Request for Professional Services Proposals (RFP) MWBE Monitoring System For the St. Louis Development Corporation

Transcription

1 Request for Professional Services Proposals (RFP) MWBE Monitoring System For the St. Louis Development Corporation Issued by: St. Louis Development Corporation ( SLDC ) in partnership with the St. Louis Board of Public Service, the City of St. Louis Supply Division and the St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment Issuance Date: Friday, September 11, 2015 Proposal Due: Friday, 4:00 p.m. (CDT) on October 9, 2015 Introduction and Background SLDC is requesting proposals from qualified consultants for installation of a comprehensive, externally hosted M/W/D/SBE ( LBE, etc. all application types must be supported) Monitoring System which shall include the management of contracts, compliance, certification, labor, and workforce functions as well as associated implementation and support services. Additionally the system will include interface applications that will interact with the City's accounting database to facilitate the extraction of financial information for approved minority/mwbe listings. SLDC is currently using a MWBE monitoring and certification system. The City utilizes a Microsoft Windows based network with a Microsoft Hyper-V based virtualized back end server environment. SLDC is a Missouri not-for-profit corporation organized to carry out economic development activities for the City of St. Louis, Missouri. SLDC and its constituent agencies and authorities work to promote economic development and growth within the City. Contract term desired is for a period of TBD ( ) years. The Scope of the Services to be provided and the requirements for proposals to provide such Services on SLDC s behalf are outlined below. Scope of work SLDC anticipates that there will be approximately TBD employees who will be using the MWBE Monitoring Software. 1. The Respondent should describe in detail the proposed process for full installation (if appropriate) and implementation of the system for SLDC. A project time line should be included covering all phases of implementation. 2. The Respondent should note in detail any configuration process that may be required to meet the specific needs of SLDC. 3. The Respondent should provide an overview of the training included with the proposed system based on the following potential training platforms: Hands-on user training; Train-the-trainer; Page 1 of 14

2 On-line training; Quick reference guides; Administrator training No additional cost for contractor training; Web based instructor led training for Administrators, Departmental Users, Contractors, & Subcontractors; Web based video training for Administrators, Departmental Users, Contractors, & Subcontractors; Web based training document library; Web based comprehensive instruction manuals; Full-time & phone support for life of the project for Contractors, & Subcontractors; Full-time & phone support for life of the PSA for Administrators, Departmental Users; Web based training syllabus for Administrators, Departmental Users, Contractors, & Subcontractors; Web based record of User training sessions completed to include training quiz results with date/time stamps. 4. Additional Requirements: Support There must be local support for training and technical support (local support staff information to include number of employees, expertise of local staff, business hours, contact information User authentication unique login, and users are prevented from choosing weak or vulnerable passwords. Self-service Provide access to designated general contractors and subcontractors the ability to enter certified payroll & Certificate of Compliance via Web-based form(s), utilizing industry standard E-Signature technology. Support weekly reporting even if no work is performed during the period, no work statement. Ability to upload electronic documents. Automated alert(s) by and fax to contractors and subcontractors of discrepancies, notification to include specific nature of the problem(s). Contractor and Subcontractor management self-management and registration by Contractor and Subcontractor Outreach management send solicitations and related procurement notices to vendors and post on website public bulletin board. Maintain database of contractors and subcontractors. Also, list of certified DBE s furnished by Airport DBE Office. Reporting Provide multiple reporting at real time speeds. Reports Reports must be customizable Page 2 of 14

3 Reports Project summary, Late report, Workforce report, EEO report, Local hire report, Special reports (e.g. ARRA American Recovery and reinvestment Act), HUD Section 3 report, Advanced Ad Hoc reporting tool, Project(s) close out report. Generate template letters and send s/faxes to Departmental users, Contractors, and Subcontractors. Contract tracking Facilitate multiple job numbers under single project. Checks and balances Track and register all input activities from contractors, subcontractors, and maintain a variance log Demographics Identify demographics by city identified designations, zip codes, Ward identification Prevailing wages track, update and maintain prevailing wage/pay/taxes tables specific to Missouri (Local/State/Federal) and accommodate changes to Davis- Bacon regulations. Scalable Must not be limited by job size of project length Storage capacities in (?) Gigabytes, record(s) archiving procedures, ability to access & transfer information if PSA is awarded to another company at the end of the initial PSA. Guarantees of Website availability (e. g. site will be up and running 99.9% of the time), system monitoring (24/7/365), system redundancies, disaster recovery plans in place. Industry standard security of Website, server(s), server(s) operating systems (OS), current OS patch levels, internet connections (HTTPS, SSL, VPN), encryption of stored passwords, encryption of information on server(s), payroll data contains social security numbers (SSN s), display only the last four digits of SSN when possible, data back-up, full and partial restore points. Physical security of equipment, Database security (access point, passwords), Perimeter defense (firewalls, analyze firewall logs, third party penetration tests), System monitoring (performance, latency, availability), Application security (e.g., one Department cannot access another Departments data), Internal systems Inside the perimeter firewall, systems are safeguarded by industry standard practices (e.g. network address translation, port redirection, IP masquerading, non-routable IP addressing schemes, etc.),. Reliability & Backup at least dual redundancy, including network components, load balancing, web servers, application servers, database servers, internet connectivity, Server hard drives are configured with RAID 5, critical storage components contain hot spares, all data based up nightly to an offsite secure location. What is the response if the Website gets hacked? Will the PSA include credit monitoring for the individuals whose information was hacked? Will the Consultant or City pay for this? Software licensing & cost structure, (e. g. per seat, per Department, per user, etc.) Provide cost and options for training after installation. Page 3 of 14

4 Specifications Sub-contractors confirmations - Subcontractors are to be notified when SLDC makes payment to the Prime. Sub-contractors are to confirm receipt of payment within 7 days of Prime payment otherwise SLDC will receive notice. Certified payroll and vendor payment data changes made after a specific number of days after entry point shall require approval from SLDC before changes are made or be flagged as a part of an audit trail--to report changes following acceptance of reporting by SLDC. Maintain and furnish industry standard Website statistics to SLDC (e.g. site visits, operating systems, web browsers, etc.) Website based support for user(s) problems. Unique work order number used to track all reported website problems and their resolution. Problem report issued monthly (?) to SLDC documenting problem(s) reported and their resolution. Consultant s commitment to reply and resolve problems within (?) Time frame (e.g. 24 hours for minor problems, (?) days for major problems). A. MWBE monitoring system Provide details on how the proposed system would meet the following criteria: 1. Provide access to a listing of certified MBE and WBE firms in the St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area; the Respondent should indicate the list source and explain the process in place to maintain it. 2. Manage and track project contract participation; the Respondent should describe in detail how the system tracks minority participation progress toward the City's participation goals. 3. Provide on demand reporting of current compliance status; the Respondent should describe in detail the types of reports available regarding compliance status, and if report customization is an option of the system, the customization process should be described. 4. Provide automatic tracking and documentation of contract awards to subcontractors. 5. Identify and track potential prevailing wage violations. 6. Record bidding activity history; the Respondent should describe how the system records bidding activity history and offers corresponding documentation in support of good faith efforts. 7. Track and document cumulative contract and employment goals; 8. Provide certified payroll reporting and workforce tracking; 9. Provide payment tracking and reporting; 10. Provide tracking, management, and reporting on compliance with the Mayor s Executive Order 28, as amended, and St. Louis City Ordinance and any other relevant functions, as defined in this RFP. 11. See list of system requirements above. Page 4 of 14

5 B. Integration and Administration Provide details on how the proposed system integrates with other systems and how the system is administered. At a minimum, please address the following: 1. Whether the proposed system interfaces with other systems? If so, please describe this process. 2. Administrative interface. How the system is administered to manage user access as well as contractor access. 3. Integration with mobile devices. How the system allows for access to and input from mobile devices. C. Cost The Respondent shall provide an itemized cost breakdown. Please provide itemized costs for each item listed below as appropriate to your proposal. 1. License(s) 2. Hosting fees 3. Subscription fees 4. System maintenance and support fees 5. System installation & (timeline) 6. System setup and configuration & (timeline) 7. System implementation & (timeline) 8. Administrator training & (timeline) 9. User training & (timeline) 10. Data Migration & (timeline) 11. Post installation training & (timeline) Respondent Submission To be considered responsive, a proposal must contain the following, prefaced by a table of contents, referenced by number and in the order below: 1. A brief description of the history and organization of the Respondent s firm, and a detailed list and description of any proposed subcontractor. 2. A written description of the features and functionality the Respondent proposes for the monitoring system. Respondents are encouraged to be clear and concise and to avoid overly complex technical discussions or a heavy reliance on jargon. Please include a general description of the techniques, approaches and methods to be used in completing the project. 3. A one page Blue print of the system architecture showing all system components and all system levels, including minimum network communication requirements. 4. Respondent s experience in terms of the development and delivery of the system specified. The list should include, at a minimum, the following information: years involved in the industry; key customers; the size and type of systems delivered within the past five years; and performance criteria for those systems. Page 5 of 14

6 5. List of the programming language(s) used to write the software application and its capabilities in the following areas: service support, on site, via telephone, and via Internet, key personnel with level and type of experience, and local support staff, if any. 6. List of all system implementation stages (from project commencement through testing, acceptance, training, warranty, and maintenance). 7. Application security documentation, including public Internet and city network access, communication and integration. 8. Qualifications, background and experience of the project director and other staff proposed to work on the project. 9. Copies of professional certifications or other credentials, together with evidence that Respondent, if a corporation, is in good standing and qualified to conduct business in Missouri. 10. The most recent year s annual reports, or comparable documents, including detailed current profit and loss, assets and liabilities, and other relevant financial data. 11. A description of at least three (3) similar projects completed by the Respondent within the past three (3) years. Include personal references with contact information for each. PLEASE NOTE: As part of the evaluation process described below, SLDC officials may be interested in seeing live demonstrations of the product in use by current clients. 12. A detailed cost proposal, including, separately, as appropriate: licensing, implementation, system customization costs and training. There must be a line for Total Contract Cost which shall include implementation costs for all licenses, hardware, software, hosting, training, and labor/service-oriented items required to deploy the hardware and software components of the system. 13. Recommendations and estimated costs for third-party supplies and hardware, if any. 14. The following documents should be submitted along with the Proposal: Attachment A MBE/WBE/DBE Participation Form Attachment B Certification Regarding Debarment and Suspension Attachment C Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statement Attachment D Living Wage Adjustment Bulletin SLDC reserves the right to have discussions with those Respondents falling within a competitive range, and to request revised pricing offers from them and to make an award or conduct negotiations thereafter. Submission Requirements Format Summary The narrative shall not be more than _twenty_(_20 ) pages. Proposals should be prepared simply and economically, providing a straightforward and concise description of the Respondent s ability to meet the requirements of this RFP. Emphasis should be on completeness and clarity of content. 1. Deliver six (6) physical proposal hard copies. 2. Each set should include all components requested, including copies of any attachments. Page 6 of 14

7 3. Deliver electronically, with the above, one PDF version of the full proposal (on CD-ROM, DVD, or USB flash drive). If specific submission requirements are particularly large and self-contained, they may be included in a separate appendix rather than in the body of the proposal. Submissions should not direct the evaluation team to general brochures, marketing materials or websites to obtain information related to the specific submission requirements; submissions that utilize references to external materials as an answer will be considered non-responsive. Submissions should provide straightforward and concise information that fulfill the requirements of the RFP. Emphasis should be placed on brevity, conformity to the RFP s instructions, and completeness and clarity of content. Proposals should not include generic promotional materials and graphics that increase page count and PDF file size without addressing substantive content. Hard copy brochures and marketing materials may be included as a supplement, if desired. Proposals that fail to address each of the submission requirements above may be deemed nonresponsive and will not be further considered. SLDC, solely upon its own discretion, will judge Respondents on their overall compliance, and may judge a Respondent to be materially compliant, even if that Respondent is non-compliant to a particular requirement of the RFP. Selection Process and Criteria Responses will be reviewed by a committee, which will determine which, if any, Respondents are qualified to perform the work and evaluate the submitted proposals. The committee shall choose the lowest, most responsive, and most responsible Respondent for negotiation of a contract from these qualified Respondents. The committee shall also rank remaining qualified Respondents in order of preference. If SLDC determines that it is not possible to successfully negotiate a contract with the successful Respondent, SLDC shall discontinue negotiations and attempt to negotiate a contract with the next lowest, most responsive, most responsible Respondent. This process shall continue until negotiation of a contract is successful, all qualified Respondents have been exhausted, or SLDC voids this RFP. The following criteria will be used in reviewing and comparing the proposals: Evaluation Criteria Responsiveness to and compliance with the RFP and submission requirements. Ability and reliability of the system (both system and application) to meet the functional requirements defined in this RFP. The technical ability, capacity, and flexibility of the Respondent to perform the contract in a timely manner and on budget, as verified by, e.g., the quality of any demonstration, client references, demonstrated success in projects with similar requirements and any other contracts with SLDC. The reasonableness of the cost of the proposed system. Costs should be itemized by type to allow SLDC to implement the system over the term of the contract. Weight % % % Page 7 of 14

8 Respondent s reputation from reference accounts or installations similar in scope and nature to the needs of SLDC (references which can be contacted and/or visited) and from all written responses to the RFP. Support and service options including, but not limited to, on-line help, technical support options, documentation types and manuals, and system customization capabilities. MWBE or DBE participation in project Growth potential of the system to accommodate future enhancements. Ease of use. Provide a User Interface that is intuitive in its design which promotes efficient and effective use for even the occasional user. Provide safeguards that alert users to missing or improper data entry at the time of entry to the greatest extent possible % % % % % % If a large number of proposals are received, SLDC reserves the right to review the proposals using a tiered evaluation system. All qualified proposals will be evaluated based on the Submission Requirements and Cost, with the top candidates advancing as finalists and receiving a full evaluation as outlined above. General Conditions 1. Legal Compliance: Respondent must agree to comply with all federal, state, and local laws or regulations, which in any manner affect the service placed for bid herein. Lack of knowledge on the part of the Respondent of applicable law will in no way be cause for release of this obligation. If SLDC becomes aware of violation of any laws or regulations, on the part of the awarded consultant, it reserves the right to reject any bid, cancel any contract, and pursue any other legal remedies deemed necessary. 2. M/W/DBE Participation: Respondent must agree to comply with the Mayor s Executive Order No. 28 and any superseding Executive Orders relating to utilization of minority and women businesses (MBEs/WBEs). Executive Order No.28 requires contractors and consultants to seek, through good faith efforts, the involvement of MBEs and WBEs with a goal of participation of least 25% and 5%, respectively, for the project. For additional information, please visit 3. Living Wage Compliance: Respondent must agree to comply with Chapter 3.99 Living Wages of the Revised Code of the City of St. Louis (Ordinance No ). 4. Unauthorized Alien Employees: Respondent must agree to adhere to provisions of Sections through of the revised Statutes of Missouri, 2000, as amended, and provide, by sworn Affidavit and provision of documentation, affirmation of its enrollment and participation in a federal work authorization program with respect to the employees working in connection with this Contract, Agreement or Grant. Selected consultant must sign an Affidavit affirming that it does not knowingly employ any person Page 8 of 14

9 who is an unauthorized alien in connection with this Contract, Agreement or Grant pursuant to the above-stated Statutes. 5. Submission/Acceptance/Rejection of Bids: Respondent must agree that SLDC reserves the right to reject any or all proposals for any reason; to select one or more Respondents; to reconstitute consulting teams; to void this RFP and the review process and/or terminate negotiations at any time; to revise any conditions and stipulations contained herein, as convenient or necessary; to further negotiate fees, rates and financial arrangements, etc.; to establish further criteria for selection; to ask Respondents to submit additional information or evidence of their qualifications and experience; to waive informalities in the proposals and in the proposal process; to negotiate with successful Respondents in any manner and with respect to any proposal element whatsoever, including composition of Respondent s team; and to reject any and/or all proposals for any reason, in its sole discretion. Additional Terms and Conditions Respondent acknowledges and accepts the following as conditions of proposal submission. 1. SLDC reserves the right to reject any and all proposals submitted. Additionally, any and all RFP project elements, requirements and schedules are subject to change and modification. SLDC also reserves the unqualified right to modify, suspend, or terminate, at its sole discretion, any and all aspects of this RFP process; to obtain further information from any and all Respondents; to waive any defects as to form or content of the RFP or any responses by any firm; and to negotiate with any Respondent if and when, in SLDC s discretion, SLDC deems that to be in its best interest. Respondents may be asked to make one or more presentations and participate in interviews. 2. This RFP does not commit SLDC to award a contract, to defray any costs incurred in the preparation of a response to this request, or to procure or contract for Services. All submitted RFPs become the property of SLDC as public records. All proposals may be subject to public review, on request, if and when they are submitted to any advisory or legislative public body, or pursuant to the Missouri Sunshine Law, unless exempted as discussed elsewhere in this RFP. 3. By accepting this RFP and/or submitting a proposal in response thereto, each Respondent agrees for itself, its successors and assigns, to hold SLDC, the City of St. Louis, the St. Louis Board of Public Service, the City of St. Louis Supply Division and the St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment, and all of their various agents, commissioners, directors, consultants, attorneys, officers and employees, harmless from and against any and all claims and demands of whatever nature or type, which any such Respondent, its representatives, agents, contractors, successors or assigns, may have against any of them as a result of issuing this RFP, revising this RFP, conducting the selection process and subsequent negotiations, making a final recommendation, selecting a Respondent or negotiating or executing an agreement incorporating the commitments of the selected Respondent. Page 9 of 14

10 4. Proposals shall be open and valid for a period of one hundred twenty (120) days from the date of their submission to the SLDC. 5. By submitting proposals, each Respondent acknowledges having read this RFP in its entirety and agrees to all terms and conditions set out in this RFP. 6. Any misrepresentations or false statements contained in a response to this RFP, whether intentional or unintentional, shall be sufficient grounds for SLDC or the City of St. Louis to remove Respondents from competition for selection at any time. Submission of Proposals and Due Dates One original proposal, signed in ink by a person authorized to sign on behalf of the Respondent, and five (5) copies of your proposal must be received in the offices of St. Louis Development Corporation by 4:00 p.m. (CDT) on Friday, October 9, Proposals should be mailed or delivered to: Howard Hayes Director of Minority Business Development and Compliance St. Louis Development Corporation 1520 Market Street, Suite 2000 St. Louis, Missouri Direct: Fax: hayesh@stlouis-mo.gov Inquiries: All questions pertaining to this Request for Proposals must be submitted in writing at least five (5) business days prior to the deadline for submission to: Howard Hayes Director of Minority Business Development and Compliance St. Louis Development Corporation 1520 Market Street, Suite 2000 St. Louis, Missouri Direct: Fax: hayesh@stlouis-mo.gov Page 10 of 14

11 Letting No. CITY OF ST. LOUIS MBE/WBE UTILIZATION STATEMENT Policy: It is the policy of the City of St. Louis that minority and women-owned businesses, as defined in the Mayor s Executive Order of July 24, 1997, shall have an opportunity to participate in the performance of contracts utilizing City funds, in whole or in part. Consequently, the requirements of the aforementioned Executive Order apply to this contract. Project and Bid Identification: Contracting Agency: Project Name: Letting Number: Date: Contract MBE/WBE Participation Goal: 25% MBE and 5%WBE Total Dollar Amount of Prime Contract: Total Dollar Amount of Proposed MBE: Total Dollar Amount of Proposed WBE: $ $ Percent MBE $ Percent WBE Obligation: The undersigned certifies that (s)he has read, understands and agrees to be bound by the bid specifications, including the accompanying exhibits and other items and conditions of the request for proposals regarding minority and women business enterprise utilization. The undersigned further certifies that (s)he is legally authorized by the respondent to make the statements and representations in the M/WBE Forms and Exhibits and that said statements and representations are true and correct to the best of his/her knowledge and belief. The undersigned will enter into formal agreements with the minority/women business enterprises listed in the Subcontractor List, which are deemed by the City to be legitimate and responsible. The undersigned understands that if any of the statements and representations are made by the Respondent knowing them to be false, or if there is a failure of the successful respondent to implement any of the stated agreements, intentions, objectives, goals and commitments set forth herein without prior approval of the City, then in any such event, the contractor s act or failure to act, as the case may be, shall constitute a material breach of the contract, entitling the City to terminate the contract for default. The right to so terminate shall be in addition to, and not in lieu of, any other rights and remedies the City may have for other defaults under the contract. Additionally, the contractor may be subject to the penalties cited in Section Twelve of the Mayor s Executive Order #44. Assurance: I, acting as an officer of the undersigned bidder or joint venture bidders, hereby assure the City that on this project my company will (check one): Meet or exceed contract award goals and provide participation as shown above. Fail to meet contract award goals but will demonstrate that good faith efforts were made to meet the goals and my company will provide participation as shown above. Name of Prime Contractor(s): Prime Contractor Authorized Signature Title Date Page 11 of 14

12 CITY OF ST. LOUIS M/WBE UTILIZATION PLAN CONTRACTING AGENCY: PROJECT GOAL: 25% MBE; 5% WBE PROJECT NAME: NAME OF PRIME CONTRACTOR: The prime contractor shall utilize and require all subcontractors to utilize the maximum number of certified minority/women business enterprises possible and will purchase materials and supplies from minority/women business enterprises to the maximum extent feasible, and to this end, the prime contractor will inform each subcontractor of this requirement. The prime contractor shall utilize the services and/or supplies to be provided by the following certified minority/women business enterprises in the execution of this contract. FIRM NAME ADDRESS PHONE NUMBER CONTACT PERSON CERTIFYING AGENCY CERTIFICATION DATE CATEGORY CERTIFICATION NO. WORK TO BE PERFORMED M/WBE PERCENT PRIME CONTRACTOR AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE DATE Page 12 of 14

13 ATTACHMENT B Certification Regarding Debarment & Suspension The undersigned certifies, to the best of his or her knowledge and belief, that the proposer and its principals: (a) Are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded by any Federal department or agency; (b) Have not within a three year period preceding this proposal been convicted of or had a civil judgment rendered against them for commission of fraud or a criminal offense in connection with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a public (Federal, State or local) transaction or contract under a public transaction; violation of Federal or State antitrust statutes or commission of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, making false statements, or receiving stolen property; The undersigned certifies, to the best of his or her knowledge and belief, that the proposer and its principals: (a) Are not presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (Federal, State or local) with commission of any of the offenses enumerated in paragraph (1)(b) of this certification; and (b) Have not within a three year period preceding this application/proposal had one or more public transactions (Federal, State or local) terminated for cause or default. If the undersigned is unable to certify to any of the statements in this certification, an explanation shall be attached to this proposal. Name of Entity Name & Title of Authorized Official Signature of Above Official Date Page 13 of 14

14 ATTACHMENT C Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statement Please enclose with the proposal a statement that discloses (lists) all the project planning or consulting interests and/or clients who might benefit financially, directly or indirectly, now or in the future, from this project. If a conflict of interest does not exist, the Respondent must still include the Conflict of Interest Disclosure statement indicating that there is no conflict of interest. Page 14 of 14