SITE RFO Template

RFO (SITE Program will assign this number)

Instructions for developing a RFO are in red and will be proceeded with [Instructions: and will end with]. Instructions should be deleted before finalizing the RFO. Notes for developing an RFO are in blue and will be proceeded with [Note: and end with]. Notes should be deleted before finalizing the RFO. [Instructions: the previous paragraph should be deleted before finalizing the RFO.]

[Instructions: The template offered is a suggested format that organization may use. Organization should complete only the parts that are relevant to their request. There may be segments of the template that do not apply to every request and can be removed if not applicable to the request.]

Vendors must have an active, approved master contract under the SITE program and be approved in the category or categories listed in the RFO document in order to respond to and RFO. Vendor is responsible for reading all addenda associated with the RFO.

IT Professional Technical Services

SITE Program

T#:14ATM

Request for Offers (RFO) For Technology Services Issued By

[Instructions: ENTER NAME OF REQUESTING ORGANIZATION]

Project Title: [Instructions: Enter Project Title]

Category: [Instructions: Enter category or categories being requested]

[Note: Categories listed must be included under the SITE Program. The list of SITE categories can be found here.]

[Note: If listing multiple categories the vendor must be approved in all categories in order to respond to the posting]

[Note: If requesting multiple resources this should be clearly identified either after the category or within the Business Need section below]

Business Need

[Instructions: The business need should address items such as:

• A description of the business and functional needs that this RFO is to address.
• Any history that might be pertinent, e.g. previous and future phases
• Key portions of the Business Case, such as:
• Intentions/Values of the desired solution
• Focus Statement
• Indicate stakeholders in the project
• Any constraints on the solution
• Context – identifies the expectations and boundaries of this RFO
• How the project fits into the enterprise/organization strategic direction or plan.]

Project Deliverables

[Instructions: The project deliverables should address items such as:

• Desired system features
• Specific deliverables required]

Project Milestones and Schedule

• Anticipated Project Start Date: [Instructions: enter the anticipated start date for the engagement]
• Key deliverable dates: [Instructions: enter any key deliverables and their corresponding due dates]
• Anticipated End Date: [Instructions: enter the anticipated end date for the engagement]

[Note: If there is a chance that the work order will be amended, the following bullet or something to the same effect should be included]

• The State will retain the option to extend the work orders in increments determined by the State.

Project Environment

[Instructions: This section should include items such as:

• Staff descriptions:
• Number of people on the project
• Basic organizational structure (organizational chart) of the project
• Staff proficiency levels and experience (with methodology, tools, etc.)
• Current support structures in place (e.g. hardware/ software applications, training group, tools, etc.), especially those with which the vendor might have to interface or integrate.
• Relevant models such as an organizational chart, event model, process model, etc.]

Project Requirements

[Instructions: This section should describe any organization implementation requirements, such as:

• All locations where the system might be implemented
• If the implementation will involve the training of staff
• Any ongoing hardware/software, maintenance and warranty needs
• Compliance with the Statewide Enterprise Architecture
• Compliance with Statewide Project Management Methodology
• Compliance with applicable industry/organization standards]

Responsibilities Expected of the Selected Vendor

[Instructions: This section should address expectations such as:

• Proposed change management process
• Vendor staffing
• Wether work will be performed onsite, remotely, or a combination of both
• Project Documentation
• Project management responsibilities
• Providing training/ knowledge transfer
• Testing and acceptance criteria
• Work plan]

Mandatory Qualifications

[Instructions: based on how scoring will be conducted, selected one of the two options below, deleting the other]

Option #1: To be scored as pass/fail

Option #2: To be initially scored as pass/fail. Thereafter, proposals where the resource(s) meets the Mandatory Qualifications will be scored in part on the extent to which the resource(s) exceeds these mandatory minimums. See RFO Evaluation Process, below.

[Note: Mandatory qualifications must be based on objective criteria, e.g. # of years of experience or # of engagements, etc.]

• Vendor must propose an hourly rate at or below vendor’s Max Hourly Rate for the category.

[Instructions: The following list is an example – the requirements should be tailored to the work that needs to be done.]

• Years of experience in a technology (e.g. Oracle, SharePoint JAVA, etc.)
• Number of engagements doing X

Desired Skills

[Note: The scoring of the desired skills must be reflected in your evaluation criteria. The desired skills section should just list the skill being sought, not a number of associated years or engagement]

[Instructions: enter any desired skills that you would like the resource(s) to have]

• Desired skill
• Desired skill

Process Schedule

[Instructions: Enter the process schedule dates in the appropriate cells below. This can be left empty or TBD until submitted for final posting.]

[Note: The RFO must post for at least 7 business days unless a longer posting time is directed by the SITE Program. You must allow an adequate amount of time for scoring and interviews when completing the dates listed above – vendors will use these dates to help them determine which resource(s) to submit and how long to hold their candidates.]

Questions

Any questions regarding this Request for Offers should be submitted via e-mail according to the date and time listed in the process schedule to:

Name: [Instructions: enter the name of the individual receiving the vendor questions]

Email Address: [Instructions: enter the email address for the individual receiving the vendor questions]

Questions and answers will be posted via an addendum to the RFO on the Office of MN.IT Services website according to the process schedule above.

Other persons ARE NOT authorized to discuss this RFO or its requirements with anyone throughout the selection process and responders should not rely on information obtained from non-authorized individuals. If it is discovered a Responder contacted other State staff other than the individual above, the responder’s proposal may be removed from further consideration.

RFO Evaluation Process

[Note: This section should only describe what the vendors reasonably need to know or what is required by law. Describe categories and scoring methodology/criteria.]

[Instructions: Enter the criteria and percentages for your RFO in the table below. The following are examples only. Evaluation criteria should be tailored to the specifics of the work involved and match what is being asked for in terms of qualifications and items to be submitted under the Submission Format section.]

[Note: For procurements exceeding current World Trade Organization (WTO) threshold, member countries of the WTO’s Government Procurement Agreement must be treated on the same basis as U.S. companies under the terms of the treaty. A reference sheet including a list of current members is available at:

[Note: If interviews are identified in the criteria above and points assigned then all candidates who meet the pass/fail requirements MUST be interviewed. If you do not want to be required to interview all candidates meeting the pass/fail requirements then interviews should not be listed in the criteria above, instead the following paragraph should be included in the RFO.]

The State reserves the right to interview any or all proposed resources. In the event interviews are conducted, technical scores may be adjusted based on additional information derived during the interview process. The State further reserves the right to remove a resource from consideration if the resource is unavailable for interview as requested by the State.

The State also reserves the right to contact proposed resources’ references and to adjust technical scores based on additional information derived from the reference checks.

This Request for Offers does not obligate the state to award a work order or complete the assignment, and the state reserves the right to cancel the solicitation if it is considered to be in its best interest.

Submission Format

[Instructions: Clearly define what should be included in the proposal and how it should be organized. Vendor must have been previously qualified for the required resource type(s). The following is a SAMPLE – YOU MUST CUSTOMIZE THIS TO MATCH YOUR POSTING.]

The proposal should be assembled as follows:

1. Cover Page

• Master Contractor Name
• Master Contractor Address
• Contact Name for Master Contractor
• Contact Name’s direct phone/cell phone (if applicable)
• Contact Name’s email address
• Consultant’s Name being submitted

1. Work Plan

Include the following:

• Description of the methodology used
• Milestones and high level tasks, including approximate duration if work

1. Overall Experience:
2. Resume identifying the Mandatory Qualifications – to be clearly noted in the response matrix - i.e. minimum pass/fail requirements, including companies and contacts where the resource has demonstrated the mandatory qualification as previously noted. If pass/fail requirements are not met further scoring of the proposal will be discontinued. Please complete the matrix below.
3. Resume identifying any Desired Qualifications.
4. Also include the name of [Instructions: enter the number of references] references who can speak to the resources work on a similar project. Include the company name and address, reference name, reference email, reference phone number and a brief description of the project this resource completed.
5. Then continue the proposal with the remaining items in the order listed.

[Instructions: complete the response matrix below – the skills listed below must match the items listed in the mandatory qualifications and desired skills sections above]

1. Cost Proposal

Include a SEPARATE DOCUMENT labeled “Cost Proposal” which includes the name of each resource being submitted and their corresponding proposed hourly rate.

1. Additional Statement and forms:
2. Conflict of interest statement as it relates to this project
3. Workforce Certificate Information (required if vendor proposal exceeds $100,000, including extension options)
4. Equal Pay Certificate (required if vendor proposal exceeds $500,000, including extension options)
5. Affidavit of non-collusion
6. Certification Regarding Lobbying (required if vendor proposal exceeds $100,000, including extension options)

The STATE reserves the right to determine if further information is needed to better understand the information presented. This may include a request for a presentation.

Proposal Submission Instructions

• [Note: it is advisable to limit the number of response that a vendor can provide – something along the lines of:] Vendor is limited to submission of [Instructions: enter the number or resumes each vendor can submit] resumes/candidates in response to the Request for Offers
• Response Information: The resume and required forms must be transmitted via e-mail to: [Note: vendors should only be required to send the response to one recipient in addition to the SITE Program]
• [Instructions: enter the name and email address where vendor responses should be sent]
• Email subject line should read: [Instructions: enter the subject line you would like the vendors to use on the email responses]
• Submissions are due according to the process schedule previously listed.
• All responses are time and date stamped by the State’s email system when they are received. Responses received after Proposals Due Date above will not be considered. The State shall not be responsible for any errors or delays caused by technology-related issues, even if they are caused by the State.
• Vendor must copy on any responses submitted for this RFO. Vendors that do not intend to submit a proposal must send an email notification of a no-bid on the request to . Failure to do either of these tasks will count against your program activity and may result in removal from the program.

General Requirements

[Note: The following, unless specified as optional or otherwise qualified, are required clauses in all RFOs]

Proposal Contents

By submission of a proposal, Responder warrants that the information provided is true, correct and reliable for purposes of evaluation for potential award of this work order. The submission of inaccurate or misleading information may be grounds for disqualification from the award as well as subject the responder to suspension or debarment proceedings as well as other remedies available by law.

Liability

[Instructions: Enter the liability language appropriate for this request. The options can be found at http://mn.gov/buyit/14atm/forms/liability.pdf]

[Note: One of the options must be selected in order for the RFO to move forward. If you have any questions, contact your contract coordinator]

Disposition of Responses

All materials submitted in response to this RFO will become property of the State and will become public record in accordance with Minnesota Statutes, section 13.591, after the evaluation process is completed. Pursuant to the statute, completion of the evaluation process occurs when the government entity has completed negotiating the contract with the selected vendor. If the Responder submits information in response to this RFO that it believes to be trade secret materials, as defined by the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, Minn. Stat. § 13.37, the Responder must: clearly mark all trade secret materials in its response at the time the response is submitted, include a statement with its response justifying the trade secret designation for each item, and defend any action seeking release of the materials it believes to be trade secret, and indemnify and hold harmless the State, its agents and employees, from any judgments or damages awarded against the State in favor of the party requesting the materials, and any and all costs connected with that defense. This indemnification survives the State’s award of a contract. In submitting a response to this RFO, the Responder agrees that this indemnification survives as long as the trade secret materials are in possession of the State.

The State will not consider the prices submitted by the Responder to be proprietary or trade secret materials.

Conflicts of Interest

Responder must provide a list of all entities with which it has relationships that create, or appear to create, a conflict of interest with the work that is contemplated in this request for proposals. The list should indicate the name of the entity, the relationship, and a discussion of the conflict.

The responder warrants that, to the best of its knowledge and belief, and except as otherwise disclosed, there are no relevant facts or circumstances which could give rise to organizational conflicts of interest. An organizational conflict of interest exists when, because of existing or planned activities or because of relationships with other persons, a vendor is unable or potentially unable to render impartial assistance or advice to the State, or the vendor’s objectivity in performing the contract work is or might be otherwise impaired, or the vendor has an unfair competitive advantage. The responder agrees that, if after award, an organizational conflict of interest is discovered, an immediate and full disclosure in writing must be made to the Assistant Director of the Department of Administration’s Office of State Procurement (“OSP”) which must include a description of the action which the contractor has taken or proposes to take to avoid or mitigate such conflicts. If an organization conflict of interest is determined to exist, the State may, at its discretion, cancel the contract. In the event the responder was aware of an organizational conflict of interest prior to the award of the contract and did not disclose the conflict to OSP, the State may terminate the contract for default. The provisions of this clause must be included in all subcontracts for work to be performed similar to the service provided by the prime contractor, and the terms “contract,” “contractor,” and “contracting officer” modified appropriately to preserve the State’s rights.

IT Accessibility Standards

All documents and other work products delivered by the vendor must be accessible in order to conform with the State Accessibility Standard. Information about the Standard can be found at http://mn.gov/mnit/programs/policies/accessibility/.

[Instructions: The Nonvisual Access Standards clause is only required for non-Executive Branch State Agencies. Executive Branch Agencies must remove this clause.]

Nonvisual Access Standards

Nonvisual access standards require:

1. The effective interactive control and use of the technology, including the operating system, applications programs, prompts, and format of the data presented, are readily achievable by nonvisual means;
2. That the nonvisual access technology must be compatible with information technology used by other individuals with whom the blind or visually impaired individual must interact;
3. That nonvisual access technology must be integrated into networks used to share communications among employees, program participants, and the public; and
4. That the nonvisual access technology must have the capability of providing equivalent access by nonvisual means to telecommunications or other interconnected network services used by persons who are not blind or visually impaired.

[Note: Preference to Targeted Group and Economically Disadvantaged Business and Individuals - required clause for all contracts that will NOT be funded either in whole or in part by federal money and that are subject to federal disadvantaged business enterprise regulations.]