Institute of International Education, Inc. (IIE) 809 United Nations Plaza New York, NY Request for Proposal

Transcription

1 Institute of International Education, Inc. (IIE) 809 United Nations Plaza New York, NY Request for Proposal Boren Awards Website Development and Maintenance Prepared: December 21, 2015 Closing Date: January 20, 2016

2 1. Introduction and Background A. Background i. Institute of International Education The Institute of International Education ( IIE ) is a New York not-for-profit corporation that is among the world s largest and most experienced international education and training organizations. Founded in 1919, IIE promotes educational exchange around the world through a wealth of programs and services including Fellowship and Scholarship Management, Higher Education Institutional Development, Emergency Student and Scholar Assistance and Leadership Development. For more than 90 years, IIE has promoted educational exchange around the world. IIE currently implements more than 250 programs benefiting 25,000 men and women from 175 nations. With IIE s global headquarters in New York City, IIE has offices around the world, including offices in the United States (Washington DC, Chicago, Denver, Houston and San Francisco) and in other countries (China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia, Thailand, Ukraine and Vietnam). ii. Boren Awards The Boren Awards provide unique funding opportunities for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to study less commonly taught languages in world regions critical to U.S. interests, and underrepresented in study abroad. The Boren Awards are sponsored by the Defense Language National Security Education Office of the U.S. Department of Defense. The Boren Awards consist of the Boren Scholarships (for undergraduate students) and the Boren Fellowships (for graduate students). B. Purpose of Request for Proposal The purpose of this Request for Proposal ( RFP ) is to invite bidders to submit a proposal, after reviewing for one or both of the following points. Vendors should provide rationale for their proffered solution and should address the reasons for their solution: Maintain and improve the current content management system (CMS) within the Symfony platform and PHP, and Entirely redesign the website using the CMS of the vendor s choosing. In addition, maintenance, upgrades and future website enhancements should be included in the proposal. The site is designed to provide information on Boren Scholarship and Fellowship opportunities to potential applicants, faculty and university administrators, and others interested in the programs or language learning and international study in general. It is also meant to be a resource to students to look up information about their local contacts and a delivery service for online newsletters and mass s. The current website runs on the Symfony platform and was developed with a Content Management System (CMS) for backend use by IIE staff to maintain databases and add content on the site. The CMS is found in the admin section of the site, which is explained below. Submitted by the Institute of International Education on December 15, 2015 Page 2 of 9

3 For reference, interested vendors should review the current site at II. CONTACT INFORMATION Bidder s Inquiries. Any questions regarding the terms or specifications of this RFP or the conditions or proposed format of responses should be directed to: Craig Fredrickson Operations Manager Education Abroad Programs Institute of International Education, Inc K Street, NW, Suite 700 Washington, DC Phone: Fax: cfredrickson@iie.org IIE will endeavor to respond to bidder inquiries or requests for clarification. Answers to all questions will be published in writing and supplied to all interested bidders at the following website III. SCHEDULE AND DUE DATES Proposals: All proposals are due by 5:00PM Eastern, Wednesday, January 20, Any proposal received after the required time and date specified for receipt shall be considered late and nonresponsive. Any late proposals will not be evaluated for contract award. Proposals must be in either MS Word or PDF formats. Attachments can include MS Excel formats. Once received, you will be notified of receipt. Event Date RFP Distribution to Bidders 12/21/2015 Questions from Vendors 01/05/2016 Responses to Bidders questions due 01/10/2016 Proposal Due Date 01/20/2016 Vendor Evaluations 01/30/2016 Anticipated decision and selection of Bidder 02/05/2016 Anticipated commencement date of work 02/15/2016 IIE will consider submitted proposals as your best response and valid for 120 days. IV. GUIDELINES FOR PROPOSAL SUBMISSION Award of the contract resulting from this RFP will be based upon the most responsive bidder whose offer will be the most advantageous to IIE in terms of cost, functionality, design and other factors as specified in this RFP. Under no circumstances will IIE be responsible for your costs and expenses in connection with this RFP including reviewing this RFP and/or submitting a Proposal. Submitted by the Institute of International Education on December 15, 2015 Page 3 of 9

4 IIE reserves the right to: Reject any or all offers and discontinue this RFP process without obligation or liability to any potential vendor. Accept other than the lowest price offered. Award a contract on the basis of initial offers received, without discussions or requests for best and final offers. Award more than one contract. Nothing in this RFP is, or should be relied on by the bidder as, a promise or representation by IIE. Neither does IIE make any representation or warranty as to the completeness of this RFP nor have any liability for any representations (express or implied) contained in, or omissions from, this RFP. This RFP and any replies to any written notifications are transmitted to the bidder solely for the purposes of the vendor preparing and submitting a Proposal. Each bidder shall keep the RFP and its contents confidential and shall return the RFP (without keeping copies) to IIE if the bidder elects not to submit a proposal, or upon being requested to do so by IIE. Any information or materials submitted as a response to this RFP and/or as a proposal (whether successful or unsuccessful) shall become the property of IIE and will not be returned. V. SCOPE OF WORK & REQUIREMENTS IIE is requesting proposals to provide the following services: I. Proposed Solutions - The vendor should review and propose solutions for one or both of the following points. Vendors should provide rationale for their proffered solution and should address the reasons for their solution: a. Maintain and improve the current content management system (CMS) within the Symfony platform and PHP. b. Entirely redesign the website using the CMS of the vendor s choosing. II. Both solutions should provide and including the following: a. Security reviews, preventive maintenance, back up, and recovery for the website, including all associated databases. b. Monitoring: i. Antivirus/Anti Spam Software, monitoring for DOS (denial of service attacks). ii. Web Server and Database Monitoring (Health, Logs). iii. Hardware Monitoring (CPU, RAM, Disks). iv. Current server location. c. Disaster recovery: i. Remote reboot service. ii. Secured offsite backup (critical if disaster strikes the datacenter). iii. Secured remote backup (ability to back up web server files from any location). d. Support: i x 365 technical support. ii. Databases located on server. Submitted by the Institute of International Education on December 15, 2015 Page 4 of 9

5 iii. Common web server applications such as SQL, Coldfusion, ASP, CGI, and PHP. iv. Hardware and software upgrades, as required to maintain operations. v. Troubleshooting and correcting bugs, errors, and other problems with the website and CMS. e. Ensure compatibility with: i. Section 508 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act which states that Federal agencies must ensure that public access to information for people with disabilities is comparable to access available to others. ii. All major browsers, for current site and any changes. iii. Common, commercially available software and hardware and that it meets current IT and security best practices. f. Access: i. Allow access to root directory remotely. ii. Provide ability to install and administer programs (such as SQL, PHP). iii. Provide password protected secured ftp access from dynamic IP addresses to upload files to server. iv. System must be in compliance with Department of Defense Instruction Security of Unclassified DoD Information on Non-DoD Information Systems v. Ensure files be protected and secured from other users. vi. Ensure access to electronic and physical repositories containing SSNs, ITINs and other personal identifiers will be controlled based upon reasonable and appropriate administrative, physical, technical, and organizational safeguards to those whose job functions require such access. g. Install: i. Patches and upgrades to software platforms, as necessary. ii. Additional plug-ins to enhance the site or improve current functionality. A plan for changes to the site needs to be noted in the budget, such as the hourly rate or other method. III. Data Center Hosting questions: A. Hosting a. Can bidder provide server hosting capabilities for IIE? If so, i. Is this a cloud solution? If so, 1. Describe the type of cloud Public, Private, Hybrid, etc. 2. How is the data protected from other users of your cloud environment? ii. Where is your primary support location? iii. What are the hours of service? iv. What is the problem escalation procedure? v. What has been the average uptime in production for the past 3 years? vi. Explain any unscheduled outages. b. Describe your system s ability to handle load balancing, redundancy and fault tolerance? c. In the event of a system outage; what are the standards of your Service Level Agreement? Specifically, in what timeframe can IIE expect issue resolution, full data restoration and 100% system functionality in order to be able to perform all business functions associated with the system? d. What discounts are given for downtime? e. How will IIE be notified of an outage? f. Disaster Recovery (DR) How and where is DR performed? What is the expected recovery time? Submitted by the Institute of International Education on December 15, 2015 Page 5 of 9

6 B. Data Center and Security a. Does your data center have SAS 70/SSAE 16 or other certifications? i. Who audits your data center? b. How will Personal Identifiable Information (PII) data be controlled and maintained? i. Who in the datacenter will have access to PII data? ii. If the contract with IIE is terminated for any reason, how will the data be returned to IIE, and how will they (vendor and hosting facility) purge IIE data? Including any backup data. c. How do you ensure secure transmission of our data? What data encryption mechanisms are employed by the System? i. Is the data encrypted at rest? d. Describe how your Firewall is setup and its capabilities. i. Do you provide Firewall monitoring? e. Will the vendor provide security reviews, preventive maintenance, backup and recovery for the website and all the associated databases? Describe the following: i. Antivirus/Anti-Spam Software installed and update schedule ii. Hardware Monitoring (CPU, RAM, Disks) - Do you provide 24/7 system monitoring? iii. Support: 1. Do you provide 24 7 x 365 technical support? 2. Provide a copy of the Service Level Agreement, (SLA) detailing all aspects of support and costs (for hosting as well as the development project) 3. What is the schedule for hardware and system software refreshes? IV. Site Description The current Boren Awards website has two parts: the Content Management System (back-end) and (front-end). Proposed solutions should include the following: a. Content Management System This is the admin. section of the website that IIE staff would use to update the site. Explained below are the current sections of the CMS and a brief description about each part. Vendors may propose creative solutions that differ from the current structure. i. Web Page IIE Staff creates web pages and allows user to place text, pictures, links and video into the website. ii. Navigation top and right side navigation of site. iii. Newsletter: 1. create newsletters. 2. newsletter The website will the newsletter to a database of campus representatives and contacts stored in the system. In addition, the website should also allow for the upload of addresses to the mailing list. iv. News Add and edit news stories and create different categories. v. Events Add and edit events and create different categories. vi. Profiles - Add and edit student profiles based on student s world region and field of study. vii. FAQ s Allows user to manage and create FAQ s for the website. FAQ s can be set up based on program and/or different categories. Separate pages are created for each set of FAQ s based on the program and/or category. viii. Is Boren Right For Me? Set up questions and path of quiz questions for students. User can set up yes/no questions or multiple choice questions. Submitted by the Institute of International Education on December 15, 2015 Page 6 of 9

7 Answers will take them to different parts of the quiz. It must branch out with the same the same start and end point. ix. Media: 1. Documents Allows upload of PDF and Word documents. 2. Video Allows upload of Flash videos and/or imbed YouTube videos. 3. Pictures Allows upload of jpeg pictures. x. Website Users manage the list of users for both IIE staff and the Campus Representatives and to assign roles to them. xi. Campus Representatives This is the database of Boren Campus Representatives and their contact information. xii. Institutions a list of each institution in the United States and is linked to their corresponding campus representative(s) and contacts. b. Borenawards.org This is the actual website used by the public, program participants, Campus Representatives, etc. Explained below are the different sections and technical capabilities of the site. Vendors may propose creative solutions that differ from the current layout. i. Boren Scholarships Section. ii. Boren Fellowships Section. iii. Campus Representative Section - a database of Campus Representatives and contacts and allows Campus Representatives to log-in to the section. A Campus Representative can be for the Boren Scholarships, Boren Fellowships or both. 1. Allows Campus Representatives to login and edit the following areas, each of which interfaces with the admin. section: a. Contact information; b. Additional users; c. News; d. Events; e. Campus deadlines; and f. Other campus information. 2. Allows students to find their Campus Representative. They are divided by Boren Fellowship and Scholarship Campus Representatives. On each campus site, news stories and events that IIE staff or Campus Representatives post for their campus will appear here. iv. Is Boren Right For Me Based on an if/then logic statement which is an interactive system designed to walk the potential students the process in making the decision if this program is right for them. This is based on a quiz format with a path set for each answer given. The idea is to get the user to learn more about the program and to consider the program if it is not something they had thought about. v. Newsletter View current and past newsletters. vi. News View all new stories. vii. Events View all upcoming events. c. Website Solutions - IIE does not have a preference for any particular feature design, although IIE =does ask that the vendor utilizes modern and creative solutions built on industry best practices. d. New Functionality - For the proposed solutions, the vendor must provide the following new items: Submitted by the Institute of International Education on December 15, 2015 Page 7 of 9

8 i. Incorporate new logo, fonts and color scheme into the website so it is visually consistent with new branding guidelines. ii. Create a database of Campus Representatives and contacts that can be extracted from the website as either an excel or a csv file. The records must include the person s name, institution, full contact information, and address. The system will allow IIE to categorize users as Boren Scholarship Campus Representative, Boren Fellowship Campus Representative, and additional contacts. In addition, it will note if the user is subscribed or unsubscribed to the list serve and whether they are part of additional categories. The system will also for campus representative lists to receive newsletters and/or targeted s through the system. iii. Responsive web design to view site from a range of mobile computing devices such as smart phones and tablets. iv. Application Program Interface (API) with Embark online application system for a single sign in to both websites: and v. Allow for user generated content, whether it be photos, videos, blogs or social media. V. Budget Proposals shall include budgets, including: a. Separate line items for the proposed solutions: i. Continued maintenance and management of existing CMS and website. ii. Development of new CMS and website. b. Both solution budgets should include the following i. Maintenance include a budget for a maintenance plan of the current site. 1. The budget should be for a fixed price for a set number of hours each month. 2. Hourly rate over the fixed price above. ii. Website redesign include a budget for the redesign of the website. Also include a maintenance plan for the new redesigned site. iii. Additional Functionality include a budget cost or plan for additional functionality that IIE may need in the future such as new plug-ins and enhancements. VI. Proposal Submission a. Proposals should include the following: i. Maintenance plan; ii. Redesign of current site; iii. Plan for additional enhancements; and iv. Budget. VII. CRITERIA FOR SELECTION Any award made pursuant to this RFP will be based upon the proposal with appropriate consideration given to operational, technical, cost and management requirements. Evaluation of offers will be based upon the bidder s responsiveness to the RFP, including the proposal s format and organization, the bidder s demonstrated competence, and overall compliance. Submitted by the Institute of International Education on December 15, 2015 Page 8 of 9

9 The following elements will be the primary considerations for evaluating all submitted proposals and the selection of a bidder or bidders: A. Bidder s ability to meet IIE s mandatory requirements and objectives. B. Overall cost of bidder s proposal. C. An assessment of the bidder s ability to deliver high-quality and timely service in accordance with the specifications set forth in the RFP. D. An assessment of the bidders ability to provide modern and creative solutions to existing and newly developed website features. E. Completion of all required responses in the correct format. F. The bidder s stability, experiences, and record of past performance in delivering the services. Bidders determined by IIE to possess the capacity to compete for this contract will be selected to move into the negotiation phase of this process. Written notification will be sent to these bidders via . Those bidders not selected for the negotiation phase will also be notified. VIII. CONTRACT DOCUMENT Should your proposal be recommended for acceptance, you will be notified and expected to execute an Agreement. For this contract the licensee will be the Institute of International Education, Inc. The selected vendor's proposal, and any subsequent material submitted in response to requests for additional information, will become the basis for contractual agreements with said vendor. Subsequent to IIE s selection of a vendor, contract negotiations will establish the following conditions, based on the supplier's proposal: all pricing, adherence to scheduling logistics, method of payment, and certain penalty clauses relating to delays or conditions of the contract or project that are not met. Submitted by the Institute of International Education on December 15, 2015 Page 9 of 9