VILLAGE OF GURNEE, ILLINOIS REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS WEBSITE DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT AND HOSTING JULY 2015

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1 VILLAGE OF GURNEE, ILLINOIS REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS WEBSITE DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT AND HOSTING JULY 2015 I. PURPOSE OF REQUEST: The Village of Gurnee ("Village") is requesting proposals for the development, design, hosting and ongoing maintenance of a new website (the current website may be viewed at as well as a subsite for the Village s economic development activities. The Village s needs are outlined in this request for proposals ( RFP ). The selected firm will be issued a contract for the original development and design of the website as well as an agreement for ongoing hosting and maintenance of the site. II. TIME SCHEDULE: The Village anticipates that this RFP will proceed along the following timeline: Issue RFP... Thursday, July 9, 2015 Question Period Closes. Friday, July 24, 2015 Deadline for Proposal Submissions..Monday, August 10, 2015 Interviews with Select Firms...Late August/Early September Village Board Meeting for Approval...Monday, October 5, 2015 (tentative) Notification to All Bidders of Final Award.Tuesday, October 6, 2015 (tentative) III. BACKGROUND INFORMATION: General Information: The Village is located in central Lake County approximately 38 miles north of the City of Chicago and eight miles west of Lake Michigan. Founded in 1928, the Village has grown from a small farming community to be one of Chicagoland s premier shopping and tourist destinations (serving as home to Six Flags Great America, Gurnee Mills and KeyLime Cove Indoor Water Resort). Additionally, the Village is known locally for having excellent schools, parks and other amenities enjoyed by a diverse population of residents. RFP Background Information: The Village is seeking to contract with a professional website developer and designer to design a successor website to the Village s current website ( with the possibility of developing, designing and hosting one or more subsites for the Village s economic development activities. The Village currently manages all aspects of the Village s main website (including hosting) in-house and uses the Drupal 6 content management system (CMS). The main website has roughly 10,000 nodes (many of which are meeting agendas, etc.) The Village also maintains a second economic development site entitled Gurnee s Got It! ( using the Squarespace CMS. The Village prefers the look of this site, yet needs the functionality of webmaps.gurnee.il.us/economicdevelopment/index.html. The Village has ceased to use due to its lack of functionality but would like to combine the two under a single CMS and hosting agreement. While the Village feels that both websites can adequately accommodate most Village needs, it also recognizes that new technologies are growing at a rate that surpasses staff s ability to keep up. Therefore, the Village desires to contract with a professional developer to construct the architecture and layout of two new sites as well as provide hosting for these sites. 1

2 IV. PURPOSE OF RFP: The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to identify and select a vendor with a proven record of accomplishment in the planning, development, implementation, support and hosting of government websites. The selected vendor must be capable of providing all services, including ongoing hosting, to implement the Village s website and any subsites. In addition, the vendor must offer a robust CMS that allows Village staff to easily update website content and create and manage workflow and approval processes. The Village desires a single vendor for all services identified in the RFP. The Village is seeking a vendor that will take full responsibility for all aspects of the implementation of the Village s website, CMS, and related hosting. The scope of services should include all software, hardware, training, and other services required to support the implementation, support and ongoing hosting of the new site. At the minimum, the vendor services should include the following: Website design and development (including a responsive solution) CMS software Website hosting services (through an ongoing contract) Documentation and training Ongoing maintenance and support for the website and CMS including software updates (through an ongoing service contract) Project management and consulting services V. VILLAGE CONTACT: The contractor s principle contract with the Village will be Ms. Carrie Suarez, Communications/Online Media Specialist. The direct line to Ms. Suarez is (847) She may also be reached by at carries@village.gurnee.il.us. VI. INSTRUCTIONS TO PROPOSERS: A. All proposals should be sent to: VILLAGE WEBSITE RFP Village of Gurnee Attn: Communications/Online Media Specialist 325 N. O Plaine Road Gurnee, IL B. All proposals must be in a sealed envelope and clearly marked in the lower left-hand corner: RFP Village Website. C. All proposals must be received by 3:00 p.m. CST on Monday, August 10 th, An authorized representative must sign all proposals in ink. At least one printed copy and one digital copy of the RFP must be presented. Digital copies may be submitted on CD, DVD or thumb drive. No faxed, ed or telephone proposals will be accepted. 2

3 D. Proposals should be prepared simply and economically and provide a straight-forward, concise description of the provider s proposal and capabilities to satisfy the requirement of the request. Promotional materials will be accepted. However, emphasis should be on the completeness and clarity of the content. E. Bidders are specifically prohibited from contacting any officer of the Village, elected or otherwise, regarding this proposal aside from the appointed contact person. Any bidder found to have contacted any other official or officer of the Village regarding this proposal shall be automatically disqualified from consideration. F. The Village will create a review committee to evaluate the proposals and issue a recommendation to the Gurnee Village Board. The Village Board will then approve or deny the committee s recommendation at a regular business meeting. The Village will notify all participating companies of either the acceptance or denial of their bid following that meeting. G. Questions regarding this RFP may be submitted up to and until Friday, July 24 th at 3:00 p.m. The Village will issue an addendum following the closure of the question period with responses. All questions must be submitted in to carries@village.gurnee.il.us. Ms. Suarez will acknowledge receipt of each question as it is received. VI. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS The following information is to be submitted as part of the proposal. One (1) printed copy of the proposal and one (1) digital copy of the proposal are to be provided. Other material may be attached as deemed appropriate, including documents related to any special features or services offered by the bidder. However, the proposal is to be organized as follows: A. Letter of Introduction: The bidder shall include in this letter at least the following information: a. A general overview of the bidder s company. b. An overview of the bidder s experience managing similar projects. c. The names of the individuals who will be assigned to work on this project, their resumes and their areas of responsibility. d. An overview of the bidder s approach to implementation including the tools and techniques the bidder proposes to use in development of the Village s website as well as a tentative schedule for implementation and the tasks, deliverables or items that will need to be created or completed by the bidder and the Village. B. Proposal: The bidder s proposal shall include (but not be limited to) all of the following items: a. A brief (no more than five pages) overview of the proposed solution. Bidders should discuss the key features of the solution and highlight items that differentiate the solution from competitor products. b. One completed Proposal Questionnaire (attached as Appendix A). c. One completed Pricing Schedule (attached as Appendix B). d. A description of the bidder s proposed hosting and maintenance plan as well as details on any applicable warranties, terms and conditions on this plan. C. References: The bidder shall provide at least three (3) references with contact names, addresses, telephone numbers and addresses if available. All references should be former or current clients. Governmental references are strongly preferred but not required. D. Work Samples: A minimum of three (3) samples of prior work should be submitted. With each sample, the bidder shall provide a brief summary of the project including a timeline and final project cost (excluding ongoing maintenance and hosting costs). The Village strongly prefers samples that include work on one or more subsites but these samples are not required. 3

4 The Village of Gurnee will not be responsible for expenses incurred in preparing and submitting the proposal. Such costs should not be included in the proposal. VII. VENDOR DEMONSTRATIONS Demonstrations by selected finalists will be scheduled with the selection committee shortly after the submittal date. All demonstrations shall be held onsite at Gurnee Village Hall. All costs associated with such product demonstrations will be the sole responsibility of the vendor. If invited to participate in a demonstration, the vendor should include the following elements: A brief vendor introduction. Review of work samples submitted as part of the proposal with discussion of the overall project, the timeline and scope of work completed. A guided tour of the vendor s proposed CMS with emphasis on content creation, posting and editing. Demonstration of the content approval process. Demonstration of the CMS s reporting capabilities. Demonstration of unique design concepts or user features which the vendor would like to illustrate. The Village will allow up to two hours per vendor demonstration. VII. SELECTION CRITERIA The Village classifies this contract as a professional services contract and will award the contract based on the proposal that is in the best interest of the Village regardless of cost. RFPs shall be evaluated on the required factors and specifications best serving the Village s overall operational needs at a cost-beneficial price. The Village of Gurnee reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and to waive any informality or technicality found in any proposal. The Village also reserves the right to negotiate specifications, terms and conditions which may be appropriate to the accomplishment of the purpose of this RFP. IV. COMPENSATION Upon selection of the successful bidder, the Village and successful bidder shall establish a schedule of project milestones with a pre-determined amount to be paid after each the completion of each milestone. Once both parties agree that a milestone has been completed, the successful bidder shall submit an itemized statement outlining the work completed to date. Payment shall be made only after the invoice is approved by an authorized Village representative and is subject to approval by the Gurnee Board of Trustees prior to final payment. Any disputes arising from either the invoiced amount or the performance of services shall be mediated prior to final payment. V. TERMS AND CONDITIONS A. Right to Reject Any and All Proposals: The Village reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and to waive any minor irregularities in any proposal. B. Clarification of Information: The Village reserves the right to request clarification of the information submitted and to request additional information from any bidder. 4

5 C. Right to Award Contract to the Next Most Qualified Bidder: The Village reserves the right to award any contract to the next most qualified bidder if the successful bidder does not execute a contract within thirty (30) days after the award of the proposal. D. Withdrawal of Proposals: Any proposal may be withdrawn up until the date and time set above for the opening of proposals. Any proposal not so timely withdrawn shall constitute an irrevocable offer, for a period of ninety (90) days to sell to the Village, the services described in the attached specifications, or until one or more of the proposals have been approved by the Village administration, whichever occurs first E. Contract Resulting: The contract resulting from acceptance of a proposal by the Village shall be in a form supplied or approved by the Village Board and shall reflect the specifications in this RFP. F. Amendments to Scope of Services: The Village may elect to amend the scope of services of the contract at any time. If any order causes an increase or decrease in the cost of or time required for the performance of any part of the work under the contract, an equitable adjustment shall be made in the contract price or delivery schedule, or both, and the contract shall be modified in writing accordingly. However, the successful bidder is not obligated to comply with any order unless and until the parties reach agreement as to an equitable adjustment, and same shall be reflected as an amendment to the contract. G. Proposals Subject to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act: All proposals received by the Village pursuant to this RFP are considered public records under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and may be released upon request following final award of the contract resulting from this RFP. Proposers are instructed to clearly mark any and all individual sections with trade secrets or other confidential information as Confidential and that they should not be made part of the public record in accordance with the FOIA. The Proposer shall be financially responsible for all expenses of the Village, its public officials, consultants, employees, agents and representatives in defending the denial of access to such material pursuant to the FOIA request. H. Single Vendor: The Village would prefer to contract with a single vendor to fulfill the contract resulting from this RFP. However, the Village recognizes this is not always possible or practical. Therefore, the use of subcontractors is permissible provided that the successful bidder accepts full responsibility for the project s implementation and completion. If a vendor intends to use subcontractors as part of this project, the names of those subcontractors shall be disclosed as part of the response to this RFP. I. Warranty: The successful bidder shall be responsible for notifying the Village of any defects or malfunctions in either the website or CMS systems and correcting those defects or malfunctions at its sole expense during the maintenance contract period. All corrections made during the contract period shall be considered an integral part of the system and shall, therefore, be available under the normal license agreement at no additional charge VI. SCOPE OF SERVICES: The Village desires to enter into an agreement with a single website designer and developer to provide the services outlined below. The following are the Village s main objectives for this project: 1. To develop a comprehensive, flexible, user-friendly and visually appealing website that best meets the needs of our internal and external users and effectively conveys the information presented by the Village. 2. To implement a user-friendly, flexible content management system (CMS) that is accessible and usable for non-technical users but dynamic enough to allow for the use of multi-media and customization of how content is displayed. 3. To create a framework and architecture that allow for the easy addition of new features, program or pages as the needs of the Village change and grow while maintaining the integrity and security of the website. 5

6 4. To increase the efficiency and effectiveness of how information is transmitted by integrating third-party applications to the website and facilitating the collection and transmission of information through the website. 5. To provide sufficient training to allow users to quickly adapt to the change in CMS and feel comfortable working with core components of the new website and CMS. 6. To identify and implement an external hosting solution for the website. 7. To provide ongoing support and maintenance for the website and CMS. 6

7 APPENDIX A Supplemental Questions Regarding Website and CMS Note to bidder: This entire questionnaire must be completed in its entirety and be legible in order for the proposal to be considered. With the exception of those elements identified as mandatory ( MAN ), the exclusion of a given feature does not preclude any proposal from consideration. Bidders are encouraged to submit short notes following each section with any clarifications. Section I: Proposer Background and Experience: A. Proposer Company Name: B. Proposer Company Address: C. Proposer Company Telephone: D. Proposer Company Website: E. Number of Years in Business: F. Total Employees: G. Contact Name: H. Proposer s Total Number of Municipal Website Projects Completed: Section II: Proposal Questionnaire: Note to bidder: For each numbered requirement included in this document, the Proposer should indicate the status of the requirement within the Proposer's solution by using the following notation codes and/or a short explanation of Proposer s capabilities (attach additional explanation as necessary): Code Description Explanation 1 Standard Item Items rated as 1 would be included as a standard feature within the proposed solution. 2 Planned for inclusion as a Standard Item Items rated as 2 are either in development or planned for future inclusion to the proposed solution within the next three years. 3 Customization Required Items rated as 3 would require customized coding or another service at an additional cost. 4 Not Available Items rated as 4 are not available in the proposed solution and are not planned for any future inclusion. Note: When submitting comments in response to any question, please number the comment with the corresponding question s number for clarity. 7

8 A. Basic Website Components: Question Response Question Explanation 1 The solution provides for high-speed upload/download response times for a variety of computer models and types that are used by the average resident. 2 The solution meets all federal and state accessibility codes (including but not limited to the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 508 as amended from time to time to the extent that both apply to the Village) and complies A 6 7 with the W3C Content Accessibility Guidelines. The solution is designed to effectively function with multiple browsers (including but not limited to IE, Firefox, Safari, Chrome, Opera, etc.). The solution incorporates a responsive design and can scale to an appropriate size for PCs, tablets, smart devices and other screens that will be used to access the website. Note: The mobile solution should not require dual-entry of any information for Village employees. The solution includes a native search feature that allows for users to both search the content of the website as well as any PDF documents found on the website. Note: Please submit a brief narrative describing the search function s capabilities. The solution includes an enhanced native search feature that incorporates the elements of question 5 AND allows for dynamic searching that anticipates and suggests user search queries. The solution supports concurrent editing by all authors and editors without noticeable degradation of performance. Note: The Village has around 30 authors and editors. The solution supports concurrent website visitors even during times of heavy traffic without degradation of performance. Note: The Village has a population of roughly 31,000 and had over 140,000 unique visitors in calendar year The proposed solution is operational 99.99% of the time and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week except for during periods of scheduled maintenance. 9 The solution has an API or other capability that allows for extension of the website. Note: Please provide a brief commentary of the integrative abilities of the proposed solution. 10 The solution allows for social plug-ins and integration with Facebook, Twitter, etc. B. Website Modules and Functionality: Question Response Question Explanation 11 The solution includes a native Calendar application that allows for the posting of events by internal users. 11A The solution includes all of the features of the Calendar described in question 11 AND allows for granular access for external users to post events (i.e. external users can be assigned basic rights to post with administrator approval). 11B The solution includes all of the features of the Calendar described in question 11 AND allows for external users to share from the Calendar to their Outlook, ical, Google Calendar, etc. 8

9 11C The solution includes all features of the Calendar described in question 11 AND allows for internal users to manage attendee enrollment, subscription and payment through the module. 12 The solution includes a native customer relationship management module that allows staff to track and monitor the status of external user requests and concerns submitted through the website. Note: The Village would prefer to be able to modify this module and customize workflow without vendor assistance The solution includes a form creation module which allows for simplified creation of surveys, polls, questionnaires, etc. Note: This module should have the capability to allow users to upload photos, PDFs, etc. The solution includes a module for handling the posting of elected and appointed board and commission meeting notices, agendas, minutes and recordings similar to the Village s current module (see for example of current setup). The Village would prefer to maintain the current setup. Note: Describe how meeting recordings are managed and archived in the CMS. 15 The solution includes an FAQ builder with a searchable repository. 16 The solution includes an emergency alert feature allowing for the ability to activate a banner or similar feature that notifies users of an active emergency or other breaking news. 17 The solution includes a human resources module with the capability to manage and track applicant materials and submissions. Note: Please describe the capabilities of this module. 18 The solution includes a most requested tool that can populate dynamically based on hits with the ability to exclude pages. 19 The solution either allows for the integration of an online payment process. Note: The Village anticipates purchasing a new ERP/Finance software solution in the next year and desires to allow for online payment. Please describe bidder s experience in working with such systems. 20 The solution either directly integrates with or uses a third-party tool to integrate with Cityworks to facilitate the submission of service requests. Note: The Village s Public Works Department utilizes Cityworks for handling service requests and asset management. 21 The solution either integrates with or uses a third-party tool to integrate with ArcGIS for interactive mapping features. 22 The solution allows for both global and page-specific thematic edits. Note: Please submit a narrative describing the Village s ability to modify thematic elements of the website. 23 The solution includes a glossary which automatically detects and highlights key words throughout the site and allows users to scroll over those words to receive pop-up definitions. 24 The solution includes a module which allows the Village to construct a workflow system that directs users on how to navigate specific processes (for example, how to select which permit to apply for). 25 The solution either includes a module or allows the capability for the Village to construct a transparency center for easy access to commonly requested open records. 26 The solution includes a dashboard feature that allows external users to create accounts and customize the information they receive via RSS, etc. 9

10 C. Website Design, Look and Feel: Question Response Question Explanation 27 The solution utilizes one unified, adapted theme that will be carried throughout the website. This theme should allow for customization of certain elements depending on the intended audience of the page (i.e. pages for Visitors may be visually different than those for Residents). 28 The solution allows for the Village s logo and/or another approved graphic presence to be clearly presented on each page and makes it apparent that the visitor is on the Village s website on each page. D. Website Navigation: Question Response Question Explanation 29 The solution must allow for mega drop down menus and breadcrumb navigation. 30 The solution must support friendly URLs and allow for URL customization by authors and editors. 31 The solution provides flexible navigation tools to allow for management of links across the website. E. Content Management System (CMS): Question Response Question Explanation 32 The solution s CMS must be intuitive to all users, non-technical and easy to navigate. Note: Please provide a brief narrative of the CMS s usability. 33 The solution s CMS must be browser-based and compatible with all browsers. 34 The solution s CMS must allow for granular user access and a customizable workflow for the approval of content prior to posting and for edits to work at each approval stage. Village staff should be allowed to independently, add or remove user access and redesign workflows without contractor assistance. Note: Please provide a brief narrative on how workflows are managed in the CMS including discussion of how workflows are established or altered. The solution s CMS should allow for the injection of custom HTML, CSS or other programming. The solution s CMS should allow for real-time editing of the website and minimal delay between final approval and posting of content. The solution s CMS must either have a native analytics and reporting module and/or allow for the embedding of Google Analytics. The solution s CMS must be easily scaled and able to manage anywhere from 10,000 to 1 million individual items. 39 The solution s CMS can be customized to enforce systems policy and lock out the ability to use certain HTML functions (ex. mailto: ). 40 The solution s CMS includes a user verification system to minimize spam posts through forms. 41 The solution s CMS should utilize a check-in/check-out system for authors editing content and allow for backups from prior versions. 10

11 42 The solution s CMS should allow for the scheduling of content posts by either an author or editor once content has been approved and allow for articles to be sunset at specific dates or times. 43 The solution s CMS should allow for the posting and editing of both text and multi-media (including but not limited to images, videos, charts, graphs, etc.). The CMS should make organization of pages and multi-media easy and intuitive. Note: Please provide a brief narrative on how pages and multi-media are organized in the CMS including any limitations. 44 The solution s CMS should include a Help feature to provide internal users with basic assistance in working with the CMS. 45 The solution s CMS should be error tolerant and minimize data entry errors by using field validation and providing descriptive, non-technical explanations for user errors. 46 The solution s CMS should provide a dashboard for administrators and editors to manage content approval and other administrative items. 47 The solution s CMS should support the use of multiple basic templates that authors and editors can choose and customize. The CMS should also allow users to create and save custom templates. 48 The solution s CMS should include a preview mode where users can view content before it is posted in the live environment. 49 The solution s CMS should allow for automatic link verification. 50 The solution s CMS should allow for either automatic or simplified management of metatags and metadata. 51 The solution s CMS should allow for certain users to automatically promote certain pages or information to the front page of the website in an ad-hoc manner. 52 The solution s CMS should allow remote access for certain users. 53 The solution s CMS should allow for drag and drop or cut, copy and paste from any Windows-based application. 54 The solution s CMS allows for ad-hoc delegation of certain tasks or requests as well as temporary reassignment of duties from one user to another (i.e. when a user is on vacation). F. Site Administration: Question Response Question Explanation 55 The solution s CMS includes an Administrator level access which creates and manages other user accounts, content, etc. Note: Please describe the G. Migration: Administrator function. The solution s CMS allows the creation of user groups with assigned rights, assignment of individual users to a group and for users to be assigned to multiple groups. The solution s CMS creates a usage log which details changes to content pages or structure. The solution s CMS enforces strict protocol for passwords and stores passwords in an encrypted database. Note: Please describe password administration. 11

12 Question Response Question Explanation 59 The proposer should offer migration of content from a set number of pages from the current website to the new website. Note: Please describe migration process and limitations. H. Support and Maintenance: Question Response Question Explanation 60 The proposer should offer online and telephonic support during the maintenance period. Note: Please describe support. 61 The proposer should provide all software maintenance during the maintenance period. Note: Please describe maintenance agreement. 62 The proposer should provide a warranty on all software products during the maintenance period. I. Other Features: Note to bidders: For this section, please respond to the questions below. A. Are there any specific unique features, functionalities or elements in your proposal that you believe differentiate you from your competitors and may be useful to the Village? B. Describe your firm s approach to website visual design and the process to be used for user acceptance testing. C. Describe the training to be provided for users as part of implementation. D. Describe the ongoing support to be provided to the Village. Discuss any limitations on support including hours during which support can be reached, the limits on number of support hours per year, the methods that can be used to contract support, etc. E. Describe the ongoing hosting service to be provided to the Village including any limitations. Discuss bandwidth requirements, how outages are managed and reported and the redundancies used to ensure reliable access. F. Describe the ongoing security service to be provided to the Village. Discuss virus and malware protections, firewalls, how DoS and DDoS attacks are managed, etc. 12

13 Appendix B Pricing Sheets Section I: Software Note to bidders: On these sheets, please enumerate all costs for software including but not limited to the individual costs for all modules, license costs for software, any additional incidental costs related to these modules (whether mandatory or otherwise) and other costs above and beyond these costs. Year 1 costs should include any and all costs associated with purchasing, licensing and implementing the modules. Ongoing costs should reflect any costs associated with continued licensing, etc. If the applicable module is licensed by user or seat, please notate as such. Attach additional pages as necessary. Item Quantity Description Implementation Cost (Year 1) Ongoing Cost Per Year (Years 2-4) Section II: Other Services Note to bidders: Please enumerate all costs associated with migration, training, hosting and other services to be provided by proposer as well as one-time costs for the project. Please include and specify how change orders are billed. Attach additional pages as necessary. Item Quantity UOM Description Unit Price One-Time Cost Section III: Maintenance and Support Note to bidders: Please provide pricing for an ongoing maintenance and support contract to be awarded separately to the successful bidder for the website product. Year 1: 13

14 Year 2: Year 3: Year 4: Section IV: Any Other Services: Please itemize and describe any other services or costs you believe the Village will incur as part of your proposal (including but not limited to project management, graphic design, etc.). Please also include any costs you believe the Village would incur in creating a subsite. 14