C I T Y O F A U S T I N, T E X A S Purchasing Office REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) OFFER SHEET SOLICITATION NO: RFI SMW0002
COMMODITY/SERVICE DESCRIPTION: Agenda Management System
DATE ISSUED: October 27, 2014 REQUISITION NO.RQN 5600 14101700002 COMMODITY CODE: 20820
RESPONSE DUE PRIOR TO: 11:00 AM on December 2, 2014
CONTACT THE FOLLOWING PERSON WITH ANY QUESTIONS: LOCATION: MUNICIPAL BUILDING, 124 W 8th STREET RM 308, AUSTIN, TEXAS 78701
Ms. Shawn M. Willett Corporate Contract Compliance Manager Phone: (512) 974-2274 E-Mail:
[email protected]
When submitting a sealed Offer and/or Compliance Plan, use the proper address for the type of service desired, as shown below:
P.O. Address for US Mail
Street Address for Hand Delivery or Courier Service
City of Austin
City of Austin, Municipal Building
Purchasing Office-Response Enclosed
Purchasing Office-Response Enclosed
P.O. Box 1088
124 W 8th Street, Rm 310
Austin, Texas 78767-8845
Austin, Texas 78701
Reception Phone: (512) 974-2500 To ensure prompt delivery, all packages SHALL BE CLEARLY MARKED ON THE OUTSIDE “Purchasing Office-Response Enclosed” along with the offeror’s name & address, solicitation number and due date and time. See Section 0200 Solicitation Instructions for more details.
SUBMIT 1 ORIGINAL AND 2 ELECTRONIC COPIES OF YOUR RESPONSE RESPONSES CAN ALSO BE SUBMITTED VIA EMAIL TO:
[email protected]
***SIGNATURE FOR SUBMITTAL REQUIRED ON PAGE 2 OF THIS DOCUMENT***
Solicitation No. RFI SMW0002
This solicitation is comprised of the following required sections. Please ensure to carefully read each section including those incorporated by reference. By signing this document, you are agreeing to all the items contained herein and will be bound to all terms. SECTION NO.
TITLE
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STANDARD PURCHASE DEFINITIONS
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STANDARD SOLICITATION INSTRUCTIONS
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STANDARD PURCHASE TERMS AND CONDITIONS
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REQUEST FOR IMFORMATION
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* Documents are hereby incorporated into this Solicitation by reference, with the same force and effect as if they were incorporated in full text. The full text versions of these Sections are available, on the Internet at the following online address: http://www.austintexas.gov/financeonline/vendor_connection/index.cfm#STANDARDBIDDOCUMENTS If you do not have access to the Internet, you may obtain a copy of these Sections from the City of Austin Purchasing Office located in the Municipal Building, 124 West 8th Street, Room #308 Austin, Texas 78701; phone (512) 974-2500. Please have the Solicitation number available so that the staff can select the proper documents. These documents can be mailed, expressed mailed, or faxed to you. The undersigned, by his/her signature, represents that he/she is submitting a binding offer and is authorized to bind the respondent to fully comply with the solicitation document contained herein. The Respondent, by submitting and signing below, acknowledges that he/she has received and read the entire document packet sections defined above including all documents incorporated by reference, and agrees to be bound by the terms therein.
Company Name: Company Address: City, State, Zip: Federal Tax ID No. Printed Name of Officer or Authorized Representative: Title: Signature of Officer or Authorized Representative: Date: Email Address: Phone Number:
Solicitation No. RFI SMW0002
Request for Information (RFI) SMW0002 City of Austin City Manager’s Agenda Office (CMO) 1.
PURPOSE
The City of Austin is seeking a web-based, automated system for collecting, generating, recording, maintaining, utilizing and reporting information relative to City Council agendas and meetings. This process includes receipt and processing of standardized documents such as Requests for Council Action (RCA), verification of appropriate routing and corresponding approvals, preparation and distribution of meeting agendas, recording, tracking and notification of appropriate departments of Council decisions, actions and/or deferrals, preparation and retention of minutes of the Council meetings, and online posting of data for Council, resident, and staff access. As the City of Austin strives to be the best managed City in the country, a principle goal is to implement web-based applications and technologies that will strongly enforce our vision of becoming a clear leader in openness and transparency. Any proposals issued after this RFI must concur with and advance this vision. 2.
BACKGROUND
The City of Austin desires information regarding a system that streamlines and automates its agenda management processes. The system must be able to produce finished/formatted agendas, along with all related corresponding reports/documents, such as a linkable table of contents, results, add-ons, backup materials and minutes in both online and printed formats based on identified dates for all full City Council meetings. These objectives can only be obtained by implementing a new system that includes the following minimum attributes: a) An application that includes the functionality required by departments to conduct their business efficiently and effectively utilizing web technologies. b) An application that is made available to the user within a secure technical environment that has: a. Availability b. Accessibility c. Flexibility d. Maintainability e. Stability f. Expandability/Integration with other systems g. Capacity Request for Information SMW0002 City of Austin CMO Office
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h. Responsiveness 3.
CAPABILITIES
The City of Austin is seeking information regarding agenda management systems and desires an automated web-based application for City Council meetings and agendas that efficiently: •
collects data in a standardized, prescribed format from multiple sources throughout the City;
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stores, utilizes and retains current and historical information;
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facilitates expedited numbering, ordering, re-ordering, summarization, and standardization of agenda items and categories;
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permits standardized, repetitively used language and/or legal verbiage available for insertion in documents;
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facilitates and automates, wherever possible, electronic distribution and/or routing of documents;
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tracking and recording document routing (with associated notations) and approvals;
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provides and utilizes standardized documents and/or formatting and sorting for input and output of information including, but not limited to the following documents: •
Requests for Council Action (RCA)
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Backup Documentation (presentations, maps, reports, etc…)
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Meeting Agendas
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Meeting Minutes
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produces documents and query results in multiple file formats (such as word processing documents, html, pdf, spreadsheets, etc.);
•
automates posting of and access to applicable documents and information on the City's Internet site;
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integrates with existing and projected future desktop software to enable staff to create, store, retrieve, view and edit information within the application and to electronically transmit stored documents, files and information;
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integrates with existing systems to allow seamless lifecycle of all interrelated items, documents, processes, and business practices;
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stores, retrieves, and views scanned images within the application and enables electronically transmission of stored images;
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4.
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performs accurate keyword and full-text searches;
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provides security to ensure appropriate levels of information access to appropriate City staff and provide routine and on-the-spot system maintenance functions that can be performed with a minimum of technical staff and knowledge required
SUMMARY OF REQUEST
Responses should include the following information: A. Demonstrated experience in the Agenda Management industry or related industry
5.
RESPONSE PREPARATION
The following is a suggested outline intended to minimize the effort of the respondent and structure the responses, which are received. Nevertheless, respondents are free to develop their response as they see fit. A. Section 1 – Information about the services and/or products related to Agenda Management industry or related industry. Present information about the services and/or products related to the Agenda Management Industry or related industry and its capabilities including any sales and marketing literature, white papers, client recommendations, and additional appropriate materials regarding the services you provide. B.
Section 2 – Other/Additional Materials
Please provide any other materials, suggestions, and discussion that deemed appropriate.
C. Section 3 – Functional Requirements for Agenda Management System Please provide responses to the following functional requirements with specific information as to how your system can potentially meet these requirements 1. The system must collect and maintain information created throughout City Departments related to City council agendas (Requests for Council Action) so the Agenda Office can create the City Council agenda. The system
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must be able to recreate the City of Austin’s standard workflow for agenda items. 2. The system must allow users to view changes to items throughout workflow. 3. The system must allow workflows for agenda items to be customized by system administrators. 4. The system should display names and contact information for the people involved at each workflow step. 5. If an item is rejected during the workflow, the system must notify the owner or originator with comments. 6. The system should allow tentative items with expected Council actions with expected test/action to be added to agenda items as placeholders prior to meetings. 7. The system should allow tentative items with expected Council actions with expected test/action to be added to agenda items as placeholders prior to meetings. 8. The system should be able to process agendas from multiple boards and commissions and other working groups. 9. The system should allow for ongoing notes to be added during Council meetings. 10. The system should be able to reorder agenda items and categories in real time. (This should be done without changing the item numbers for those items which may have been heard by Council out of order) To ensure items can’t be moved after an agenda has been finalized, access should be limited to the admin account. 11. The system must be able to reorder agenda items at any stage of the review process. 12. The system must allow users to select a meeting date from a list of available dates based on a specific type of meeting. 13. The system must be able to import maps or graphics directly into the RCA document. 14. The system must automatically remove any posted agenda other than the final version from the web once the final version is posted. 15. If the system includes a speaker sign up system, the system must allow speakers to sign up prior to meetings, display the list of citizens from a speaker sign-up system so it can be viewed during the meeting by the City Clerk, Mayor, Agenda Manager, and Council Members on their computer screens, allow the speakers to be tracked and called to speak, and record be saved of their participation in the meeting. 16. The system should export RCA metadata and documents to the city's document management system including meeting date, meeting ID, meeting type, document name, agenda item number, posting language, and user from which the document originated. 17. The system should provide live streaming and video on demand with the following features in order to maintain the same level of service provided
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by current vendor. If these requirements cannot be met, vendor must integrate with current streaming provider: a. Multiple live Flash/ HTML5 streams b. Vendor to index all televised meetings (approximately 45/ month) c. Ability for public to easily get link/ embed code for each indexed item from every meeting d. Vendor to post additional non-indexed videos of original video programming e. All indexed video should be posted within 4 hours of meeting taking place f. Develop custom layout with different categories for archived videos to embed on website g. Storage of all video content by vendor h. Ability to track views via Google analytics i. Please include customer service hours for support via phone and email. 18. The system should be able to send notifications of approaching deadlines automatically by email 19. The system should be capable of providing workflow alerts that notify reviewers of pending requests. For example, if a review and response is required on an item before a certain due date, the system would be able to notify the reviewer that the due date is approaching. 20. The system must automatically save additions to the agenda at regular intervals, to protect from crashes or other computer malfunctions. 21. The system must be capable of printing all items on an agenda, and you should be able to format the pages for printing. 22. The system should be able to include graphs, bullets, and tables in the RCA language rather than having to attach a separate document. 23. To enhance efficiency, the system should include functionality for cut, copy, paste, and undo. 24. The system should allow new templates to be created and saved. 25. The system should provide methods for users to create customized reports. 26. The system should have the ability to generate a file of general information reports for dissemination to the Council, staff and the public which includes minutes and results of prior week’s policy minutes and consent results. 27. The system should allow security levels with different privileges for different user groups and different stages of the agenda. 28. The system should disallow the scheduling of meetings or creation of items for meetings past deadlines. 29. The system should be capable of providing in-house administrative/system maintenance rights to update/modify routing of requests.
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30. The system should be capable of providing in-house administrative/system maintenance rights to update/modify meeting calendars based on current Council session. 31. The system should have the ability to include response to citizen/Council inquiries about items. 32. In addition to Minutes capabilities, another category of requirements that the Clerk’s Office is concerned with is records management functionality, including options for integration with EDIMS. The minute’s system needs to have a variety of voting language selections and a free text form. 33. A pre-set selection of attachment file names to categories the files, and allow for exporting by category type. 34. Voting system should be able to handle multiple consent votes within a meeting. 35. The system should be able to handle meetings within meetings, and differentiate between them. 36. Must be able to handle a large number of agenda items and backup materials. 37. Should allow for the configuration of the web display. 38. Should be able to enter the last council meeting agenda number into the addendum, so the addendum numbering can begin from there instead of #1. 39. The system should be able to handle various meeting locations without having to create a new meeting type.
6.
DISCLAIMER
This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation for purchase. Any information submitted in response to this RFI should not be marked proprietary or confidential. Responses to the RFI will not be returned. Accordingly, responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by Office of the City Manager’s Agenda Office (CMO) as such or to form or suggest a contract or commitment of any nature. Responders are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI.
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