RFP Automated Agenda Workflow System Questions and Answers

Transcription

1 RFP Automated Agenda Workflow System Questions and Answers The City is seeking a solution to automate its current city council agenda preparation process. It is desired that the proposed system provide an automated workflow to prepare, track, modify and monitor the progress of individual items for a specific agenda date. After review by appropriate persons, the system should allow for easy assembly of the documents into a single cohesive agenda packet for publication. The system should provide an ability to easily audit individual items to determine the modifications made by reviewers to the original document, and provide. 1) Does the city wish to run this in an HTML client or "thick" client environment? This will depend on the solution chosen. Program responsiveness, ease of use, and fault tolerance will factor into our selection. 2) What are the total # of concurrent/named users that need access to the Agenda component? This will vary depending on the software and workflow chosen. Likely will not exceed more than 50 concurrent users. 3) What are the total # of concurrent/named users that need access to the workflow component? This will vary depending on the software and workflow chosen. Likely will not exceed more than 50 concurrent users. 4) Outside of the Agenda and Workflows, is there a need for city users to simply retrieve images from an imaging system? No. 5) Does the project entail a mass conversion of any images from a current Agenda platform and/or file share directory? No. It is the City s expectation in terms of implementing and executing a contract that the vendor shall begin to work with staff on customizing the workflow system on or before October 31, 2014 with the functionality of the workflow system finalized and ready to go live with a parallel track workflow system on or before December 15, ) This start date appears aggressive as various contracts, demonstrations and signatures need to transpire. Can you please elaborate on this hard start date? The City is motivated to go-live with a new automated agenda system by the end of the year. We will determine if any timelines will need to be adjusted as we begin the implementation process.

2 C-2 Ability to create multiple standard workflow/ routing templates for reuse 7) How many users would need to access the workflow process concurrent/named? This will vary depending on the software and workflow chosen. Likely will not exceed more than 50 concurrent users. 8) Can you please describe this in greater detail and/or do you have any workflow diagrams in order to price effectively? We currently do not have a workflow diagram, but we do have a written process that is attached (See Attachment A) C-9 Ability to auto-publish in html the final agenda to the City website through Granicus 9) Would the City want the chosen system to also allow for the images to be hosted and retrieved using their public facing model? Yes 10) Can you please describe in greater detail? If the application can create an export of the agenda file in whatever required type (HTML, XML, Flat file) Is that acceptable? Yes, so long as it is in a format that works with all of the major browsers (Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Firefox, and Safari). C-18 Ability for Pre-Workflow Submission workflow (routing of items while still in draft status) 11) Do you have any workflow diagrams of this process or can you describe in greater detail for pricing purposes?? We currently do not have a workflow diagram, but we do have a written process that is attached (See Attachment A) 12) How many users would need to have access to this workflow life cycle concurrent/named? This will vary depending on the software and workflow chosen. Likely will not exceed more than 50 concurrent users. E-2 Ability to use document templates to ensure consistent format and structure of agenda items 13) Can you please highlight the # of templates in your library in order to better estimate pricing? Less than 10 templates are currently in use. E-4 Ability to upload attachments and view as one document instead of viewing each attachment separately 14) Can you please outline all the capture requirements, methods, # of users and quantities for how the City captures documents? From Outlook? Any Outlook integration would be a plus but is not required. From MS Office? Most original documents are created in MS Word and converted to PDF. Scanning? All scanned documents are in PDF format. Fax? All fax documents are in PDF format. Copiers? All copied documents are in PDF format. attach from desktop? Desktop attachments are primarily in Word or PDF format. We do want the ability to insert hyper links to web addresses and/or file locations. Automated import from other applications? We currently do not auto import from other applications. G-2 Ability to search the system for items by word or phrase

3 15) What is the total concurrent/named user that would need to perform this full text search?? This will vary depending on the software and workflow chosen. Likely will not exceed more than 50 concurrent users. G-8 Ability to effectively manage digital signatures, including City Attorney staff signatures on certain staff reports 16) What does the City consider an acceptable digital signature? We are open to digital signatures in a new system. Currently we sign and scan all signatures in the document. Any digital signature implementation would need to be user specific and require some type of certificate used to authenticate. I-4 Able to integrate with Apple computer system 17) Can you please describe this in greater detail? Do you require the ECM/Agenda piece to run/operate on an Apple? All agendas would need to be able to be viewed and opened via a Safari/Apple browser and work with the Apple versions of MS Office/Adobe applications. I-15 Mobile solution that allows platform-independent review and approval from tablet devices (Windows, Android or ios) Additional Questions: 18) Would the mobile devices need to allow the users access to images, workflow and agenda management? This would be a plus but is not a requirement. 19) Will there be an editable word or excel version of the table and forms? Yes, it is now attached to the RFP on the website. 20) Is the city open to a cloud SAAS solution? We would prefer an on premise solution, but it is not a requirement.

4 ATTACHMENT A PROCESS AND TIMELINES FOR SUBMITTAL, REVIEW, DISTRIBUTION, AND PUBLICATION OF CITY COUNCIL AGENDAS AND AGENDA REPORTS Future s List and Draft Agenda 1. Each department is responsible for placing their upcoming Agenda items on the Future s List of Tentative Agenda Items. This file is located at K:\public\AI\A-FUT. 2. Items should be placed on the Future s List as much in advance as possible, but no later than 20 days prior to the meeting date. 3. The wording on the Future s List should be the same as the wording used on the Agenda under the Subject Heading. Please do not use all caps when listing items on the Future s List. 4. When listing an item for a Closed Session, staff should confer with the City Attorney s Office for the correct wording for the Closed Session item. 5. The City Manager's Office will gather information on an ongoing basis of Councilmembers absences from meetings, separate from Futures' List, and will communicate with the City Attorney, City Clerk and the City Council. 6. The City Clerk will prepare a draft Agenda on Tuesday, 14 days prior to the Council meeting based on items placed on the Future s List. The draft Agenda will be reviewed at the Executive Staff Meetings held at 10 a.m. on Wednesdays. Publication Requirements 1. If an Agenda item requires a notice be published in the local newspaper prior to the meeting date, staff from the Originating Department is responsible for: a) notifying the City Clerk by or phone of this requirement; b) including a statement next to the Agenda item on the Future s List that a newspaper publication is required; and c) citing the applicable code sections related to the publication notice. 2. Department staff is also responsible for preparing the draft notice of public hearing or other notice of publication and providing same to the City Clerk at least four days (three days plus one business day) prior to the date of the first publication. The City Clerk will be responsible for final review of the publication notice and will transmit to the newspaper. Review of Staff Reports Standard Staff Report Template is Available at: K:/PUBLIC/New Logo/Templates/Staff Report Template.doc 1. No later than 5 p.m., on Friday, 18 days prior to the Council meeting, the Originating Department shall (and copy the City Clerk) their draft Staff Reports to the Attorney assigned to your department and the Finance and Assistant Finance Directors

5 for preliminary review and comment. If there are legal or financial issues that are still outstanding that will not be resolved in time for City Manager review, the Originating Department should reschedule this item for a future meeting. 2. No later than 5 p.m. on Wednesday, 13 days prior to the Council meeting, the City Attorney s Office and Finance staff shall furnish comments back to the Originating Department. 3. No later than 5 p.m. on Thursday, 12 days prior to the Council meeting, the Originating Department shall their Agenda Reports to the City Clerk including: a) staff report; b) any resolution or ordinance; and c) any attachments. 4. No Agenda Report will be accepted by the City Clerk after this deadline without approval of the City Manager. 5. No later than Friday, 11 days prior to the Council meeting, the City Clerk will all Agenda Reports to the City Manager and Assistant City Manager for review and will copy the City Attorney, and the Finance Director. (Reports should have already been reviewed by the Finance Director and someone in the City Attorney s Office.) 6. No later than Monday, 8 days prior to the Council meeting, the City Manager and/or Assistant City Manager will the Originating Department and the City Clerk to either: a) inform them if the Staff Report is approved, as is or b) inform them the Staff Report requires changes. If the Staff Report requires changes, the City Manager and/or Assistant City Manager will include his comments and inform staff whether or not he needs to review the Report after the changes have been made. 7. After the Staff Report has been reviewed and approved by the City Manager and/or Assistant City Manager, the Originating Department should save the final Staff Report, resolution or ordinance, and all attachments in their file folder in the K drive (example: k\public\ai\department Name\2010). 8. Originating Departments are responsible for providing the City Clerk with a hard copy of the final Staff Report, resolution or ordinance, and all attachments no later than 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, 7 days before the Council meeting. The final report should be signed by the Department Director. Agenda Packet Duplication and Distribution 1. On Wednesday, 6 days prior to the Council meeting, the City Clerk will finalize the Agenda, assign agenda numbers to each Staff Report, and duplicate the Agenda Packet. 2. Full Agenda Packets will be provided to the City Council, City Manager, and Finance Director. Staff may view and download the Agenda and Staff Reports via the City s website. 3. It is the goal of the City Clerk s Office to deliver the Agenda and Agenda Packet to the City Council on Wednesday, 6 days, prior to the Council meeting, but no later than Thursday, 5 days prior to the Council meeting.

6 4. The City Clerk will forward the Agenda and Staff Reports in pdf format to IT for posting to the City s website no later than 5 days prior to the Council meeting.