DHCD RAA/LHA INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY E-GOVERNMENT NETWORK

Transcription

1 Commonwealth of Massachusetts DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT Deval L. Patrick, Governor Timothy P. Murray, Lt. Governor Aaron Gornstein, Undersecretary DHCD RAA/LHA INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY E-GOVERNMENT NETWORK PLEASE NOTE: This Word document is one of many documents that together with the RFR attachments comprise the entire Solicitation published on Comm-PASS. A list of all of these documents is on page 14 of this RFR. All Bidders are responsible for reviewing and adhering to all information, forms and requirements found on all Comm-PASS tabs for the entire Solicitation. Document Number: Procuring Department: RFR Contact Person: Address: DHCD S Department of Housing & Community Development/ Bureau of Rental Assistance Programs Thomas Graham thomas.graham@state.ma.us Fax #: RFR Issuance Date: Thursday, April 11, 2013 RESPONSE DEADLINE: Friday, May 17, 2013, at 3:00PM 100 Cambridge Street, Suite Boston, Massachusetts

2 INTRODUCTION The Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) is the Commonwealth s lead state agency for housing, community development and municipal concerns. DHCD administers federal and state supported rental assistance programs as well as a state supported public housing program, the Commonwealth s HOME Investment Partnership Act Programs, the Community Development Block Grant programs, the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program, the Neighborhood Stabilization Fund, the Housing Innovations Fund, the Facilities Consolidation Fund and numerous other ancillary programs to support neighborhoods, communities, and low and moderate income citizens of the Commonwealth. DHCD is the seventh largest Section 8 voucher Public Housing Authority in the United States with approximately 20,134 vouchers. DHCD s Mission Statement, Administrative Plan, and a list of other DHCD publications are available at DHCD s website: DHCD s Bureau of Rental Assistance Programs administers federal and state rental assistance programs and homeless prevention programs including but not limited to: the federal Housing Choice Voucher program (tenant-based and project-based) including Tenant Protection Vouchers, Enhanced Vouchers, and various special purpose voucher allocations; the Section 8 Moderate Rehab and Moderate Rehab/SRO programs; the Section 8 New Construction and Substantial Rehab programs; and, state-funded rental assistance including the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (tenant-based and project-based), the Alternative Housing Voucher Program, HomeBase, and Rental Assistance for Families in Transition. For purposes of this document, these rental assistance programs are collectively referred to as Rental Assistance Programs. Currently, nine regional administering agencies ( RAAs ), twenty-six local housing authorities ( LHAs ), and one limited partnership, hereinafter collectively referred to as subcontractors, administer these Rental Assistance Programs throughout the Commonwealth on behalf of DHCD. DHCD is one of only thirty-eight agencies in the country designated to participate in the Moving To Work ( MTW ) Demonstration Program. MTW is a demonstration program authorized by Congress, through which the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) gives participating agencies the flexibility to waive certain statutes and federal regulations in order to design and test approaches for providing housing assistance that meet one of more of the three MTW statutory objectives as follows: 1. Reduce cost and achieve greater cost effectiveness in Federal expenditures; 2. Provide incentives to families with children whose heads of household are either working, seeking work, or are participating in job training, educational or other programs that assist in obtaining employment and becoming economically selfsufficient; and, 3. Increase housing choices for low-income families. 2

3 DHCD s MTW program includes all Housing Choice Vouchers administered by DHCD with certain exceptions defined in the MTW Agreement between the HUD and DHCD. These exceptions to MTW include, but are not limited to the 2008 (and all subsequent) Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH), Five-Year Mainstream, Moderate Rehab programs and other special purpose vouchers. As such, DHCD and its designated subcontractors (RAA agencies only) administer both MTW vouchers and Non-MTW vouchers. 1. DESCRIPTION OF PROCUREMENT DHCD requires that all designated subcontractors utilize DHCD-authorized and licensed application software to efficiently manage and automate major program components of its Rental Assistance Programs including, but not limited to, waiting list, tenant management, PIH Information Center (PIC) processing, check processing, inspections and other mission critical functionality. The current application software used by DHCD to manage and automate its Rental Assistance Programs is the Housing Tracker Software systems developed by Tracker Systems, Inc. (TSI) and licensed to DHCD pursuant to a June 1, 2009 Service Agreement. DHCD, through this procurement, seeks ongoing technical assistance services for the TSI Housing Tracker Software system in four (4) task areas: 1. Maintenance and support to ensure the continued effective operation of the TSI software including: development, testing and installation of periodic maintenance releases to improve software functionality and performance and to address identified problems; development, testing and installation of TSI software enhancements including new or modified reports, data fields, screens and modules to ensure that software remains compliant with applicable regulations, reporting and other requirements and policies for the HCV Program established by the HUD; tracking and resolution of reported problems; call center support for users and technical staff; development, testing and installation of bug fixes to address software problems and issues; and, modifications to the software and related testing as needed to ensure the system effectively operates with new releases of integrated third party software products; and, 2. Internet and cloud storage services including maintenance of DHCD s central database, support for internet portals and other services; 3. Development, testing and installation of TSI software functional enhancements including new or modified reports, data fields screens and modules as requested by DHCD; and, 4. Provision of training to DHCD staff and subcontractors on the software including, but not limited to: user training on the software products; technical training to assist technical staff in the maintenance and operation of the production; and, training on product enhancements; and, project management and other consulting services related to the above. The specific technical services required are more fully described below under Scope of Services. 2. ACQUISITION METHOD(S) TO BE USED FOR CONTRACT Fee-for-Service Rental 3

4 Outright Purchase Lease Tax-Exempt Lease/Purchase (TELP) 3. SINGLE OR MULTIPLE CONTRACTORS FOR CONTRACT PERFORMANCE Single Contractor Multiple Contractors ( number) 4. SINGLE OR MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS MAY CONTRACT UNDER THIS RFR Only procuring department may contract under RFR Option to allow other departments/political subdivisions to contract under RFR ELIGIBLE ENTITIES: Local housing authorities under separate contract execution. 5. TOTAL ANTICIPATED DURATION OF CONTRACT Initial Contract Duration: One (1) year Options to Renew: Four (4) options to renew not to exceed one (1) year each option. 6. TOTAL ANTICIPATED EXPENDITURES FOR TOTAL ANTICIPATED DURATION OF CONTRACT (Amounts indicated are only estimates. Contract amounts during the period of any contract are subject to a selected Bidder's response, and may increase or decrease based upon contract negotiation, performance selected, appropriation or availability of funds.) Estimated Value of Procurement (Including Anticipated Renewal Options): up to $1,678,964 for the initial duration plus $ 1,316,108 for each renewal option totals $ 6,943,396 for the anticipated duration of the contract. Contract(s) will have a maximum obligation amount. Contract(s) will NOT have a maximum obligation amount (rate contract). Compensation will be subject to quotes by list of qualified contractors (maximum obligation or rate contract). Approximately 35% of this cost will be borne by DHCD subcontractors from their administrative fees over the 5-year period. Will Federal funds be used to fund any part of contract(s)? NO YES If yes, to what extent? Approximately eighty-two percent (82%). IMPORTANT NOTE: All vendors that receive federal funds through the Commonwealth shall submit their DUNS number using the Massachusetts Substitute W-9 Form. If a contractor has multiple DUNS numbers, the contractor shall provide the primary number listed with the federal government s System for Award Management (SAM). Performance shall not begin and payments shall not be issued to a vendor paid with federal funds unless the DUNS number has been filed with the Office of the Comptroller and recorded in the Massachusetts Management Accounting and Reporting System (MMARS). Any entity that does not have a DUNS number can apply for one online at D&B Dunn & Bradstreet. 4

5 7. SUPPLIER DIVERSITY PROGRAM (SDP) PLAN Massachusetts Executive Order established a policy to promote the award of State Contracts in a manner that develops and strengthens businesses certified as Minority and/or Women Business Enterprises (M/WBEs) by the Supplier Diversity Office (SDO), formerly known as the State Office for Minority and Women Business Assistance (SOMWBA). As a result, M/WBEs are strongly encouraged to submit bid responses to this RFR, either as prime vendors, joint venture partners or subcontractors. All Bidders, regardless of their certification status, are required to submit a completed SDP Plan Form as part of their response for evaluation. It is required that Supplier Diversity Program participation accounts for no less than 10% of the total points in the evaluation. Higher evaluation points may be awarded to SDP Plans that show more commitments for use of certified vendors in the primary industry directly related to the scope of the RFR, subcontracting expenditures and partnerships for the purpose of contracting with the Commonwealth. DHCD requires bidders to make a significant commitment to partner with certified Minorityand Women-Owned Businesses in order to be awarded a contract. An SDO-certified Bidder (formerly known as SOWMBA-certified) may not list itself as being a Supplier Diversity Program Partner to its own company. All certified businesses that are included in the bidder s SDP proposal are required to submit an up-to-date copy of their M/WBE certification letter. In addition, a narrative statement can be included to supplement the SDP Plan Form providing further details of the SDP commitments. The submission of this narrative statement does not replace the requirement of the SDP Plan Form. Bidders must submit one form for each M/WBE SDP Relationship. Please note that no bidder will be awarded a contract unless and until they agree to commit to at least one (1) of following three (3) SDP components: Subcontracting: If a Bidder commits to Subcontracting in their SDP plan, then they must commit to subcontract a specific dollar amount or a minimum percentage of dollars earned through an awarded contract with a SDO-certified company. Although this is only one of several options to meet the requirements for participation in the Supplier Diversity Program, Bidder s submission of subcontracting commitments may be weighted most heavily. DHCD will set timelines for progress reviews (either quarterly or semi-annually) for the purpose of compliance and tracking of submitted commitments. Please note that all subcontracting partnerships require inclusion of that contract between the Bidder and the M/WBE subcontractor in the Bidder s bid package. Ancillary Uses of Certified M/WBE Firm(s): If a Bidder commits to Ancillary Uses of certified M/WBE firm in their SDP plan, then they must include dollar or percentage expenditure commitments for use of these firm(s) with or without the use of written commitments between the Bidder and the M/WBE Firm(s). A description of the ancillary uses of certified M/WBEs, if any, must be included on the SDP Plan Form. Ancillary services are generally not directly related to the core services or commodity being delivered. As an example, a bidder providing consulting services who purchases office supplies or equipment maintenance from a SDOcertified company is an example of an ancillary agreement. 5

6 Growth & Development: If a Bidder commits to Growth and Development in their SDP plan, then they must submit a plan with expenditure commitments for education, training, mentoring, resource sharing, joint activities, and assistance that would increase industry capacity and the pool of qualified SDO-certified companies. Once an SDP Plan is submitted, negotiated and approved, DHCD will then monitor the contractor s performance. Resources available to assist Prime Bidders in finding potential M/WBE partners can be found on the Supplier Diversity Program website. 8. CONTRACT AND PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATIONS a) Scope of Services DHCD is seeking ongoing technical assistance services for the TSI Housing Tracker Software system as defined herein. Task Area 1: Maintenance and Support Under this Task Area, the contractor will deploy qualified personnel and provide appropriate software, hardware, communications and other equipment needed to maintain and support the TSI Housing Tracker software so that it is available for use according to its published specification on a continuous basis. This task area also requires the contractor to periodically modify software as needed to ensure TSI compliance with and capability to meet HUD s reporting and HCV Program functional requirements including but not limited to: HUD-50058; HUD MTW; Voucher Management System; Enterprise Income Verification (EIV) and IMS/PIC systems. This task area also covers the contractor s ongoing development and testing efforts to improve the functionality and operations of the software, taking advantage of new and emerging technologies such as web-based applications. Minimum performance standards are specified in Appendix A. For this Task Area, Respondents shall propose a fixed annual fee payable in monthly installments. 1. Services to be provided under this task area include, but are not limited to, the following: A. Operation of a customer help/support desk during DHCD s normal business hours. Provide on-site and remote (via computer, telephone, fax or ) technical assistance at all subcontractor agencies and DHCD as needed. The help desk must be staffed with qualified personnel and must respond to user questions and reported problems no later than 48 hours of receipt, except in the event of a report that the system is down or unusable which must be responded to within 2 hours. Problems must be corrected within the timeframes defined in Appendix A. B. Maintenance of a help desk reporting system including publication and regular updating of a log of reported problems, contractor identified solutions to problems and other relevant information. C. Development, testing and installation of software patches and/or other bug fixes as needed to correct user reported and/or contractor identified problems and issues. Release notes specifying the changes made to the software and relevant technical 6

7 and/or user instructions shall be distributed. Software and release notes shall also be made available for download by DHCD subcontractors. D. Development, testing and installation of software modifications to improve performance, reliability and system speed. Release notes specifying the changes made to the software and relevant technical and/or user instructions shall be distributed. Software and release notes shall also be made available for download by DHCD subcontractors. E. Development, testing and installation of software modifications to ensure TSI compliance with and capability to meet HUD s Housing Choice Voucher required functionality and reporting requirements including but not limited to: HUD-50058; HUD MTW; Voucher Management System; Enterprise Income Verification (EIV) and IMS/PIC systems. Release notes specifying the changes made to the software and relevant technical and/or user instructions shall be distributed. Software and release notes shall also be made available for download by DHCD subcontractors. F. Development, testing and installation of software modifications to ensure that the TSI Housing Tracker software integrates with required third party software packages (including software required to operate printers, scanners, barcode readers, handheld inspection devices, Palm hardware and other hardware used by DHCD and its subcontractors). Required third party software packages are those necessary to operate the TSI Housing Tracker software and the Rental Assistance Programs including, but are not limited to: Crystal Reports, Visual Dataflex, WebApp, MS Word, Undertow, Pegasus, Zan Image Printer, Fog Creek, and Mass Verify. Release notes specifying the changes made to the software and relevant technical and/or user instructions shall be distributed. Software and release notes shall also be made available for download by DHCD subcontractors. G. Development, testing and installation of periodic maintenance releases that include all bug fixes, software patches, software modifications and functional enhancements issued since the prior maintenance release. Release notes specifying the changes made to the software and relevant technical and/or user instructions shall be distributed. Software and release notes shall also be made available for download by DHCD subcontractors. H. Development, periodic updating and distribution to clients of: a) a data dictionary and data mapping guide with sufficient detail to allow DHCD to develop its own software reports and queries; and, 2) a user guide written in plain English and including screen shots, processing instructions, and sufficient detail to allow end-users to fully utilize the software and to complete all required HCV business transactions. 2. Software license to be provided in connection with this task area: A. Establishes a third party escrow agent for maintenance of the source code and related materials. B. Names DHCD as a beneficiary to the escrow agreement to allow immediate access to the Source Code Escrow Package in the event that a release condition occurs pursuant to the license agreement, maintenance support agreement and/or escrow agreement. 7

8 C. Release conditions shall be deemed to have occurred in the event of any of the following: 1) Owner discontinues business because of insolvency or bankruptcy, and no successor acceptable to DHCD assumes Owner s software maintenance obligations under the license and/or maintenance support agreement(s); 2) Owner makes an assignment for the benefit of creditors; 3) Owner suspends its business or has wound up or been liquidated, voluntarily or otherwise; or, 4) Owner (or its successor) defaults in its obligation to provide maintenance services as required by the license and/or maintenance support agreement(s) and fails to cure such default within two weeks after receiving notice of the default from DHCD. The notice shall describe the default and the action which DHCD believes is necessary to cure the default. The cure period may be extended by DHCD provided that Owner (or its successor) is diligent in completing the cure. D. The term Source Code Escrow Package shall mean: a complete copy in machinereadable form of the source code and executable code of the TSI Software; complete copy of any existing design documentation and user documentation; and/or complete instructions for compiling and linking every part of the source code into executable code for purposes of enabling verification of the completeness of the source code. Such instructions shall include precise identification of all compilers, library packages, and linkers used to generate executable code. Task Area 2: Internet and Cloud Storage Services Under this Task Area, the contractor will deploy qualified personnel and provide appropriate software, hardware, communications and other equipment needed to maintain and support DHCD s central database Virtual Private Cloud storage and internet portal(s). Minimum performance standards are specified in Appendix A. For services under this Task Area, Respondents shall propose a fixed annual fee payable in monthly installments. 1. Services to be provided under this task area include, but are not limited to, the following: A. Maintenance and ongoing operation of dedicated servers and all required software configured as required by manufacturers specifications to operate the TSI Housing Tracker software and to maintain all program data in a Virtual Private Cloud. All program data must be maintained securely in conformance with Commonwealth of Massachusetts requirements as specified in Appendix A. Contractor must ensure that security for hosted environments is SAS70 and SSAE16 compliant. The configuration, set up and directory structures of all servers must be documented. Server response time standards are specified in Appendix A. B. Ensure that non-hosted local servers used by DHCD subcontractors are encrypted. C. Maintenance and ongoing operation of dedicated terminals and all required software at DHCD and/or subcontractor facilities to access programs and data on servers. D. Maintenance and ongoing operation of secure connections to allow DHCD and its subcontractors to access programs and data on the servers. E. Maintenance and ongoing operation of data backup operations as specified in Appendix A. 8

9 DHCD must have assurances that it will have continuous and uninterrupted access to data maintained in the Virtual Private Cloud. 2. Terms of escrow agreement: A. DHCD will be named as a beneficiary to the escrow agreement to allow immediate access to the Virtual Private Cloud data in the event that a release condition occurs as defined above. B. DHCD is made a party to any agreement for third party cloud storage services related to the central database such that DHCD will be immediately notified in the event of a change or termination of the agreement for said third party cloud storage services. C. In the event of a change or termination of said agreement, DHCD must have the immediate option to continue to maintain said agreement directly and/or to copy and transfer all DHCD central database data to an alternative storage facility identified by DHCD. Task Area 3: Functional Enhancements to Software Under this Task Area, the contractor will deploy qualified personnel and provide appropriate software, hardware, communications and other equipment needed to develop, test and install functional enhancements requested by DHCD to the TSI Housing Tracker software and DHCD s central database and reporting systems. Functional enhancements will be identified by DHCD and may include enhancements to address DHCD policy, procedural and reporting requirements and/or new MTW Program or other policy, procedural and reporting requirements. Examples of functional enhancements include: Development, testing and installation of quality control tools and reports to facilitate DHCD monitoring of program performance; Development, testing and installation of software enhancements to support new or ongoing MTW initiatives adopted by DHCD; Development, testing and installation of dashboards and other tools to facilitate DHCD monitoring of program performance; Development, testing and installation of utilization forecasting tools and reports to assist DHCD in maximizing utilization within available budgets and improving monitoring of subcontractor utilization status; Establishment and updating of central document, template and forms library available to DHCD and subcontractors; Development, testing and installation of secure web portals to allow owners, tenants, and applicants to access required information; Development of various new reports as needed including exception reports. Report design must be easily configurable by the end users to allow for flexibility in setting parameters, grouping, sorting, filtering and aggregating data; and, Other enhancements authorized by DHCD. All services under this Task Area shall be subject to a task order process in which: 1) DHCD requests specific enhancements; 2) Contractor develops not-to-exceed cost for enhancements; 3) DHCD approves, rejects or approves with modifications Contractor s task order and not-to- 9

10 exceed fee; 4) Contractor proceeds to develop and, upon completion, test software; and, 5) DHCD performs relevant acceptance testing prior to installation and final payment. Services to be provided under this task area will be determined based on the task order approval process described above and may include: A. Development, testing and installation of TSI Housing Tracker software enhancements including new or modified reports, data fields, screens and modules. User and technical documentation shall be distributed. Software and documentation shall also be made available for download by DHCD subcontractors. B. Development, testing and installation of central database related enhancements including new or modified reports, data fields, screens and modules. User and technical documentation shall be distributed. Software and documentation shall also be made available for download by DHCD subcontractors. The required software license and maintenance support agreement noted above must incorporate any functional enhancements developed for DHCD under this Task Area. Task Area 4: Training and Project Management Services Under this Task Area, the contractor will deploy qualified personnel and provide appropriate software, hardware, communications and other equipment needed to provide training for DHCD staff and/or subcontractors on the TSI Housing Tracker software including training on the core base products, reports and enhancements. Contractor will also deploy qualified personnel to provide project management services as needed for this and other task areas. Training may be provided in various modes including on-site informal training, train-the trainer instruction, or hands-on training in a classroom environment using a test system. Training must include testing and evaluation. All services under this Task Area shall be subject to a task order process in which: 1) DHCD requests specific training and/or project management services; 2) Contractor develops not-toexceed cost for training and/or project management services; 3) DHCD approves, rejects or approves with modifications Contractor s task order and not-to-exceed fee; 4) Contractor provides training materials in advance of training event for DHCD approval; and, 5) DHCD provides payment upon satisfactory completion of training or on a monthly basis for project management services that have been delivered in the prior month. Services to be provided under this task area will be determined based on the task order approval process described above. b) Proposal Content Responses must include: Narrative description of services to be provided organized into the Task Areas identified in this RFR. This narrative must address all of the tasks and deliverables to be provided and must also address: 10

11 Description of the process used to develop, test and roll-out maintenance releases, functional enhancements and new software applications. This should include a detailed discussion of how vendor proposes to collect and document DHCD s functional requirements prior to programming. Description of support model including availability of technical assistance, contact permission, policy and pricing regarding after-hours support, holiday support, emergency support and self-help resources. Description of issue management system: how vendor s support team manages calls and s from clients up through to resolution. Provide a narrative describing Respondent s 5-year strategy to improve and enhance the software product in light of client needs and new and emerging technologies. This narrative should include a discussion of Respondent s plans and timetables to release a web-based version of the software product if applicable. Provide a copy of the Respondent s formal Business Continuity Plan, including a disaster recovery plan. A Business Continuity Plan defines policies, processes and protocols to ensure that the organization can continue to deliver essential services to clients in the event of a serious disruption to normal business operations. Summarize the key elements of the Business Continuity Plan in a brief narrative. Provide the last two years of financial statements. Provide a narrative and appropriate documentation to verify that Respondent has secured all necessary software licenses, legal agreements and/or other necessary authorizations needed in connection with the Scope of Services. Provide a sample license and maintenance support agreement for DHCD review. DHCD reserves the right to negotiate modifications if needed to the sample license and maintenance support agreement. License and maintenances support agreements must allow for DHCD staff and subcontractor internal use of the software. License and support agreement must allow, at DHCD s sole option, for direct license and support agreements between Respondent and individual DHCD subcontractors. Provide a proposed software escrow agreement from an established third party escrow agent. Said escrow agreement must address the requirements stated in the RFR Scope of Services section. Provide a proposed cloud storage escrow agreement that addresses the requirements stated in the RFR Scope of Services section. Provide a narrative describing the Respondent s roles and responsibilities in project management, including the development of projects plans, outline and illustration of system modifications, and staffing resources. 11

12 Provide a narrative describing the Respondent s roles and responsibilities in providing training resources and support to DHCD and DHCD subcontractors. Provide a narrative describing the resources and internal controls that enable the Respondent s ability to accommodate and quickly respond to complex needs and unique requirements resulting from the demands of managing multiple programs and DHCD s status as an MTW agency. Listing of all current clients including contact names, titles, addresses, telephone number and addresses. DHCD shall select three from this list to use as references. Describe: (1) respondent s own and any proposed subcontractors respective internal security procedures and policies applicable to work performed by them for customers; and (2) the particulars of any circumstances over the past five (5) years in which the vendor or its proposed subcontractor(s) has caused a breach of the security, confidentiality or integrity of a customer s data. Describe the role and responsibilities of DHCD that are necessary to the successful implementation of the Scope of Services. Designate key point person and provide resumes for key personnel to be assigned to this contract. Required attachments as described in Section 10 on page 14. Separate, sealed cost proposal that identifies total proposed cost and a breakdown of costs associated with each individual Task Areas described above including the cost associated with software escrow agreement and cloud storage escrow agreement. c) Evaluation Criteria Responses will be evaluated on the following criteria: 1. Minimum Criteria: Listed below are criteria that must be met in order for a response to be evaluated according to the Comparative Criteria. DHCD reserves the right, in its discretion, to determine if non-compliance with a minimum criterion is insignificant or can be easily corrected. Response is complete. 2. Comparative Criteria: Degree to which the response demonstrates an understanding of the context of the RFR and the business needs of DHCD with respect to its TSI Housing Tracker Software system. Degree to which the response demonstrates a comprehensive maintenance and support model that is capable of meeting HUD requirements and the ongoing development and testing efforts to improve functionality and operations of the 12

13 software, which includes DHCD s MTW initiatives and new emerging technology such as web-based applications. Degree to which the response demonstrates a comprehensive plan to maintain and support DHCD s central database Virtual Private Cloud storage and internet portal(s). Degree to which the response demonstrates a comprehensive plan on functional enhancements to software including the development, testing and installation of modified systems. Degree to which the response demonstrates a comprehensive outline on training and project management services. Degree to which the response demonstrates the ability to accommodate and quickly respond to the complex needs and unique requirements resulting from the demands of managing multiple programs and DHCD s status as an MTW agency. Quality of relevant and verifiable references. Viability of business and degree to which the response demonstrates a commitment to meeting the software and service needs of organizations in this specific market over the next 10 years. Total project cost. Participation in the Supplier Diversity Program. DHCD reserves the right to interview finalist(s) in person, if necessary, prior to awarding a Contract. d) Performance Measures Minimum performance standards are defined in Appendix A. e) Contract Administration and Payment The funds will be provided to the Contractor according to the following schedule: Payments will be made on a monthly basis according to the Contractor s detailed invoices that shall be organized by Task Area and include detailed descriptions of all services provided within each Task Area. 9. INSTRUCTIONS FOR RESPONSE SUBMISSION/PROCUREMENT CALENDAR One original response, including original required/optional RFR attachments signed by the authorized signatory as evidenced by the contractor Authorized Signature Verification Form, plus four (4) complete copies of the response, must be submitted to the address listed below. Faxed or ed responses will not be accepted. Responses received after the deadline will not be considered under any circumstances. DELIVER TO: DHCD Procurement Manager 100 Cambridge Street, Suite 300 Boston, MA ATTN: DHCD S 13

14 DHCD has forecasted these milestones and dates. These dates are subject to change at the department s sole discretion. Event Date/Time RFR posted on Comm-PASS Thursday, April 11, 2013 Due Date for Submission of Questions Friday, April 26, 2013, at 12:00PM Responses to Questions posted on Comm-PASS On or before Wednesday, May 1, 2013 RFR Submission Due Date Friday, May 17, 2013, at 3:00PM Notification of Award Friday, May 31, 2013 Contract Estimated Start Date Monday, July 1, 2013 No Bidder s Conference will be offered. All questions regarding this RFR must be submitted in writing by or fax to the address below. VERBAL QUESTIONS WILL NOT BE ANSWERED. No further questions will be accepted after the deadline in the Procurement Calendar. CONTACT FOR WRITTEN QUESTIONS: Thomas Graham Thomas.graham@state.ma.us Fax: RFR ATTACHMENTS All required RFR forms are incorporated by reference and published on the Forms & Terms tab of the Comm-PASS solicitation page for Solicitation Document Number DHCD S. The following list describes each form, and includes an action description for each. There are only five (5) forms that MUST be returned as part of the response package, as noted below. Document Description Massachusetts Substitute W-9 Form Consultant Contractor Mandatory Submission Form Contractor Authorized Signatory Listing Prompt Pay Discount Form Supplier Diversity Program Plan Form Standard Contract Form Commonwealth Terms & Conditions Authorization for Electronic Funds Transfer Action Description Complete form and submit with response package. Complete form and submit with response package. Complete form and submit with response package. Complete form and submit with response package. Complete form and submit with response package. FOR YOUR REVIEW. Must execute at contract award. FOR YOUR REVIEW. Must execute at contract award if not already on file. FOR YOUR REVIEW. Must execute at contract award if not already established. 14

15 11. RFR REQUIRED SPECIFICATION The terms of 801 CMR 21.00: Procurement of Commodities and Services (and 808 CMR 1.00: Compliance, Reporting and Auditing for Human and Social Services, if applicable) are incorporated by reference into this RFR. Words used in this RFR shall have the meanings defined in 801 CMR (and 808 CMR 1.00, if applicable). Additional definitions may also be identified in this RFR. Unless otherwise specified in this RFR, all communications, responses, and documentation must be in English, all measurements must be provided in feet, inches, and pounds and all cost proposals or figures in U.S. currency. All responses must be submitted in accordance with the specific terms of this RFR. Items with the text, " Required for POS Only" specify a requirement for Purchase of Service (POS) human and social services procured under 801 CMR 21.00, Procurement of Commodities or Services, Including Human and Social Services and 808 CMR 1.00, Compliance, Reporting and Auditing for Human and Social Service. Supplier Diversity Program (SDP). Massachusetts Executive Order 524 established a policy to promote the award of state contracts in a manner that develops and strengthens Minority and Women Business Enterprises (M/WBEs) that resulted in the Supplier Diversity Program in Public Contracting. M/WBEs are strongly encouraged to submit responses to this RFR, either as prime vendors, joint venture partners or other type of business partnerships. All bidders must follow the requirements set forth in the SDP section of the RFR, which will detail the specific requirements relating to the prime vendor s inclusion of M/WBEs. Bidders are required to develop creative initiatives to help foster new business relationships with M/WBEs within the primary industries affected by this RFR. In order to satisfy the compliance of this section and encourage bidder s participation of SDP objectives, the Supplier Diversity Program (SDP) Plan for large procurements greater than $150,000 will be evaluated at 10% or more of the total evaluation. Once an SDP Plan is submitted, negotiated and approved, the agency will then monitor the contractor s performance, and use actual expenditures with SDO certified contractors to fulfill their own SDP expenditure benchmarks. M/WBE participation must be incorporated into and monitored for all types of procurements regardless of size; however, submission of an SDP Plan is mandated only for large procurements over $150,000. This RFR will contain some or all of the following components as part of the Supplier Diversity Program Plan submitted by bidders: Sub-contracting with certified M/WBE firms as defined within the scope of the RFR, Ancillary use of certified M/WBE firms, Growth and Development activities to increase M/WBE capacity, A Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), Woman Business Enterprise (WBE), M/Non-Profit, or W/Non-Profit, is defined as such by the Supplier Diversity Office (SDO). All certified businesses that are included in the bidder s SDP proposal are required to submit an up to date copy of their SDO certification letter. The purpose for this certification is to participate in the Commonwealth s Supplier Diversity Program for public contracting. Minority- and Women- Owned firms that are not currently certified but would like to be considered as an M/WBE for the purpose of this RFR should submit their application at least two weeks prior to the RFR 15

16 closing date and submit proof of documentation of application for consideration with their bid proposal. For further information on SDO certification, contact their office at or via the Internet at mass.gov/sdo. Supplier Diversity Program Subcontracting Policies. Prior approval of the agency is required for any subcontracted service of the contract. Agencies may define required deliverables including, but not limited to, documentation necessary to verify subcontractor commitments and expenditures with Minority- or Women-Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBEs) for the purpose of monitoring and enforcing compliance of subcontracting commitments made in a bidder s Supplier Diversity Program (SDP) Plan. Contractors are responsible for the satisfactory performance and adequate oversight of its subcontractors. Agricultural Products Preference (only applicable if this is a procurement for Agricultural Products) - Chapter 123 of the Acts of 2006 directs the State Purchasing Agent to grant a preference to products of agriculture grown or produced using locally grown products. Such locally grown or produced products shall be purchased unless the price of the goods exceeds the price of products of agriculture from outside the Commonwealth by more than 10%. For purposes of this preference, products of agriculture are defined to include any agricultural, aquacultural, floricultural or horticultural commodities, the growing and harvesting of forest products, the raising of livestock, including horses, raising of domesticated animals, bees, furbearing animals and any forestry or lumbering operations. Best Value Selection and Negotiation. The Procurement Management Team (PMT) may select the response(s) which demonstrates the best value overall, including proposed alternatives that will achieve the procurement goals of the department. The PMT and a selected bidder, or a contractor, may negotiate a change in any element of contract performance or cost identified in the original RFR or the selected bidder s or contractor s response which results in lower costs or a more cost effective or better value than was presented in the selected bidder s or contractor s original response. Bidder Communication. Bidders are prohibited from communicating directly with any employee of the procuring department or any member of the PMT regarding this RFR except as specified in this RFR, and no other individual Commonwealth employee or representative is authorized to provide any information or respond to any question or inquiry concerning this RFR. Bidders may contact the contact person for this RFR in the event this RFR is incomplete or the bidder is having trouble obtaining any required attachments electronically through Comm-PASS. Comm-PASS. Comm-PASS is the official system of record for all procurement information which is publicly accessible at no charge at Information contained in this document and in each tab of the Solicitation, including file attachments, and information contained in the related Bidders Forum(s), are all components of the Solicitation. Bidders are solely responsible for obtaining all information distributed for this Solicitation via Comm-PASS, by using the free Browse and Search tools offered on each record-related tab on the main navigation bar (Solicitations and Forums). Forums support Bidder submission of written questions associated with a Solicitation and publication of official answers. All records 16

17 on Comm-PASS are comprised of multiple tabs, or pages. For example, Solicitation records contain Summary, Rules, Issuer(s), Intent or Forms & Terms and Specifications, and Other Information tabs. Each tab contains data and/or file attachments provided by the Procurement Management Team. All are incorporated into the Solicitation. It is each Bidder s responsibility to check Comm-PASS for: Any addenda or modifications to this Solicitation, by monitoring the Last Change field on the Solicitation s Summary tab, and Any Bidders Forum records related to this Solicitation (see Locating a Online Bidders Forum for information on locating these records. The Commonwealth accepts no responsibility and will provide no accommodation to Bidders who submit a Response based on an out-of-date Solicitation or on information received from a source other than Comm-PASS. Comm-PASS SmartBid Subscription. Bidders may elect to obtain an optional SmartBid subscription which provides value-added features, including automated notification associated with postings and modifications to Comm-PASS records. When properly configured and managed, SmartBid provides a subscriber with: A secure desktop within Comm-PASS for efficient record management A customizable profile reflecting the subscriber s product/service areas of interest A customizable listing in the publicly accessible Business Directory, an online yellowpages advertisement Full-cycle, automated alert whenever any record of interest is posted or updated Access to Online Response Submission, when allowed by the Issuer, to support: paperless bid drafting and submission to an encrypted lock-box prior to close date electronic signature of OSD forms and terms; agreement to defer wet-ink signature until Contract award, if any withdrawal of submitted bids prior to close date online storage of submitted bids Every public purchasing entity within the borders of Massachusetts may post records on Comm- PASS at no charge. Comm-PASS has the potential to become the sole site for all public entities in Massachusetts. SmartBid fees are only based on and expended for costs to operate, maintain and develop the Comm-PASS system. Contract Expansion. If additional funds become available during the contract duration period, the department reserves the right to increase the maximum obligation to some or all contracts executed as a result of this RFR or to execute contracts with contractors not funded in the initial selection process, subject to available funding, satisfactory contract performance and service or commodity need. Costs. Costs which are not specifically identified in the bidder s response, and accepted by a department as part of a contract, will not be compensated under any contract awarded pursuant to this RFR. The Commonwealth will not be responsible for any costs or expenses incurred by bidders responding to this RFR. 17

18 Debriefing. Required for POS Only. This is an optional specification for non-pos RFRs. Non-successful bidders may request a debriefing from the department. Department debriefing procedures may be found in the RFR. Non-successful POS bidders aggrieved by the decision of a department must participate in a debriefing as a prerequisite to an administrative appeal. Debriefing/Appeals: Administrative Appeals to Departments. Required for POS Only. Not applicable to non-pos bidders. Non-successful bidders who participate in the debriefing process and remain aggrieved with the decision of the department may appeal that decision to the department head. Department appeal procedures may be found in the RFR. Debriefing/Appeals: Administrative Appeals to OSD. Required for POS Only. Not applicable to non-pos bidders. Non-successful bidders who participate in the department appeal process and remain aggrieved by the selection decision of the department may appeal the department decision to the Operational Services Division. The basis for an appeal to OSD is limited to the following grounds: 1. The competitive procurement conducted by the department failed to comply with applicable regulations and guidelines. These would be limited to the requirements of 801 CMR or any successor regulations, the policies in the OSD Procurement Information Center, subsequent policies and procedures issued by OSD and the specifications of the RFR; or 2. There was a fundamental unfairness in the procurement process. The allegation of unfairness or bias is one that is easier to allege than prove, consequently, the burden of proof rests with the bidder to provide sufficient and specific evidence in support of its claim. OSD will presume that departments conducted a fair procurement absent documentation to the contrary. Requests for an appeal must be sent to the attention of the State Purchasing Agent at Room 1017, One Ashburton Place, Boston, MA and be received within fourteen (14) calendar days of the postmark of the notice of the department head s decision on appeal. Appeal requests must specify in sufficient detail the basis for the appeal. Sufficient detail requires a description of the published policy or procedure which was applied and forms the basis for the appeal and presentation of all information that supports the claim under paragraphs 1 or 2 above. OSD reserves the right to reject appeal requests based on grounds other than those stated above or those submitted without sufficient detail on the basis for the appeal. The decision of the State Purchasing Agent shall be rendered, in writing, setting forth the grounds for the decision within sixty (60) calendar days of receipt of the appeal request. Pending appeals to the State Purchasing Agent shall not prohibit the department from proceeding with executing contracts. Electronic Communication/Update of Bidder s/contractor s Contact Information. It is the responsibility of the prospective bidder and awarded contractor to keep current the address of the bidder s contact person and prospective contract manager, if awarded a contract, and to monitor that inbox for communications from the PMT, including requests for clarification. The PMT and the Commonwealth assume no responsibility if a prospective bidder s/awarded contractor s designated address is not current, or if technical problems, including those 18