Software Feature/Function to Business Task Matrix

Appendix E: RFP Outline and Completed Sample E-1

Appendix E: RFP Outline and Completed Sample

This appendix contains a sample RFP outline and document. The documents can be modified to fit the needs of a particular organization, but the core components should be included. Be sure to review this document and other external communications with your legal department prior to release. The completed document is tied to the case study in Chapter 7.

RFP Working Outline

1. Introduction to the requirements, the rollout project, and the organization.

2. Administrative requirements.

2.1. Vendor instructions.

2.2. RFP conditions.

3. Activities that will occur after the RFP is issued.

3.1. Vendor questions and organization replies.

3.2. Vendor conferences.

3.3. Review of RFP responses.

3.4. Evaluation of proposals.

3.5. Implement necessary agreements.

3.6. Notification of awards.

4. Proposal format.

4.1. Vendor proposal format and content requirements.

4.2. Pagination, font size, etc. (may be ADA required).

5. Any pertinent definitions.

6. Project details, and training requirements from the needs analysis and/or design.

6.1. General requirements.

6.2. Needs analysis results.

6.3. Curriculum layout.

6.4. Proposed delivery methods.

6.5. Audience analysis.

6.6. Software requirements.

6.7. Organization particulars.

7. Proposed budget.

8. Appendices.

This sample may be used to prepare an RFP similar to the one that begins on the following page. This format can be easily altered to meet the needs of your organization. It is also available on the CD included with this book.

Copyright McGraw-Hill 2000. Original purchasers of this book are permitted to photocopy or customize this page by downloading it from “ This document can then be opened, edited, and printed using Microsoft Word or other word processing software.

Acme Widgets, Inc.

Request for Proposal

Training On WCS ERP Software and KIS Groupware

Prepared by: Jack

Revision Date: March 13, 1999

1. Introduction to the requirements, the rollout project, and the organization.

Acme Widgets, Inc. (AWI) recently purchased the “Widget Control System” (WCS) ERP package for client/server architectures. This package will automate Acme Widgets’ major business systems. Some business functions are currently running on legacy mainframe systems, and other business functions are performed manually. The WCS will automate all business functions into a single, integrated system that will provide the company with a significant competitive edge. The major functions to be automated are purchasing, manufacturing, sales, finance/accounting, and human resources. Personnel in I/T and business areas must be trained on each area in the new WCS ERP system. At the same time, to facilitate productivity and information sharing among all employees, both technical and non-technical, TWI is installing a new knowledge sharing system called KIS (Knowledge and Information Sharing).

The transition from either old legacy systems or manual processing will involve many changes, and corporate management must be convinced that an integrated training program will be needed to address the needs of various types of I/T staff, and levels of end-users. Some I/T staff are primarily hardware-oriented, and will need training on WCS and KIS hardware requirements, while others are primarily concerned with the software and will need training on the customization of both. Business users have skill sets ranging from personal computer (PC) novice to expert/power system user.

Acme Widgets’ corporate management is not convinced that a formal training program is needed. Most of the executives feel that the staff should be able to learn the two software products from the systems development team or through manuals and on-line help screens. Besides, some of the executives argue that a formal training program for both pieces of software would be too expensive. The Chief Information Officer (CIO) and head of information technology (I/T) for Acme Widgets, Connie, believes that a formal training program is the only way that the I/T staff will be able to install and operate WCS effectively, and that the users will need heavy training for such a major change in the way they do their work. The vice-president of human resources, Richard, also thinks that a formal program is necessary for end-users, but is unsure of how to sell it. Connie and Richard have asked Bob to put together a presentation to sell the program and then have Mike manage the development and implementation efforts.

2. Administrative requirements.

You must provide a printed response with your original signature at the bottom. Your responses may include samples of your training design. You may alter and expand upon the basic training design contained on the diskette; however, any work done for the purpose of responding to this RFP is not billable to AWU if your firm is not selected for this project. If you would like to reserve the option to charge for work done in responding to this RFP in the event your firm is selected, you should separately include in your RFP response the proposed total charge for such pre-selection work (you should not submit a statement or invoice at such time) along with a detailed description of the work done, hours billed, expenses incurred, etc. Preference will be given to firms that include prototypes of the training design as a demonstration of their ability and an example of their understanding of the project.

It is very important from a legal perspective for the bidding process to be fair and impartial. Therefore, this section sets forth the conditions under which this process will take place. Vendors must abide by these requirements or be disqualified from the bidding.

2.1. Vendor instructions.

All replies must be in by May 19th. NO EXCEPTIONS!
The rules as indicated by federal, state, and applicable local laws must be obeyed. Any infractions, small or otherwise will be grounds for disqualification.
The rules contained herein are binding upon all participants, so please read them carefully.
All proposals must meet format requirements for AWI to be able to compare them properly.

2.2. RFP conditions.

This RFP is not an obligation by AWI to commit to any work by any vendor.
AWI will pay no monies during the course of this process.
Vendors attempting to “end run” the process will be disqualified from this and any other work with AWI for a period not less than 1 calendar year from the RFP date.

3. Activities that will occur after the RFP is issued.

This section details the steps to be taken, and the process for Q&A, as well as the review process.

3.1. Vendor questions and organization replies.

Vendors may contact AWI only through the appointed representative. Any other contact is strictly

prohibited during this process.

3.2. Vendor conferences.

At some point, selected vendors may be asked to meete with AWI officials to clarify certain items.

3.3. Review of RFP responses.

The responses will be reviewed after May 19th under strictly confidential conditions.

3.4. Evaluation of proposals.

The proposals will be evaluated in the following steps:

Step 1: Proposals will be reviewed by the Purchasing Services Section for compliance with Chapter 2

requirements. Those which comply will go on to Step 2.
Step 2: Proposals will be reviewed and evaluated by the Evaluation Committee. There will be three parts

to the evaluation:

- Technical
- Management
- Financial

The Committee will complete the technical and management portions of the evaluation before addressing

the financial evaluation. The Evaluation Committee may be comprised of staff from the training team, outside consultants, and staff from other departments. AWI may invite staff from other public agencies to assist the Evaluation Committee. The Committee may create subcommittees or working groups to perform portions of the evaluation.

Step 3: The Evaluation Committee will prepare and present a report to the Executive Committee. The report will consist of the scoring for each proposal, a ranking of proposals, and a recommendation.

Step 4: The Executive Committee will review the report and proposals as it deems appropriate, request additional information or analyses from the Evaluation Committee if it desires, and select the successful Proposer. The Executive Committee may disqualify any proposal or reject all proposals.

Step 5: AWI will initiate contract negotiations with the successful Proposer. The draft contract terms will be available by request, and will be the basis for such negotiations. If during contract negotiations and/or during the term of the Agreement, the successful Proposer finds that the requirements can be met and the work completed in a more advantageous way to AWI, the successful Proposer shall notify AWI in writing of such finding. AWI may include such changes into the Agreement.

If AWI determines in the course of negotiations that a satisfactory contract cannot be executed in a timely fashion, AWI may reject the successful Proposer and either terminate the procurement process or initiate negotiations with other Proposers in the order of their relative ranking.

A scoring matrix will be constructed before the due date for proposals. This will be based on the general evaluation criteria and weights described herein, but will be much more detailed. The items of evaluation will correspond to the individual specifications and requirements of the RFP.
The items will not be given equal weight. Rather, each of the items of evaluation will be assigned a weight reflecting its relative importance to AWI.

For each evaluation item, each proposal judged to fulfill the requirements will be given the full score. Proposals that partially meet the requirement will be given a partial score. Responses to items will be evaluated relative to each other, as well as on how well they meet the needs of AWI.
During the evaluation process, Proposers may be contacted to clarify various elements of their proposals. Such contacts will be made only by AWI and will occur only when AWI deems it appropriate to the evaluation process.

Upon completion of this process, a formal evaluation of the proposals will take place. A weighted score in each of the areas will be given to each proposal by each member of the Evaluation Committee. The proposal award recommendation will be for the proposal with the highest overall score.

3.5. Implement necessary agreements.

The contracts will be negotiated, constructed, and signed according to applicable laws.

3.6. Notification of awards.

The award will be announced on November 1st. Once the award is complete, AWI may disclose the following information in postaward debriefings to other offerors:

The overall evaluated cost or price and technical rating of the successful offeror;
The overall ranking of all offerors, when any ranking was developed by the agency during source selection;
A summary of the rationale for award;
An outline of the content of the training to be delivered by the successful offeror;
Other information as may be seen to benefit AWI.

Please read this information carefully, as you will be bound by it once you enter the bidding procss.

NOTE: Your attorney should always be involved in this process.

4. Proposal format.

The proposal must be signed by an official authorized to bind your organization and must stipulate that it is predicated on all the terms and conditions of this RFP. Your proposal shall be submitted in the number of copies, to the addresses, and marked as indicated in the item entitled "Packaging and Delivery of Proposal" found in the "Specific RFP Instructions and Provisions" of an RFP. Proposals will be typewritten, paginated, reproduced on letter size paper and will be legible in all required copies.

4.1. Vendor proposal format and content requirements

To expedite the proposal evaluation, all documents required for responding to the RFP should be placed in the following order:

Proposal Cover Sheet

Include RFP number, title, name of organization, name of Principal Investigator, names of other key personnel, name of any subcontractor(s) and their proposed Principal Investigator(s), names of any collaborators or consultants, and indicate whether the proposal is an original or a copy.

Proposal

Format and organization of the technical proposal must follow the Table of Contents identified below, and must include the information requested in the Technical Proposal Instructions and as otherwise specified in the RFP references.

Business Proposal

The business proposal must consist of a cover page, a table of contents, and the information requested in the Business Proposal Instructions and as otherwise specified in the RFP references.

4.2. Pagination, font size, etc. (may be ADA required)

The proposals will be in Times New Roman 12 point font.
The proposals will be typed or computer printed, single sided, black on white paper.
The proposals will be bound in a notebook or similar container. No loose pages are permitted.

5. Definitions

Discussions" are negotiations that occur after establishment of the competitive range that may, at the contract point of contact discretion, result in the offeror being allowed to revise its proposal.
"In writing" or "written" means any worded or numbered expression which can be read, reproduced, and later communicated, and includes electronically transmitted information.
"Proposal modification" is a change made to a proposal before the solicitation's closing date and time, or made in response to an amendment, or made to correct a mistake before award.
"Proposal revision" is a change to a proposal made after the solicitation closing date, at the request of or as allowed by a Contracting Officer as the result of negotiations.
"Time," if stated as a number of days, is calculated using calendar days, unless otherwise specified, and will include Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays. However, if the last day falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, then the period shall include the next working day.

6. Project details, and training requirements from the needs analysis and/or design

This section contains excerpts from the needs analysis and design process required for vendors to respond. The amount of detail contained in this section meets AWI’s proprietary information agreement, and is disclosed for the bidding process only.

6.1. General requirements

The WCS software for which training is reuqired is structured according to the following diagram:

6.2. Needs analysis results

The matrices depicting the details of the training requirements (from Chapter 2) are placed here.

Item # / Job/Position / Function / Screen / Module / Business Task
HR Recruiter / Enter new employee / HRM01 / HR / Hire employee
Payroll Manager / Change employee pay / HRP02 / HR / Raise/lower pay
BPA Clerk / Select employee benefits / HRB03 / HR / Benefits selection
Item # / Software Module / Software Function / Screen / Job / Org. Unit / Est. # Classes / Est. Hours
HR / Enter new employee / HRM01 / HR Recruiter / HR. / 2 / 6
HR / Change employee pay / HRP02 / Payroll Manager / HR / 2 / 12
HR / Select employee benefits / HRB03 / BPA Clerk / HR / 2 / 8

Item # / Software Module / Software Function / Screen / Person(s) / Org. Unit / Est. # Classes / Est. Hours
HR / Enter new employee / HRM01 / Trudy / HR / 1 / 3
HR / Change employee pay / HRP02 / Jane / HR / 2 / 12
HR / Select employee benefits / HRB03 / Marsha / HR / 1 / 4

6.3. Curriculum layout

AWI has two tracks, one for WCS and the other for KIS. The WCS track diagram is shown below.

6.4. Proposed delivery methods

A short discussion of the methods investigated are included to give the vendor an idea of our perspective. Some of the options discussed are:

Self-study or classroom?
Computer or web-based training options
Facilitated computer-based training (FCBT)
Live distance learning options
Combining methods for maximum effectiveness and efficiency

The proposed methods by class are:

Class / Audience / Factors / Delivery Method(s)
Employee master maintenance / I/T and Business Users / Beginner class
Interaction needed
Ease of use important / Classroom or facilitated CBT
Employee payroll setup / I/T and Business Users / Slightly advanced material
Interaction needed
Critical business function / Facilitated CBT
Employee benefits setup / I/T and Business Users / Beginner class
Interaction needed
Ease of use important / Classroom or facilitated CBT
WCS HR Administration / I/T Staff Only / Advanced material
Sophisticated audience
Need to keep current / Web-based DL or self-study web-based CBT

Vendors should feel free to change this as needed.