RFP for Qualified Contractor(s) to serve as Subject Matter Experts Questions and Answers February 16, 2016

Transcription

1 1. By what date do Responders need to submit paper copies of the proposal? Responders must submit five paper copies to the Minnesota Department of Human Services that have a post mark date of no later than March 1, 2016 to the following address: Attn: Peg Booth, Ph.D., Director, Jensen Implementation Office Department of Human Services 444 Lafayette Rd. N. St. Paul, MN Peg.booth@state.mn.us Electronic courtesy copies will not be accepted or considered. Provided paper courtesy copies must be content identical to the official response but may include binders, tabbed dividers or other indexing or organizational aids helpful in the review of the proposal. The Cost Proposal must be sealed and in a separate envelope or container within the Proposal package or container. Please make sure that no cost information is included with the Technical Proposal. 2. Should I submit a cost proposal for each specialty service areas in which I propose to work in? Yes, for each of the five Specialty Service Areas that a Responder is proposing to work in, the Responder must submit a separate technical and cost proposal. 3. Should travel expenses be included in the rate? This is very important, as the RFP, p32, is very clear that all costs, including travel, are to be included in the rate. We would not be able to ascertain those costs as we are out of state and one engagement might be for one-day or a week or working out of our office writing recommendations. DHS will reimburse travel and subsistence expenses incurred by contractors traveling to Minnesota to perform work so long as the expenses are consistent with the Commissioner s Plan promulgated by the commissioner of Minnesota Management and Budget. Responders should include anticipated travel and Page 1 of 7

2 subsistence expenses in their cost proposal, identified as a separate expense from the Responder s rate. 4. On page 18, VI (Required Terms and Conditions), C, Travel - As my agency is a national organization and has expertise across the country, travel and subsistence expenses would be required. What is needed to get the State's prior written approval for out-of-state travel? DHS will reimburse travel and subsistence expenses incurred by contractors traveling to Minnesota to perform work so long as the expenses are consistent with the Commissioner s Plan promulgated by the commissioner of Minnesota Management and Budget. Notification and prior approval requirements for outof-state travel will be clarified in the final, executed contract. 5. Under Specialty Service Area 1 (Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD), Complex Needs or Challenging Behaviors) - Although I would be the lead, as each of the sub-areas requires a specific expertise, can an agency subcontract out for each of these areas in order to insure the level of expertise required? Yes, a Responder can subcontract out to ensure insure the level of expertise required. Keep in mind, per Appendix A, paragraph, Any proposed subcontractor [or subcontracted work must] be identified in the RFP and the percentage of work under the contract to be performed by the prime contractor and each subcontractor [must] be indicated. 6. Does a Responder need to be a subject matter expert in all sub-areas listed under each specialty area? It is not required that Responders be a subject matter expert (SME) in all subareas listed under each Specialty Service Area. It is possible that a Responder will be a SME for only one Specialty sub-area. Page 2 of 7

3 7. Do you require a CV for each subcontractor? The Responder should demonstrate the skill and experience of proposed lead staff. At a minimum, resumes or Curriculum Vitaes (CVs) must be provided for individuals assigned lead responsibilities on this Project, including subcontractors. If a subcontractor will be assigned lead responsibilities on this project, a resume or CV describing the education, professional affiliations, and other relevant background of that subcontractor should be provided. 8. On page 7, section 3 (Specialty Area), A, do you require "three previous experiences providing services in the Specialty Area" for each subcontractor. The previous experiences requested under Section III (B) (3), Specialty Service Area, should pertain to the individual or entity that be assigned lead responsibilities to perform the services in that Specialty Service Area. If lead roles of that Specialty Service Area will be assigned to a subcontractor previous experiences of that subcontractor should be provided. 9. Does "at least one experience described" have to be with a Minnesota government entity? Experience with Minnesota government entities is preferred, but not required. 10. Can you provide more specific information about the size and scope of the project? For example, under Specialty Service Areas, 1, there are nine distinct subject areas. It would be most helpful to know more information with respect to an estimated time and frequency required by each expert in order to provide an effective deliverable. For example, would you expect the expert to be there once a week? Once a month? How many days at a time? How many days per month? This is a difficult question to answer. Each selected vendor will be part of a Master Contract pool of qualified contractors from which DHS will draw services. When the Jensen Implementation Office, the Jensen Internal Reviewer, the DHS Quality Assurance Committee or the DHS Compliance Office identifies a need for a Subject Matter Expert, a Work Order will be prepared with the vendor. Page 3 of 7

4 Each Work Order will be unique and will vary in length and scope. It might involve a one-time consult regarding a specific person or involvement in a longer-term project. The Department anticipates that work orders could range from one to six months. 11. Am I right in assuming that this RFP is geared toward assessing existing practices related to PBS/service delivery for individuals with disabilities and providing service recommendations? Positive Behavior Supports is one of the areas covered under this RFP, which includes the nine subtopics under the second Specialty Service Area, Positive Behavior Practices. See Page It appears that you require that vendors be residents of MN; is that correct? I live in Florida, but work with agencies across the country, traveling periodically, but conducting a good bit of my work from a distance. Thank you in advance for your response to my questions. Responders do not need to be residents of Minnesota to submit a proposal for this RFP. 13. Where can I find current transition protocols used by Minnesota? Page five of the RFP speaks to Transition planning including recommendations that will effect positive outcomes for persons transitioning to less restrictive settings. A review of Minnesota s transition planning protocols is not needed to respond to the RFP. However, transition protocols used by Minnesota would be made available, if needed, at the time a service is requested. 14. Why do I need to register in SWIFT to respond to the RFP? The state of Minnesota implemented a new accounting and procurement system in July The system is called StateWide Integrated Financial Tools (SWIFT). Vendors can interact with the state through the Supplier Portal, which is part of SWIFT. Every individual and organization doing business with the state is considered a vendor. If you are a new or prospective vendor, please navigate to the Supplier Page 4 of 7

5 Portal Vendor Registration link to register as a vendor. Existing vendors can request a User ID to login to the Supplier Portal by clicking the Create a New User ID link. When a vendor registration is approved or the new User ID is approved, a confirmation is sent to the address entered during the registration/creation process. Additional information on SWIFT can be found on the Minnesota Management and Budget Web site. If you need assistance in registering in SWIFT, please contact the Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) Vendor helpline at (651) What does the Department consider to be a work sample? Is this an actual document such as: An actual written Positive Support Transition Plan 245D Addendum for a service recipient Policy and procedure Person-centered plan, etc. Work samples can be anything that illustrates the Responder s experience and expertise in the Special Service Area. Under this component, the Department is looking for evidence of the type of work the Responder has completed in the past. Work samples could include policies, procedures, plans, reports, case reviews, memorandums, etc., Responders have prepared in the past. All work samples and reports must contain no private data or trade secret information and must be de-identified in a manner that complies with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act under 45 C.F.R (a) and (b), and the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act, under Minnesota Statutes, chapter What is considered to be a report of previous experience? Responders should provide work samples or examples of previous experiences of providing services in the Special Service Area. See also response to Question #15. Page 5 of 7

6 17. Under the capacity and approach requirement of the same section (3, C), in terms of the overall design, is the Department looking for a detailed summary of how an agency would plan to complete the case reviews, interviews, develop and present reports, etc. or is this an actual draft template of the components regarding the deliverables? The Department is looking for the Responders plan of accomplishing the major components under the Specialty Service Area. This section should include Responder s overall design of how it will complete case reviews, interviews, develop and present reports, etc. Draft templates of anticipated deliverables are not required or expected. 18. Is there a suggested or maximum length for the responses to part B. (technical proposal requirements)? I m guessing I should keep the cover letter to one page, but I m not sure about the other items. There is no suggested or maximum length of Responders technical proposals. The size and style of font is also not restricted by the RFP, but the Department prefers the Responders to use at least 12-point font on 8 ½ X 11 inch paper. 19. In terms of caseload, is there an estimated number of consultants needed for each area? Should we plan to have at least five consultants? Depending on the Specialty Service Area, the Department would like to have a pool of three to five subject matter experts. The Responder is not being asked to supply the pool experts for the specific Specialty Service Area being applied for. The Department will select other subject matter experts though its review of proposals submitted. 20. The RFP states Responders will be expected to provide timely written report. In trying to understand the level of detail and to provide adequate staffing, please define timeline or give an example. What is the expected turnaround time? Page number limitation? Each Work Order will be unique and will vary in length and scope. It might involve a one-time consult regarding a specific person or involvement in a longer-term project. The details of each report and its limitations, including the timeframe for when the report must be complete, will be identified in each work Page 6 of 7

7 order. Generally, if a work order were related to consultation on a person, the Department would expect that the report would be completed within 30 to 45 days following completion of record reviews and on-site interviews. 21. RFP states responders must have experience in interviewing people with a wide range of disabilities including individuals who are non-verbal. Is the Responder responsible for developing the questions, for the interviews? Is the contractor responsible for all special accommodations including sign language interpreting services? The Department expects that the Responder would be responsible for developing questions for the interview. However, the Department will need to approve the final questions. The Responder would be responsible for meeting any accommodation needs that may arise as part of their required work, including sign language interpreting services. The Responder may provide a budget line item that covers any accommodations that may be needed in its costs proposal. Page 7 of 7