VILLAGE OF JOHNSBURG, ILLINOIS REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS WEBSITE DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT AND HOSTING FEBRUARY 2016

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1 VILLAGE OF JOHNSBURG, ILLINOIS REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS WEBSITE DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT AND HOSTING FEBRUARY 2016 I. PURPOSE OF REQUEST: The Village of Johnsburg ( Village ) is requesting proposals for the development, design, hosting and ongoing maintenance of a new website (the current website may be viewed at 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 Monday, February 1, 2016 Question Period Closes Monday, February 15, 2016 Deadline for Proposal Submissions Monday, February 29, 2016 Interviews with Select Firms March, 2016 Village Board Meeting for Approval Tuesday, April 5, 2016 (tentative) Notification to All Bidders of Final Award Wednesday, April 6, 2016 (tentative) III. BACKGROUND INFORMATION: General Information: The Village is located in McHenry County approximately 7 miles from the Wisconsin border and has a population of 6,237. Johnsburg is a village where history, hospitality and natural beauty come together to create a community that is proud of its past and excited about its future. We offer well-planned diversified housing, progressive economic development opportunities and abundant open spaces. We are proud of our great schools and excellent municipal services. Johnsburg has frontage along two of Northern Illinois' most desirable corridors - the Fox River/Chain O Lakes waterway system and the fast developing Route 31 corridor making it a great community for both recreational opportunities and business development. Our hardworking citizens volunteer much of their time and efforts, both individually and through organizations, to make Johnsburg a community we are proud to call home. Johnsburg is "A Hometown with Spirit". 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 ( While the Village feels that it s current website can accommodate most Village needs, it also recognizes that new technologies are growing at a fast pace. Therefore, the Village desires to contract with a professional developer to construct the architecture and layout of a new site as well as provide hosting. IV. PURPOSE OF RFP: The purpose of the 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. In addition the vendor must offer a robust Content Management System (CMS) that allows

2 Village staff to easily update website content, create and manage workflow and approval of processes with a link to an e-pay site and the ability to send out a mass to subscribers of our newsletters. 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 hosting V. VILLAGE CONTACT: The contractor s principle contact with the Village will be Ms. Debbie Swetz, Deputy Clerk. She can be reached at (815) or by at dswetz@johnsburg.org. VI. INSTRUCTIONS TO PROPOSERS: A. All proposals should be sent to: VILLAGE WEBSITE RFP Village of Johnsburg 1515 Channel Beach Ave. Johnsburg, 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 3:00PM CST on Monday, February 29, 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. 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. The Village will create a review team to evaluate the proposals and issue a recommendation to the Johnsburg Village Board. The Village Board will then approve or deny the team 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. F. Questions regarding this RFP may be submitted up to and until Monday, February 15, 2016 at 3:00PM. The Village will issue an addendum following the closure of the question period with responses. All questions must be submitted in to dswetz@johnsburg.org. Ms. Swetz will acknowledge receipt of each question as it is received.

3 VII. VIII. IX. 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 of 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 of Johnsburg will not be responsible for expenses incurred in preparing and submitting the proposal. Such costs should not be included in the proposal. VENDOR DEMONSTRATIONS Demonstrations by selected finalists will be scheduled with the review team shortly after the submittal date. All demonstrations shall be held onsite at the Johnsburg 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 one hour per vendor demonstration. 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

4 factors and specifications best serving the Village s overall operational needs at a cost-beneficial price. The Village of Johnsburg 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. X. 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 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 Johnsburg Board of Trustees prior to final payment. Any disputes arising from either the invoiced amount the performance of services shall be mediated prior to final payment. XI. 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. 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.

5 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 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 of 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. XII. 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: A. 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. B. 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. C. To create a framework and architecture that allow for the easy addition of new features, program of pages as the needs of the Village change and grow while maintaining the integrity and security of the website. D. 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. E. To identify and implement an external hosting solution for the website. F. To provide ongoing support and maintenance for the website and CMS.

6 APPENDIX A Proposal Questionnaire 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 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 with the W3C Content Accessibility Guidelines. 3 The solution is designed to effectively function with multiple browsers (including 4 5 5A B. Website Modules and Functionality: but not limited to IE, Firefox, Safari, Chrome, etc.) The solution incorporates a responsive design and can scale to 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 5 authors and editors.) The solution supports concurrent website visitors even during times of heavy traffic without degradation of performance. 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. The solution allows for social plug-ins and integration with Facebook, Twitter, etc. The solution allows for mass s to all subscribers. 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 limited 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. 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.

8 13 14 The solution includes a form creation module which allows for simplified creation of surveys, polls, questionnaires, etc. (Note: The 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. Note: Describe how meeting recordings are managed and archived in the CMS. 15 The solution includes an FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) 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 allows for the integration of an online payment process. Describe bidders experience 18 The solution includes submission and tracking of on-line work orders. 19 The solution integrates with or uses a third-party tool to integrate with GIS mapping features. 20 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.) 21 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. 22 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 if a resident needs a building permit what paperwork/inspection would be required. 23 The solution either includes a module which allows the Village to construct a transparency center for easy access to commonly requested open records and required information. 24 The solution includes a dashboard feature that allows external users to create accounts and customize the information they receive via RSS, etc. C. Website Design, Look and Feel: Question Response Question Explanation 25 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 26 visually different than those for Residents). 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 27 The solution must allow for mega drop down menus and breadcrumb navigation. 28 The solution provides flexible navigation tools to allow for management of links across the website.

9 E. Content Management System (CMS): Question Response Question Explanation 29 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. 30 The solution s CMS must be browser-based and compatible with all browsers. 31 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 with 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.) 32 The solution s CMS should allow for the injection of custom HTML, CSS or other programming. 33 The solution s CMS should allow for real-time editing of the website and minimal delay between final approval and posting of content. 34 The solution s CMS must either have a native analytics and reporting module and/or allow for the embedding of Google Analytics. 35 The solution s CMS must be easily scaled and able to manage anywhere from 10,000 to 1 million individual items. 36 The solution s CMS includes a user verification system to minimize spam posts through forms. 37 The solution s CMS should utilize a check-in/check-out system for authors editing content and allow for backups from prior versions. 38 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. 39 The solution s CMS should allow for the posting and editing of both text and multimedia (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.) 40 The solution s CMS should include a Help feature to provide internal users with basic assistance in working with the CMS. 41 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. 42 The solution s CMS should provide a dashboard of administrators and editors to manage content approval and other administrative items. 43 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. 44 The solution s CMS should include a preview mode where users can view content before it is posted in the live environment. 45 The solution s CMS should allow for automatic link verification. 46 The solution s CMS should allow for either automatic or simplified management of metatags and metadata.

10 47 48 The solution s CMS should allow remote access for certain users to automatically promote certain pages or information to the front page of the website in an ad-hoc manner. The solution s CMS should allow remote access for certain users. 49 The solution s CMS should allow for drag and drop or cut, copy and paste from any Windows based application. 50 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: 51 The solution s CMS includes an Administrator level access which creates and manages other user accounts, content, etc. (Note: Please describe the Administrator function.) 52 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 53 The solution s CMS creates a usage log which details changes to content pages or structure. 54 The solution s CMS enforces strict protocol for passwords and stores passwords in an encrypted database. (Note: Please describe password administration.) G. Migration 55 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: 56 The proposer should offer online and telephonic support during the maintenance period. (Note: Please describe support.) 57 The proposer should provide all software maintenance during the maintenance period. (Note: Please describe maintenance agreement.) 58 The proposer should provide a warranty on all software products during the maintenance period. Note to bidders: 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 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 security service to be provided to the Village. Discuss virus and malware protection, firewalls.

11 Appendix B Pricing Schedule 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) 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

12 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: Year 2: 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.).