Information Technology Support Services Request for Proposals
October 24, 2014 Re: REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS for IT Support Services Dear Vendors: The Village of River Forest, Illinois is accepting sealed proposals for information technology (IT) support services for the operation, management and maintenance of the Village s computer network and systems (hardware, software and network connectivity). The RFP document is available on the Village s website at http://www.vrf.us/ or at Village Hall at the following address: Village of River Forest 400 Park Avenue River Forest, IL 60305 Proposal instructions are contained in Section 3 of the Request for Proposals (RFP) document. Please provide the requested information in the prescribed written format. Failure to comply with the prescribed format may result in disqualification. Notice of Intent to Propose: All vendors who wish to propose in response to this RFP must notify the Village in writing no later than 5:00 p.m., November 10, 2014 Questions: All questions must be received by 5:00 p.m., November 17, 2014. Questions received after this deadline will not be accepted. Proposals Due: One (1) original, and one (1) electronic copy on CD or USB flash drive of your Proposal must be received no later than 3:00 p.m., December 1, 2014. Thank you for your participation. We look forward to reviewing your proposal. Sincerely, Lisa Scheiner Assistant Village Administrator 2
1. Objectives and Selection Process Schedule... 4 Purpose... 4 Objective... 4 General Process and Schedule... 4 2. Proposal Evaluation... 5 Evaluation Criteria... 5 Evaluation Process... 5 3. Proposal Requirements... 6 General Proposal Instructions... 6 Proposal Format... 7 4. Village Background... 11 Village Profile... 11 Village Operations... 11 Current Technology Environment... 12 Current IT Support... 13 5. IT Support Scope of Services... 14 Overview... 14 Network Administration Services... 14 Server Administration Services... 14 Desktop Administration Services... 14 Network Security... 15 Reporting... 15 Strategic Planning... 15 IT Management... 15 Personnel... 15 Service Levels... 15 Transition/On-Boarding Service... 16 Project Implementation... 16 6. Proposal Costs... 18 3
1. Objectives and Selection Process Schedule Purpose This information was developed in a format to facilitate the preparation of responses to this Request for Proposals (RFP) and the subsequent evaluation of the responses. The requirements noted in this RFP are designed to assist in the selection of the vendor that best meets the Village s needs. Objective The objective of the Village of River Forest is to contract with an IT support services vendor. The Village is interested in an IT outsourcing firm to function as the Village s IT Department under the direction of the Assistant Village Administrator. This document contains Village requirements and the requested format for vendor proposals. If additional alternatives are believed to be appropriate for the Village s operations, please quote them as options and include supporting justification and cost detail. General Process and Schedule Following is the current estimated selection process schedule: Estimated Selection Process Step Date(s) Release of the Request for Proposals (RFP) October 24, 2014 Final Date for Vendors to Submit Questions November 17, 2014 Date for Publishing Answers to Vendors Questions November 24, 2014 Proposals Due December 1, 2014 Final Vendor Selection December 5, 2014 Estimated Village Board Approval December 8, 2014 Estimated Implementation Start January 1, 2015 4
2. Proposal Evaluation Evaluation Criteria All proposals will be evaluated using the following criteria: References & Experience Technical Approach and Understanding of the Village s Requirements Professionalism and Completeness of Proposal Cost Evaluation Process The evaluation process will consist of a review and evaluation of proposals by a cross departmental team of Village staff. The Village s selection process will include interviews, demonstrations, reference checks, and potentially site visits. Project Cost will be evaluated based on the cost tables included in Section 6. The Village will negotiate final pricing and terms and conditions with the preferred vendor. Initial contract duration will be one year, with a Village option for two additional one year extensions. The Village reserves the right to accept the proposal that is, in its judgment, the best and most favorable to the interests of the Village, to reject the lowest price proposal, to accept any item of any proposal, to reject any and all proposals, and to waive irregularities and informalities in any proposal submitted or in the Request for Proposals process. 5
3. Proposal Requirements This section outlines the information that must be included in the Proposal. Vendors should review this list to ensure that their Proposals include all requested information prior to submission. General Proposal Instructions Notice of Intent to Propose: All vendors who wish to propose in response to this RFP must notify Lisa Scheiner, Assistant Village Administrator, by email to lscheiner@vrf.us no later than 5:00 p.m., November 10, 2014 Questions: All questions should be directed to Lisa Scheiner, Assistant Village Administrator, by email to lscheiner@vrf.us, no later than 5:00 p.m., November 17, 2014. Questions received after this deadline will not be accepted. Answers to submitted questions will be published to all vendors who confirmed their intent to propose through email on November 24. Proposals Due: One (1) original, and one (1) electronic version on a CD or USB flash drive in Word or PDF format must be received no later than 3:00 p.m., December 1, 2014 addressed to: Lisa Scheiner Assistant Village Administrator Village of River Forest 400 Park Ave. River Forest, IL 60305 Requests for extension of the submission date will not be granted unless deemed in the best interests of the Village. Vendors submitting proposals should allow for normal mail or delivery time to ensure timely receipt of their proposal. Any proposal received after the stated closing time of 3:00 PM local time will be returned unopened. If proposals are sent by mail or other carrier (UPS, FedEx, etc.) to the Clerk s Office, the vendor shall be responsible for actual delivery of the proposal to the Clerk s Office before the stated closing time. If mail or carrier service is delayed beyond the date and hour set for the closing time, proposals thus delayed will not be considered and will be returned unopened. Fax or email proposal submittals will not be accepted. 6
Proposal Format Proposals should follow the Request for Proposals format provided below. Please include a Table of Contents at the beginning of the proposal clearly outlining the contents of each section. Please provide the following sections, as a minimum: A. Cover Letter Proposal must be accompanied by a cover letter, signed by an individual authorized to bind the proposing entity. The cover letter should include an introduction of the firm and statement of professional qualifications. B. Company Data Please submit the following information: Official name and address. Name, address, and telephone number of the Proposer s point of contact. Indicate what type of entity (corporation, company, joint venture etc). Federal Employer I.D. Number. The address, and telephone number of the firm location that you plan to service this account from. A detailed statement indicating whether proposer is totally or partially owned by another business organization or individual. Number of years proposer has been in business under the present business name. Number of years of experience the proposer has had in providing required, equivalent, or related services. Any failures or refusals to complete a contract and explanation. Financial interests in other lines of business. C. Resumes and Qualifications of Personnel The Proposer shall furnish a personnel staffing plan with sufficient information for judging the quality and competence of the personnel dedicated to the account. In its assessment of the proposal, Village will place considerable emphasis on the commitment by the Proposer to provide qualified personnel for the execution of the contract. The Proposer 7
shall furnish resumes in outline form for the key personnel committed to this account. Proposer shall also include the number and type of additional support personnel who will be assigned to the project. The substitution or addition of individuals shall be allowed only with prior written approval of the Village. Resume Format: Name Position D. Organizational Chart Education Show degrees earned and certifications. Exclude company courses or information that is not relevant to the person s functional job duties. Summary of Experience In chronological order, most recent date first, summarize experience as it relates to Information Technology Support Services. Professional Memberships/Registrations Proposer shall include an organizational chart that reflects titles of key staff and management contacts of each individual assigned to provide services under this contract. E. References Proposer must provide a minimum of three (3) references that the proposer has provided similar services to within the last five (5) years. Preference will be given to government references in Illinois of similar size and scope as the Village. Include name of business, name of contact person, telephone number of contact person, description of services provided, original contract start date and contract end date (if applicable). F. Overview and Approach Understanding: Proposer must include in this section its understanding of IT Support services in a municipal setting. Approach: Proposer must include in this section its approach to providing efficient and effective IT Support services. Include proposed administrative procedures, areas of responsibility and a discussion of service delivery such as method of contact and 8
assignments, etc. Proposers should provide detailed descriptions of their approach to the following: Help Desk Support Help Desk Availability and Response Times Service-Level Metrics After-Hours Support Support Tracking Desktop Applications Support Server and Network Administration Security Administration Managed Services Technology IT Management Strategic Planning System, Software and Equipment Audits Proposer must reference all duties as listed in this scope of services document. Proposer must note any services NOT provided by their firm. Proposer shall also list any resources, Village assistance or other items expected to be provided by Village (computer, office, etc.). G. Transition / Onboarding Plan H. Reports The current provider of outsourced IT Support Services is the Village of Oak Park. Proposer must describe how they will transfer applicable knowledge from the current provider to the proposer s staff and implement their services as a part of Village operations. Proposer is required to submit samples of standard monthly reports and samples of specialized reports available to the Village. I. Compensation/Payment Schedule Proposer is required to submit their cost proposal as outlined in Section 6, proposer must state if the proposed rate is guaranteed for the term of the contract or if it is subject to adjustments. If subject to adjustments, proposer must state the frequency of adjustments and how adjustments are determined. Travel expenses will not be paid by the Village as a part of this contract. J. Alternate Proposals 9
Any potential work not included within the proposed scope of services, or which has not been mentioned in this RFP, must be clearly identified, along with a suggested basis for payment, should those services be necessary or elected by the Village. Note: All Proposals must be signed by a duly authorized official representing the vendor. Only written communication from the Village may be considered binding. The Village reserves the right to terminate the selection process at any time and to reject any or all Proposals. The contract will be awarded to the vendor whose overall Proposal best meets the requirements of the Village. The Village shall not be responsible for any pre-contract costs incurred by interested vendors participating in the selection process. The contents of each vendor's proposal shall remain valid for a minimum of 120 calendar days from the proposal due date. Vendors should provide copies of any sample contracts for outsourced IT services. Please note that all contracts are subject to negotiation. The Village of River Forest will require the vendor selected to agree to include the contents of this Request for Proposals and all representations, warranties, and commitments in the proposal and related correspondences as contractual obligations when developing final written contracts. The Village will be awarding a contract to a single vendor. The contract, estimated to be awarded in August, will be confirmed by a purchase order issued to the successful vendor. 10
4. Village Background Village Profile The Village of River Forest is a mature community located approximately 10 miles west of downtown Chicago. The Village is home to 11,172 residents, an assortment of businesses and two universities: Concordia and Dominican. The Village is bounded on its west side by the Des Plaines River and large tracts of Cook County Forest Preserves. River Forest is bordered to the east by Oak Park, to the south by Forest Park, to the north by Elmwood Park, and to the west, across the Des Plaines River, by Melrose Park and Maywood. River Forest is centrally and conveniently located in the Chicago metropolitan area and it is well served by an efficient roadway network and mass transportation system. Village Operations Operations of the Village are managed and conducted by four primary departments: Administration - Headed by the Village Administrator, this department is responsible for managing the day to day operations of the Village and oversees all other Village departments. It is the organization s primary liaison to the Village Board and is responsible for implementing the policies of the Village Board. Functions such as finance, Clerk's Office, human resources, planning and zoning, public health, legal and general administration all operate within this department. Public Works - The Public Works Department performs and oversees various services for the improvement and maintenance of Village infrastructure and rights-of-way. River Forest Public Works is comprised of the following: Buildings and Grounds, Engineering/Capital Improvement, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Operations (includes forestry, streets, and water and sewer), and administers the Solid Waste collection and disposal contract (refuse, recyclables, and yard waste). Fire - The Fire Department operates three 24 hour shifts with one Lieutenant and five firefighters per shift. Apparatus including two engines, one truck and one ambulance, respond out of a single station located at the Village Hall complex at 400 Park Avenue. Police - The Police Department is staffed with 28 sworn Police Officers including the Chief, one Deputy Chief, a Commander, five Sergeants and twenty-two Police Officers. The Police Department also employs a Community Service Officer and Records Clerk to handle non-patrol service functions and administrative functions. The West Suburban Consolidated Dispatch Center (WSCDC) is the 911 center or public safety answering point (PSAP) responsible for dispatching police, fire, and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) for the Village of River Forest. WSCDC also supports the villages of Elmwood Park and Oak Park. IT support for Police and Fire Computer-Aided Dispatch/Records Management 11
Systems (CAD/RMS) and for Mobile Data Computers (MDCs) in Village Police Cars are not in scope for this RFP. IT support for Police and Fire Services for the scope of work defined in this RFP is primarily for on-site administrative and command staff and is limited to desktops, laptops, tablets, Village administrative systems, email, and file and print services. Current Technology Environment The Village s servers and other critical network equipment are located at Village Hall. There are approximately 36 personal computers, six laptops, three multi-function copier/printers, and five physical servers. Most PCs are located at the Village Hall. The Village s website is hosted externally. The primary software in use by the Village includes the following: Village of River Forest Desktop & Server Software Windows 7 MS Office 2010 Adobe Suite MS Exchange 2010 Springbrook Version 9 (Utility Billing/ERP) Sensus Meter Reading Laserfiche (Enterprise Content Management) Esri ArcGIS (Geographic Information System) MSI Municipal Offense System (Adjudication) FileMaker Pro Symantec Backup Exec 2010 Software Sophos Anti-Spam virtual Appliance Sophos Endpoint Antivirus VMware 4.1 MS Windows Server 2008 R2 MS SQL 2008 WSUS (Windows Updates) The Village has two Internet Service Provider (ISP) connections, a Comcast Business Class and AT & T U-Verse at Village Hall. Both connections are configured for ISP redundancy and failover using a SonicWall TZ100 firewall/link balancer. Access to the Public Works and Pump Station buildings from Village Hall is through a site-to-site virtual private network (VPN) over an Internet connection. Network equipment includes an HP 1 Gbps core switch and two HP 10/100 edge switches. Wireless network access is enabled through D-Link and EnGenius wireless access points. 12
The server environment includes two Dell PowerEdge R620 servers hosting four VMware virtual server instances. The physical Dell servers are connected to a Dell PowerVault MD3200I iscsi SAN Array by two PowerConnect 5424 switches. The virtual servers host Springbrook 7 ERP, Exchange 2010, an Active Directory Domain Controller, Windows Terminal Services, and file and print services. File storage is also available through a Dell MD1000 storage array and two additional physical servers. System backups are made to a tape library using Symantec Backup Exec software. Copies of backup tapes are kept in secure off-site storage. Cell phones and mobile broadband services are managed by each Village department, and are not in the scope of services for this RFP. Support of remote access to email on cell phones and tablets (through Microsoft ActiveSync) is in scope. The Village s NEC Private Branch exchange (PBX) telephone system is managed through a separate support agreement. Video camera surveillance systems that are in place in at the Village are also managed through a separate support agreement. Current IT Support The Village does not have any IT staff. Current IT support is provided by Village of Oak Park IT Department staff through an intergovernmental agreement with the Village. Although the Village of River Forest has received value through its agreement with Oak Park, the Village is not receiving the level of support required to meet its business needs. Support is provided for about four hours a week. Oak Park IT staff receive approximately six help desk tickets each week from the Village of River Forest. It is estimated that an additional 25% of requests are handled informally. The vast majority of these tickets are regarding login issues, email/application problems, and software installs. A Help Desk ticketing system is not currently in place at the Village, so all requests are made by email. No project-related work, network improvements, or technology purchasing recommendations are provided by Oak Park. 13
5. IT Support Scope of Services Overview The Village wishes to contract with a vendor that will serve in the capacity of the IT Department, under the direction of the Assistant Village Administrator. The vendor will perform routine maintenance and updates to the system, deploy equipment and software, as well as provide a resource for both end users of the systems and management staff to ensure system integrity, reliability, and security. Strong emphasis will be placed on the vendor s ability to provide excellent technical skills, a strong customer service focus, excellent help desk staffing skills and methodologies, and customer service-oriented deployment. The following details the services to be provided to the Village: Network Administration Services Scope of activity includes all Village network equipment including switches, routers, firewalls, access points, and cabling infrastructure: Primary installation and maintenance of all network equipment; Primary maintenance including regular analysis, routine configuration changes, and installation of patches and upgrades; Monitoring and Alert notifications to vendor staff for failure or potential failure of critical equipment; Alert notifications to designated Village personnel in the event of failure; Manage and store network configuration information; Maintaining WAN and LAN networks; Maintain documentation, including policies and procedures. Server Administration Services Managing computer systems and networks to include application, database, messaging, file and print and other servers and associated hardware, software, communications, operating systems necessary for the quality, security, performance, availability, recoverability, and reliability of the system. Ensure scheduled preventive maintenance for equipment is properly and promptly performed; maintain the maintenance records on the equipment; develop operations, administrative, and quality assurance back-up plans and procedural documentation. Setup new users and edit or remove existing users on server. Perform server performance and capacity management services. Configuration management, including changes, upgrades, patches, etc. Support of specialized software products as it relates to the server(s) and associated hardware. Management of user logins and security. Coordinate repair and maintenance work with contracted repair vendors and ensure repairs are conducted in a timely fashion. Monitor server performance and capacity management services. Notify designated Village personnel in the event of failure and provide 24x7 on-call support. Desktop Administration Services Perform basic support functions including installing personal computers, laptops, printers, copiers and peripherals; diagnosing and correcting desktop application problems, configuring laptops and desktops for standard applications and identifying and correcting end user hardware problems, and performing advanced troubleshooting. Maintain an up-to-date inventory of all Village computer-related hardware and make available to Village personnel upon request. Assist designated Village personnel with software and hardware 14
purchases and the annual budget process. Create and maintain system images for deployment. Escalate desktop (and server) software issues when direct user contact with the vendor is no longer productive. Network Security Maintenance of virus detection programs on Village servers, email, and all other computers and laptops including antivirus/antispyware software. Maintain remote access in a secure environment and provide remote access administration as requested by designated Village personnel. Additional tasks related to network security include maintaining the following: spam and virus firewall, secure and reliable Internet access, Internet content filtering and reporting, and file backup and disaster recovery. Reporting To effectively monitor the status of the proposed services, management level status reports will be prepared and quarterly meetings with the Village will be held to review work performed, network availability, help desk ticket summary, security issues and concerns, and planning. In addition, review meetings may be held to discuss service delivery and planning to ensure the IT needs of the Village are being met. Strategic Planning Engineering, planning, and design services for system enhancements, including installations and upgrades of new or existing systems. Examples include major server upgrades, storage system upgrades, design of backup systems, etc. Provide technical leadership for server technology issues. Make recommendations for future purchasing and technology needs. IT Management - Provide IT management services to prioritize the work effort, ensure project completion, and assist in short- and long-term planning. The designated IT Manager would possess the most overall understanding and knowledge of the Village s network and would maintain a regular on-site presence. Personnel Provide fully qualified personnel that can perform the required work under the contract resulting from this RFP. Individuals shall be trained on the latest versions and releases of any product required to perform their services before they perform work for the Village. Personnel shall be available for eight hours per week during normal business hours: Monday Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM with a guarantee of no more than a two-hour response time for instances that may occur outside of the normal business hours for emergency purposes. The days of the week that support will be provided will be mutually agreed upon between the Village and the vendor. Service Levels The Village expects the IT Support Services vendor firm to meet the following service levels for help desk ticket resolution: 15
Priority Response Time Resolution Time Urgent (multiple staff members unable to function) 2 hours 90% resolved in less than 4 hours High Priority (single system down or critical function unavailable) 4 business hours 90% resolved in less than 8 hours Medium Priority (a single program or function does not work) 8 business hours 75% resolved in less than 16 business hours Low Priority (Issue reduces productivity, but work around exists) 16 business hours 75% resolved in less than 1 week Managed Services (optional) As an option, vendors may propose managed services software tools and provide remote monitoring, maintenance, and support. The technology should include a core application and remote clients that are installed on the Village s servers and network devices. All communications between the Village and the vendor should be secure and encrypted. Proposed costs for this optional service should include both the cost of the installation of the remote monitoring and management software and the services to provide 24 X 7, 365 day per year remote monitoring. Transition/On-Boarding Service To prevent disruption and ensure the continuity of Village s information technology operations when a vendor is selected, a transition period shall be allowed to orient the incoming vendor. This involves transferring custody of relevant materials (e.g. system passwords, server rack keys, etc.) from Oak Park IT staff to the incoming vendor. The transition period requires the incoming vendor to coordinate with the Village and Oak Park IT staff, to gain familiarity of operational and maintenance requirements of the Village s systems. Project Implementation In addition to eight hours a week of regular support, maintenance and updates to the Village s IT systems, the vendor will also implement the following projects budgeted for the Village s current fiscal year (FY 15) which began on May 1. Core Switch Replacement The Village has budgeted $5,000 for replacement of its Core Network switch in FY 15. Disaster Recovery Backup Server For FY 15 the Village budgeted $18,000 for the purchase of a deduplication server for storage of backup data. iscsi SAN For FY 15 the Village budgeted $22,500.00 for the replacement of its Network Attached Storage (NAS) with iscsi SAN. Network Management Software The Village budgeted $5,000 for software to manage, inventory, monitor bandwidth, and provide alerts and alarms. Note: this project will not 16
be pursued if the Village opts to utilize managed services software and services from the vendor selected for this contract. 6. Proposal Costs Provide proposed costs for personnel for an average of eight hours of on-site support per week, excluding Village holidays. On-site support to include IT management, reporting and budgeting. Special projects and project-related work are not included in on-site support. Using the table below, please provide monthly costs for support services. Task Monthly Cost Eight hours weekly IT on-site support IT Management, Strategic Planning, reporting, budgeting Total Monthly Cost Projects and project-related work are not included in on-site support services. Using the table below, please provide proposed costs for the following projects: Project Implementation Cost Core Switch Replacement Disaster Recovery Backup Server iscsi SAN Network Management Software Special projects that are outside of normal support and planned projects may be requested by the Village from time to time. In the table below, please provide an hourly rate schedule for additional services and special projects. Title Skill Set Description Hourly Rate 17
Provide optional costs for managed services software tools and remote monitoring, maintenance, and support. Using the table below, please provide monthly costs for these services. Note that the purchase and installation of the software will be the responsibility of the vendor. Managed Services Monthly Cost Remote Monitoring and Management for 24 hours per day, 7 days a week 18