Request for Proposals: Statewide Student Data Systems Project Management Services

Transcription

1 Request for Proposals: Statewide Student Data Systems Project Management Services Introduction The (MCCA) seeks a statewide data systems project management entity to manage and develop two new statewide grant deliverables: Employment Results Scorecard and Job Analysis and Noncredit Performance and Employment Outcomes. Both grant deliverables are part of a recently awarded consortium application. The MCCA is the central administering agency for MoSTEMWINs, a $19.7 million U.S. Department of Labor grant-funded project that will be implemented on public two-year college campuses throughout the state. Through this request for proposals (RFP), MCCA seeks a Data Systems Project Management entity to perform the rigorous database design/development, implementation and sustainability for the two grant deliverables detailed within the MoSTEMWINs awarded grant application. Background MoSTEMWINs is a consortium through which thirteen of Missouri s community colleges and State Technical College (hereinafter consortium colleges ) will develop training programs to meet the needs of low-skilled adults, TAA/dislocated workers, and unemployed and underemployed individuals (hereinafter target population ). Consortium grant work will be directed by the project director and the Executive Advisory Committee and will require collaboration with a variety of college personnel, local workforce investment boards (WIBs), state workforce development staff, employers, and others. As a grant requirement, successful single state consortia applicants will develop and implement a standard online employment results scorecard for all students. In addition, the grant award was successful in a supplemental project that will improve upon statewide data integration and use with educational and workforce systems. Missouri currently has a newly developed student performance tracking system for credit only students. Through this grant initiative, a similar performance tracking system for noncredit students will be developed, implemented, aligned and integrated with the credit student system housed at the Missouri State Data Center and managed by the Department of Economic Development, Missouri Economic Research Information Center. Missouri has an excellent history of statewide higher education data collection and sharing. The Enhanced Missouri Student Achievement System (EMSAS) is managed by the Missouri Department of Higher Education (MDHE). This system requires all Missouri public colleges to submit term-based enrollment data and academic year completion data to MDHE on a systematic basis. All data are submitted and tracked at the unit record level. MDHE has contracted with National Student Clearinghouse to assist colleges in tracking transfer students.

2 The Missouri Division of Workforce Development (DWD) is a partner in Missouri s current TAACCCT grants and was instrumental in developing data sharing agreements which allow Missouri s existing TAACCCT Consortiums to use DWD wage and employment data to track and evaluate employment performance measures. Although the data sharing agreements have provided valuable access to wage and employment data for TAACCCT grant funded colleges, the linkage between educational attainment data for both credit and noncredit industry-based training programs and employment data has not been available for all colleges in the state. Developing a statewide Employment Results Scorecard provides an excellent opportunity to break down interagency barriers, and creates the impetus to merge educational and employment data in Missouri. Such a system would assist TAA-eligible workers, adult learners, and prospective students to explore whether specific programs of study fit their career goals. In addition, such a system would prove valuable to colleges as they evaluate the degree to which program content/curriculum align with labor market needs. The Data System Project Management (DSPM) responsibilities will include assisting the grant project director in the development and implementation of two new grant data collection and reporting systems: employment scorecard and noncredit student performance outcomes. The applicant will design, develop, and manage both systems throughout the life of the grant and will serve as the system s administrator role, along with assisting consortium college staff to use both data systems, establishing timelines for development, implementation, testing, inputting data, analyzing data, and updating the project director and Executive Advisory Committee. Employment measures for the systems will be obtained by securely linking student records from colleges to unemployment insurance wage records maintained by the state. The systems must be highly secure, take advantage of other wage records to improve quality (such as Wage Record Interchange System), and be sustainable for long-term use. The DSPM will also provide real-time employer job analysis reports and customized research of occupational skills and certificate needs to complement these data systems. These reports provide continuous improvement insights by using labor market analysis to help consortium members gauge what credentials employers demand, along with other skills, that can inform curriculum design. The entity will provide quarterly and annual reports for inclusion into the consortium reports to the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL), and other duties necessary for successful implementation of the grant. The DSPM will conduct consortium site visits to assist with a baseline on implementation on proposed changes. Throughout the life of the grant, the DSPM will examine the extent to which data is being used for continuous improvement. As a part of this process DSPM along with the third party evaluator will partner with the consortium to align grant outcome measures with the newly developed and implemented employment scorecard as referenced within the approved grant proposal. Applicants are encouraged to review the attached grant award documents for intrinsic details required of both data systems projects. Page 2

3 Scope of Services The successful applicant ( Data Systems Project Management Entity ) will be responsible for: Project management. The DSPM will manage development, implementation, and sustainability plans for both grant data system deliverables by establishing project timelines; facilitate communication among all engaged college staff; conduct consortium data meetings; provide college personnel training in both systems; procure necessary software and hardware; conduct site visits when necessary; provide quarterly and annual reports for both projects; provide analysis for systems improvements and sustainability; provide routine systems testing and manage all required interagency MOUs. Evaluation All proposals submitted in response to this RFP will be evaluated by the Executive Advisory Council. The criteria by which proposals will be evaluated include: 1) Responsiveness to RFP (10 points) 2) Organization, experience, and staff qualifications (30 points) 3) Plan for organizing work (30 points) 4) Fee structure (30 points) Section 1: Responsiveness to RFP A. Letter of Intent. This letter will summarize, in a brief, concise manner, the applicant s understanding of the scope of work and commitment to performing the work/services in a timely manner. The letter must be signed by an official authorized to make such commitments and enter into a contract. The letter must indicate the official s title or authority. The letter should not exceed one page in length. B. Quality of Submission. In addition, applicants should ensure that the quality of their proposal reflects their ability to manage a successfully implemented and sustained statewide educational and workforce integrated data systems. Section 2: Organization, Experience, and Staff Qualifications A. Organization Credentials. Briefly summarize the individual s or organization s data systems management history, particularly with regard to data integration within education and workforce systems in Missouri. Further, provide information regarding experience under the national Workforce Data Quality Initiative and/or education s state longitudinal data system for credit students. B. Project Personnel. List the individual or individuals that will be assigned to this project. For each such person, provide the following information: a. Name, title, and role/assignment for this project. Page 3

4 b. Number of years with company; number of years engaged in new data systems development and implementation; and names of projects, types of projects, and size of projects in which the individual has developed, implemented and managed on a statewide basis. c. Education, including degrees earned. d. Active registration, certification, and/or licenses. e. Any other experience or qualifications that is relevant for this project. C. Current References. The applicant must provide no less than three clients for which it has provided similar services. The strongest references will be from clients similar to the consortium with which the applicant will be working in this instance (a consortium of many diverse, geographically disparate organizations). For each reference, provide the name of the contact person most familiar with the proposer s work; that person s physical location, address, and telephone number; a brief explanation of the services that were provided. Section 3: Plan for Organizing Work The applicant must describe his/her/its approach to organizing complex, multiparty work. This description should include approaches, programs, web applications, or other resources that have proven effective in developing with similar statewide educational and workforce data systems in the past. Specific areas to address include communication among consortium members, project work plan for both data system projects, timeline of activities, the method of organizing the two projects and the approach to gaining understanding and consensus in a large and complex group. Section 4: Fee Structure Provide a fee and expense proposal for the cost of services. Proposals for expenses should be premised on the expectation that the proposer will conduct business by conference call; webinar, or routine site visits on each consortium partner campus. The proposer should estimate the number of in-person meetings required, and factor any travel costs into the proposal. Deadline and Submission Instructions The deadline to respond to this request for proposals (RFP) is 4 p.m., CST, on Friday, February 6, Proposals must be submitted electronically to admin@mccatoday.org. MCCA will notify applicants that their proposal has been received within 24 hours of receipt. This notice will be provided by . Proposals may be no more than 18 single-sided, double-spaced 8.5 x 11 inch pages with 12 point font and one-inch margins. Page 4

5 All proposals must be submitted by . ed proposals must be addressed to and should contain the proposal as an attachment in PDF format. The Executive Advisory Council will review proposals and recommend to the MoSTEMWINs project director and MCCA s executive director the person or entity they believe is bestqualified to act as the Data System Project Management entity. The MCCA s executive director will have final authority to contract with a Data System Project Management entity. Page 5