State of Connecticut Request for Proposal - Proposal Requirements and Process

III. Proposal Requirements and Process

A. Proposal Format

For consistency and to facilitate evaluation of all responses, vendors must organize their proposals as defined below.

  1. Transmittal Letter
    The letter should contain a brief statement of the proposer's understanding of the work to be done. The letter should also identify any requirements that the proposer has not addressed in the proposal and the justification.

    The letter should indicate the name, title, address, e-mail address, fax number, and telephone number of the proposer's primary contact for the project and be signed by an individual authorized to commit the company to a project of this scope.
  2. Table of Contents
    Provide a table of contents listing each section of the proposal, including the attachments specified in this RFP and any additional materials submitted.
  1. Executive Summary
    The executive summary should provide a concise summarization of the services being offered to meet the State's needs, the proposer's approach to providing the services, and why it is the approach the State should decide to follow. Similarly, the proposer should summarize their qualifications to assist the State in the selection and implementation of ERP software, and why the proposer is best qualified to perform this engagement.
  1. Approach to Performing the Requirements Definition/Software Selection Phase
    The vendor should present how they would perform the work defined in sections II, A through II, F. For each section, provide an overview of how the services would be performed and the advantages of the recommended approach. Then, the proposer should respond to the specific points listed in each section.
  1. Project Work Plan for the Requirements Definition/Software Selection Phase
    The proposer should provide a detailed project plan for the Requirements Definition/Software Selection Phase of the project that specifies the tasks that will be performed to complete the scope of work as defined in Section II, A through F, of the RFP. The plan should identify phase start and end dates, and timeframes for each task. Identify any assumptions made in determining project or task timeframes.
  2. Approach to Performing the System Implementation Phase
    The vendor should present how they would perform system implementation phase as defined in Section II, G. Define how the services would be performed, what deliverables would be produced, and the advantages of the recommended approach. Then, the proposer should respond to each of the specific points listed.
  1. Proposed Project Team
7.1 Identify the project team you will assign to the Requirements Definition/Software Selection Phase of this project, if awarded the contract. Define specific roles and responsibilities for each person assigned to the project, and indicate the applicable labor category for each (the categories are listed in the cost proposal section). Specify the level of involvement planned for advisors and other personnel who will not be assigned to the project full time.
7.2 Provide resumes for the proposed project director, project managers and senior analysts, and other staff to be assigned full time to the Requirements Definition/Software Selection Phase of the project, as well as for others who will play substantive advisory or consulting roles in this phase. The resumes should clearly identify the qualifications, capabilities, and experience relevant to this project.
7.3 Address your capabilities to fully staff the System Implementation Phase of the project. Provide resumes of likely participants, including project managers and staff with implementation experience with the major ERP packages.
7.4 Describe what efforts you will make to utilize currently certified Department of Administrative Services (DAS) small and small minority business enterprises as subcontractors on the System Implementation Phase of this project. Indicate the types of services they could provide and the extent to which those services might be provided by the subcontractors. The State may require some level of set aside subcontracting. Set aside subcontracting will be an item subject to the contract negotiations for the System Implementation Phase. (See Section IV, A, 7 of this RFP for more information on the set aside program).
  1. Qualifications
8.1 Provide a description of your company including the scope of the business, organizational structure, office locations, personnel, company history, and financial information to establish your company's financial viability.
 
8.2 List no more than seven engagements where your company has assisted a public sector client in defining requirements, developing an RFP, and selecting ERP software for an enterprise-wide implementation. Describe the project, start and end dates, the functions/modules included, your role, the outcome, and how the engagement qualifies your company to perform Connecticut's project.
 
Present them in the following order:
Projects for a state government
Projects for a large county or major city
Projects for a single state agency
Major projects for other public sector clients
8.3 List no more than ten engagements where your company has been the primary implementation services provider for an enterprise-wide implementation of an ERP software package. Describe the project, start and end dates, the functions/modules implemented, your role, and the outcome. Address how the experience gained from this engagement can be applied to the Requirements Definition/Software Selection phase of Connecticut's ERP project and how it qualifies you to be the prime contractor for the State's ERP implementation.
 
Present them in the following order:
Projects for a state government
Projects for a large county or major city
Major projects for other public or private sector clients
Projects for a single state agency
8.4 Provide the names of three references from projects listed in Section 8.2 and the names of three references for projects listed in Section 8.3. Provide the person's title, address, phone number, e-mail address, and role performed on the project.
8.5 Provide a list of clients, both public and private sector, for whom you have been the primary implementation services provider on an ERP project, grouped by the software package implemented. For each, identify the functions/modules implemented and the date of implementation. Include projects that are underway but not yet complete. Contact names need not be provided.
 
8.6 Disclose any legal or organizational relationships your company has with vendors of ERP software. Describe the nature of the relationship. Also, identify any business partner or alliance relationships you have with vendors of ERP software. Describe the nature of the partnership or alliance.
 
8.7 Disclose any agreements or relationships with software or hardware vendors that may present a conflict of interest to your company and potentially affect your ability to objectively advise the State on hardware or software selection.
  1. Cost Proposal

    The cost proposal is for the work to be performed in the Requirements Definition/Software Selection Phase of this project, as specified below, and should be bid on a fixed fee basis. The proposer must provide a total dollar cost bid including hourly rates for the staff being proposed to perform the services identified in this RFP. The rates must also cover any expenses, such as travel, lodging and meals, that may be incurred by the project team for the duration of the project.

    The prices quoted should be good for 90 days after the proposal has been submitted and for one year after the contract is signed.

    The cost breakout should include a schedule of professional fees, which should include expenses, that makes up the total dollar cost bid. Use the cost proposal format shown on the next page and provide a separate breakout for costs for the following work activities:

9.1 Project Initiation (referenced in Section E of the Scope of Work)

9.2 Business/System Requirements (Section B in the Scope of Work)

9.3 Technical Requirements (Section C in the Scope of Work)

9.4 RFP Preparation and Software Selection (Section D in the Scope of Work)

9.5 Project Implementation Planning (Section F in the Scope of Work)

Include the hours/rates/cost of project management in each of the five activities or sub-phases defined above. Use one page for each of the five sub-phases and show the total project cost bid on the last page. In completing the cost proposal, other labor categories may be added if none of the listed ones is applicable.

State of Connecticut - ERP Requirements Definition/Software Selection Phase


Cost Proposal Form

Company Name: Date:

Work Activity:
___________________________________________________________________________


Labor Category Hours Rate Amount

Project Director

Project Manager

Senior Analyst

Analyst

Technical Writer

Clerical

Other (specify)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total

 

 

Project Total

 

  1. Attachments

10.1 Completed Vendor Proposal Validation and Authentication Statement
10.2 Other attachments provided for the State's consideration, including those specifically requested in the RFP.

  1. Submittal Procedure

Vendors should submit proposals in sealed envelopes or cartons clearly identifying the RFP number (which is OSC-001-2000) in accordance with the requirements outlined in this document. Twelve (12) copies of the proposal, including one (1) original master copy, signed in ink, are to be submitted. One electronic copy in Word 97 on a 3 � inch diskette must also be submitted. The hard copies and disk should be submitted to:

 

Susan Briganti
Office of the State Comptroller
55 Elm Street, 3rd Floor
Hartford, CT 06106

Proposals must be received by 12:00 Noon EST, June 30, 2000. Proposals received after this deadline will be considered only if the State determines it is in its best interests to do so. Vendors may submit their proposal any time prior to the above stated deadline.

C. Activities Conducted after Release of the RFP

1. Mandatory Vendor Conference

A pre-proposal bidder's conference will be held on June 8, 2000, at 9:30 AM in room 2C of the Legislative Office Building, 300 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT. Attendance is mandatory for vendors that plan to submit a proposal. Vendors are encouraged to submit their questions in advance via e-mail to robert.king@po.state.ct.us, or in writing to :

Robert King
Office of the State Comptroller
55 Elm Street, 1st Floor
Hartford, CT 06106

Answers to all questions, whether submitted in advance or raised at the conference, will be provided via e-mail to all vendors represented at the conference. No questions will be answered prior to the bidder's conference.

2. Vendor Questions

The State will attempt to reply to any written vendor questions, which it receives no later than seven (7) business days before the due date for proposals to be submitted. Questions raised after the vendor's conference can be submitted as defined in number 1, above . The State does not guarantee a response to questions received less than seven days before the due date. Responses will be provided by e-mail to all vendors who were represented at the vendor conference.

3. Vendor Library

The State will set up a pre-bid library of documents relevant to the ERP project that will be open to potential proposers. The documents made available will provide background information that might be helpful in preparing responses to this RFP. Included will be documents developed in the course of initiating this project, past studies about core system strategies and business requirements, information collected during the State's Y2K effort, and documents pertaining to the State's current technology infrastructure and technology directions. The State does not represent that the information in the library is necessarily accurate, complete, or current at the time of viewing.

The library will be open from June 1 through June 23 and is located at 55 Elm Street, Hartford. Vendors must make appointments to use the room by calling Susan Briganti at 860-702-3317. Time will be allocated in 2-hour blocks. Documents may not be removed from the premises; the State will provide access to a copier. There will be a fee charged for each page copied.

4. Initial Review of RFP Responses

The State will open only those proposals received by the due date and time specified within this RFP, unless the State determines it would be in its best interest to review a late proposal. Immediately upon opening, the State will review each proposal for vendor compliance with the instructions and conditions applicable to this RFP. The State, at its option, may seek vendor retraction and clarification of any discrepancy/contradiction found during its review of proposals. The State will evaluate only proposals complying with the administrative requirements of this RFP.

5. Evaluate Proposals

The State will evaluate the proposals (including information which is appended, attached, and/or enclosed) against all RFP requirements, using a methodology and criteria developed specifically for this vendor selection. See Section D below.

6. Oral Presentations

Oral presentations by selected proposers may be required at a place and time designated by the project directors.

7. Notification of Awards

The State will notify vendors who submit proposals about any award issued by the State as a result of this RFP. Vendors not selected may request a debriefing from the State. Such a request should be made within two weeks of the notification of award.

8. Planned Schedule of RFP Activities

It is the State's intention to comply with the following procurement schedule:

May 26, 2000: Distribute RFP to prospective bidders and post on OSC, DAS, and DOIT websites.

June 8, 2000: Vendor's conference

June 30, 2000: Proposals Due (By 12:00 Noon EST)

July 5 - July 28, 2000: Evaluation of proposals

July 28, 2000: Selection of best vendor/proposal announced

July 31, 2000: Start of contract negotiations

NOTE: The above dates represent a tentative schedule of events. The State reserves the right to modify these dates at any time, with appropriate notice to prospective proposers.

D. Proposal Evaluation and Vendor Selection

  1. Proposal Evaluation and Vendor Selection Approach

The State intends to select the best proposer for this project. The process will comply with Section 4A-59, of the General Statutes of Connecticut, which states in part that contracts can be awarded to "the proposer whose proposal is deemed by the awarding authority to be the most advantageous to the State, in accordance with criteria set forth in the request for proposals, including price and evaluation factors."

  1. Evaluation Factors
    The following factors will be used by the evaluation team to evaluate the proposals and to determine the best proposer:
2.1 The response to Sections A through F of the Scope of Work section pertaining to the Requirements Definition/Software Selection Phase.
2.2 The response to Section G of the Scope of Work section pertaining to the System Implementation Phase.
2.3 The project work plan for the Requirements Definition/Software Selection phase.
2.4 The proposed project team's qualifications for conducting an ERP requirement definition and software selection for a large, multi-organizational government client.
2.5 Company experience with public sector, ERP requirement definition and software selection projects.
2.6 Company experience with ERP implementations in the public sector.
2.7 Extent of overall company experience with implementing ERP software packages.
2.8 Cost proposal for the Requirements Definition/Software Selection Phase

The order in which the above factors are presented is no indication of the relative weight the factors have been assigned in the evaluation methodology.

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