Request for Information PM CONTRACT MANAGEMENT SOLUTION

Transcription

1 Request for Information PM CONTRACT MANAGEMENT SOLUTION July 21,

2 Table of Contents I. Introduction and Purpose of Request For Information... 1 II. Background... 2 III. Description of Information Required... 3 A. Company Background... 3 B. System Architecture... 3 C. System Features... 4 D. Security... 7 E. Implementation Approach... 8 F System Administration... 8 G. Service and Support... 8 H. Business Case... 9 IV. Disclaimer V. How to Respond i

3 I. INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE OF REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) The U.S. House of Representatives ( House ) plans to implement a Contract Management System for the real-time management of all phases of the acquisition life cycle, from cradle to grave. The goals of this initiative are to: 1. Improve customer service; 2. Increase productivity; 3. Establish internal controls and accountability; and 4. Provide real-time status and transparency to the process of contracting for goods and services for the House. The House is interested in a Commercial Off-the-Shelf solution rather than a developmental effort. The system should be capable of integrating with the House s Enterprise Financial System at defined integration points as recommended by Respondents. The House will review the written responses to this RFI, and may elect to invite Respondents to give demonstrations to a review committee. The House may use the information gathered during this process to refine the requirements and capabilities on which to base a Request for Proposal (RFP). The House anticipates issuing a solicitation during the first quarter of Fiscal Year In addition to the information specifically requested, Respondents are encouraged to provide any additional information about their system that may help the House better understand the system s capabilities and real-world applications for their technology. 1

4 II. BACKGROUND The House, as a result of reforms mandated by the 104 th Congress, created a centralized organization that provides all support functions for the House. This organization, the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), has elements that support the budget, finance, procurement, facilities, and information technology needs of the House and all of its components. The Office of Procurement Management (Procurement Management) is tasked with purchasing all goods and services for Member offices, Committees and Leadership as well as CAO staff in support of the mission of the CAO. The CAO is not governed by the Federal Acquisition Regulation or other procurement statutes, regulations and policies applicable to the federal branch, except where specifically stated in the applicable law. The CAO is governed instead by the Guidelines for Procurement of Goods and Services for the U. S. House of Representatives, revised March 18, On October 12, 2010, the CAO implemented an Enterprise Software Application, PeopleSoft, to support the financial, asset and procurement management operations for the House. The Current Technical Environment consists of: 1. PeopleSoft Financials 8.9: Maintenance Pack 13 Bundle 36: Planning to upgrade to 9.x 2. Database servers: Sun SPARC Enterprise M4000 servers 3. Application servers: Clustered Sun SPARC Enterprise M3000 servers 4. Web servers: Clustered Sun SPARC Enterprise T5220 servers 5. nvision/crystal server: HP Blade BL460C server 6. PeopleTools: : Planning to upgrade to 8.5x 7. Database: Oracle 11g R Operating System: Solaris 10 SPARC 64bit 9. Tuxedo: Version 9.1, 64bit, Patch Level Weblogic: Verity: nvision: Crystal: Crystal Reports Cobol: MF Server Express 5.p Wrap Pack Testing Tool: Used IBM s Rational Performance Tester in past The PeopleSoft implementation did not include a Contracts Module. The House currently prepares Invitations for Bid (IFB), Requests for Proposals (RFP) and Requests for Quotations (RFQ) using Microsoft Office (primarily Word) and elements of the former Procurement Desktop solution which provides various templates as well as access to standard clauses. Upon award of a contract, an obligating document in the form of a sourced PeopleSoft purchase order is created from a PeopleSoft Purchase Requisition and approved through the PeopleSoft workflow process. Although all awards are obligated in PeopleSoft, the House essentially maintains two systems, a manual system for contracts and another system for purchases orders which is automated through PeopleSoft. The Purchase Order process in PeopleSoft works well but it is not designed for contracts. 2

5 III. DESCRIPTION OF INFORMATION REQUIRED A. Company Background 1. Respondents shall provide the name, address and telephone number for the person the House should contact regarding the company s response to this RFI. 2. Describe the firm s line of business, markets served, the firm s size in terms of number of employees and annual revenue, and provide proof of the firm s financial stability. 3. Describe the firm s corporate strategy for delivering software solutions to industry and government clients. 4. Describe the nature and length of any partnerships/agreements the firm has with other equipment and software providers. 5. Describe the firm s go to market strategy (e.g. direct vs. resellers) and, if systems are sold through resellers, identify three resellers in the Washington, DC area that are in good standing with the manufacturer. 6. Provide at least one (1) case study for a completed project of similar size and scope to the House s. The case study should include a description of the client s environment prior to implementation, the system configuration provided by the Respondent, a list of features and applications included in the configuration, the total cost of the system provided by the Respondent, and the schedule for implementation. B. System Architecture 1. Clearly identify the trade name of the solution the Respondent would recommend for the House. 2. Identify the industry standards with which the recommended solution complies. 3. Describe all of the hardware and software components of the Respondent s recommended system, including all system components. Include a system-level diagram showing how the components are integrated. a. Clearly identify any proprietary components. b. What components, if any, must be provided by the House? c. May the House provide the server hardware required? If so, describe the preferred server configuration(s). 4. Describe in detail the level of interoperability proven between the Respondent s system and other vendors systems, in particular PeopleSoft. a. Can the Respondent s system be integrated with PeopleSoft? Fully describe any limitations or lost functionality resulting from integration with a different vendor s Financial Enterprise Application. b. Has the Respondent ever integrated their software with PeopleSoft? If yes, when and with what company or organization? c. What/Where does the Respondent see as the key integration points between the Respondent s proposed solution and PeopleSoft recognizing that a fully integrated PeopleSoft solution currently exists for financials and purchase orders? d. Confirm that Respondent s solution will be able to maintain compatibility with system upgrades and new releases of the software listed and new releases of the software listed above, such as PeopleSoft

6 5. What is the availability of the Respondent s system, in terms of percent, in either a centralized and distributed configuration. a. What redundancy options exist for each component of the recommended system? b. Clearly describe the failover procedures for all redundant components. c. Please describe the recapture capability for failed procedures. Please identify how the data is restored to normal operation after repairs are completed and the recapture rate for lost data. 6. Describe how the Respondent s solution will scale to accommodate future growth. a. What is the maximum number of users that can be supported? 7. Describe the licensing structure for all components of the Respondent s solution. C. System Features 1. Table - Complete the following table by checking Yes or No for each System Feature identified. SYSTEM FEATURE YES NO COTS? Requires development? Configurable? Has system been integrated with PeopleSoft previously? Can be integrated with PeopleSoft? Web based? Leading edge Best Practices? 2. General - Provide a list of all available features of the system. Clearly identify which features are off-the-shelf or which would require configuration. Please identify features that are not included in Respondent s solution and which would require customization. Features should address the following functional areas: 3. Planning Phase Describe how Respondent s system facilitates the traditional procurement planning process including the identification of future procurement actions and the tracking of those actions during the course of the year. Typical requirements would include: a. Standard template for use in recording anticipated procurements; b. Ability to sort and query on different fields; and c. Linking, cross-referencing and tracking entries on the Plan with individual procurement actions as they are initiated, processed and awarded. 4. Publicizing Procurements The House currently publicizes solicitations through FedBizOpps as well as posting the full solicitation on our homepage at Describe how the Respondent s system could be used to manage these postings to ensure the sites have current and accurate information and the posting is removed at a designated time. 5. Solicitation Phase Describe how Respondent s system would automate the development of the solicitation document to include: 4

7 a. A menu-driven approach to building solicitations from the bottom up that provides the capability to differentiate between types of products or services being purchased as well as the types of solicitation (IFB, RFP, RFQ, RFI) - somewhat akin to the methodology employed in Tax Return software for preparing income tax returns. b. The use of templates as feasible to ensure consistency, standardization and completeness; c. Electronic access to contract clauses (both General and Special) and other boilerplate included in a solicitation as well as the manner in which such boilerplate is integrated into the solicitation document; d. Full electronic capability to both download solicitations and upload proposals and appropriate level of tracking and reporting as to status; e. Access to and use of the vendor database within PeopleSoft; f. Appropriate levels of security control for access, viewing and protecting confidential and proprietary information; g. Contract numbering system; and h. Tracking capability. 6. Evaluation and Award Phase During the formal evaluation process, vendors proposals are received and evaluated to determine which proposal will be selected for award. Describe how the Respondent s system would automate the evaluation process to include: a. Access to vendor past performance and overall good standing by ready links to standard reports and websites where such information is available. b. Capability to conduct evaluations through a secure, online process that is integral to the overall software solution. c. Links to multiple databases to assess contractor financial stability and past performance history; and d. Interface to PeopleSoft for the purpose of creating the obligating event in PeopleSoft. 7. Contract Administration Once a contract is awarded, the management of that contract is assumed by the Contracting Officer s Representatives (COR) in the various business units. The COR is designated by letter and has a dotted line to the Contracting Officer. For the most part, CORs perform their duties and responsibilities as a collateral function. a. The COR is responsible for: i. Coordinating contractor personnel site entry with security and ensuring that House furnished property is available if required. ii. Monitoring the contractor s production or performance progress; notifying the contractor in writing of deficiencies observed during surveillance and reporting to the Contracting Officer incidents of faulty or nonconforming work, delays or problems. iii. Maintaining liaison and direct communications with the contractor. All written communications with the contractor are signed as Contracting Officer s Representative with a copy furnished to the Contracting Officer iv. Ensuring that the contractor performs the requirements of the contract terms, conditions, and specifications. v. Consulting with the Contracting Officer on any proposed changes to the contract performance prior to initiating any such discussions with the contractor. 5

8 vi. Performing inspections, requiring the contractor to correct all deficiencies; performing acceptance for the House; recording inspections and acceptance, and ensuring that distribution of that information is made to the Contracting Officer. vii. Reviewing and approving/disapproving deliverables under the contract within the required timeframe specified within the contract and in accordance with the Contract Administration Plan, if applicable. viii. Routing contractor invoices for certification and payment within 30 days of receipt of invoice except in cases where invoices are contested and/or substantial billing/invoice reconciliation is required before invoice acceptance. ix. Completing Vendor Performance Evaluations (VPE) on an annual basis, at a minimum, and upon contract completion or termination. x. Maintaining a file which contains all documents, including internal correspondence, related to the monitoring of the contract including a record of any actions taken by the contractor and the House during contract performance. Upon completion of the contract, the COR file shall be merged with the official contract file maintained by the Procurement Department. xi. Turning over all records pertaining to this contract to the successor COR if this COR designation is terminated for any reason before completion of the contract, and to notify me that you have taken such action. b. Describe how Respondent s system would bring standardization, uniformity and comprehensiveness to the Contract Administration Phase of the acquisition life cycle while providing the flexibility to accommodate the differences from one contract to the next. c. How does the Respondent s system give the Contracting Officer and the COR the ability to monitor contractor completion progress with spending levels so the amount of work remaining and available funds remain in balance? d. What capabilities does the Respondent s system have for assisting the COR in the performance of his/her duties, including i. Contract Administration Plan; ii. Quality Surveillance Assurance Plan; iii. Monitoring costs; iv. Tracking invoices; v. Milestone date tracking; vi. Tracking deliverables; and vii. Alert notifications of key events, milestone dates or funding levels? 8. Modifications/Changes The House desires a solution that maintains continuity of each contract through multiple modifications and changes. The goal is to be able to look at each contract in its entirety, not as individual changes and modifications that fall outside the contract umbrella. a. Describe how the Respondent s system processes and tracks modifications to contracts. b. Describe how the Respondent s system tracks individual modification funding performance as well as the total contract value. c. Describe how the Respondent s system can be used to manage an entire contract and how the pieces of the procurement process are assembled, coordinated and tracked for each contract. 6

9 9. Reporting The House requires a robust, real-time reporting system that includes: a. Access to procurement status by business unit customers, procurement staff and procurement management; b. Workload management reporting; c. Performance metrics; d. Monitoring of key milestone dates; e. Funding status; f. Full query and drill down capability; and g. Standard reporting. 10. Workflow The House currently uses the PeopleSoft workflow process to approve procurement requests. Contracting Officers within Procurement Management are authorized to award contracts that fall within their delegated level of contracting authority. a. Describe the Respondent s workflow model. b. How does the Respondent s solution can be used to process approvals, denials and cancellations? c. How does the Respondent s system notify stakeholders of approvals or denials? 11. Content/Document Management a. How does the Respondent s system manage documents associated with the acquisition life cycle? b. How does the Respondent s system manage the supporting documentation that accompanies any procurement (e.g., statement of work, sole source justification, etc.) and incorporate those documents into the contract file? c. How are contract files and COR files organized, indexed and filed? d. How are documents located and retrieved? e. Is the Respondent s document management system integrated with your software system or is it a standalone system? f. Please provide the names of any Content Management Systems with which the Respondent s software is currently integrated. g. How does the Respondent s system eliminate the need for paper files yet still preserve documents for ready access as needed? D. Security 1. Describe how the Respondent s system authenticates users. 2. How will the Respondent s system manage the interface between the House s internal network and the outside world to ensure that no unauthorized user is able to gain access? 3. How will the Respondent s system integrate with existing network security devices such as the House s SecureLogic firewall and proxy servers? 4. What method of encryption is used by the Respondent s system? What information is encrypted? With which government security guidelines does the Respondent s system comply? 7

10 E. Implementation Approach 1. Describe your implementation process. 2. Describe your approach to successfully training the House s end users. 3. Describe your approach to successfully training the House s system administrators. 4. Describe the key elements of testing and systems acceptance plan. 5. What resources would you expect the House to provide prior to, during and after implementation? 6. How long should the House expect for the implementation of a new Contract Management System? Provide a high level Gantt chart including, but not limited to the following tasks. a. Configuration b. Integration c. Implementation d. Testing e. Training F. System Administration 1. Does Respondent s solution require a Systems Administration? 2. If a Systems Administrator is required, what are the functions? G. Service and Support 1. Describe the system s warranty options. 2. Describe the Respondent s support organization s structure, specifically noting their presence in Washington, DC, the Respondent s ability to provide on-site technical and functional support on Capitol Hill. 3. Describe the trouble resolution process from reporting a problem through resolution, including response times and notifications/updates that would be provided to the House. 4. Describe the approach to scheduled and preventative maintenance. 5. Describe the software and system upgrade approach, frequency and cost, including the approximate number of software upgrades and patches released each year and any impact they have on the availability of the system. 6. Provide samples of system performance reports that are included with the system and define how often these reports would be delivered to the House. 7. Does your solution include an Enterprise Management server? If so, a. Describe the hardware and software needed? b. Can the server be virtualized? c. Describe the tools required to proactively monitor and ensure network health and performance and analyze and report system faults. d. Does your Enterprise Management solution support centralized scheduled upgrades? If so: i. Describe the steps required to upgrade the proposed solution to the latest software release. ii. Do upgrades require down time? 8

11 iii. Can upgrades be performed remotely? e. Describe how failures affect the Enterprise Management Server, including: i. Server database corruption on the network component s database(s) and recovery management server failure for network administration. ii. Management server failure for end user capabilities. f. Discuss system interoperability with other commercial, off-the-shelf system management platforms. H. Business Case Critical to the House s decision on whether to proceed with an RFP for a Contract Management System is the House s ability to justify the expense. Therefore, based on the experienced gained with other customers, Respondents are requested to provide a narrative response to the following questions. 1. Why should the House implement the Respondent s system? 2. What makes the Respondent s system different from competitors? 3. What would be required to integrate your software with PeopleSoft? 4. Given what the Respondent knows about the House, what is your strongest case for selecting your system? 5. What should the House realistically budget to purchase and implement your system? 9

12 IV. DISCLAIMER This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a solicitation. Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the House to form a binding contract. Respondents are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. Respondents needing confidential treatment for any proprietary information they furnish must comply with the SEC s confidential treatment regulations at 17 C.F.R Responses to this RFI will not be returned. Respondents will not be notified of the result of the review. 10

13 V. HOW TO RESPOND Respondent questions may be submitted via to Toinetta Bridgeforth at up to 4:00 PM on Thursday, July 28, No additional questions will be accepted after that time. Questions and answers will be published to all Respondents by close of business July 29, Please submit your response to this RFI via to Toinetta Bridgeforth not later than 4:00 PM on August 11, Responses are limited to 25 pages. Responses shall follow the same numbering scheme as defined in Section III of this RFI, and all numbered items in Section III of this RFI shall be addressed in the responses. For each of the system features described in Section III, Respondents are to clearly indicate whether that capability exists in the proposed solution by indicating Included or Custom. 11