM’s information technology environment and computer systems. The term of the contract resulting from this RFP will be 3-5 years and all specifications should be reflective of this time period.

Services include providing helpdesk support, application support and development, ongoing maintenance to the current environment, making recommendations for enhancing the existing systems, colocation support, assessing and assisting in the implementation of upgrades/changes to the current system and regular and emergency maintenance and support for approximately 40 users.

Both on-site and remote access support capabilities are expected to satisfy both scheduled visits and on-call emergency support requirements. Additionally on an as-needed basis user training may be requested for new technologies and possibly refresher training on existing technologies. A sample of technologies in use at PRIM is below.

Current Information Technology Environment (Key Systems)

End User Workstations (40 Full Time Employees)
  • Dell Laptops, Desktops and Monitors

  • Android, Apple, and Blackberry Handheld Devices

  • Symantec Endpoint Encryption

  • Kaspersky Endpoint Protection

  • Windows 7

  • Microsoft Office 2013

  • Adobe AcrobatXI Standard

  • FactSet and Microsoft CRM 2011 Outlook Plug-In

  • Sage 50 Peachtree Accounting Software

  • Remote Access (VPN)

Enterprise Infrastructure – Multi Site Environment
  • Cisco Routers, Firewalls, IPS, Wireless Controller, and Access Points

  • Dell POE Switches

  • Dell Servers (Power Edge R710, R520, 2950)

  • EMC VNXe 3300 Storage

  • KEMP Load Balancer

  • Dell KACE System and Inventory Management

  • Active Directory Domain

  • VMware VSphere and Site Recovery Manager

  • Exchange 2007

  • Active Directory Federated Services

  • VASCODigipass

  • Windows Server 2008 – 2012R2

  • Windows Server Services (WSUS)

  • Mobile Device Management (MaaS360 and BES)

  • WinDSX Card Access System

  • PRTG Monitoring

  • Symantec Backup Exec

Core Applications and Licensing
  • Microsoft SQL

  • SharePoint 2013

  • Microsoft CRM Dynamics 2011

  • Microsoft Office 365

  • Symantec Enterprise Vault

  • MathworksMatLab

  • GitHubCode Management

  • Microsoft Visual Studio

Phone System
  • Comcast Business Voice Edge

Exterior Facing Website
  • Concrete5 - Content Management System

  • Hosted by Bluehost – Domain Registrar

WAN
  • Comcast 20MB Dedicated Ethernet

  • Verizon 10MB Fiber Pipe

Additional detail has been removed from the above descriptionsfor IT security reasons. Upon request PRIM is willing to provide a network architecture diagramduring the RFP’s question period(see TIME TABLE in Section VI).

  1. GENERAL INFORMATION.

Organization of the PRIM Board and PRIT Fund.

1.Legal Structure of PRIM.

PRIM was created in 1983 by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to provide and manage the Pension Reserves Investment Trust (“PRIT”) Fund. The PRIT Fund was created to invest the assets of the State Employees’ and State Teachers’ Retirement Systems. Many local retirement systems also invest their pension assets in the PRIT Fund.

The mission of the PRIT Fundis to ensure that assets for current and future pension benefit obligations are adequately invested in a costeffective manner. PRIM seeks to maximize the total return on investments within acceptable levels of risk for a public pension fund. As of June 30, 2015, the PRIT Fund had net assets totaling approximately $61 billion. The current asset allocation targets and additional information can be found on the PRIM Board website at

PRIM is governed by a ninemember board of trustees. The trustees include: (1) the Governor, ex officio, or his designee; (2) the State Treasurer, ex officio, or her designee, who serve as Chair of PRIM; (3) a private citizen, experienced in the field of financial management, appointed by the State Treasurer; (4) an employee or retiree, who is a member of the State Teachers’ Retirement System, elected by the members of such system, for a term of three years; (5) an employee or retiree, who is a member of the State Employees’ Retirement System, elected by the members of such system for a term of three years; (6) the elected member of the State Retirement Board; (7) one of the elected members of the Teachers’ Retirement Board chosen by the members of the Teachers’ Retirement Board; (8) a person who is not an employee or official of the Commonwealth appointed by the Governor; and (9) a representative of a public safety union appointed by the Governor. Appointed members serve for a term of four years.

The board employs an Executive Director, outside investment managers, custodians, consultants and others as it deems necessary; and formulates policies, procedures, and takes such other actions necessary and appropriate to manage the assets of the PRIT Fund.

The PRIM Board has established four advisory committees: Investment, Administration and Audit, Real Estate and Timberland, and Compensation. These committees are generally comprised of several Board members and also non-Board members with investment and/or relevant business expertise. Committee recommendations are presented to the Board for approval. The PRIM organizational chart, along with a listing of the members of the PRIM Board, Investment Committee, Real Estate and Timber Committee, Administration and Audit Committee, and Compensation Committee, can be found on the PRIM Board website at

The PRIM Board employs an Executive Director who coordinates and executes investment and administrative functions in conformity with the policies and directives of the PRIM Board. The Executive Director employs a professional and clerical staff to assist in the daily operations of overseeing PRIM and the PRIT Fund.

  1. Legislative Mandate.

PRIM is governed by Massachusetts General Laws (“MGL”), Chapter 32, Sections 22 and 23 (web link: and oversees the PRIT Fund under the terms of PRIM’s Operating Trust dated July 15, 1988 and amended on September 22, 1998 (see The members of the Board, in conjunction with the Executive Director, who serves at the pleasure of the Board, determine significant policies and decisions concerning the administrative and investment operations of PRIM and the PRIT Fund.

  1. MGL Chapter 268A.

The Massachusetts Conflict of Interest Law (MGL Chapter 268A, web link: applies to PRIM.

  1. Chapter 30A, Sections 18-25.

The Massachusetts Open Meeting Law (MGL Chapter 30A, Sections 18-25, web link: applies to PRIM and requires, with some exceptions, that meetings of public bodies such as the PRIM Board and Committees be open to the public.

  1. PRIM’s Advisors.

Outside advisors are engaged for their particular expertise and retained to assist PRIM in areas such as general portfolio strategy and investments, real estate, and private markets. Callan Associates is PRIM's general consultant, NEPC is PRIM’s asset allocation consultant, Arden Asset Management is PRIM’s hedge fund consultant, Hamilton Lane is the private equity consultant, and The Townsend Group is the real estate and timber consultant. KPMG is the PRIT Fund’s auditor and Deloitte provides general tax services. BNY Mellon is the PRIT Fund's custodian and is responsible for providing record-keeping and analytic performance valuations for the Fund.

III.SELECTION PROCESS AND SELECTION CRITERIA.

The Selection Process under this RFP will be as follows:

1.Non-Qualifying Proposals.

PRIM will evaluate each Proposal to determine if it was submitted in accordance with the requirements set forth in this RFP, including whether the proposing firm meets the minimum qualifications set forth in Section IV. All non-qualifying Proposals not subject to the waiver/cure of minor information (referred in Section V. 4.) will be rejected.

  1. Selection of Finalists.

The Proposals will be evaluated by an Evaluation Committee. It is anticipated that the Evaluation Committee may include members of PRIM’s Committees, consultants, as well as PRIM Staff. Proposers may be invited to a due diligence interview with the Evaluation Committee. Based on the Selection Criteria set forth in this RFP (including the Fee Proposals), the Evaluation Committee will select finalists.

Members of the Evaluation Committee may or may not make a due diligence site visit to the finalists' offices. The Evaluation Committee shall then select finalists and make its recommendations for selecting anInformation Technology Support Service provider or providers to the PRIM Administration and Audit Committee and the PRIM Board.

The finalists selected by the Evaluation Committee may be required to make an oral presentation to the Administration and Audit Committee, the PRIM Board, or both. The Administration and Audit Committee may accept the recommendations of the Evaluation Committee or, based on the Selection Criteria set forth in this RFP, may rank the firms differently from the Evaluation Committee and recommend another firm or firms to provide services to PRIM. The engagement will be awarded by the PRIM Board.

  1. Selection Criteria.

Respondent’s qualifications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

1.Stability, expertise, and general experience of the firm.
  1. Stability, expertise, and general experienceof the proposed team dedicated to PRIM.
  2. Client references.
  3. Fee proposal.

IV. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS.

A Proposer must meet the following minimum qualifications to be given further consideration in PRIM’s search for a Information Technology Support Services provider(s). Failure of a firm to meet the minimum qualifications will result in the proposal’s immediate rejection.

Basic Minimum Qualifications.

  1. The firm must have at least 10 full time technical staff members.
  2. The firm must have technical staff with at least three (3) years’ experience implementing and maintaining a Microsoft Windows 7 operating system end user environment.
  3. The firm must have technical staff with at least three (3) years’ experience implementing and maintaining Cisco networking equipment, Dell server hardware, and EMC rack mounted storage solutions.
  4. The firm must have technical staff with at least three (3) years’ experience working with virtual environments and cloud technologies.
  5. The firm must have technical staff with at least three (3) years’ experience implementing and maintaining Exchange 2007 or newer.
  6. The firm must have technical staff with at least two (2) years’ experience implementing and supporting Microsoft CRM Dynamics 2011 and SharePoint 2013 or newer versions.
  7. The firm must have technical staff with at least two (2) years’ experience implementing and supporting a mobile device management solution.
  8. The firm must have a location within 50 miles of the city of Boston.

V. RFP SPECIFICATIONS.

1.Deadline for Proposals.

Proposals, including all attachments, must be delivered electronically via e-mail to and received by 3:00 p.m. ET on the RFP Response Deadline (see TIME TABLE in Section VI). The e-mail subject header must be in the following format: “PRIM Information Technology Support Services RFP Response – Name of Responding Firm.”

All electronic (email) documents submitted must be 10MB or smaller in size. If necessary, the respondent should separate the RFP submission into multiple emails to ensure that the 10MB size requirement is met. The respondent is responsible for ensuring that a complete electronic (email) RFP response is received prior to the Proposal Deadline.

The questions and/or requests made in this RFP should be duplicated in their entirety in the respondent’s proposal, with each question and/or request repeated before the answer or response.

Copies of this RFP can be obtained electronically on the PRIM Board website at

2.Required Enclosures and Attachments.

  1. Cover Letter.

The proposal must include a cover letter which shall be signed by at least one individual who is authorized to bind the Respondent contractually. This cover letter must include: (a) the respondent’s name, address, telephone number and email address; (b) the name of the primary contact for PRIM; (c) the title or position which the signer of the cover letter holds in the firm.

  1. Executive Summary.

The proposal must include an executive summary not to exceed 2 pages of single spaced content. This summary, which should be suitable for distribution to PRIM Board trustees, should discuss the firm, its history, capabilities, experience, expertise, competitive advantages, personnel, and understanding of the PRIM Board’s needs.

  1. Responses to Minimum Qualifications (Section IV).

The respondent must describe in sufficient detail how the firm meets the minimum qualifications.

  1. Responses to Questions (Sections VII).

The respondent must provide complete response to the questions contained within Section VII of this RFP.

  1. Representations and Warranties.

The Representations and Warranties contained in Section IX hereof, signed by an authorized officer of the firm, must be included as an attachment to the cover letter referenced in (1) above.

  1. Disclosure Statement.

Attached to this RFP as Exhibit A and B are the PRIM Board and Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission (PERAC) Disclosure Statements which each firm submitting a proposal must complete and submit as an attachment to the cover letter referenced in (A) above. YOU MUST COMPLETE BOTH PRIM AND PERAC DISCLOSURE FORMS OR YOUR SUBMISSION WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

  1. Fee Proposal.

The fee proposal of the proposing firm must be submitted as requested in Section VIII hereof (the Fee Proposal).

3. Public Record.

In accordance with Chapter 66, Section 10 and Chapter 4, Section 72(6)(h) of the General Laws of Massachusetts, all proposals may be deemed public records and as such may be subject to requests for public disclosure.

4.Waiver/Cure of Minor Informalities, Errors and Omissions.

PRIM reserves the right to waive or permit cure of minor informalities, errors or omissions prior to the selection of finalists, and to conduct discussions with all qualified respondents in any manner appropriate to serve the best interests of PRIM.

5.Communications with PRIM.

The Procurement Officer for this RFP is:

Anthony J. Falzone

Chief Technology Officer

Massachusetts Pension Reserves Investment Management Board

84 State Street

Boston, Massachusetts 02109

Email:

Telephone: (617) 946-8401

As of December 14, 2015 firms that intend to submit a proposal shall not contact PRIM Board Staff, members of advisory committees of the PRIM Board, members of the PRIM Board, or employees of the Massachusetts Treasury, other than the Procurement Officer. An exception to this rule applies to firms which currently do business with the PRIM Board, but any contact made by such firms with persons other than the Procurement Officer must be limited to that business, and must not relate to this RFP. In addition, firms that intend to submit a proposal should not discuss this RFP with any employee of the existing custodian, investment managers, consultants, legal counsel or other advisors of PRIM.

Failure to observe this rule is grounds for disqualification.

6.Questions Regarding this RFP.

All questions concerning this RFP must be received by the Procurement Officer by 3:00 p.m. ET on the Question Deadline date (see TIME TABLE in section VI) via email (). Questions received in accordance with this section will be answered and circulated, via email, to all firms who have proposed a question or who request via email, by the question deadline, a copy of the questions and the responses. Any questions or requests for copies of questions and responses that are received after the Question Deadline will not be considered.

7.Incurring Costs.

The PRIM Board will not be liable for costs incurred by a respondent in responding to this RFP.

8.Withdrawal/Irrevocability of Responses.

Respondents may withdraw and resubmit Proposals prior to the Proposal Deadline. No withdrawals or re-submissions will be allowed after the Proposal Deadline.

9.Rejection of Responses; Cancellation.

The PRIM Board reserves the right in its sole discretion to reject any non-qualifying response, as well as the right to reject all proposals submitted under this RFP, and to cancel and rescind the procurement at any time, for any reason or for no reason.

VI.TIME TABLE.

PRIM Reserves the right to modify the following time table. Notice of any such modification will be posted at