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1 Frequent questions What CMS are you currently using? Is there a preferred CMS solution? Currently using Sharepoint and a Microsoft solution is preferred. What is the budget for this project? Morgtage Calculators Budget will not be disclosed The site currently has calculators for 1) Home Affordability (max price a buyer can afford; 2) mortgage payment calculator (monthly cost), and 3)Buy v. rent Is there a timeline for this project? Quality is more important than speed, we do not have a date in mind Please define what do you mean by Compatible with : Constant Contact, HR Career Software, Event invitation/registration software, HR software Link to these - see also Q 147 Page 2 - Scope of services: There is a requirement that Site must be capable of After discussion, we will not host video files on the site, but use YouTube or hosting video files (including long training videos). What is the expected size of the other option CHFA business areas for Do we need to integrate with systems such as Loan Origination System, Asset user engagement Management, Staff list search, Lender List,). If so, is it read-only iteraction or both CHFA s interest rate Do we need to create the web service for updating the interest rate on CHFA's publishing system website or is there any existing service which we can expose from website for Read only will need to create a new web service for the interest rate. Rate must update in real time and refresh if a user is on a page with rates. Section 508's new version will be released in early The new version of Section 508 will be based on Web Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level A and AA. We would recommend complying with WCAG 2.0 Level A and AA to comply with the future regulation, which will in turn make the section 508 compliant also. Kindly confirm we should consider WCAG 2.0 Level A and AA or Section 508 for Accessibility scope? Accessibility Accessibility Accessibility Analytics Analytics Analytics Authentication Branding Reference: As per HHS, PDF & office documents need to be accessible. Please provide the number of such documents A sample PDF/office document will also be helpful to calculate the effort for making the PDFs accessible Accessibility compliance for 3rd party software mentioned under Page 3 is considered out of scope. Please confirm. Is there a tag management solution under consideration ( GTM/DTM/Ensighten/Tealium)? Are there any challenges that are being faced by the users with the existing analytics reports? Can you please elaborate on the kind of metrics and reports that needs to be tracked for the using Google Analytics? How would the internal and external users authenticate into the new website (e.g. via Active Directory)? Would you provide branding guidelines, logos, color themes, etc. that can be reused/enhanced by vendor? Or would the vendor be required to provide entirely new branding guidelines? t at this time Unknown All available Open to options - CHFA will provide guidelines Browsers What are the different targeted browsers for testing cross browser functionality? All popular browsers Would you please /share 2-3 photographs you intend to use on the new website? We have experience where clients insisted on using their photographs, which were of mediocre quality, and that led to mediocre-looking website. Since then, we are very cautious of accepting projects where we have no say in how our work will turn out. We have professional photographs of some of properties that are appropriate for the website. We would not want to use our own in-house photos for the website. What tasks - other than basics such as reading text, watching videos, submitting simple contact requests, registering to receive updates (interest rate changes, news, etc.) do you want website visitors to perform on the site? Provide calculators to determine mortgage payments, affordability,(see Q4); allow users to navigate based on a set of choices - I am a (veteran, teacher, homebuyer). We would like to add the ability for property owners to create accounts and log in and see their account balances. Currently there are no login options on the CHFA site.

2 What database is used to maintain the current datasets? (i.e.: metro area, median income, name of development, etc.) Currently data from internal systems uploaded into Sharepoint How drastic of a reduction in site content does the CHFA anticipate? Approximately how many pages are anticipated to be migrated to the new site? We have not completed site map, so this can not be answered accurately at this point. Our goal is to reduce the overall number of pages. content The Scope of Services section mentioned that the website should have space for archives, organized by date, year, audience. Could you please elaborate on what content will be archived? Is it just documents, or will it be all current web page content? The Scope of Services mentioned that the website should be compatible with third party software. Will this be a total integration with the software, or a link to the page where the software is installed? For developing the new Calculator feature for the website, Infinite will require assistance from the CHFA staff. Will the CHFA staff be available to share inputs during the Project Requirement Gathering stage? Please clarify what is meant by "website will be dynamic? o How is dynamic defined? Do you mean controllable by a CMS ( Management System)? Types of documents posted inlcude PDFs, PPT presentations, Excel workbooks and forms. Some are only posted for a few weeks, other items can be archived after 1 year. If its possible to have an auto-archive option for certain types of documents (minutes, presentations, newsletters,) and set up exceptions for other document types (construction standards, Qualified Allocation Plans), that would be useful. Link only Does the new site need the ability to or print site content? - section 508 requirement Are RSS feeds output and subscription on certain sections of the site a content requirement? content Are there any re-branding efforts currently underway that would be included or integrated with this project? Strategy Do you have a formal content strategy already in place for the new website? Or is the vendor expected to build the strategy as a part of Discovery phase? - we'd like recommendatins from the vendor workflow Is there a current workflow for how CHFA will handle reviewing, updating and approving content as it s added/migrated? Currently using Sharepoint workflows. /Services Which are the content/services that user can access without login? All are open Contract Model Are you looking for an overall firm fixed price for the entire project? Or are you looking at hourly rates of technical resources? Overall price with price breakdowns by task Current Platform Please provide some insights on the current platform and infrastructure that hosts the current application. Is CHFA planning to move to cloud? t relevant to the scope of this project Current Platform Current Website Current Website Current Website Are there any custom forms or workflows in the current website that are to be replicated? What would be the size of the current website (e.g. # of static/dynamic pages, # of custom/core widgets/plugins, content types, users, roles, # of forms, etc.) What is the typical frequency of update of content on the website (e.g. every day, every week, etc.)? Can you indicate the amount of effort/timelines it took to build the current website? Open to options t available at this time Every day t available at this time Data/ Migration Would the vendor be required to migrate existing data/content into new website? Or would you be responsible for re-writing/populating the content? YES. CHFA will rewrite content, but vendor will need to migrate

3 Data/ Migration Do you have an idea of how much of the site content will be new and how much will be carried over from the existing site? All exsiting site content to be revised/rewritten. Some may be like-to-like carry over but at this point we can't provide an accurate assessment. Digital Digital Page 1 - Background: It is assumed that as an outcome of the Kaizen, a Inventory & Audit was conducted and that content gaps have been identified. Page 4: By providing training to CHFA staff on revising copy does this mean an editorial style guide? Or is it documentation for using a CMS tool? t available at this time Open to discussion Digital Is there an existing Editorial Style Guide? Or is there a need to create them new? Open to discussion Digital Since new content will be added by a CHFA moderator, we anticipate the need for a robust Strategy, including a content roadmap and editorial calendar outlining key updates. Is this in line with CHFA expectations? Open to suggestion Functionality Does the current/new website require any support for monetary transactions (e.g. Paypal)? General Any kind of Report or Dashboard is required in new website? Google Analytics Multi-lingual Support We have observed that Google Translate is being used to render the website in 5 languages. Can we assume that the same approach will be used in the new website? What will be the level of interaction with third party softwares such as Constant Other Integrations Contact, HR Career Software, Event invitation/registration software, HR software. Would a link to such software would suffice? yes Performance Requirements What kind of user base would be there for this application? (numbers, locations, Hit-rate on site etc) & what would be performance benchmarks/requirements, if any? Unknown at this time Post Production Please reconfirm that you want the vendor to maintain the website. Do you have any prefernece on the kind of support coverage required (e.g. 18x5, 24x5, 24x7)? Will wireframes be made available by CHFA? If not, please suggest an approximate number of wireframes that need to be developed to represent the overall website experience? Wireframes to be created for both portrait and landscape orientations? Or only Portrait orientation would be sufficient? We are assuming that the new website will have new branding, and the Style Guides and collaterals (logo, images, fonts) will be provided by CHFA. What are the specific operating systems, devices and browsers that need to be supported? Please provide as a list Do we need to provide custom templates for admin pages like content authoring pages?, vendor to maintain webiste. Please quote for all SLA options. open to suggestion open to suggestion Please check RFP Requirement Documentation Scope Do you already have a detailed documentation for the requirements (e.g. Software Requirements Specification document)? If yes, please share it. Please reconfirm if CHFA will be hosting the new website, and would provide necessary server space, SSL certificates, etc. Scope Scope Scope Should the proposal also include cost for the Hardware and Software needed for setup of site infrastructure? Or would CHFA would be handling that internally Can end user of the site register themselves on the site and create their login credentials? If yes, what all data can user save on the site for future use? Do you want the functionality of complaints redressal in the new website? Currently, on an average how many complaints are received on daily basis? Currently, there are no login credentials required. We would like to add a portal for Property owners to view their account information.

4 How many unique templates are the 400 pages using? Please provide details on the templates being used in current system to understand the possibility of Scope for migration reduction of pages Unknown Scope for migration Apart from the 400 content pages, what's the approximate size and total number of documents/images/videos to be migrated as is? Unknown Scope for migration Are there any pages among the 400 pages, that requires authorized access? If yes, are there any additional features in those pages? Search Page 3- Scope of services: Which search engine is currently being used for Search. Provide more details in case the Search functionality and crawl is also to be re-built with the new web site. Google Search Which search engine is used currently by existing website? Do you plan to retain the same search engine? Google - yes Security Please specific the Security Requirements for the new website. Would you be using a 3rd-party for conducting security testing before the new website goes live? What type of authentication is implemented in existing application? to 2nd Q, CMS authentication, open to suggestion Security Would you require SSL certificates for your website? If yes, would the vendor be responsible for procuring them? Security Would any of the data/content on the website be restricted by US Export Control requirements (i.e. it can only be handled by US citizens)? If yes, please provide some details. SEO Page 3- Scope of services: How is the current SEO implemented. Do we need to use this AS IS or any optimization is required. Optimization is required Site Administration What level of data retention does CHFA require (180 days, 1 year, etc)? CHFA complies with State of CT date retention policy: Site Administration How many staff personnel are expected to be trained on the new CMS? contributors and moderators to be trained as needed Site Administration How many staff members will have access to the Management system for updating web content? There are approximately 12 staff designated as contributors and moderators Staffing Can the vendor provide some services from "offshore" (non-us) locations? will need us base to provide W-9 for billing purposes Staffing Can the vendor provide some services from "onshore" (US) locations? Staffing Target Platform Can the vendor place some staff members at your office location? This would primarily be required for requirement analysis, deployment, training, etc. Does CHFA possess or has decided procure any licensed web content management product (Adobe EM, SDL Tridion, Sitefinity, Drupal, Joomla, SharePoint etc.) to host the new application? Are there any preferences or constraints that could influence the choice? We are open to options, and they must be quoted separately What technology is being leveraged to compromise your current hosting environment (hardware, software, computer resources, storage, bandwidth, etc)? t relevant to the scope of this project Will hosting at CHFA be on bare metal machines or virtualized? t relevant to the scope of this project How many environments does CHFA require (testing, development, production, etc)? At least 2 - testing and production Will the system require failover capabilities to a backup site? t in scope of the rfp What licensing/contracting agreements do you have with software, hardware, and/or service providers? t relevant to the scope of this project Would you be open to using our hosting environment as a solution? Please list hosting options separately along with security compliance/certifications What event invitation and registration software do you use? ne are used on current site, but we would like to add on the new site What level of integration, if any, would you like with social media accounts? Social media feed on the Press release page What kind of compatibility do you want with your third party software? third party software will be linked or framed from the existing website What HR software are you currently using? t in scope of the rfp

5 What is the size of your existing site (pages, hosted files, etc)? details available at this time Is there any Personally Identifiable Information (PII) housed within the system, and if so, what legal regulations does CHFA need to meet? What are the current/historical statistics for site visitors/traffic? October roughly 32,000 visits (excluding staff), 60% new, 40% returning What is the expected growth of the site, both in terms of hosted content and site visitors? 50% increase in visits and reduced bounce rate. We hope to reduce, not increase hosted content. Is there API documentation for the database(s)? not applicable Are there any specific Platform requirements? for example only Microsoft (.NET ASP) or it s up to a vendor to suggest? Microsoft web based solutions are preferred Since it will be hosted by CHFA, what type of hosting platform (Microsoft or Unix type) and resources CHFA is planning to utilize for new website? Mircosoft How many people are currently maintaining the website and can you provide their areas of expertise? t applicable How are you hosting the website; onsite with your own servers or through a site similar to the likes godaddy.com etc? Onsite Will the Publishing system need to be rewritten or rebuilt? Rewritten What hosting language are you currently using (.net, PHP, etc.).net Will the code supporting any of these dynamic pages be available to pick up from where appropriate? If so, for which pages? question is unclear Do any of these dynamic pages communicate with third-party applications or database to work properly? (Besides the Home Mortgage Program Interest rates, which was discussed in the RFP document). If so, please explain the nature of the communication. Currently data from internal systems uploaded into Sharepoint Please describe expectations for how cfha.org will integrate with the Lender log in for Loan Reservation System. Will cfha.org simply link out to the Lender Log In as an external application? Or is cfha.org expected in any way to store and/or verify user login credentials? Will the los.chfa.org application remain as is, or is design or development work associated with that application part of this RFP in any way? - link out What technology is CT Housing currently using to manage/deploy their existing websites Microsoft Is there an MBE or WBE preference? See RFP, MBE/WBE are encouraged to apply Is there a preference for the website to be hosting internally or externally? Is there a hosting provider preference? Hosting internally Do you have a technology preference? i.e..net, Linux, etc..net What web and technology resources does CHFA have, and what role do you anticipate them to have in the project? Microsoft technology and hosting. Product will be hosted on site Some of the parameters listed under Service Level Agreement (bullet #1 on p.7) include services that are related to hosting and not website design and development. Does CHFA require that the chosen web development firm also provide hosting services? Can you provide the names of the HR Career Software, Event invitation/registration software, and HR software that are referenced in the RFP that the new site will need to be compatible with? t available at this time Please confirm that development or enhancements to CHFA's Single Family Loan Origination System is NOT included in this project? t included in this project The RFP mentions that CHFA will host the new site, can you provide details on your server structure (i.e. do you support Windows server, LINUX servers, etc.)? Windows servers For the mortgage rates the RFP mentions that CHFA will require the site to integrate with internal systems, can you provide technical details on these systems or a data sample? See RFP

6 Many of the third party systems on page 11 of the RFP document simply link off to these third party systems, will the new site continue to just link off or do you anticipate additional integration requirements? Link only We noticed that the current site is written in ASP.NET. Is it a requirement that the site stays on this platform and if so, what is the backend language (C++, C#, VB, etc)? Microsoft technologies are preferred There is a directive that states "CHFA must own the code" - with this in mind would it be acceptable to build the new site on top of an open-source CMS or web framework such as Wordpress or Django? CHFA stated that no particular content management system has been selected.. will you consider an open source platform? Web framework is preferred ODBC database? Any known security issues/concerns connecting the website? Technology Looking at current site it seems it is developed on MOSS 2007, Is CHFA looking for migration and redesign to Latest version of SharePoint (i.e. SharePoint 2013 or Office 365 SharePoint Online) or Drupal? Technology Technology Are there any custom solutions deployed on the SharePoint site. If yes, how many? Are any third party components deployed on SharePoint farm, like Nintex/K2, InfoPath forms etc. Testing Testing Timelines What test management tools are available? What are the tools stack available for Test life cycle (Test Management, Automation/Performance testing etc.)? Is any Service virtualization currently in place and what type of products are being used? Would you like to release the new website in a Beta phase for end-users, while the existing website is still in operation? If yes, what would be the duration (e.g. 2 weeks)? t relevant to the scope of this project Tools Training UAT User Roles and Permission Are there any specific tools for project management, defect management, and testing that you already have, and would like the vendor to use while executing the project? E.g. HP Quality Center, Bugzilla, JIRA, Asana, etc. What your preference for user training - onsite classroom or through video conferencing? How much time do you anticipate for conducting User Acceptance Testing (e.g. 8 weeks)? What are different user roles which we need to consider? Please describe permission matrix for them Is CHFA open to negotiating the indemnification clause? As drafted, the indemnification is open to broad interpretation. Will CHFA entertain a limitation on the indemnity for actions directly related to the technical development of the site, and limitations on monetary damages, such as no indemnification for punitive and indirect damages? Will we have to meet in person anytime before or after the contract is awarded? If so, do you have an estimate of how many times? open to options Contributors, moderators, end users t at this time and number of meetings can't be estimated at this time. How long of a service agreement would you like? Up to 3 years You state that you would like the project manager s references, What would you like for these references; names of people?; companies previously worked at? Will meetings with assigned CHFA staff require in person/on-site presence, or will remote communications be acceptable? The current architecture appears to be fairly complex. Would you be open to having an onsite (your offices) workshop to review what content is to be retained on the new website and develop a user-centric IA Projects the manager has worked on. Both will be needed. on site discovery will be required

7 Does redesign of the loan origination system fall within the scope of the project? NO Will personnel resume be enough included with links from the private sector projects or is there a need for government website links of past projects? (pg.6) Our firm has a long standing partnership with a staffing agency that supplies personnel in the specific areas of expertise needed for each of our project; would you consider such personnel as subcontractors, thus eliminating our qualification to bid?, we need links of prior projects See RFP page 6 and sample contract attached to RFP For question "Provide, in tabular form, information on the employee composition of your firm indicating the total number of employees and the total number and percentages of minorities and women employed and their titles." What is "Tabular form" & can it be a sole-proprietor firm with freelance support from our staffing agency partnership? (pg. 7) An excel chart showing employees. If sole proprietorship, see RFP. Can proof of insurance be provided based on the liable amount needed by the client after the contract has been awarded or is proof of insurance required as part See RFP pages The successful firm wold need to submit proof of of the bid package? insurance and endorsements prior to signing a contract. Is CT Housing expecting a Software proposal and a Services solution to support the RFP Requirements? Services - yes, software -yes Is there a preference for local versus out of state vendors? Can the work be performed offsite with some onsite meetings? Will an out of state vendor be considered? In evaluating responses to this RFP, will any preference be given to Connecticutbased firms? Under "Project Deliverables" on p.4, the RFP states that the applicant will be required to meet with CHFA staff with twenty-four hours' notice. Can this meeting be conducted remotely (e.g., via WebEx or conference call), or must it be conducted in person? Bullet #8 on p. 6 Is it required that respondents have prior experience building websites for government entities? it is not required, but it is a plus. Would you be open to ideas of functionality not outlined in RFP? Page 3 - Website must be compatible with "third party software such as Contact Contact, HR Career Software, Event invitation/registration, HR software". Is it just redirection to outlinks or data transaction between applications. What is the integration approach utilized now? (Web Service/API etc). Integrations a)constant Contact - Constant Contact API for sign up b)hr Career Software - framed application C)Event invitation/registration - not using any software currently d)hr Software - <<Add if any other>> Loan Origination System is a link a) End Users public website b) Contributors - c) Moderators - a) Testing (Y/N) - Y b) Security Testing (Y/N) - Y c) Performance Testing (Y/N) - Y

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