REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS #66-160020 SB University of North Carolina at Charlotte Purchasing Department Reese Building, 3 rd Floor 9201 University City Boulevard Charlotte, North Carolina 28223-0001 Issue Date: September 25, 2015 Due Date: Tuesday, October 13, 2015 @ 2:00 PM IT Assessment for Business Affairs This addendum is issued to present all questions posed about this solicitation and their respective answers. Q.) Can you provide a copy of the IT five-year master plan? A.) The master plan can be found at: http://itmasterplan.uncc.edu/itmasterplan Q.) Will RFP? A.) Yes. ADDENDUM #3 the vendor that created the IT Master Plan be allowed to bid on the abovementioned Q.) On page 5, it indicates that the scope of work is to include IT staff in the Division of Business Affairs (BA) and work not providedd by the central IT organization (ITS), however on page 6, it indicates the project is to include staff allocatedd to each divisional IT unit (whether they are funded by the provider s financial allocation or the central IT organization). Can you explain? Is the study to include both BA and ITS staff? A.) The study does not include ITS staff unless a particular ITS employee is dedicated full-time to the support of Business Affairs. We do not believe there are any such dedicatedd ITS staff at this time. How many employees and job titles fall within the scope of work? A.) 27 employees; 9 different job titles. Are any employees that fall within this scope of work represented by a bargaining agreement or association? A.) No, but virtually all of the in-scope employees are covered by the State Personnel Act of North Carolina. Q.) Can you provide organizational charts (both BA and ITS)? A.) The ITS org chart can be found here: http://itservices.uncc.edu/department-list/department- subsites here: http://businessaffairs.uncc.edu/ list The org charts for the business units in Business Affairs can be found on the appropriate 1
Q.) The number of stakeholders that would need to be included will vary significantly if the assessment involves ITS staff. Approximately how many stakeholders does UNC Charlotte envision providing input into this process? A.) The number of stakeholders to interview should be in the range of 30 to 50. Q.) Various aspects of the scope of work can be interpreted in many ways. Page 6, for example, requests the creation of a service catalog and application inventory. These alone can be significant projects since an application inventory could include elements such as version number; database type, name and version; physical or virtual server location; development language; and maintenance and support status while a fully matured service catalog would contain information on ownership/accountability; service level agreement; cost; and performance. To enable prospective vendors the opportunity to prepare comparable proposals, can UNC Charlotte share the approved budget for this project? A.) The budget for this project has not yet been finalized. Q.) Who are UNC Charlotte s peer organizations for the purpose of benchmarking? A.) The following peer organizations participated in benchmarking for the IT Master Plan: University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Portland State University, Georgia State University and University of Texas Arlington. Q.) Does UNC Charlotte anticipate that the selected consultant would engage students who may use IT services in this assessment? Q.) What is UNC Charlotte s desired schedule for this project? A.) Could possibly start as early as sometime in November; we do not wish to speculate on an end date. Q.) How many different campuses or locations are in scope? Are they all located within Charlotte? A.) UNC Charlotte s main campus located at 9201 University City Blvd is the sole scope of this project. Q.) Has UNC Charlotte s Division of Business Affairs previously commissioned a similar external consulting project for IT? If so, how long ago, and how may we access it? This is the first such project. Q.) The RFP states that consultants should engage as many key stakeholders as possible. Whom do you consider key stakeholders? If possible, please provide a list. A.) Key stakeholders are employees directly providing service, their supervisors, unit heads, and representatives of key user groups. Q.) May we assume that UNC Charlotte Central IT will make personnel available for meetings and information gathering during this study? A.) Yes. The central IT organization s leadership (CIO) is aware of and supports this project. His personnel will be available. 2
Q.) Should we assess the Division of Business Affairs satisfaction with enterprise-wide tools, such as Banner? If yes, please list all applications that fall into this category and thus should be assessed. While the RFP calls for an inventory of applications supported by Business Affairs, a formal application portfolio review/assessment is not intended to be in-scope. Q.) Should the consultant assess the relationship between UNC Charlotte s Division of Business Affairs and the UNC System IT Division (Chapel Hill)? A.) No, this is not in-scope. Q.) Please describe the reporting relationships of central BA IT staff and distributed BA IT staff. How many BA IT staff are there? To whom do they report? How many report to each supervisor? If some report to multiple supervisors, please describe those sets of reporting relationships and the number of BA IT staff in each. A.) All personnel in Business Affairs with an IT job classification are, by definition, distributed IT staff. There are 27 employees in five different business units in 9 different job titles. The reporting structure varies by business unit. Q.) In order to optimize the manner in which the Division of Business Affairs manages IT, one needs a broader understanding of the IT services provided across the University (i.e., from both inside and outside the Division). Does UNCC anticipate that the selected consultant would be provided or would be responsible for gathering IT financial and personnel resource allocations of units outside the Division in order to place the Division's IT allocation in context? Are these personnel resources known and have they been specifically identified and assessed as to where their effort is applied? Our experience indicates that in higher education, titles do not necessarily represent the full scope of a position's responsibilities or activities. A.) It is anticipated that the primary area of focus will be Business Affairs IT staff. The working relationship / separation of responsibilities with the central IT organization is secondary. A full accounting of distributed IT in other Divisions is not expected to be required or material to this project. Q.) Approximately how many FTEs are currently within the Division of Business Affairs? A.) 675 Q.) Approximately how many IT FTEs are currently within the Division of Business Affairs? A.) 27 Q.) Approximately how many FTEs are currently within UNCC s central ITS unit? A.) 129 full-time positions, 17 of which are vacant at present. Q.) Are there currently any firms conducting IT consulting work at UNCC? A.) Yes. Q.) Did an external vendor assist ITS in creating the University IT Master Plan? A.) Yes. 3
Q.) Have Project Steering Committee membership already been defined? Q.) Who is included on the Project Steering Committee and who is the Chair? A.) the Steering Committee has not been defined yet. The Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs (the Project Sponsor) will likely chair the Committee. Q.) Does Business Affairs expect a to-be person-by-person organizational chart at the conclusion of the project? A.) For any staff in IT job classifications in Business Affairs, yes. Q.) Does Business Affairs expect re-written position descriptions at the conclusion of the project? A.) This is a welcome inclusion, but not a required deliverable. Q.) As stated in Section 14 of the solicitation, The University encourages participation by underutilized businesses. How would the University like this to be shown or stated? Is a statement in the proposal sufficient, or should the Offeror include documentation from a state or Federal entity (e.g. Small Business Administration) that an underutilized business designation has been assigned to the Offeror company? A.) Completion of the Vendor Information Form included in the solicitation document along with any HUB designation documentation is all that is required. Q.) Who is the auditor main point of contact for the duration of this effort? A.) A UNCC project manager will serve as the main point of contact for the duration of the project. Q.) Generally, is this an IT Infrastructure (Enterprise Architecture) review as well, or just a staff allocation and management review? A.) No, this is explicitly not an IT Infrastructure (Enterprise Architecture) review. This project is about IT staff in Business Affairs, the services they provide, the functions they support, and how they are organized. Q.) Can we have information on the desired delivery timeframe? Does the University require final guidance by a specific date to allow for appropriate vetting to start the change management at a defined point in time? There is mention of a public meeting to deliver final recommendations. Is there a date for that public meeting at this point? A.) Could possibly start as early as sometime in November; we do not wish to specify an end date. 4
Q.) Does current Business Affairs IT and Central IT leadership support this effort with bringing an external auditor to examine their division allocations, or is this an audit that will face difficulties gathering and organizing information from IT departments? (Helps set level of effort required to garner information required for deliverables) A.) Yes, this project is supported by management in both Business Affairs and Central IT. It is not anticipated that the consultant will encounter any material difficulties gathering information because of the attitudes or willingness of staff to participate and cooperate. Q.) Does the Business Affairs division have a preferred audit methodology? If so, what is the methodology? A.) Business Affairs does not have a preferred methodology. Q.)What is the estimated length of effort the Business Affairs has anticipated for this audit and findings? A.) The engagement could possibly start as early as sometime in November; we do not wish to specify an end date. Q.) Beyond the questions for be answered, are there other questions/items the Business Affairs is looking to address with this effort? Q.) Does the Human Resource department maintain standard job classifications with matching job expectations? A.) Yes. Q.) Does the Human Resource department maintain/facilitate professional development programs for IT staff members? A.) A variety of professional development is available to staff and provided by HR, UNCC Continuing Education, professional/software vendor conferences, etc. Q.) Does the Business Affairs Division have results from service/user support questionnaires or surveys regarding IT services and how they are being provided to the user community? A.) Not for this effort. Q.) Significant and material turnover in both the centralized and distributed IT areas is stated in the RFP. Is it possible to gain more insight into what significant and material turnover consists of? That is, what is/has changed? A.) It is just what it sounds like. In the previous 3 to 4 years there has been significant turnover in both IT leadership (CIO, AVCs, Directors, Managers) as well as rank-and-file IT personnel. Q.) An assumption that the Division s current mix of distributed IT services, functions, and staff is not optimally organized and effective is stated in the RFP. What is the supporting evidence this is true? A.) Experience with decentralized and unevenly effective server administration, difficulty making enterprise system improvements (i.e. access control), and highly localized skills for utilizing specialty software. 5
Q.) On Page 6 of the RFP, Scope of Work, Part One Detailed, Division-wide Assessment of Current IT Services Offered by Business Affairs Distributed IT Units is stated. This is one division correct? Meaning, only one division IT department involved? A.) Yes. The project scope is IT services and personnel in the Division of Business Affairs. But note that there is no IT department per se in Business Affairs. IT staff are housed in, and report to, the various business units in Business Affairs. Q.) Gather data to identify the financial resources dedicated to IT functions that are allocated to each business unit within the Division and how those resources are being used is stated in the RFP. Is this data documented in some form or another, or will consultant be required to identify and document from scratch? Basically, is this gather and organize, or identify, document and organize? A.) UNCC personnel will provide the basic data. Some analysis and interpretation of the data will be necessary to gain a clear understanding of how financial resources are allocated. Q.) Gather data to identify the personnel resources allocated to each Divisional IT unit (whether they are funded by that provider s financial allocation or the central IT organization) and the services provided by these dedicated personnel is stated in the RFP. Is this data documented in some form or another, or will consultant be required to identify and document from scratch? How many staff position approximately are estimated in this effort? A.) Identifying the IT staff in Business Affairs is straightforward. Cataloging the services provided by those resources has not been done to-date and is not as straightforward. We do not believe there are any IT resources in other Divisions who are dedicated to Business Affairs. Q.) Create a comprehensive and detailed IT service and function catalog of applications owned by Business Affairs including the specific central and/or distributed IT unit who is responsible for each item in the catalog is stated in the RFP. Does a service catalog exist? If so, may we receive a copy? A.) No, a service catalog does not exist. Q.) What is the estimated of number of services the Business Affairs division is expected to be included in the catalog (does not require to be exact)? A.) Unknown. Q.) As stated in the RFP, Examples of questions to be answered by the assessment: To which IT services and functions are personnel and financial resources allocated within Business Affairs? To which IT services and functions are personnel and financial resources allocated within the central IT organization? Are there additional questions or items that have been identified to be addressed? A.) Not beyond what is in the RFP. 6
Q.) It seems for this item, we are attempting to answer; have we hired the correct people, with the correct skills, in the correct support areas, at the correct cost, with the correct leadership, to deliver maximum business operating performance is this statement pretty much correct for this item? A.) If by correct leadership you mean organizational design, then I think you have hit the high points. Q.) As stated in the RFP, Where are the gaps and overlap? How should these inefficiencies be addressed and resolved? Is there duplication in effort not specifically intended to create redundancies? Are these questions also directed at IT infrastructure decisions and management of performance and health? A.) Those questions are not directed at IT infrastructure and, if I understand your question, not about performance of servers, databases, or applications. Q.) As stated in the RFP, Are there needs not being addressed by either the Division or central IT services? Do needs mean user support needs and technical performance needs? Will auditor be required to identify services that are not required, and to identify new systems/services that should be added? A.) Yes, in terms of IT services provided by personnel; not looking for recommendations for new software systems/applications. Q.) As stated in the RFP, Which areas of IT are at the most risk and in need of resources? Is this just focused on service support, or IT infrastructure management as well? A.) Just focused on services/applications support, not IT infrastructure and its management. Q.) As stated in the RFP, Where should the Division focus more IT resources? Where is the Division focusing too many resources? What IT services/functions are provided but no longer needed? Is auditor also to identify IT services that should be added? A.) Yes, as appropriate. Q.) As stated in the RFP, Part Two Division-wide Needs Assessment: Benchmark the BA Divisional IT services, functions, and procedures and the support provided by the University s centralized IT organization against best practices in higher education. Will Business Affairs provide best practices, or should auditor provide best practices? A.) The auditor should provide best practices. Q.) As stated in the RFP, Determine current and future services and functions that are needed to support the University s mission and to create efficiencies. Will Business Affairs share current business plan; and historical and projected budget allocation? A.) Institutional and Business Affairs plans are available on the UNC Charlotte website; budget data will be provided to the awarded Consultant. Q.) As stated in the RFP, Identify needs that key stakeholders in Business Affairs and central IT report as having little to no existing IT support. Prioritize these gaps in order of high need to low need according to the Contractor s professional knowledge of best practices and the depth 7
to which key stakeholders place importance. Who is currently maintaining a list of needs relative to have little to no IT support? If it does exist, may we receive a copy? A.) Such a list does not exist. The vendor will need to uncover unmet need (if it exists) via stakeholder interviews. Q.) As stated in the RFP, Identify services and functions that may not engender or contribute to risk but will achieve greater efficiency as well as those that are not currently offered but are identified as needs by key stakeholders and through benchmarking. This is a very general statement; Does Business Affairs have a little more information or guidance on this bullet? Q.) As stated in the RFP, Part Three Map and Define an Optimal Organizational Design for Divisional IT: Consider the needs identified in Parts 1 and 2 above that could be better served if changes were made to Business Affairs organizational design with respect to personnel in IT career band designations and either validate the existing organizational structure of those personnel or provide a detailed proposal for changes to the organizational design of those resources within Business Affairs. Generally, for optimal performance of an organization, many technical underpinning must be addressed along with organizational change; does the Business Affairs Division expect technical hardware/software infrastructure delivery changes that support organizational change? Generally, the central IT unit manages hardware and software infrastructure. These issues have been addressed by the IT Master Plan and are not in scope for this engagement. Q.) As stated in the RFP, Part Four Change Management: Provide a detailed Change Management plan for any proposed changes or additions to human or financial resource allocations and organization. The way this is worded, it seems the Business Affairs Division would like to focus on human and financial resources for the change management recommendations. Many times, technical delivery must be address to allow for optional organizational performance. Is a technical change management plan wanted/required as well? A.) Yes, if appropriate. Q.) On Page 10, Evaluation Criteria Project Methodology 40% Include a detailed schedule of how the work described in the Scope will be completed. Include a detailed organizational plan for meeting all requirements involved with the Scope of this project. Does the Business Affairs Division have a preferred methodology and/or one that has served them well in the past? A.) UNCC generally adheres to the PMI methodology for project management but that is not a requirement. If the vendor has a proprietary methodology they are free to use it. 8
Q.) On Page 10, Evaluation Criteria Project Timeline & Resources 20% Proposed time frame to complete the project and deliver results to the University. Explanation of any disruption to University activities. Detailed list of any additional University resources that are expected to be needed to complete the project (dedicated space, office equipment, etc.). It will be required to have access the IT leadership for both Division and Central IT to determine staff assignments, staff organizational development, service alignment, cost (budget) allocation, issue tracking, service architecture, project staff hires/replacement, staff at risk (underperforming staff members) and staff incentives. Will the leadership of the IT departments be available? And it is assumed this information is available, is that assumption correct? A.) Yes, and yes. Q.) How many applications does the Division estimate having? Of these, how many are in scope for the current state assessment? A.) Unknown. Q.) Has there been a previous RFP like this before, if so how long ago? A.) The university-wide IT Master Plan three (3) years ago was in some respects similar. Q.) Is there a preference for a local organization? A.) A locally based organization is not a requirement, but there should be some level of physical presence during the engagement. Q.) Will the current IT contractor submit a response for this RFP? A.) They will certainly be allowed to, but we have no way of knowing their plans. Q.) Can you say anything about what needs optimized? A.) The project is to determine the current and optimal future state roles, responsibilities, duties, etc. of the distributed IT staff in Business Affairs and make recommendations on how those staff should be organized. We know we won t get more by paying more money, we need to be more efficient. We need to know what tasks to prioritize and who should do these tasks. We re not looking for a vendor to review our software. Q.) Can we look at outsourcing as an option? A.) Yes, it s a possibility. Q.) Concerning the 6 month delay on the previous IT Master Plan, what were the contributing factors to that delay? A.) Change in staff contributed to the delay. Struggled with human factors, UNCC is more thinly staffed than the other Universities in the UNC system. Q.) Will the vendor who receives an award under this solicitation have the ability to bid on subsequent solicitations relating to the University s Data Center needs? A.) Yes. 9
Q.) How many functions are there for the BA Division? How many distributed IT units are there within the above mentioned functions? A.) The number of functions is unknown. There are 5 distributed IT units in Business Affairs. Q.) What type of services are currently being offered by distributed IT units within the BA Division? A.) Mostly production support, software configuration, and project management. But this is by no means an exhaustive list. Q.) How many applications are used by the functions within the BA Division and what type are they? A.) Unknown. Q.) Are there plans to present the catalog of services through a portal for consumption? A.) No plans to, but that sounds like a good idea. Q.) Can benchmarking best practices bring ideas from other industries, or is the focus strictly on higher education? If higher education only, does UNCC have any specific institutions in mind? A.) Best practices from other industries are welcome. UNCC does have a list of peer institutions to share. Q.) Is there documentation on the responsibilities aligned between central IT and Business Affairs IT? Q.) Have any user satisfaction surveys or other activities been conducted? Q.) When you say lack of funds for IT growth is this strictly related to personnel expenses or is it beyond personnel? A.) The forecast for funding higher education in general in North Carolina is worrisome. The statement about a lack of funds for IT growth is a reflection of anticipated ongoing budget constraints. How those constraints will manifest in the near term is unknown. What we know is we cannot throw money at problems to try and fix them. We must allocate financial and human resources as effectively as possible. Q.) Is the institution using any specific approach to change management in Business Affairs or across the organization? Q.) Did the vendor who that created the IT Master Plan (BerryDunn) help create the scope for this project? Q.) Is this project a follow-up recommendation from the IT Master Plan findings? 10
Q.) Did the vendor that worked on the IT Master Plan work with the Division of Business affairs as part of the IT Master Planning Project? If so, are there any materials/documents that can be used to the benefit of the IT assessment for the office of business affairs. A.) The IT Master Plan addresses IT across the institution. It is available online at http://itmasterplan.uncc.edu/itmasterplan Q.) Will the selected vendor be working with the vendor that is helping UNC Charlotte implement the IT Master plan (BerryDunn)? This is a separate engagement. Q.) Does the University, or Business affairs have a standing Change Management or Organizational Design function? Related, will the Universities Communication affairs group be involved? Has the open position, Director of Communications within Business Affairs, been filled? No. Not yet. Q.) Has Business Affairs performed an IT Skills Assessment? If yes; how long ago? If no; should this be included in the scope? Potentially. Q.) Are there any vendors involved with supporting one or more of the 16 initiatives within the IT Master Plan and if so, when was this work put out to bid? Q.) What are the University s expectations of the selected vendor for this engagement with respect to working with any other vendor(s) associated with or otherwise supporting the IT Master Plan? A.) This is a separate engagement. Q.) Would the selected vendor who bids on this RFP be precluded from bidding on the implementation phases or other future phases? Q.) It was acknowledged in the bidder s conference that there would some degree of connectivity between the requirements of this RFP and certain initiatives underway or planned as part of the IT Master Plan. Examples appear to include the following: -Service identification, cataloging and gap analysis - included in Section 4 - IT Service Delivery -Organization assessment, design and mapping - included in Section 5 - IT Community and Communications -Change/Communication plan for introducing the model to the University included in Section 5 - IT Community and Communications -Allocation of financial resources to IT Functions included in Section 8 - Expenditures, Funding, and Budgeting for IT 11
Can you provide a brief synopsis of progress made to date on any of the 16 initiatives or the status of any key deliverables associated with those initiatives which would support further refinement the resulting scope and requirements for this RFP? A.) IT Master Plan initiatives currently underway include: 1) Development and implementation of an enterprise technical reference model and its supporting process, 2) defining IT core behavioral competencies, and 3) establishing a university-wide IT communications model. None of the deliverables associated with these active initiatives have any substantive impact on the deliverables associated with the work defined by this RFP. Q.) The Hybrid IT Model initiative appeared to be scheduled for Q3 FY16 in the IT Master Plan. Have activities from this initiative been accelerated? If so, why? A.) No, but we recognize this engagement for Business Affairs will provide useful input for that initiative once it gets underway. Q.) As you note in the RFP, an important deliverable on this project is the development of organizational design recommendations. To what extent do you expect the selected vendor, as part of the project scope, to socialize draft recommendations with a broader group of stakeholders before finalizing the recommendations? Or, is the vendor delivering the recommendations to a small client group (e.g. the vice chancellor of business affairs) along with a PLAN for how to communicate, socialize, and implement the recommendations? A.) It is anticipated that the vendor will get input from stakeholders and make recommendations to the Project Steering Committee (membership TBD) and Project Sponsor (the Vice Chancellor for Business Affairs.) Q.) When a vendor is selected, do you expect the vendor, at what level do you expect mapping to be done by role or by individual? A.) Primarily by role, but there will be obvious correlation to individuals. Q.) Is the organizational review limited to assessing the mix and number of roles, or does it expend to a focus on compensation levels? A.) If compensation levels are material to adequately staffing to meet the needs of the division then it is in scope. Q.) Of the roughly 650 employees in the Business Affairs Division (according to your recorded pre-bid conference), please provide the number of Business Affairs employees providing Information Technology support services within the Business Affairs Division. We heard conflicting information during the call, one person reporting 30 and another reporting 100. Do all of the IT support personnel report up through the Technology Operations and Planning (TOP) group? If not, please describe the number and reporting relationships for the IT support staff not reporting up through the TOP group. A.) As of the time of this writing, there are 27 staff in IT career bands in Business Affairs. (The 100 number you heard was referring to the Central IT department.) No, only 6 of the 27 staff, including the Director, are in TOP. The remaining 21 staff are in Financial Services, Business Services, HR, and Facilities Management. 12
Q.) Please describe the stakeholders/end-users who are supported by the IT staff within the Business Affairs Division. Please specify whether or not the Business Affairs IT staff support stakeholders outside of the Business Affairs Division, and if so, please describe those stakeholders and the IT support provided by the Business Affairs IT staff. A.) A complete list of stakeholders outside of Business Affairs does not exist. Creating that list is part of this engagement. Q.) Please describe how the IT staff in the Business Affairs Division works with or interfaces with the UNC Charlotte enterprise IT support staff. Please provide an overview of how their roles differ. A.) Varies by group/department. Q.) Please provide a list of the current projects being supported by the IT staff within the Business Affairs Division. A.) A complete list does not exist. Creating that list is part of this engagement. Q.) Please provide a list of the business applications (along with a brief description for each) in the division s business applications portfolio that are supported by the IT staff in the Business Affairs Division. A.) A complete list does not exist. Creating that list is part of this engagement. Q.) Please provide the 2015-2016 budget for the Business Affairs division and the budget for the IT function within the Business Affairs division. A.) The budget for IT in Business Affairs is not available. Q.) Please clarify the content requirements for the comprehensive and detailed IT service and function catalog. A.) The project is to determine the current and optimal future state roles, responsibilities, duties, etc. of the distributed IT staff in Business Affairs and make recommendations on how those staff should be organized. Q.) RFP page 3, General Instructions for Submitting Proposals, Section 1. Exceptions states that all responses shall be controlled by the (RFP contract) terms and conditions and the submission of other terms...as part of an offeror s response will be waived. And, a bidder specifically agrees to the conditions by signature to the proposal. However RFP Page 11, Execution of Proposal paragraph 3 in bold indicates exceptions can be submitted and would be reviewed. Will the University consider changes, additions or clarification requests to the terms and conditions included in the RFP from the selected vendor? A.) Changes, additions and clarifications will be considered, but preference will be given to responses that accept North Carolina s terms without exception or addition. 13
Q.) RFP Page 14, North Carolina General Contract Terms and Conditions, requested addition - A limitation of liability is a standard provision in a contract of this type in the industry. Will the University negotiate into an awarded Contract a reasonable limitation of liability which caps direct damages and includes a mutual disclaimer of indirect (consequential) damages? A.) The University will consider this, but again, preference will be given to responses that accept North Carolina s terms without exception or addition. Q.) RFP Page 14, North Carolina General Contract Terms and Conditions, requested addition - It is usually industry practice to disclaim implied warranties in favor of negotiating an express performance warranty. Will the University agree to a disclaimer of implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for particular purpose? A.) Given the nature of this solicitation, an express performance warranty will be considered. Q.) RFP Page 15, North Carolina General Contract Terms and Conditions, requested addition Will the University add a clause that a) clarifies that both Vendor and the University will retain ownership of pre-existing intellectual property, and b) provides ownership of deliverables produced under any resulting agreement to the University with a royalty-free license for Vendor to use any non-confidential deliverables for its own business use? A.) This is a reasonable request and the University will consider its addition. Q.) RFP Page 15, North Carolina General Contract Terms and Conditions, Provision 10. Confidentiality - Would the University agree to clarifying and adding to this provision by including a definition for Confidential Information, a set of industry-standard exceptions to a duty to protect Confidential Information, and a requirement that both parties use reasonable care to protect Confidential Information of the other party? A.) This is a reasonable request and the University will consider its addition. Q.) Has an IT Service Catalog been created for the University, as contemplated in Section 4.3 of the May 2014 IT Master Plan? If so, can a copy of it be provided for consideration in development of proposal responses to this RFP? Q.) Confirming that the Vice Chancellor of Business Affairs is the primary client in this engagement. Will a project coordinator be assigned to this project from the Business Affairs area? A.) A project coordinator has been assigned. Q.) In addition to the necessary onsite work, does UNCC have readily available capability for video conferencing to administrate virtual meetings, if needed? A.) Yes. Q.) In addition to the Vice Chancellor, who is the audience for the assessment findings and recommendations? Is there a larger committee outside of Business Affairs, and if so does it include centralized IT? We understand that this project is a case study for other similar projects in the enterprise. A.) The Vice chancellor will no doubt share the findings and recommendation with the Chancellor and his Cabinet. The CIO serves on the Cabinet. 14
Q.) Whereas, this project is rooted in technology, two primary components of this assessment include organizational design and change management, and a primary outcome is the building of trust in the community to provide a foundation for changes to occur. Is this a fair context summary of the project? A.) The project is to determine the current and optimal future state roles, responsibilities, duties, etc. of the distributed IT staff in Business Affairs and make recommendations on how those staff should be organized. It is entirely possible that no changes in reporting structure are needed. But if a reorganization of the IT staff is recommended (e.g. to create a new department to which all BA IT staff report), then an effective change management plan and process would be critical for success. Q.) Has UNC Charlotte s Division of Business Affairs ever commissioned a similar external consulting project for IT in the past? If so, how long ago, and how may it be accessed? A.) The IT Master Plan has some similar elements. The master plan can be found at: http://itmasterplan.uncc.edu/itmasterplan Q.) What is the expected level of participation, engagement, or cooperation by UNC Charlotte s Central IT leadership and staff in this assessment project? A.) They will be available to talk to as stakeholders. It is expected that you will find them to be willing participants. Q.) Vice Chancellor for Information Technology/Chief Information Officer reports to the Provost and is a member of the Academic Affairs Division. In what ways, if any, does this present a challenge for services required by the Division of Business Affairs? A.) UNCC is known as a lean institution in the UNC System. The primary challenge working with ITS is there is more work to do than staff to do it. This situation is not necessarily a product of ITS reporting to Academic Affairs. Q.) They use Banner as their ERP. Is satisfaction with Banner as a product or as a provided IT enterprise service something they want included within the scope of this assessment project? Q.) UNC System Office in Chapel Hill has a central system IT division, CIO, and staff. Among other services like procurement, and shared technicians, they are providing (or will soon be providing) shared Banner Hosting and Central Disaster/Recovery. Is the relationship between UNC Charlotte s Business Affairs IT and the UNC System IT division part of the necessary analysis for this assessment project? (Note: RFP speaks to relationship between BA Divisional IT and Charlotte campus central IT, but NOT UNC System Central IT). Q.) RFP mentions that results of this project will serve to advise the Vice Chancellor of Business Affairs. Is she the executive sponsor for this project? A.) Yes 15
Q.) RFP states that consulting firm will work with their Project Steering Committee. Who comprises this group? A.) The committee has not been created yet. Q.) Who will be expected to be in attendance when the final report is presented? President? Provost? CIO? Others? A.) TBD A SIGNED COPY OF THIS ADDENDUM MUST BE INCLUDED WITH YOUR BID RESPONSE COMPANY NAME DATE PRINTED NAME SIGNATURE 16