Request for Proposals Network Support Worksystems is seeking one or more qualified and experienced organizations to provide back-up network support, develop system documentation, and develop a Disaster Preparedness and Recovery Plan for the organization. Released August 7, 2015
Contents Part I: Introduction... 3 Part II: Background... 3 Part III: Contract Service Requirements and Submission Details... 4 A. Network Administration Support... 4 Project Details... 4 Personnel Requirements... 4 Proposal Submission... 5 Budget Detail... 5 Reference... 5 Evaluation Criteria... 5 B. Technical Documentation... 5 Project Details... 5 Proposal Submission... 6 Budget Detail... 6 Reference... 6 Evaluation Criteria... 6 C. Disaster Preparedness and Recovery Plan (DRP) Development... 6 Project Details... 6 Proposal Submission... 7 Budget Detail... 7 Reference... 7 Evaluation Criteria... 7 Part IV: Evaluation and Contractor Selection... 7 Part V: Proposal Submission and Award Notification... 7 Part VI: Administrative Details... 8 Inquiries... 8 Withdrawal... 8 Appeals... 8 Part VII: Additional Provisions and Disclaimers... 9 P a g e 2
Part I: Introduction Worksystems, Inc. is a non-profit agency that supports economic growth in the City of Portland, Multnomah and Washington Counties by pursuing and investing resources to improve the quality of the workforce. We design and coordinate workforce development programs and services delivered through a network of partners to help people get the skills, training and education they need to go to work or to advance in their careers. Our partners include employers, labor groups, government, community colleges, high schools, community-based and economic development organizations. Since 1998, Worksystems has invested nearly $300 million in our community. As the Portland Metro Workforce Development Board, Worksystems is responsible for managing the technology in the public-access resource rooms in each of the five WorkSource Centers in the community. In addition, Worksystems operates a fiscal database and a statewide customer MIS, as well as a network of staff work stations. Worksystems is seeking a contractor or contractors to: Provide back-up support of all network functions to Worksystems Network Systems Engineer on an as-needed basis, which may include support during peak periods, vacation relief and for special projects. Develop system documentation for all configurations, protocols, and procedures related to Worksystems network architecture with sufficient detail and reference data to enable systematic troubleshooting and assure continuity of service and enable contingency plan execution. Develop a Disaster Preparedness and Recovery Plan (DRP) for Worksystems utilizing information from the organization s recent IT Risk Assessment and engagement with appropriate staff. Proposals may be submitted for all three project areas or any combination thereof. The initial contract period will begin in October, 2015 and end June 30, 2016, with the possibility of an annual extension for up to three years for the back-up support component, and as necessary to complete the system documentation and DRP projects. Part II: Background Worksystems employs a full-time Network Systems Engineer who is responsible for implementing all aspects of Worksystems IT hardware needs, office software, as well as supporting the customer access network in each of the five WorkSource Centers in the Portland Metro area. Each remote site (WorkSource Center) has a Windows server and Windows-based customer computers (approx. 300 total). These systems provide WorkSource customers access to software and tools to support their job search and training efforts. Worksystems fiscal data system s accounting software is hosted in house, on a dedicated server. Utilized statewide, Worksystems web-based data management system uses Microsoft technology and includes both a user interface and a public-facing web presence. The reporting system is a SQL database generating XML data files that are translated to HTML using XSL and CSS. The data entry system is a SQL database connected to the Internet via Microsoft s latest middle tier technologies,.net. The system is housed on three servers running Microsoft Windows 2008 Server, Microsoft SQL Server 2008 and Microsoft.NET Framework 4. The database servers are configured as a data entry and reporting system. The data entry system contains journal tables that record every modification made to the data. All users including administrators are assigned individual accounts so that all transactions are recorded and the user is identified. Worksystems server operates and houses staff files required for Federal, State and Local government funding documentation and reporting, including the organization s legal contracts, grant documents and correspondence. The server also supports www.worksystems.org, which is accessible via inter- and intranet. P a g e 3
Part III: Contract Service Requirements and Submission Details Organizations with the comprehensive skills and experience may submit proposals for any of the three contract service requirements outlined above. Each project proposal must demonstrate the appropriate expertise and personnel available to successfully complete the work as outlined. A. Network Administration Support For peak support and special projects Estimated to be up to 200 hours annually Vacation relief Estimated to be up to 160 hours annually Project Details The selected contractor must be able to provide phone-call ready network management back-up as well as the ability to assist in implementing and administering local and wide area network systems and providing high-level technical support. In addition, during any absence of Worksystems Network Systems Engineer (scheduled or unscheduled), assure continuity of service and provide network support for Worksystems and the five WorkSource Centers. Activities may include, but are not limited to: Administer systems and servers related to district LAN and WAN (e.g., email systems, accounts, workstation ID, IP assignments, staff and field computers, security, antivirus, spyware, etc.) to ensure service is available to authorized users. Activities may include: o Auditing device and WAN configurations and architecture and/or after any major device installation (e.g. firewall router or new WAN provider). o Participating in support drills with Worksystems staff. o Network monitoring. o Participating in drills that demonstrate ability to troubleshoot issues remotely. Maintain network operations and software applications, operating systems, enterprise-wide server backups, routine maintenance programs, etc., for the purpose of ensuring efficient operations. Provide general field assistance and ad hoc support services as needed at the five WorkSource Portland Metro Centers, including addressing and troubleshooting network connectivity and printing issues. Manage servers and network resources including network applications for the purpose of delivering services in compliance with guidelines and/or objectives. As requested, research trends, products and equipment and perform test to support recommendations to Network Manager regarding equipment, supplies and materials for the purpose of acquiring required items and completing jobs efficiently. Train Worksystems and Center staff as assigned to ensure they can use new and/or existing operating systems and application software. Ability to responds to emergency situations as needed for the purpose of resolving immediate concerns. Including the ability to providing disaster on-call support (on-site as necessary). Additional IT support for projects on an on-call basis, as requested by Network Systems Engineer. Personnel Requirements Network systems staff assigned to Worksystems are expected to have the ability to: Prepare and maintain accurate records. Schedule activities and meetings. Gather, collate, and/or classify data; and consider a number of factors when using equipment. Work independently in a variety of circumstances. Analyze data using defined processes. Work with diverse individuals and/or groups. Work with a variety of data and use a wide variety of types of job-related equipment. P a g e 4
Problem solve based on data and an independent interpretation of guidelines, analyze issues and create action plans. Convey technical information to non-technical audiences. Work non-standard hours. Proposal Submission Please submit a narrative (no more than five pages) titled Network Administration Support which describes the organizations qualifications relative to the above outlined service requirements. (Budget details, resumes and job descriptions, and reference information are not counted in the page limitation.) Discuss how the organization would manage this type of contract relationship, including engagement onboarding, scheduling, emergency situations, and off-hour access and availability. Qualifications should be outlined in a quantitative manner which demonstrates expertise and experience delivering the services to contract clients. Please include resumes for key management personnel and staff likely to be working with Worksystems. Please also provide job descriptions for personnel that would be assigned to this contract. Budget Detail Provide a budget which outlines how work will be categorized and charged. Include hourly rate details for the first year of the contract and a projection for any increases in years two and three. Provide examples of detailed invoice for comparable contract work. Reference Provide two references that can speak to the organization s performance in a comparable contract. Include the following contact detail for each reference: Organization Name Contact Name and Title Contact Phone Number Contact Email Address Evaluation Criteria Proposals will be evaluated based on: Demonstration of staff experience and expertise administering systems and servers related to district LAN and WAN systems. Experience supporting an in-house Network Manager on an ad-hoc, or project-by-project, basis. Experience providing back-up system and user support when the Network Manager is unavailable. Include expectations for response and resolution times, and escalation protocols. Organization s approach to upgrading staff skills in order to meet changing conditions and assuring that staff assigned to Worksystems have the specific skill-based competencies pertinent to providing relevant network support and system monitoring, and troubleshooting. Demonstration of effective communication skills. Budget is reasonable and competitive B. Technical Documentation Project Details Complete comprehensive documentation of Worksystems network systems (staff/administrative, I-Trac database, and fiscal system) to support trouble-shooting and assure continuity of services. Contractor must have documentation capabilities and the completed project will include procedures and system-level documentation to support continuity and troubleshooting of network services. Technical documentation is to include written reference for network setup, back-up protocols, network passwords, account set-up, and all systems information related to maintaining network connectivity and accessibility. P a g e 5
Documentation should enable network systems support staff/contractor and database administrators to capably troubleshoot and assure continuity of service should Worksystems System Engineer or Information Systems staff be unavailable. Activities may include: Reviewing topology diagrams with Network Managers to verify understanding. Participation in support drills to demonstrate understanding of how to locate any network device using the topology diagrams. Network diagraming for I-Trac database. Drafting accurate technical documentation. Editing and updating documentations to reflect network changes. Proposal Submission Submit a proposal narrative (no more than five pages) titled Technical Documentation which describes the organizations qualifications relative to the above outlined service requirements. (Budget details, resumes and reference information are not counted in the page limitation.) Discuss how the organization would structure and manage this project, including engagement onboarding, project elements and related timelines for completion. Include a description of the methods used to assure that documentation is complete and useful in maintaining network continuity and services, and supporting troubleshooting and diagnoses. Qualifications should be outlined in a quantitative manner which demonstrates expertise and experience developing technical documentation. Please include resumes for key personnel who would work on this project. Budget Detail Provide a budget which outlines project deliverables and the cost associated with each. Include hourly rate details as appropriate. Reference Provide two references that can speak to the organization s performance in a comparable contract. Include the following contact detail for each reference: Organization Name Contact Name and Title Contact Phone Number Contact Email Address Evaluation Criteria Proposals will be evaluated based on: Demonstration of technical documentation capabilities Personnel s knowledge of current, legacy and emerging operating systems (multi-platform); environments and network protocols; router configurations; internet applications; data security and recovery; project management, processes, and methodology; and IP telephony. Demonstrated experience brining project deliverables in on time and in budget. Demonstration of effective communication skills Budget is reasonable and competitive C. Disaster Preparedness and Recovery Plan (DRP) Development Project Details Worksystems has conducted a Backup and Disaster Recovery Assessment which includes recommendations to update the organization s current DRP. Working with staff, Contractor will update and complete a DRP that can be implemented by the organization. Contractor will review and support the recommendations of the Assessment and develop a plan that meets industry standards for the types of systems, data and reporting requirements of Worksystems. P a g e 6
Contractor may recommend and provide format options, content suggestions over and above that outlined in the assessment, as well as test procedures. Proposal Submission Submit a proposal narrative (no more than five pages) titled Disaster Preparedness and Recovery Plan which describes the organizations qualifications relative to the above outlined service requirements. (Budget details, resumes and reference information are not counted in the page limitation.) Discuss how the organization would structure and manage this project, including engagement onboarding, project elements and related timelines for completion. Include a description of the methods used to assure that the updated DRP is implementation ready, meets industry standards, and achieves the recovery timeline goals of Worksystems. Qualifications should be outlined in a quantitative manner which demonstrates expertise and experience developing DRPs. Please include resumes for key personnel who would work on this project. Budget Detail Provide a budget which outlines project deliverables and the cost associated with each. Include hourly rate details as appropriate. Reference Provide two references that can speak to the organization s performance in a comparable contract. Include the following contact detail for each reference: Organization Name Contact Name and Title Contact Phone Number Contact Email Address Evaluation Criteria Proposals will be evaluated based on: Demonstration of DRP development expertise. Experience developing plans for similar companies or organizations. Demonstrated experience brining project deliverables in on time and in budget. Demonstration of effective communication skills Budget is reasonable and competitive Part IV: Evaluation and Contractor Selection Proposals will be evaluated by qualified Worksystems staff based on equal weighting of identified criteria. The successful proposal(s) will be selected based on ability to address capabilities as described above. The selection will be based on the organization s demonstrated experience, the availability of the services on an ongoing basis and cost. During the evaluation process Worksystems may, at its discretion, request any or all respondents to make oral presentations. Part V: Proposal Submission and Award Notification Worksystems, Inc. must receive the proposal and all related documents marked (Name of Applicant) Network Support (Name of Project) (i.e. Network Administration Support, Technical Documentation, DRP Development) no later than Tuesday, September 8, 2015, 12:00 noon. The Cover Pages must be signed by an individual authorized to represent the organization, to act on its behalf and to legally bind it in all matters related to the RFP. Submit one (1) original with signature, along with (4) four copies of the entire proposal package to: Worksystems, Inc. 1618 SW First, Ave, Suite 450 Portland, OR 97201. P a g e 7
Additionally, please send an electronic copy of the proposal(s) (in pdf) to RFP@worksystems.org. Worksystems will send an email confirmation to the address on the cover page acknowledging receipt. The complete proposal package will include the following documents (one cover sheet and the required proposal narrative and related documents plus copies for each Project respondent is applying for): Proposal Documents Completed, signed Proposal Cover Sheet Proposal Narrative Submit Hardcopy (1) One signed original, (4) four copies (1) One original, (4) four copies PDF format AND Electronically to RFP@worksystems.org PDF format It is the respondent s responsibility to ensure the submission was received. If a Worksystems email has not been received it is the respondent s responsibility to follow-up with another email or telephone call before 12:00 noon, Tuesday, September 8. Late proposals will not be considered. Provisional award results will be sent via e-mail by September 30, 2015. Part VI: Administrative Details Inquiries All questions related to this solicitation are to be submitted electronically via email with the subject [Network Support] RFP Inquiry and sent to: RFP@worksystems.org. Questions received after the solicitation has been published and before close of business September 2, 2015, will be responded to within 2 business days by posting in the Questions and Answers section for this RFP at www.worksystems.org. Questions received after close of business September 2 will not be answered. Withdrawal A submitted RFP response may be withdrawn at any time. A written request to withdraw the response must be submitted electronically to: RFP@worksystems.org. Appeals The following process has been established to address appeals: The appeal must be due to what the respondent considers a flaw in the Evaluation Committee s funding recommendation process. The appeal must be submitted in writing by October 7, 2015. Appeals must be sent to: RFP@worksystems.org. All appeals are public information. The organization/individual filing the appeal must specify the basis of the appeal and provide an alternative the appellant would find acceptable. Proposal rating scores may not be appealed. The mere fact that a proposal was not recommended for funding is also not open to an appeal, nor is a complaint about the amount of funding granted. The appeal must be a violation of the process established for the solicitation. During any part of the review or consideration, the appellant may be asked to clarify or amplify statements or to provide proof of claims or other statements. Any such requests must be fully responded to within the time designated by Worksystems. In the event an appellant fails to respond, the appeal will be dismissed and no further appeal will be accepted. Worksystems Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer will review the appeal and issue a written response that is intended as a complete and final answer to the appeal. P a g e 8
Part VII: Additional Provisions and Disclaimers Worksystems reserves the right to waive informalities and minor irregularities in offers received. This RFP does not commit Worksystems to award a contract. Worksystems may accept any item or group of items of any offer, unless the bidder qualified its offer by specific limitations. Worksystems reserves the right to request additional data or oral discussion or documentation in support of written offers. No costs will be paid to cover the expense of preparing a proposal. All data, material, and documentation originated and prepared by the bidder pursuant to the contract shall belong exclusively to Worksystems and be subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. Applicants are advised that most documents in the possession of Worksystems are considered public records and subject to disclosure under the State of Oregon s Public Records Law. Formal notification to award a contract and the actual execution of a contract are subject to the following: Receipt of anticipated funding, results of negotiations between selected bidders and Worksystems staff, and continued availability of funds. Proposals submitted for funding consideration must be consistent with and if funded, operated according to relevant federal legislation, all applicable federal regulations, State of Oregon policies, and Worksystems policies and procedures. Additional funds received by Worksystems may be contracted by expanding existing programs. These decisions shall be at the discretion of Worksystems. Worksystems may decide not to fund part or all of a proposal even though it is found to be in the competitive range if, in the opinion of Worksystems, the services proposed are not needed, or the costs are higher than Worksystems finds reasonable in relation to the overall funds available, or if past management concerns lead Worksystems to believe that the bidder has undertaken more services than it can successfully provide. Worksystems has a right to fund a lower-ranked proposal over a higher ranked proposal because of valid policy considerations, including but not limited to, geographical considerations, leveraging of outside resources, and target populations. All bidders must ensure equal opportunity to all individuals. No individual shall be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or subjected to discrimination under any WIA-funded program or activity because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or political affiliation or belief. All bidders must ensure access to individuals with disabilities pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act. Worksystems reserves the right to determine both the number and the funding levels of contracts finally awarded. Such determination will depend upon overall fund availability and other factors arising during the proposal review process. The proposal warrants that the costs quoted for services in response to the RFP are not in excess of those that would be charged any other individual for the same services performed by the bidder. P a g e 9