REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR PROGRAMMING ASSISTANCE

Transcription

1 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR PROGRAMMING ASSISTANCE The Bahamas Custms administratin wishes t engage external sftware prgramming resurces t assist the Custms IT department upgrade sme cmpnents f its existing Custms Autmated System (CAS). Backgrund Bahamas Custms is the lead agency with respnsibility fr the regulatry clearance f gds at the pint f imprt and exprt. The Custms administratin is respnsible fr the cllectin f custms duties, excise, stamp and departure taxes n behalf f the gvernment. Persns imprting, exprting r warehusing cmmercial gds are required t cmplete a frmal Custms Declaratin. Mdes f transprt, ships and aircraft carrying cmmercial gds are required t depsit a carg manifest with Custms. Currently the Custms Administratin f Bahamas receives Custms declaratins by paper. Manifest data is received bth in paper frmat and electrnically using a simple EDI slutin. This slutin is based n bespke sftware using hst-n-demand services t accept manifest data frm shipping cmpanies. These cmpanies send the manifest as a flat file attachment t an , which Custms manually lads int the CAS system. Cnsideratin needs t be taken f the investment already made by these cmpanies wh have mdified their systems t prvide this and electrnic manifest t Custms. The current usage f EDI is nly in ne directin frm clients t Custms, there is n capability fr Custms t send electrnic respnses t clients. Custms fficers enter the infrmatin cntained n these frms int the Custms Autmated system (CAS). CAS is an IT applicatin designed t carry ut data validatin and cnsistency checks, calculate the crrect taxes payable and, alng with a separate risk management system, manage the regulatry clearance prcess which allws the cmmercial peratr take gds ut f Custms cntrl. Current Technical Envirnment The Bahamas Custms System (CAS) perates in the fllwing envirnment: applicatin written using Visual Age Generatr (IBM) in a client envirnment but cmplied t COBOL n the AS/400 database is IBM DB2 applicatin runs n an AS400 server. Number f database tables fr the manifest and custms declaratins is 20 Number f indexes is 15. Data entry screens 270 Page 1 f 5

2 Bahamas Custms has limited in huse prgramming and technical resurces available. A schematic diagram f the database structure is prvided as annex I t this dcument. Basic facts and figures Number f manifests prcessed thrugh CAS annually 10,000 Number f Custms declaratins prcessed thrugh CAS annually Maximum size f a manifest (kilbytes in database) 90 Kb Maximum size f a Custms declaratin (kilbytes in 70 Kb database) Number f registered Custms brkers 1 60 Requirements fr sftware prgramming Lt 1 Custms is currently reviewing its IT applicatin requirements with a view t either replacing r carrying ut a majr upgrade t the CAS system. During this review prcess it has been decided t carry ut a limited number f shrt term upgrades t the existing system. These upgrades are summarised as fllws: Make the fficial tariff gds descriptin available. The fficial tariff is used t identify cmmdity cdes and their assciated tax regimes and ther regulatry requirements (licenses, etc.).currently Custms fficers entering data int CAS d nt have nline access t the gds descriptins linked t each specific cmmdity cde. Input screens will need t be mdified t allw this feature. Managing letters f guarantee. Adding a reference cde t the CAS applicatin t match letters f guarantee t calculated duty and tax amunts fr each declaratin. Manage the writing ff f temprary imprtatins that are re-exprted. Gds that are temprarily imprted are entered in t the CAS applicatin. When these gds are re-exprted an exprt frm needs t be cmpleted. Currently there is n way t match the exprt declaratin data against the temprary imprtatin data in CAS. A reference number will need t be added t the exprt declaratin data which crrespnds t the temprary imprtatin declaratin. In additin a number f cnsistency checks shuld be included. Crss-referencing the cmmdity 1 Custms Brkers are respnsible, n behalf f their clients, fr submitting Custms declaratins. Page 2 f 5

3 cdes and numbers f items between the temprary declaratin data and the exprt data. Lt 2 The CAS system uses green screen input frms. Custms wuld like t cnvert apprximately 270 f these screens t a GUI interface. Lt 3 In additin t the abve Custms wuld als like t explre the pssibility f eliciting nging utsurced supprt fr CAS. T this end suppliers are invited t prpse a framewrk cntract be based n a set number f man-days per year frm which Custms can draw upn as required. Cntent requirement in respnse t this RFP Respndents way put frward bids fr ne r mre f the three Lts. The Custms administratin will decide, based n budgets cnstraints, whether t implement all r specific Lts. Respndents shuld price each lt separately and identify any discunts which may accrue frm implementing tw r three Lts. Respndents t this RFP are requested t submit the fllwing infrmatin: Resume f prgramming resurce(s) being prpsed including experience, training, example f prjects wrked n, etc Prpsed methd f wrking, whether n-site r remtely. Please nte fr remte wrking uplads t the Custms servers will be required t be carried ut during Bahamas Custms wrking hurs. Estimated number f man days and csts t carry ut the shrt term upgrades identified in Lt 1. Estimated number f man-days and cst fr migrating green screens t GUI as utlined in Lt 2. Cncerning a prpsed framewrk cntract utlined in Lt 3 any minimum engagement fee shuld be indicated. In additin if there is a minimum number f man-days required fr a framewrk cntract, these shuld als be indicated. Cmmitments t guarantee the quality f wrk carried ut shuld clearly indicated. Fr example, level f testing that will be cnducted, the time limits within which Custms must sign-ff fr wrk delivered. Respndents shuld indicate clearly hw sftware bug reprting will be handled and whether the cst f fixing reprted and verified bugs is included in the man-days indicated fr Lts 1, 2 and 3. Page 3 f 5

4 Csts Csts assciated with Lt 1 and Lt 2 shuld cver the fllwing: Fee per man-day f wrk Estimated csts fr any travel and accmmdatin in the Bahamas. Csts assciated with Lt 3 shuld cver the fllwing: Fee per man-day based n a specific range f days, fr example engagement f 1 t 10 days, 10 t 20 days etc. Details f terms and cnditins assciated with the establishment f a framewrk cntract shuld als be prvided in detail. Csts assciated with fixing sftware bugs identified bth during testing and in prductin shuld be specified. Fr example, if a sftware bug is discvered in cde that is in prductin will charges be levied fr time spent fixing and retesting. Respndents shuld indicate if the prices quted abve will remain the same if it is decided t nly prceed with individual Lts cvered in this dcument. Prject Planning & Implementatin Respndents t this RFP shuld indicate the lead time, after ntificatin f acceptance f an ffer, necessary befre cmmencement f wrk and the expected time frame in which Lt 1 and Lt 2 mdificatins wuld be cmpleted. Respndents shuld state clearly the bundaries f this prject vis-a-vie the wrk which will be carried ut be the cmpany and the anticipated wrk t be carried ut by the Custms IT department. Deadline fr respnses The extended deadline fr submissin f respnses t this RFP is Friday, 28 th Nvember, 2008 at 5:00 p.m. at the Ministry f Finance, Cecil Wallace Whitfield Centre (3 rd Flr), West Bay Street, Cable Beach. Tenders will be pened at 10:00 a.m. n Tuesday, 2 nd meeting f the Tenders Bard at the Ministry f Finance. December, 2008 at the Page 4 f 5

5 Respnse Submissin Respndents shuld nte that replies t this RFP are t be submitted delivered in triplicate (3) in a sealed envelpe t the addresses indicated belw. The Chairman Tenders Bard c/ Ministry f Finance P. O. Bx N-3017 Nassau, N.P. The Bahamas Telephne Ns.: r subrennahiggs@bahamas.gv.bs Please mark all respnses with the fllwing subject: Custms Prgramming tender The Ministry f Finance reserves the right t reject any r all Tenders. Cntact fr additinal infrmatin r clarificatin Fr any additinal questins n technical matters please cntact: Mrs. Subrenna Higgs Directr IT Bahamas Custms IT Department Phne: subrennahiggs@bahamas.gv.bs Page 5 f 5