PIERCE COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) for Telephone Service (Analog Phone Service) TABLE OF CONTENTS Part 1: Introduction & RFP Timeline... 1 Part 2: General Instructions and Conditions; Supporting Documents... 2 Part 3: Requirements... 4 Part 4: Proposal... 7 Part 5: Price Proposal... 11 Part 6: Evaluation... 12 Part 7: References... 13 Part 8: Declaration... 14 PART 1: INTRODUCTION & RFP TIMELINE This Request for Proposal (RFP) documents Pierce County Library System s (PCLS, or Library) requirements for service providers to provide Analog Phone Services, complying with all terms and conditions described in this document. ESTIMATED TIMELINE February 1st, 2011 February 11, 2011, 5PM February 14, 2011, 5PM March 2, 2011, 3 PM March 25, 2011 July 1, 2011 RFP Announcement Deadline for Submission of Written Questions Question Responses posted to PCLS Web site Submissions due at Library Projected date to select vendor Targeted date for new system to go online More information about the Pierce County Library System, including its history, locations, services, programs, and budget may be found on our website at www.piercecountylibrary.org.
PART 2: GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS AND CONDITIONS; SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS a) Submission: To be considered for selection, Proposers must provide SIX (6) copies of their sealed submission along with a cover letter and summary. Submission must be addressed as follows: Pierce County Library System Attn: Kerry Nielan, IT Director 3005 112th Street East Tacoma WA 98446-2215 Sealed Response for: Analog Phone Services b) Submission Format: All submissions must be in print. Electronic versions may be included along with the printed submission. Proposers are recommended to use Microsoft Word or a compatible word processor to edit this RFP document with answers to questions and sections. Signatures are required. c) Questions about the RFP: Questions about this RFP should be directed to Kerry Nielan, IT Director, by email at knielan@piercecountylibrary.org), Fax (253) 537-4600, or in writing to Pierce County Library System, Attn: Kerry Nielan, IT Director, 3005 112th Street East, Tacoma, WA. 98446-2215. In the event that Kerry Nielan is unavailable, questions should be directed to Clifford Jo, Director of Finance & IT, at (253) 536-6500 (cjo@piercecountylibrary.org) or in writing at the address listed. The Library may delegate someone to answer submitted questions or queries. The Library reserves the right to share answers publicly and with other Proposers as deemed appropriate and necessary. Questions and answers may be posted periodically on the Library s website at http://www.piercecountylibrary.org/about-us/administration/finance/default.htm. d) Date of Submission: Sealed responses must be submitted to the Pierce County Library System at 3005 112th Street East, Tacoma, WA 98446-2215, no later than 3 PM, March 2, 2011. Submissions received late may be deemed not responsive and may not be considered, at the Library s discretion. The Library reserves the right, without penalty, to extend the date of submission and will provide due notice of such date extension, including an updated RFP schedule. e) Signatures: A corporate official who has been authorized to make such commitments must sign the submission (see Declaration in Part 8) in order for the submission to be considered. f) Withdrawal or Modification of RFP Submission: The Proposer may, without prejudice to itself, modify or withdraw its submission by written request, provided that the submission and any request is received by the Library prior to the due date of submission above. Following the withdrawal of its submission the Proposer may submit a new response provided it is received by the Library at the address and by the date as shown in the above Date of Submission. g) Modification of RFP: The Library reserves the right, without penalty, to add, remove, modify, or otherwise update the RFP, in any way the Library sees fit, provided that such modifications shall be submitted with due notice prior to the deadline for submission. h) Submission Procedures and Forms: All Proposers must comply with the specification and requirements within. Proposers may only submit one submission for consideration. Proposers may submit additional information with their submission as desired. i) RFP Takes Precedence: The contents of the submission and accompanying response of the selected Proposer, specifically including those parts that deal with contractual requirements and official published specifications may become contractual obligations, and may be made part of the final contract. Failure of the selected Proposer to accept these obligations in a purchase agreement, purchase order, delivery, or similar acquisition instrument may result in cancellation of the award. j) Rejection of Proposals: The Library reserves the right to reject any and all submissions without penalty. Any and all submissions may be rejected for any cause. Further, the Library reserves the right to cancel the project with or without reason. k) Award of Contract: The contract shall be awarded to the responsive, responsible Proposer who best meets the Library s need and interests that match requirements in Part 3 and answers in Parts 4, 5, and 7. Only one award
will be made. The Library reserves the right to waive all technicalities, irregularities and deviations of submissions from the RFP, and to be the final judge as to which submission is accepted. Award is anticipated no later than thirty (30) days of RFP closing. l) Proposer s Cost to Develop Submission: Costs for developing and presenting submissions in response to this RFP are entirely the obligation of the Proposer and shall not be chargeable in any manner to the Library. m) Contract Negotiation: The finalist will be expected to enter negotiations for pricing and other contractual terms. Failure to complete negotiations will result in disqualification of the Proposer. Upon conclusion of negotiations, the Library and Proposer may enter into a mutually agreed contractual agreement. n) Public Disclosure of Award: All proposals will be treated with confidentiality prior to award. After award of the submission, the submission will fall under the requirement by Washington State law (Chapter 42.17 RCW) that obligates the Library to make the document available for public inspection, if requested. o) Insurance: The winning Proposer shall provide a current Certificate of Insurance to the Library prior to the project s commencement date. Such Certificate shall include limits for liability, automobile, errors/omissions. The winning Proposer shall name the Library as additional insured. p) Permits: The winning Proposer shall obtain and pay for any permits and licenses required for the performance of the work, post all notices required by law, and comply with all laws, ordinances and regulations bearing on the conduct of the work, as specified herein. On any work that requires an inspection certificate issued by local authorities, National Board of Fire Underwriters, or any other governing body, such inspection certificate(s) shall be obtained by and paid for by the Proposer. Proposer shall procure all required certificates of acceptance or of completions issued by the state, municipal or other authorities and must deliver these to the PCLS. q) Damage to Premises: The successful vendor is liable and responsible for any damage to the premises (e.g., floor, walls, etc.) caused by vendor personnel or equipment during installation and is responsible for the removal of all project-related debris. r) Vendor Responsibility: Unless otherwise stipulated, vendor shall provide, and pay for, all materials, labor, tools, equipment, transportation, and other facilities necessary for the performance and completion of the work. Vendor shall verify conditions at the building, particularly door openings and passages. Any pieces too bulky for existing facilities shall be hoisted and otherwise handled with apparatus as required. s) Other Vendors: Proposer understands that a successful contract does not preclude the Library from soliciting proposals for other products or services that may assist in the implementation or support of the final system. t) Price of hardware, software, installation and maintenance shall not constitute the primary, central, or overriding reason for award of contract. After receipt of each proposal and prior to signing any contract, PCLS reserves the right to modify the system requirements by adding or deleting specific equipment or optional features and services. u) PCLS reserves the right to award a bid to the most qualified and responsible Proposer using objective criteria based on a number of factors to be used in the evaluation process. v) References: The vendor must submit three reference customers. Reference information must include company name, contact, telephone number and approximate size of installed system at each reference site. See Part 7
PART 3: REQUIREMENTS PCLS is requesting proposals for a 3 year contract to provide Analog Phone Services. Upon the successful provisioning of the services by the provider, PCLS will have Analog Phone Services that will allow the library to meet the networking objectives and goals as stated in the Information Technology Strategic Plan General Requirements This Request for Proposal (RFP) issued by the Pierce County Library System is to request proposals from E-rate eligible telecommunications services providers to provide Analog Phone Services as described below and in Table 2. The Analog Phone Services shall provide the analog phone lines as listed in Table 1 below. The network consists of a core site identified as the Processing and Administrative Center (PAC), located at 3005 112th Street E, Tacoma, WA 98446 and 17 branch locations listed in Table 1. The Proposer shall provide a response that demonstrates their ability, technical knowledge and experience in the design and implementation for the proposed services as outlined in Part 6, Evaluation. Analog Phone Line Requirements All sites indicated on Table 2 shall be fully ready for service delivery to commence at 12:00:01 a.m. on July 1, 2011. The analog lines must work with existing fax machines and security systems. VoIP phone lines are not acceptable. TABLE 1: ANALOG PHONE LINES REQUIRED Library Address City State ZIP # analog lines Bonney Lake 18501 90th St E Bonney Lake WA 98391 3 Buckley 123 S River Rd Buckley WA 98321 2 Dupont Branch 1540 Wilmington Dr Dupont WA 98327 0 Eatonville Branch 205 Center Street W Eatonville WA 98328 2 Graham Library 9202 224th Street E Graham WA 98338 2 Key Center Library 8905 Key Peninsula Highway Lakebay WA 98349 3 Lakewood Library 6300 Wildaire Rd S.W. Lakewood WA 98499 3 Milton Library 900 Meridian Ave. E., Suite 29 Milton WA 98354 2 Orting Library 202 Washington Ave S Orting WA 98360 1 Parkland/Spanaway Library 13718 Pacific Ave S Tacoma WA 98444 7 Gig Harbor Library 4424 Pt Fosdick Dr N.W Gig Harbor WA 98335 2 South Hill Library 15420 Meridian E South Hill WA 98375 2 Steilacoom Library 2950 Steilacoom Blvd Steilacoom WA 98388 2 Sumner Library 1116 Fryar Ave Sumner WA 98390 3 Summit Library 5107 112th St E Tacoma WA 98446 3 Tillicum Library 14916 Washington Ave S.W. Lakewood WA 98498 1 University Place Library 3609 Market Place West, University WA 98466 2
Suite 100 Place Processing & Administration Center 3005 112th Street E Tacoma WA 98446 7 Invoicing The Library prefers to receive discounts on bills for these services under the E-rate program at the discount rate indicated on the Funding Commitment Decision Letter. Manual bills are required to ensure accuracy and compliance with the requirements of the E-rate program. Contract This RFP may be award to multiple service providers. All phone lines ordered in the contract that results from this RFP will end on the expiration date of the contract. In the event of a library site addition or an upgrade of more phone lines, the new phone lines will also have a term of service that ends with the expiration date of the contract as described above. This proposal shall provide the incremental costs to add a new site using the final contract pricing structure. E-Rate Requirements PCLS intends to apply for universal service support under the Schools and Libraries support mechanism (E-rate program) for the services that are the subject of this RFP. Any vendor responding to this RFP must be an Eligible Telecommunications Services Provider as defined under the Federal Communication Commission s E-rate program and will be required to submit their assigned SPIN (Service Provider Identification Number) and FCC Registration Number as part of its response along with a copy of their Form 498 Service Provider Information Form. If proposer does not have a SLD SPIN number or a FCC Registration Number, proposer MUST obtain one before responding to this RFP. Proposer must also have filed a Form 498 for Funding Year 2011 To comply with E-rate requirements, the selected service provider shall maintain all records, correspondence, receipts, vouchers, memoranda and other data relating to the services provided under the resulting contract. All records referenced above and any required under the document retention requirements of the Federal Communications Commission shall be retained for at least five (5) years after the last day of the delivery of discounted services, such information shall be subject to inspection and audit by PCLS and/or SLD/USAC and/or their contractors. Pursuant to 47 CFR 54.516 the service provider shall be subject to audits and other investigations to evaluate their compliance with the statutory and regulatory requirements for the E-rate program, including those requirements pertaining to what services and products are purchased, what services and products are delivered, and how services and products are being used. The service provider shall assume responsibility for its subcontractors compliance with the FCC requirements on document retention and auditing. The service provider shall include, in all of its subcontractor agreements for Services, provisions requiring subcontractors to maintain the above-described records and allowing PCLS and/or SLD/USAC and/or their contractors the same right to inspect and audit said records as set forth herein. Service Providers shall also provide information regarding any point at which they were placed on red light status by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) either currently or at any time during the prior three E-rate funding years.
PART 4: PROPOSAL Proposers are expected to raise any questions, or additions they have concerning the RFP document as soon as they become aware of them. Any questions or requests for clarifications must be directed in writing to Kerry Nielan at knielan@piercecountylibrary.org. Any additional information or clarifications that are provided to one proposer will be provided to all proposers in the form of an addendum posted to the PCLS web site at http://www.piercecountylibrary.org. Proposers are responsible for checking this site for any addenda that may be issued. The evaluation and selection of a vendor will be based on the information submitted in the vendor s response. Elaborate proposals (i.e. expensive artwork) beyond that sufficient to present a complete and effective response are neither necessary nor desired. Include documentation to verify proposer s capacity of adequate financial support, assets, and organization to provide the products and services required in this RFP. Provide all pertinent Product and Company Literature. Provide all network drawings and references as applicable.
Vendor Qualifications Provide a brief description of the vendor, including history; number of years the vendor has been in business; type of services provided; number of years the vendor has participated in the E-rate program; and legal status of vendor organization, i.e. corporation, partnership, etc. Include additional pages as needed.
Past Projects Describe successful projects or experiences comparable to the services requested in this RFP and in environments comparable or greater in size to PCLS. Include additional pages as needed.
Proposal Describe how you propose to meet or exceed the scope of service set forth in Part 3, Requirements. This section should also describe any information that PCLS must supply and/or any other resources PCLS must supply in order for the vendor to complete the required deliverables. Include additional pages as needed.
PART 5: PRICE PROPOSAL All prices are subject to final selection and negotiation of products, services, options, warranties, and other costs necessary to successfully implement the most responsive system to PCLS needs. Respondents should clearly state their firm's pricing structure either below or on a Cost Proposal Worksheet. All fees, charges, billing rates, etc. should be explained in detail. Include all non-recurring & installation charges (as applicable) and monthly charges for a 3 and a 5 year term. Each item must be identified as E-rate eligible or ineligible. Charges must be tied to deliverables, which must be identified. Include additional pages as needed.
PART 6: EVALUATION A PCLS evaluation committee will be established to evaluate proposers responses to each of the RFP requirements. Proposals should be complete. However, after opening of responses, PCLS reserves the right to waive irregularities in any proposal and/ or, to request clarifying information it deems appropriate from one or more respondents. Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria: Criteria Description Points Cost Pricing of proposed eligible services 50% Qualifications/Experience Experience in providing requested services 20% to similar entities. Responsiveness Clarity, completeness, and relevance of 20% vendor s response. References Satisfaction of past customers. 10% PCLS reserves the right to determine which vendor in its sole judgment best meets the Library s needs. Winning Proposer will be notified of intent to award.
PART 7: REFERENCES Provide a list of three (3) similar projects your company has provided to clients within the last 3 years. Include names, addresses, and phone numbers of clients for whom work was done, placing particular emphasis on services provided to libraries or public sector organizations. Company: Address: Contact: Phone: Project Size of System: Web site link: Company: Address: Contact: Phone: Project Size of System: Web site link: Company: Address: Contact: Phone: Project Size of System: Web site link:
PART 8: DECLARATION Company Name: Authorized Representative: Title: Address: Phone Number: Fax Number: Email Address: Website Address: The undersigned Proposer declares to have read and fully understand the request for qualifications and agrees to all of the terms, conditions, and provisions contained therein; and proposes and agrees that if this proposal as submitted is accepted, Proposer will contract to perform in accordance with the specifications and proposals. Signature of Authorized Representative Date