Washington State Housing Finance Commission RFP#2013-02
STATE OF WASHINGTON Washington State Housing Finance Commission REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP) RFP NO. 2013-02 Solution Software and Implementation Services for Database Replacement Project Overview The Washington State Housing Finance Commission, hereafter called the "Commission,” is initiating this Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit proposals from firms interested in participating on a project to provide and implement a software solution replacing the Commission’s current database system. Projected Procurement Schedule RFP Posted and Available for Download from WEBS (https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/webs) and the WSHFC website (www.wshfc.org). Proposers Submit Written Questions if Needed Conduct Pre-Proposal Conference
Proposers Submit Final Written Questions Proposals Due Conduct Interviews/Demonstrations with Finalists Announce “Apparent Successful Contractor” and Send Notification Email to Unsuccessful Proposers Hold Debriefing Conferences (if requested) Negotiate Contract File Contract with DES Vendor Begins Contract Work
1|Page
October 7, 2013
October 14, 2013 Date: October 17, 2013 Time: 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PST Additional information on page 13 of this document November 1, 2013 November 15, 2013 by 4 p.m. PST December 9 - 20, 2013 January 6, 2014
January 10, 2014 January 24 - February 7, 2014 February 10 -19, 2014 February 20, 2014
Washington State Housing Finance Commission RFP#2013-02
The schedule outlines the timeline for important action dates and times. The Commission reserves the right to revise this schedule at any time. RFP Coordinator The RFP Coordinator is the sole point of contact in the Commission for this procurement. All communication between the Proposer and the Commission upon release of the RFP will be with the RFP Coordinator, as follows: Name E-Mail Address Mailing Address
Hazel Lorrin
[email protected] WSHFC 1000 2nd Avenue, Suite 2700 Seattle, WA 98104
Physical Address for Delivery Phone Number
Same as above. 206.287.4472
Submittal Checklist The sections below are required as part of the response to this solicitation.
Response Section 1 – Executive Summary o Exec Summary o Certifications and Assurances Response Section 2 – Management Proposal o Includes Business Requirements o Includes Integration Requirements Response Section 3 – Technical Proposal o Includes Technical Requirements Response Section 4 – Cost Proposal Response Section 5 – Proposed Contract Modifications (if applicable) Required Appendices o Proposed Staff Resumes o Sample Training Manual or Reference Guide Sample Test documentation: Test Plan, Test Cases, and Test Scripts
The specifics of these sections are detailed below in Section 3.2 – Response Format.
2|Page
Washington State Housing Finance Commission RFP#2013-02
Table of Contents Overview .................................................................................................................................... 1 Projected Procurement Schedule ............................................................................................... 1 Part 1 – Scope of Work .............................................................................................................. 4 Part 2 – General Information .....................................................................................................12 Part 3 – Instructions and Information about the RFP Process ...................................................15 Response Section 1 – Executive Summary ............................................................................16 Response Section 2 – Management Proposal........................................................................17 Response Section 3 – Technical Proposal .............................................................................20 Response Section 4 – Cost Proposal .....................................................................................21 Response Section 5 – Proposed Contract Exceptions (if applicable) ..........................................21 Appendices to Vendor Response.......................................................................................................21 Part 4 – Evaluations, Selection and Award................................................................................22 Appendix A – Washington State Housing Finance Commission Organizational Chart...............25 Appendix B – Certifications and Assurances .............................................................................26 Appendix C – Business Requirements ......................................................................................28 Appendix D – Technical Requirements .....................................................................................28 Appendix E – Integration Requirements ....................................................................................28 Appendix F – Price Sheet .........................................................................................................28 Appendix G – Terms and Conditions.........................................................................................28
3|Page
Washington State Housing Finance Commission RFP#2013-02
Part 1 - Scope of Work 1.1 Purpose of RFP The Commission is initiating this Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit proposals from firms interested in providing software solution and implementation services to replace its current database system. 1.2 Background The Commission is a publicly-accountable, self-supporting entity created by the legislature in 1983. Its mission is to increase the supply of affordable housing and quality community facilities for the people of Washington. The Commission is authorized to issue bonds and federal tax credits to fund housing, nonprofit facilities, and energy facilities across Washington. In 1999, the Commission initiated development of a centralized internal database to assist in the accomplishment of business objectives in its operating and administrative divisions. Minor updates have been made to the system over time. The organization has experienced changes in its structure through a merger of divisions, changes in business processes, and the addition of new lines of business over the last 10 years. After conducting an assessment of its current database system, the Commission determined the implementation of a new system will allow it to meet its changing program needs, realize staff efficiencies and improve service provision to its stakeholders. The Commission’s Current IT Environment The applications currently employed by the Commission that relate to this project are described below.
Centralized Database – Used to manage projects, financial information, contacts, and tasks. The application user interface is a Microsoft Access forms-based solution with a SQL Server backend. This is the application that will be replaced through this RFP.
Web-Based Annual Report System (WBARS) – A web-based system that allows property owners and managers to report data regarding their projects to the Commission and several other funders. WBARS produces an annual summary report to provide an overview of project compliance to funders. WBARS operates independently from the Centralized DB.
Navision – Microsoft Dynamics NAV is a financial-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) product running on a SQL Server backend. It is intended to assist in finance operations for small to medium-sized businesses.
Jet Reports Essentials and Enterprise – An Excel-based, real-time and data warehouse reporting system.
4|Page
Washington State Housing Finance Commission RFP#2013-02
MITAS – A loan reservation and tracking system for lenders using the Commission’s homeownership programs. This is a proprietary system hosted by the vendor.
Emphasys – A bond management application also known as “AOD” (Application Oriented Designs, Inc.).
RegOnline – A web-based event management software to manage workshop and training events.
Survey Monkey – A leading web-based survey application to solicit customer/user feedback. Surveys are sent for newsletters and annual conference feedback.
Parascript – Optical character recognition (OCR) software to scan data from paper documents into electronic format. The application is used to scan registration forms from homebuyer education classes approximately four times per year.
Constant Contact – An application that provides “engagement marketing”, the ability to build and send marketing e-mails to customers and then track user impressions and actions, social media marketing, event marketing, and online surveys.
Jot Form – A form creation application that allows realtors and lenders to submit a request for classes to the Commission.
Office 365 including SharePoint Online – A system that provides the Commission’s Exchange and Lync Server functionality. It includes SharePoint Online collaboration and document management, that is not currently used by the Commission.
The following table provides additional technical details regarding each of the systems, including the hosting environment and technology used. Full technical details for several systems that are hosted by external vendors are not available; however, the Commission does not need to install or support their technology stack. System
Hosting Environment
Technology
Centralized Database
On Premise
Microsoft Access UI SQL Server 2005
WBARS
Vendor
ASP.NET HTML JavaScript CSS
5|Page
Washington State Housing Finance Commission RFP#2013-02 SQL Server 2005 Navision
On Premise
SQL Server 2005
Jet Reports
On-Premise
OLE/ODBC-compliant databases
MITAS
Vendor
N/A
Emphasys
On Premise
Client Application Files stored on file system
RegOnline
Vendor
N/A
Survey Monkey
Vendor
N/A
Parascript
On Premise
OCR client application
Constant Contact
Vendor
N/A
Office 365 E2 and E3 plans including SharePoint Online
Vendor
ASP.NET HTML JavaScript CSS SQL Server 2012
Future Vision As part of its future vision, the Commission is considering integration between the future solution and several of its current key systems. The future environment is depicted in the diagram below.
Homeownership
AM&C, potentially Multifamily AM&C, Homeownership
Finance AM&C Multifamily
MITAS
Consider
Consider
NAV All Divisons, WSHFC Stakeholders
WBARS
RegOnline
Office 365
All Divisons
Secure System Interfaces
WSHFC Website
Future Solution xx
All Divisons Current Systems/Applications to Remain Separate in Future
Emphasys
6|Page
JotForm
Parascript
Systems/Applications Potentially Not Needed in Future
Survey Monkey
Constant Contact
Washington State Housing Finance Commission RFP#2013-02
1.3 Scope of Work The Commission desires to procure a software solution and related services to provide multiple functionality including contact management, project tracking, fund tracking, document creation, income limit calculation, random sample unit generation, reporting and analytics. The scope of services in this RFP includes: 1. Design and implementation of software solution with functionality as included herein; 2. Configuration of software solution; 3. Data conversion from legacy system(s) to new system; 4. Test planning and implementation; 5. End user training; 6. Go-Live transition to final production; and 7. Maintenance and support services. The Commission does not have a preference for software-as-a-service (SaaS) or a hosted solution (either vendor-hosted or on-premise solution) and will evaluate each option on its merits and costs. Software Solution Functionality The Proposer will provide the Commission with a software solution that includes the following general functionality: Process
High Level Description
Contact Management
Capture information about a contact, updating the information, and utilizing the information for mass communications.
Project Tracking
Provide a view of the project’s status throughout its lifecycle, including the maintenance of key data for projects including status, tracking number, location, building and unit information, budget, funding, etc.
Access to Electronic Content
The ability to access and manage electronic documents and other files, such as photos.
Project Financial Review
Analysis of project development and operating budgets, currently done in Excel.
Document Generation
Project information merged into Word documents, contracts and various federal reporting forms.
Fund Management
Tracking and reporting on allocation of funds by program, showing recipients of funds.
Research, Analysis and Reporting
Customized queries of project indicators to analyze trends and generate reports. Desire to create a variety of report templates
7|Page
Washington State Housing Finance Commission RFP#2013-02 including real-time dashboard reports for executive level business needs. Billing Management
Projects generate various types of one-time and annual fees that need to be tracked by program and communicated to Accounts Receivable.
Workflow/Notification Management
Defining and managing a series of tasks for different types of jobs or processes to produce a final outcome or decision and provides notification and data to the next responsible individual/division in the process. At each stage in the workflow, one individual or group is responsible for a specific task. Once the task is complete, the system ensures that the individuals responsible for the next task are notified. Generate random sample of units by project for inspection.
Random Unit Generator Income and Rent Limit Calculator
Use existing Excel data imported from external website to generate tables of income and rent limits that get posted on our website and uploaded to our web-based reporting system.
Class Tracking
Manage registration for workshops offered by various divisions, and/or possible interface with registration tracking software used by two divisions.
Major Deliverables The major deliverables that are expected for this project are described below. A.
Project Management Plan The Proposer will develop and maintain a Project Management Plan, including a schedule that defines the Proposer’s s approach to executing the scope of work. The Project Management Plan should document the framework for key project activities such as project phases, infrastructure setup, functional and technical specifications development, configuration, report development, interface development, testing, data conversion, training, and communication. The plan should include a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) that includes the appropriate level of detail, assignment of Proposer and Commission resources to tasks with hour estimates, deliverable milestones, and dependencies. The Commission’s preference is for the Proposer to maintain the schedule and WBS in MS Project.
B.
Architecture Plan After contract execution, the Proposer will develop an Architecture Plan that describes the planned architecture for the solution, including the hardware and software components required for the project. The plan will define the needs for development, test, and production environments and describe how system components should be installed and configured. The Proposer will maintain this plan throughout the contract term.
8|Page
Washington State Housing Finance Commission RFP#2013-02
C.
Functional and Technical Specifications The Proposer will document the functional and technical specifications for the application configurations, customizations, workflows, reports, and interfaces that the Proposer must deliver to meet the Commission’s requirements.
D.
Data Migration Plan and Conversion The Proposer will develop, document and implement a plan for migrating all data from the current database to the future solution. The Proposer will, at a minimum, map all current data elements to the new system, cleanse the data, review data exceptions, convert the data, validate and test the data, clean-up exception data, and cutover to production.
E.
Test Plan and Execution The Proposer will develop documentation and deliverables to plan for all system testing, including unit testing, integration testing, and user acceptance testing. The test plan will describe the tasks and schedule to conduct all testing activities, environments to be utilized for testing, and testing participants. The Proposer will develop test scenarios and test scripts as the system is configured, will implement the test plan, and will document the testing results for review by the Commission.
F.
Training Plan and Execution The Proposer will develop documentation to plan for, and will conduct, all system training, including end user and administrator training. The Proposer will provide all system training to the Commission’s 65 end users and approximately 5 administrators. The training plan will document the tasks and schedule to conduct all training activities. The Proposer will also develop detailed training documentation regarding the Commission’s actual solution that can be used for end user training, new employee training, and administrator reference.
G.
Go-Live Plan and Execution The Proposer will develop a Go-Live Plan that outlines the necessary steps for the Commission to transition to the final production solution. The plan will identify all of the prerequisite steps for initiating cutover to production and will serve as a tool for preparing divisions and users for the final application transition. Documentation will describe all final data conversion tasks and a detailed cutover plan that outlines the step-by-step task list for completing the final cutover to production. The Proposer will implement the final production solution in accordance with the Go-Live Plan.
H.
Post-Implementation Maintenance and Support The Proposer will provide telephone and email support to the Commission after implementation during business hours Monday-Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Pacific local time, except for State of Washington holidays. The Proposer will provide long-term support and maintenance services, including warranties
9|Page
Washington State Housing Finance Commission RFP#2013-02
against “bugs”, functional deficiencies, performance issues, and user and technical support. Minimum Qualifications This procurement is open to those Proposers that satisfy the minimum qualifications stated below and are available for work in Washington State. The Commission requests documentation as part of its proposal response, clearly showing how these minimum requirements are met.
Licensed to do business in the State of Washington or provide a commitment that it will become licensed in Washington within 30 calendar days of being selected as the Apparent Successful Contractor.
The Proposer must have at least five years of experience providing solutions similar in scope to a public or private entity.
The Proposer’s intended Project Manager must have had prior experiences implementing the proposed solution or similar solution with a comparable scope for a public or private entity.
Period of Performance The period of performance of any contract resulting from this RFP is tentatively scheduled to begin on or about February 20, 2014 and to end on or about December 31, 2015. This period of performance includes the post Go-Live warranty period, with maintenance and support expected to continue beyond this timeframe. Amendments extending the period of performance, if any, will be at the sole discretion of the Commission. The Commission reserves the right to extend the contract for two one-year periods. Contracting with Current or Former State Employees The Commission as a matter of policy follows the restrictions applicable to contracting with current or former state employees contained in chapter 42.52 of the Revised Code of Washington. Proposers should familiarize themselves with the requirements prior to submitting a proposal that includes current or former state employees. Definitions Definitions for the purposes of this RFP include: Addendum/Addenda – Written additions, deletions, clarifications, interpretations, modifications or corrections to the solicitations documents issued by the Commission during the Proposal period and prior to the contract award.
10 | P a g e
Washington State Housing Finance Commission RFP#2013-02
Apparent Successful Contractor – The Proposer selected as the entity to perform the anticipated services, subject to completion of contract negotiations and execution of a written contract. Commission – The Washington State Housing Finance Commission. Contractor – Individual or company whose proposal has been accepted by the Commission and is awarded a fully executed, written contract. Proposal – A formal offer submitted in response to this solicitation. Proposer - Individual or company that submits a proposal in response to this RFP. Request for Proposals (RFP) – Formal procurement document in which a service or need is identified but no specific method to achieve it has been chosen. The purpose of an RFP is to permit the consultant community to suggest various approaches to meet the need at a given price. ADA The Commission complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Proposers may contact the RFP Coordinator to receive this Request for Proposals in Braille or on tape.
11 | P a g e
Washington State Housing Finance Commission RFP#2013-02
Part 2 - General Information 2.1 Pre-Proposal Conference An optional pre-proposal conference is scheduled to be held on Thursday, October 17, 2013 from 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time in Seattle, Washington. The location of the pre-proposal conference is WSHFC, 1000 2nd Avenue, Suite 2700, Seattle, WA 98104. Though the Commission will attempt to answer all questions raised during the pre-proposal conference, Proposers are encouraged to submit questions they would like addressed at the pre-proposal conference to the RFP Coordinator, (
[email protected]) no later than October 15, 2013. This will allow the Commission to research and prepare helpful answers and ensure appropriate Commission represenatives are in attendance. Those unable to attend in person may participate via telephone. Firms who plan to attend via telephone should contact the RFP Coordinator (
[email protected]) by October 15, 2013, advising her who will be in attendance. She will then give out the telephone number to access the conference bridge. All prospective Proposers should attend; however, attendance is not mandatory. The Commission will be bound only to written answers that the RFP Coordinator provides to questions. Questions arising at the pre-proposal conference or in subsequent communication with the RFP Coordinator will be documented and answered in written form. A copy of the questions and answers will be posted on WEBS (https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/webs/), the Commission’s website (www.wshfc.org). 2.2 Proprietary Information/Public Disclosure Proposals submitted in response to this competitive procurement will become the property of the Commission. All proposals received will remain confidential until the contract, if any, resulting from this RFP is signed by the Director of the Commission or his Designee, and the Apparent Successful Contractor; thereafter, the Commission will consider such proposals as public records as defined in Chapter 42.56 of the Revised Code of Washington (RCW). Any information in the proposal that the Proposer desires to claim as proprietary and exempt from disclosure under the provisions of Chapter 42.56 RCW, or other state or federal law that provides for the nondisclosure of your document, must be clearly designated. The information must be clearly identified and the particular exemption from disclosure upon which the Proposer is making the claim must be cited. Each page containing the information claimed to be exempt from disclosure must be clearly identified by the words “Proprietary Information” printed on the lower right hand corner of the page. Marking the entire proposal exempt from disclosure or as Proprietary Information will not be honored. If a public records request is made for the information that the Proposer has marked as "Proprietary Information," the Commission will notify the Proposer Proposer of the request and of the date that the records will be released to the 12 | P a g e
Washington State Housing Finance Commission RFP#2013-02
requester unless the Proposer obtains a court order enjoining that disclosure. If the Proposer fails to obtain the court order enjoining disclosure, the Commission will release the requested information on the date specified. If a Proposer obtains a court order from a court of competent jurisdiction enjoining disclosure, the Commission will maintain the confidentiality of the Proposer's information per the court order. A charge will be made for copying and shipping, as outlined in RCW 42.56. No fee will be charged for inspection of contract files, but 24 hours’ notice to the RFP Coordinator is required. All requests for information should be directed to the RFP Coordinator. 2.3 Revisions to the RFP In the event it becomes necessary to revise any part of this RFP, addenda will be provided via posting on WEBS (https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/webs), the Commission‘s website (www.wshfc.org) and by e-mail to all individuals, who have made the RFP Coordinator aware of their interest for this purpose. In addition to RFP revisions, the published questions and answers and any other pertinent information will be provided as an addendum to the RFP and will be placed on the WEBS and WSHFC websites. The Commission also reserves the right to cancel or to reissue the RFP in whole or in part, prior to execution of a contract. 2.4 Minority & Women-Owned Business Participation As a policy matter, the Commission encourages participation in all of its contracts by firms certified by the Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE). Participation may be either on a direct basis in response to this solicitation or on a subcontractor basis. However, no preference will be included in the evaluation of proposals, no minimum level of MWBE participation will be required as a condition for receiving an award, and proposals will not be rejected or considered non-responsive on that basis. 2.5 Responsiveness All proposals will be reviewed by the RFP Coordinator to determine compliance with administrative requirements and instructions specified in this RFP. The Proposer is specifically notified that failure to comply with any part of the RFP may result in rejection of the proposal as non-responsive. The Commission also reserves the right at its sole discretion to waive minor administrative irregularities. 2.6 Most Favorable Terms The Commission reserves the right to make an award without further discussion of the proposal submitted. Therefore, the proposal should be submitted initially on the most favorable terms which the Proposer can propose. There will be no best and final offer procedure. The Commission does reserve the right to contact a Proposer for clarification of its proposal. 13 | P a g e
Washington State Housing Finance Commission RFP#2013-02
The Apparent Successful Contractor should be prepared to accept this RFP for incorporation into a contract resulting from this RFP. Contract negotiations may incorporate some or all of the Proposer’s proposal. It is understood that the proposal will become a part of the official procurement file on this matter without obligation to the Commission. 2.7 Contract and Terms & Conditions The Apparent Successful Contractor will be expected to enter into a contract that includes at a minimum the terms and conditions (“Terms and Conditions”) substantially the same as attached as Appendix G to this RFP. In no event is a Proposer to submit its own standard contract terms and conditions in response to this solicitation. A Proposer may submit exceptions as allowed in the Certifications and Assurances form, Appendix B to this solicitation. All exceptions to the contract terms and conditions must be submitted as part of the Response Section 5 – Proposed Contract Exceptions. The Commission will review requested exceptions and accept or reject the same at its sole discretion. 2.8 Costs to Propose The Commission will not be liable for any costs incurred by the Proposer in preparation of a proposal submitted in response to this RFP, in conduct of a presentation, or any other activities related to responding to this RFP. 2.9 No Obligation to Contract This RFP does not obligate the state of Washington or the Commission to contract for services specified herein. 2.10 Rejection of Proposals The Commission reserves the right at its sole discretion to reject any and all proposals received without penalty and not to issue a contract as a result of this RFP. 2.11 Commitment of Funds The Director of the Commission or his or her delegate is the only individual who may legally commit the Commission to the expenditures of funds for a contract resulting from this RFP. No cost chargeable to the proposed contract may be incurred before receipt of a fully executed contract. 2.12 Insurance Coverage Within 15 days of the effective date of the Contract, the Contractor will furnish the Commission with a certificate(s) of insurance executed by a duly authorized representative of each insurer, showing compliance with the insurance requirements in the Terms and Conditions attached as Appendix G to this RFP.
14 | P a g e
Washington State Housing Finance Commission RFP#2013-02
Part 3 – Instructions and Information about the RFP Process 3.1 Submittal Instructions Proposers will submit eight copies of their proposal to the Commission. Two copies must have original signatures and six copies can have electronic signatures. In addition, Proposers will submit with their proposal an exact duplicate of the original proposal and attachments on two disks, which include searchable PDF or Microsoft Suite documents. The proposal, whether mailed or hand delivered, must arrive at the Commission no later than 4:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time on November 15, 2013. The proposal is to be sent to the RFP Coordinator at the address noted in Section 2.1. The envelope should be clearly marked to the attention of the RFP Coordinator. Proposers mailing proposals should allow normal mail delivery time to ensure timely receipt of their proposals by the RFP Coordinator. Proposers assume the risk for the method of delivery chosen. The Commission assumes no responsibility for delays caused by any delivery service. Proposals may not be transmitted using facsimile transmission or by e-mail. Late proposals will not be accepted and will be automatically disqualified from further consideration. All proposals and any accompanying documentation become the property of the Commission and will not be returned. 3.2 Response Format Proposals must be written in English, using a font no smaller than 12 point and submitted on eight and one-half by eleven inch (8 ½” x 11”) paper with tabs separating the major sections of the proposal. The major sections of the proposal will contain the items described below and follow the same sequence.
15 | P a g e
Washington State Housing Finance Commission RFP#2013-02
Response Section 1 – Executive Summary
Limited to two pages. Introduce your organization, describe your understanding of the project and its goals and identify the reasons the Commission should select your proposal. Also include the following information about the Proposer and any proposed subcontractors: o
Name, address, principal place of business, telephone number, and fax number/e-mail address of legal entity or individual with whom contract would be written.
o
Name, address, and telephone number of each principal officer (President, Vice President, Treasurer, Chairperson of the Board of Directors, etc.)
o
Legal status of the Proposer (sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, etc.) and the year the entity was organized to do business as the entity now substantially exists. Federal Employer Tax Identification number or Social Security number and the Washington Uniform Business Identification (UBI) number issued by the state of Washington Department of Revenue. If the Proposer does not have a UBI number, the Proposer must state that it will become licensed in Washington within 30 calendar days of being selected as the Apparently Successful Contractor.
o
Location of the facility from which the Proposer would operate.
o
Identify any state employees or former state employees employed or on the firm’s governing board as of the date of the proposal. Include their position and responsibilities within the Proposer’s organization. If following a review of this information, it is determined by the Commission that a conflict of interest exists, the Proposer may be disqualified from further consideration for the award of a contract. Certifications and Assurances form (Appendix B to this RFP). The Certifications and Assurances form must be signed and dated by a person authorized to legally bind the Proposer to a contractual relationship, e.g., the President or Executive Director if a corporation, the managing partner if a partnership, or the proprietor if a sole proprietorship.
16 | P a g e
Washington State Housing Finance Commission RFP#2013-02
Response Section 2 – Management Proposal
Experience of the Proposer o
Indicate the number of companies/organizations in which the proposed solution of similar size/scope has been implemented. What is the total number of users for the system?
o
Indicate other relevant experience that indicates the qualifications of the Proposer, and any proposed subcontractors, for the performance of the potential contract.
o
Include a list of at least five contracts the Proposer has had during the last five years that relate to the Proposer’s ability to perform the services needed under this RFP. Describe the project and Proposer’s scope of work, list contract reference numbers (if applicable), contract period of performance and contract budget.
References o
List names, addresses, telephone numbers, and fax numbers/e-mail addresses of three business references for the Proposer and three business references for the lead staff person for whom work has been accomplished and briefly describe the type of service provided. Do not include current Commission staff as references. By submitting a proposal in response to this Work Request, the Proposer and team members grant permission to the Commission to contact these references and others, who from the Commission’s perspective, may have pertinent information. The Commission may or may not, at the Commission’s discretion, contact references. The Commission may evaluate references at its discretion. Project Management
o
Project Management Methodology – Describe the project management methodology and tools you utilize.
o
Project Team Structure – Provide an organizational chart of the proposed project team structure with each individual’s role to be used during the course of the project, including any proposed subcontractor. Include who within the firm will have prime responsibility and final authority for the work.
17 | P a g e
Washington State Housing Finance Commission RFP#2013-02
o
Staff Qualifications/Experience – Identify staff, including those of proposed subcontractors, who will be assigned to the project, indicating the responsibilities and qualifications of such personnel, and include the amount of time each will be assigned to the project. Provide resumes for the named staff in the proposal which include information on the individual’s particular skills related to this project, education, experience, significant accomplishments and any other pertinent information. The Proposer must commit that staff identified in its proposal will actually perform the assigned work. Any staff substitution must have the prior approval of the Commission.
o
Commission Roles & Responsibilities – Provide a list of Commission staff positions, using functional titles (e.g., Project Manager, Developer) that the Proposer expects will be available to support the project. For each person, provide a description or list of the functions this individual will perform for the project and indicate about how much time this individual will work on the project.
o
Risk Identification and Mitigation – Describe the risks for a project of this size and complexity, and steps you would take to mitigate these risks. What recommendations do you have for the Commission to mitigate risks?
Implementation Services o
Provide an overview of the implementation services that you are including as part of this response and any subcontractors you intend to use to deliver the solution.
o
Describe the proposed timeline for implementing the solution. Include the earliest start date based upon your resource availability.
Training o
Describe the type of training methodology you typically use for this type of implementation (e.g., train-the-trainer, computer-based, etc.).
o
What types of training do you propose (i.e., on-site classes, web-based, etc.) for this engagement? Include a description of the type of participant and length of training.
o
Describe the training materials you utilize – manuals, on-line help, quick reference guides, etc. Attach a copy of a training manual or reference guide as part of your response.
18 | P a g e
Washington State Housing Finance Commission RFP#2013-02
Documentation o
Describe the types of user and technical documentation provided with the product/service, (e.g., job-aids, user manuals, quick reference cards, on-line support, etc.). Business Requirements
o
Respond to the Business Requirements in Appendix C, by indicating which of the five categories your system’s functionality falls into. Use the description column on the far right to describe how your solution meets each requirement. Related Information
o
If the Proposer or any proposed subcontractor contracted with the state of Washington during the past 24 months, indicate the name of the agency, the contract number and project description and/or other information available to identify the contract.
o
If the Proposer’s staff or any proposed subcontractor’s staff was an employee of the state of Washington during the past 24 months, or is currently a Washington State employee, identify the individual by name, the agency previously or currently employed by, job title or position held and separation date.
o
If the Proposer has had a contract terminated for default in the last five years, describe such incident. Termination for default is defined as notice to stop performance due to the Proposer’s non-performance or poor performance and the issue of performance was either (a) not litigated due to inaction on the part of the Proposer, or (b) litigated and such litigation determined that the Proposer was in default.
o
Submit full details of the terms for default including the other party's name, address, and phone number. Present the Proposer’s position on the matter. The Commission will evaluate the facts and may, at its sole discretion, reject the proposal on the grounds of the past experience. If no such termination for default has been experienced by the Proposer in the past five years, so indicate.
19 | P a g e
Washington State Housing Finance Commission RFP#2013-02
Response Section 3 –Technical Proposal
Technology Information o
Describe the architecture of the proposed solution and provide an architectural diagram of the proposed solution.
o
What development methodology do you typically use and what do you recommend for this project?
o
Describe your testing approach or methodology. Do you use automated test scripts? Provide sample test documentation, including Test Plan, Test Cases, and Test Scripts from a prior project, as an appendix to your response.
Data Conversion o
The Commission is currently undertaking an internal data clean up initiative in preparation for implementation of a new solution. The size of the Commission’s current database is approximately 500 MB. Describe your approach on how you would advise a client to clean up its data in order to simplify data migration.
o
Describe your approach to data migration. Is data migration automated? If so, is it repeatable?
o
What is your experience converting data from legacy systems into your solution? Do you have specific experience converting Microsoft Access/ SQL Server 2005 databases to your solution?
System Integration o
Describe your experience integrating the proposed solution with systems similar to the systems the Commission is seeking to integrate.
o
What integration options are available to the Commission for both batch and real-time integrations?
Maintenance and Ongoing Services o
Describe your product/service support and maintenance commitments (including your response and problem resolution SLAs and escalation procedures).
o
What types of maintenance are required for you to run the product/service following Go Live implementation? Provide details of skill types, experience levels and typical number of full time resources required to maintain the product/service.
20 | P a g e
Washington State Housing Finance Commission RFP#2013-02
o
Describe the back-up and data storage module for either an off-site hosted with maintenance or cloud hosted environment.
o
How do you approach future configuration requests?
o
What is the skillset needed for maintaining/supporting the product/service?
o
What troubleshooting aides are built-in to the system?
o
Do you have an online support portal? If so, does it allow for community participation?
Technical Requirements o
Respond to the Technical Requirements in Appendix D, by indicating which of the five categories your system’s functionality falls into. Use the description column on the far right to describe how your solution meets each requirement. Integration Requirements
o
Respond to the Integration Requirements in Appendix E, by indicating which of the five categories your system’s functionality falls into. Use the description column on the far right to describe how your solution meets each requirement.
Response Section 4 – Cost Proposal
Respond to Appendix F – Price Sheet.
Response Section 5 – Proposed Contract Exceptions (if applicable)
Indicate requested modifications to the standard Terms and Conditions attached as Appendix G to this RFP using MS Word track changes and reason for requested alternate language.
Appendices to Vendor Response
Proposed Staff Resumes
Sample Training Manual or Reference Guide
Sample Test documentation: Test Plan, Test Cases, and Test Scripts
21 | P a g e
Washington State Housing Finance Commission RFP#2013-02
Part 4 – Evaluations, Selection and Award Evaluation Process Responsive proposals will be evaluated in accordance with the requirements stated in this solicitation and any addenda issued. The evaluation of proposals will be accomplished by an evaluation team(s), to be designated by the Commission, which will determine the ranking of the proposals. The Commission, at its sole discretion, may elect to select the top-scoring firms as finalists for an oral presentation and demonstration of the proposed solution. The Commission may contact the Proposer for clarification of any portion of the Proposer’s proposal. Evaluation Criteria Criteria Management Response (incl. business requirements) Technical Response (incl. technical requirements) Cost Proposal Grand Total
Total Possible Points 40 30 30 100
The Commission reserves the right to award the contract to the Proposer whose proposal is deemed to be in the best interest of the Commission and the state of Washington. The Commission also reserves the right to not award a contract for services specified in this RFP. Notifications to Proposers The Commission will notify the Apparently Successful Contractor of their selection in writing upon completion of the evaluation process. Individuals or firms whose proposals were not selected for further negotiation or award will be notified separately by e-mail. Debriefs Any Proposer who has submitted a proposal and been notified that they were not selected for contract award may request a debriefing. The request for a debriefing conference must be received by the RFP Coordinator within three business days after the Unsuccessful Proposer Notification is e-mailed or faxed to the Proposer. Debriefing requests must be received by the RFP Coordinator no later than 5:00 PM, local time, in Seattle, Washington on the third business day following the transmittal of the Unsuccessful Proposer Notification. The debriefing must be held within three business days of the request. Discussion at the debriefing conference will be limited to the following: 22 | P a g e
Evaluation and scoring of the firm’s proposal;
Washington State Housing Finance Commission RFP#2013-02
Critique of the proposal based on the evaluation; Review of proposer’s final score in comparison with other final scores without identifying the other firms.
Comparisons between proposals or evaluations of the other proposals will not be allowed. Debriefing conferences may be conducted in person or on the telephone and will be scheduled for a maximum of one hour. Protest Procedure Protests may be made only by Proposers who submitted a response to this solicitation document and who have participated in a debriefing conference. Upon completing the debriefing conference, the Proposer is allowed three business days to file a protest of the acquisition with the RFP Coordinator. Protests must be received by the RFP Coordinator no later than 5:00 PM, local time, in Seattle, Washington on the third business day following the debriefing. Protests may be submitted by e-mail, but must then be followed by the document with an original signature. Proposers protesting this procurement will follow the procedures described below. Protests that do not follow these procedures will not be considered. This protest procedure constitutes the sole administrative remedy available to Proposers under this procurement. All protests must be in writing, addressed to the RFP Coordinator, and signed by the protesting party. The protest must state the RFP number, the grounds for the protest with specific facts and complete statements of the action(s) being protested. A description of the relief or corrective action being requested should also be included. Only protests stipulating an issue of fact concerning the following subjects will be considered:
A matter of bias, discrimination or conflict of interest on the part of an evaluator;
Errors in computing the score;
Non-compliance with procedures described in the procurement document or Commission policy.
Protests not based on procedural matters will not be considered. Protests will be rejected as without merit if they address issues such as: 1) an evaluator’s professional judgment on the quality of a proposal, or 2) the Commission’s assessment of its own and/or other agencies needs or requirements. Upon receipt of a protest, a protest review will be held by the Commission. The Commission Director or an employee delegated by the Director who was not involved in the procurement will consider the record and all available facts and issue a decision 23 | P a g e
Washington State Housing Finance Commission RFP#2013-02
within five business days of receipt of the protest. If additional time is required, the protesting party will be notified of the delay. In the event a protest may affect the interest of another Proposer that also submitted a proposal, such Proposer will be given an opportunity to submit its views and any relevant information on the protest to the RFP Coordinator. The final determination of the protest will:
Find the protest lacking in merit and uphold the Commission’s action; or
Find only technical or harmless errors in the Commission’s acquisition process and determine the Commission to be in substantial compliance and reject the protest; or
Find merit in the protest and provide the Commission options which may include: -- Correct the errors and re-evaluate all proposals, and/or -- Reissue the solicitation document and begin a new process, or -- Make other findings and determine other courses of action as appropriate.
If the Commission determines that the protest is without merit, the Commission will enter into a contract with the apparently successful contractor. If the protest is determined to have merit, one of the alternatives noted in the preceding paragraph will be taken. The protest decision is final and not subject to appeal.
24 | P a g e
Washington State Housing Finance Commission RFP#2013-02
Appendix A – Washington State Housing Finance Commission Organizational Chart WSHFC Commissioners (11) Names available at http://www.wshfc.org/admin/commission.htm
Executive Director, WSHFC and Director, Administration Division Kim Herman
Deputy Director, WSHFC
Paul Edwards
Director, Asset Management & Compliance Division Paul Fitzgerald
Director, Multifamily Housing and Community Facilities Division Steve Walker
Sr. Director, Finance Division and IT
Bob Cook
Director, Homeownership Division
Dee Taylor
Asst. Director, Multifamily Housing & Community Facilities Division David Clifton
Additional information on each Division and the programs administered by WSHFC can be found in the Commission’s 2012 Legislative Report (http://www.wshfc.org/admin/2012leg.pdf)
25 | P a g e
Washington State Housing Finance Commission RFP#2013-02
Appendix B CERTIFICATIONS AND ASSURANCES
I/we make the following certifications and assurances as a required element of the proposal to which it is attached, understanding that the truthfulness of the facts affirmed here and the continuing compliance with these requirements are conditions precedent to the award or continuation of the related contract:
1. I/we declare that all answers and statements made in the proposal are true and correct. 2. The prices and/or cost data have been determined independently, without consultation, communication, or agreement with others for the purpose of restricting competition. However, I/we may freely join with other persons or organizations for the purpose of presenting a single proposal. 3. The attached proposal is a firm offer for a period of 60 days following receipt, and it may be accepted by the Commission without further negotiation (except where obviously required by lack of certainty in key terms) at any time within the 60-day period. 4. In preparing this proposal, I/we have not been assisted by any current or former employee of the state of Washington whose duties relate (or did relate) to this proposal or prospective contract, and who was assisting in other than his or her official, public capacity. If there are exceptions to these assurances, I/we have described them in full detail on a separate page attached to this document. 5. I/we understand that the Commission will not reimburse me/us for any costs incurred in the preparation of this proposal. All proposals become the property of the Commission upon submission. 6. Unless otherwise required by law, the prices and/or cost data which have been submitted have not been knowingly disclosed by the Proposer and will not knowingly be disclosed by him/her prior to opening, directly or indirectly, to any other Proposer or to any competitor. 7. I/we agree that submission of the attached proposal constitutes acceptance of the solicitation contents and the attached Terms and Conditions. If there are any exceptions to these terms, I/we have made those changes in the Terms and Conditions in MS Word track changes and submitted as part of Response Section 5 – Proposed Contract Exceptions. 26 | P a g e
Washington State Housing Finance Commission RFP#2013-02 8. No attempt has been made or will be made by the Proposer to induce any other person or firm to submit or not to submit a proposal for the purpose of restricting competition. 9. I/we grant the Commission the right to contact references and others, who may have pertinent information regarding the ability of the Proposer and the lead staff persons to perform the services contemplated by this RFP. 10. If any staff member(s) who will perform work on this contract has retired from the State of Washington under the provisions of the 2008 Early Retirement Factors legislation, his/her name(s) is noted on a separately attached page. We (circle one) are / are not submitting proposed Contract exceptions. (See Section 2.7, Contract and General Terms and Conditions.) If Contract exceptions are being submitted, I/we have submitted them as part of our proposal as Response Section 5 – Proposed Contract Changes.
On behalf of the Proposer submitting this proposal, my name below attests to the accuracy of the above statement.
Signature of Proposer
Title
27 | P a g e
Date
Washington State Housing Finance Commission RFP#2013-02
Appendices C – G
Appendix C – Business Requirements
Business Requirements.xls
Appendix D – Technical Requirements
Technical Requirements.xls
Appendix E –Integration Requirements
Integration Requirements.xls
Appendix F – Price Sheet
Appendix G –Terms and Conditions
28 | P a g e
Price Sheet.xls
Terms and Conditions.docx
