1_RFP_0078-02_Master_Observation_Database_System_(MODS).pdf

CDT OSTP Request For Proposal

PART 1 – BIDDER INSTRUCTIONS

FOR

Request for Proposal (RFP)

RFP 0078-02 Master Observation Database System (MODS)

September 23, 2024

Issued by:

STATE OF CALIFORNIA

California Department of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW) 1700 9th Street Sacramento 95811

Part 1 of the solicitation template contains the bidder and bidding instructions, Proposal form instructions, solution requirements and instructions, and all other instructional/compliance information that the Bidder must meet in order to be considered responsive and responsible to the solicitation.

Part 2 of the solicitation template contains the Statement of Work and all forms a Bidder must complete and return with its Final Proposal, including administrative forms, qualification forms, requirement responses, and applicable exhibits/attachments discussed in Part 1.

Disclaimer: The original version and any subsequent solicitation addenda released by the Procurement Officer of this solicitation remain the official version. In the event of any inconsistency between the bidder’s versions, articles, attachments, specifications or provisions (which constitute the Contract), the official State version of the solicitation in its entirety shall take precedence.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. PURPOSE

1.2. BACKGROUND

1.3. TERM OF CONTRACT

1.4. CURRENT AND PROPOSED ENVIRONMENT

1.4.1. CURRENT ENVIRONMENT

1.4.2. PROPOSED ENVIRONMENT

1.5. AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA)

2. BIDDING INSTRUCTIONS

2.1. BIDDER ADMONITION

2.2. COMMUNICATIONS AND CONTACTS

2.2.1. PROCUREMENT OFFICER

2.2.2. QUESTIONS REGARDING THE SOLICITATION DOCUMENT

2.2.3. INTENT TO BID

2.2.4. BIDDERS' LIBRARY

2.2.5. CLOUD COMPUTING SERVICES

2.3. KEY ACTION DATES

2.4. RULES GOVERNING COMPETITION

2.4.1. IDENTIFICATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF SOLICITATION

REQUIREMENTS

2.4.2. SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS

2.4.3. EXAMINATION OF THE WORK

2.4.4. EXCLUSION FOR CONFLICT OF INTEREST

2.4.5. CONFIDENTIALITY

2.4.6. ADDENDA

2.4.7. COST FOR DEVELOPING PROPOSAL

2.4.8. DISCOUNTS

2.4.9. SIGNATURE OF PROPOSAL

2.4.10. IRREVOCABLE OFFER

2.4.11. FALSE OR MISLEADING STATEMENTS

2.4.12. BONDS

2.5. BIDDING STEPS

2.5.1. ADMINISTRATIVE, TECHNICAL, COST REQUIREMENTS AND LIVE

DEMONSTRATION

2.5.2. NEGOTIATIONS

2.5.3. WITHDRAWAL AND RESUBMISSION/MODIFICATION OF

PROPOSALS

2.5.4. DISPOSITION OF PROPOSALS

2.6. PROTESTS OF AWARD

3. ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS

3.1. CONFIDENTIALITY STATEMENT (M)

3.2. COVER LETTER (M)

3.3. ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS DOCUMENT (M)

3.4. ELECTRONIC VENDOR APPLICATION OF QUALIFICATIONS (EVAQ)

3.4.1. INCORPORATION OF EVAQ REQUIREMENTS

3.5. ABILITY TO PERFORM

3.6. PRIMARY BIDDER

3.7. SUBCONTRACTORS

3.7.1. BIDDER DECLARATION FORM (M)

3.8. AMENDMENT

3.9. FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY INFORMATION

3.10. CLOUD COMPUTING GENERAL PROVISIONS & SPECIAL

PROVISIONS

3.10.1. CLOUD COMPUTING - SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE (SaaS)

GENERAL PROVISIONS

3.10.2. CLOUD COMPUTING IAAS & PAAS SPECIAL PROVISIONS

3.11. GEN AI DISCLOSURE AND FACTSHEET (M)

3.12. STATEMENT OF WORK (M)

3.13. INSURANCE COVERAGE (M)

3.14. PRODUCTIVE USE REQUIREMENTS

3.14.1. CUSTOMER IN-USE

3.14.2. HARDWARE/EQUIPMENT

3.15. SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS

3.15.1. BIDDER'S PREFERENCE AND INCENTIVE DECLARATION

3.15.2. SMALL BUSINESS PREFERENCE (O)

3.15.3. NON-SMALL BUSINESS SUBCONTRACTOR PREFERENCE (O) . 37

3.15.4. DISABLED VETERAN BUSINESS ENTERPRISE (DVBE) PROGRAM

3.15.4.1. DVBE PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENT

3.15.4.2. DVBE INCENTIVE (O)

3.15.5. COMMERCIALLY USEFUL FUNCTION (M)

3.15.6. TARGET AREA CONTRACT PREFERENCE ACT (TACPA) (O)

4. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

4.1. QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

4.1.1. BIDDER QUALIFICATIONS (M) and (DS)

4.1.2. BIDDER REFERENCES (MS)

4.1.3. STAFF QUALIFICATIONS (M) and (DS)

4.2. SOLUTION REQUIREMENTS

4.2.1. FUNCTIONAL AND NON FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS (M) and

(DS)

4.2.2. NARRATIVE RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS (MS)

5. COST

5.1. COST WORKSHEETS (M)

5.2. COST WORKSHEETS INSTRUCTIONS

5.3. PROJECT PAYMENT TERMS

5.4. SALES TAX

6. PROPOSAL FORMAT AND SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

6.1. PREPARATION

6.2. COMPLETION OF PROPOSALS

6.3. DELIVERY OF SUBMITTALS

6.4. FINAL PROPOSAL FORMAT AND CONTENT

6.4.1. VOLUME 1: RESPONSE TO ADMINISTRATIVE AND TECHNICAL

REQUIREMENTS

6.4.2. VOLUME 2 COST

7. EVALUATION

7.1. EVALUATION TEAM

7.2. EVALUATION STEPS

7.2.1. EVALUATION OF REQUIRED INFORMATION AND REQUIREMENTS

7.2.2. RECEIPT AND PRELIMINARY REVIEW

7.2.3. MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS EVALUATION

7.2.4. VALIDATION AGAINST REQUIREMENTS

7.3. PROPOSAL EVALUATION

7.3.1. ERRORS IN THE PROPOSAL

7.3.2. REJECTION OF PROPOSALS

7.3.3. ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS EVALUATION

7.3.4. QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS EVALUATION

7.3.4.1. BIDDER QUALIFICATIONS

7.3.4.2. BIDDER REFERENCES

7.3.4.3. BIDDER REFERENCE CHECKS

7.3.4.4. KEY STAFF QUALIFICATIONS

7.3.5. SOLUTION REQUIREMENTS EVALUATION

7.3.5.1. FUNCTIONAL AND NON-FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS

7.3.5.2. DELIVERABLE EVALUATION

7.3.5.3. NARRATIVE RESPONSE(S) REQUIREMENTS EVALUATION .. 59

7.3.6. DEMONSTRATIONS

7.3.7. CALCULATE BIDDER PROPOSAL NON-COST SCORE

7.3.8. COST EVALUATION

7.3.9. SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS

7.3.9.1. TACPA PREFERENCE

7.3.9.2. SMALL BUSINESS PREFERENCE

7.3.9.3. DVBE INCENTIVE

7.3.10. BIDDER FINAL SCORE CALCULATION AND RANK

DETERMINATION

7.3.11. SUBMISSION OF AMENDED FINAL PROPOSAL(S)

7.4. NEGOTIATIONS

7.4.1. PROCEEDING TO NEGOTIATIONS

7.4.2. NEGOTIATION INVITATION

7.4.3. BEST AND FINAL OFFER SUBMISSION (BAFO)

7.4.4. EVALUATION OF BAFO SUBMISSION

7.4.5. SELECTION

7.4.6. DEBRIEFING

8. INFORMATIONAL ATTACHMENTS

Part 2

ATTACHMENTS

ATTACHMENT 1: APPENDIX A - STATEMENT OF WORK

1. Background and Purpose

1.1. Objective

2. Description of Proposed New System or Service

2.1. Solution Sizing Parameters

3. Term of the Contract

4. Amendment

5. Contract Contacts

6. Solution Requirements

7. State Hosted Environment

7.1. System Overview

7.2. Cloud Environment

8. State’s Roles and Responsibilities

9. Contractor’s Roles and Responsibilities

10. Contractor Key Staff Qualifications and Skills

10.1. Contractor Key Staff

10.2. Key Staff Mandatory and Desirable Qualifications

10.2.1. Project Manager

10.2.2. Senior Data Architect

10.2.3. Senior Software Solutions Architect

10.2.4. Senior Business Analyst

10.2.5. GIS Analyst

11. Key Personnel Changes

11.1. Reassignment of Key Staff

11.2. Replacement of Key Staff

11.3. Adding Additional Contractor Staff

12. Escalation Process

13. Change Control Procedures

13.1. Change Management

13.2. Change Control Process Overview

13.3. Change Management Roles And Responsibilities

13.4. Change Control Process

13.5. Approval Thresholds

13.6. Change Control Process Description

13.7. Project Change Request Log and Tracking

14. Project (Contractor) Tasks and Deliverable Requirements

14.1. Deliverable Group #1: Project Management

14.1.1. Project Management Plan

14.1.2. Discovery Activities

14.1.3. Monthly Status Reports

14.2. Deliverable Group #2: Design

14.2.1. Functional Specification Document

14.2.2. Technical Specification Document

14.2.3. Solution Architecture Document

14.2.4. Infrastructure Planning and Design

14.2.5. Database Design Document

14.2.6. User Interface Design

14.2.7. Integration Management Design

14.3. Deliverable Group #3: Data Conversion and Migration

14.3.1. Data Conversion and Migration Plan

14.3.2. Data Conversion and Migration Process

14.3.2.1. Data Quality Assessment Report

14.3.2.2. Data Cleansing Report

14.3.3. Data Migration Test Plan

14.4. Deliverable Group #4: Infrastructure Setup

14.4.1. Infrastructure Setup for Build

14.5. Deliverable Group #5: Build

14.5.1. Solution Development Process

14.5.2. Development and Preliminary Testing

14.6. Deliverable Group #6: Testing

14.6.1. Test Plan

14.6.2. Functional Testing

14.6.3. Non-Functional Testing

14.6.4. Integration Testing

14.6.5. Database Validation Testing

14.6.6. Smoke Testing

14.6.7. User Acceptance Testing (UAT)

14.6.8. End-to-End Testing Results Report

14.6.9. Pilot Testing

14.7. Deliverable Group #7: Training

14.7.1. Training Plan

14.7.2. Training Delivery

14.7.3. Curriculum and Training Materials

14.7.4. Training Execution & Completion Report

14.7.5. Acceptance Criteria for Training Deliverables

14.8. Deliverable Group #8: Deployment

14.8.1. Deployment Plan

14.8.2. Analyze and Implement Pilot Testing Results

14.8.3. Technical Go-Live, Formal System Acceptance, and Final Go-Live Report

14.8.3.1. Go-Live Plan

14.8.4. Cutover Plan

14.9. Deliverable Group #9: Maintenance and Operations Preparation

14.9.1. Maintenance and Operations Plan

14.9.2. Maintenance and Operations Support Training

14.9.3. Maintenance and Operations Report (Optional M&O Years)

14.9.4. Technology Recovery Plan

14.9.5. System Performance and Capacity Management Plan

14.10. Deliverable Group #10: Project Close

14.10.1. Software Maintenance Manual

14.10.2. Project Closeout Report

15. Deliverable Acceptance/Rejection Process

16. Data Handling and Ownership

16.1. Data Ownership

16.2. Data Access

17. Reporting

18. Security

18.1. Security and Data Protection

18.2. Cloud Environment Security

19. Delivery (Software)

20. Software Needs

20.1. Permissions And Access

20.2. Search And Reporting

20.3. Data Retention

20.4. Bulk Upload Capability

20.5. Online Field Survey Capability

21. Escrow Source Code

22. Compatibility and Interface

23. System Implementation and Integration

23.1. Implementation

23.2. Schedule

23.3. Integration

23.4. Configuration

23.5. Statewide Rollout

24. System Testing and Acceptance Procedures

24.1. System Environments

24.2. System Testing For Functionality And Configuration

24.2.1. TESTING PROCEDURES

24.2.2. TEST ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA AND PRODUCTION ENTRY

CRITERIA

24.2.3. DEFECT FIXING PROCESS

24.3. Criteria For Production Deployment And Acceptance

24.4. System Rollout Process And Go/No-Go Criteria

24.5. System Acceptance And Stabilization

24.5.1. System Acceptance Process

24.5.2. Stabilization Phase

25. Transition of Operation to New Contractor or to State

25.1. Transition Out Plan

25.2. Transition In Plan

26. Knowledge Transfer and Training

27. Maintenance and Operations (M&O)

27.1. Upgrades

27.2. Software Maintenance

27.3. Privacy and Security Controls

27.4. Techology Refresh

28. Support and Service (M&O)

29. Insurance Requirements

29.1. General Insurance Requirements

29.2. Types of Insurance and Coverage Limits

29.2.1. Commercial General Liability

29.2.2. Automobile Liability

29.2.3. Technology Professional Liability/Errors and Omissions

30. Warranty

31. Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and Liquidated Damages

31.1. Service Level Agreements (SLAs)

31.2. Liquidated Damages - General

31.3. Liquidated Damages Resolution

31.4. Other Remedies

31.5. Assessment Amounts

32. Unanticipated Tasks

33. Cancellation

34. Budget Detail and Payment Provisions

34.1. Invoicing and Payment

34.1.1. Invoicing

34.1.2. Payment

34.2. Contract Written Prior To Approval Of The Budget Act

34.3. Prompt Payment Clause

35. Cloud Computing General Provisions & Special Provisions

35.1. CLOUD COMPUTING - SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE (SAAS) GENERAL

PROVISIONS

35.2. CLOUD COMPUTING IAAS & PAAS SPECIAL PROVISIONS

36. Glossary of Terms, Abbreviations and Acronyms

ATTACHMENT 2: INTENT TO BID

ATTACHMENT 3: CONFIDENTIALITY STATEMENT

ATTACHMENT 4: COVER LETTER

ATTACHMENT 5: RESPONSE TO ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS . 208

ATTACHMENT 6: BIDDER DECLARATION GSPD 05-105

ATTACHMENT 7: GEN AI DISCLOSURE AND FACTSHEET

ATTACHMENT 8: WORKERS' COMPENSATION CERTIFICATION

ATTACHMENT 9: BIDDING PREFERENCES AND INCENTIVES

ATTACHMENT 10: DVBE DECLARATIONS

ATTACHMENT 11: COMMERCIALLY USEFUL FUNCTION (CUF)

CERTIFICATION

ATTACHMENT 12: TACPA PREFERENCE REQUEST FORMS

ATTACHMENT 13: BIDDER QUALIFICATIONS WORKBOOK

ATTACHMENT 14: BIDDER REFERENCE FORM

ATTACHMENT 15: KEY STAFF QUALIFICATIONS WORKBOOK

ATTACHMENT 16: NARRATIVE RESPONSE

ATTACHMENT 17: DEMONSTRATION REQUIREMENTS

ATTACHMENT 18: BIDDERS' LIBRARY

ATTACHMENT 19: TEMPLATE FOR QUESTION SUBMITTAL

ATTACHMENT 20: SOLICITATION SUBMISSION CHECKLIST

EXHIBITS

EXHIBIT A: FUNCTIONAL AND NON-FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS ... 245

EXHIBIT B: DELIVERABLES TABLE

EXHIBIT C: COST WORKSHEETS

EXHIBIT D: DELIVERABLES EXPECTATION DOCUMENT

EXHIBIT E: DELIVERABLES ACCEPTANCE DOCUMENT

EXHIBIT F: WORK AUTHORIZATION FORM

EXHIBIT G: WORK AUTHORIZATION ACCEPTANCE DOCUMENT

EXHIBIT H: PERSONNEL CHANGE ORDER REQUEST FORM

RFP

PART 1 – BIDDER INSTRUCTIONS

State of California Department of Fish & Wildlife

RFP 0078-02

CDT OSTP Request For Proposal

September 23, 2024

1. INTRODUCTION

This solicitation is being conducted under the authority of California Department of Technology (CDT) pursuant to Public Contract Code (PCC) §6611 et seq. The format that Proposal information is to be submitted and the material to be included therein follows. This solicitation also addresses the requirements that Bidders must meet to be eligible for consideration, as well as addressing Bidders’ responsibilities before and after award.

1.1. PURPOSE

The purpose of this Request for Proposal (hereafter referred to as "RFP" or “Solicitation”) is to obtain Proposals from qualified Bidders to provide the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and the State of California (hereafter referred to as “State”) with a Master Observation Database System (MODS) solution. This solution implemented and hosted on the CDFW cloud, will enable the California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB) program to receive, process, manage, analyze, store, and share the most current information on the state’s imperiled elements of natural diversity within a comprehensive database repository. The Contractor shall provide key services that include software development, infrastructure configuration, data migration, integration, training and maintenance and operations.

The Contract Award, if made, will be to the single Bidder in accordance with the methodology defined in

SECTION 7. EVALUATION.

CDFW is seeking Proposals from qualified Bidders that must address and be able to perform all services described in ATTACHMENT 1: APPENDIX A - STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW).

1.2. BACKGROUND

The mission of CDFW is to manage California's diverse fish, wildlife, and plant resources, and the habitats upon which they depend, for their ecological values and their use and enjoyment by the public.

California Fish and Game Code (FGC) 1932(a) requires that the CDFW shall “Obtain access to the most recent information with respect to natural resources. To accomplish this, the department shall maintain, expand, and keep current a data management system, designated the CNDDB, designed to document information on these resources. That data shall be made available to interested parties on request.”

The CNDDB program is housed within the Biogeographic Data Branch (BDB) of CDFW, and compiles and maintains an extensive geospatial and tabular dataset of locations, statuses, and other detailed information for plants and animals at risk of extinction or otherwise considered sensitive by the State of California.

Today, the CNDDB program possesses one of the largest, most comprehensive databases of its kind in

State of California Department of Fish & Wildlife

RFP 0078-02

CDT OSTP Request For Proposal the world. Assembled over the past 40+ years, it contains thousands of records on California’s rarest plants, animals, and natural communities. It is California’s "Natural Heritage Program" and is part of an international and nationwide network of like programs using similar methodology. The CNDDB program aims to provide the most current information on the state's most imperiled elements of natural diversity and tools to analyze this information. The data helps drive informed conservation and management decisions, aids in the environmental review of projects and land use changes, provides baseline information helpful in recovering special status species, and supports research projects.

Currently, the CNDDB program needs an adequate method of managing and sharing spatial point location data. Data on special-status plant and animal species is accepted in various formats. The submission method depends on the amount of data that was collected, the means and format in which the data was collected, and the type of project being carried out. For all data submissions, the more information provided to the CNDDB on population size, site condition, habitat, threats, etc., the better CNDDB can assign an accurate occurrence rank to the site. The occurrence rank, which is a ranking of the quality of habitat and the condition of a population in a specific location, is taken into consideration when determining rarity status and when prioritizing sites for conservation purposes.

CNDDB has developed a considerable backlog of incoming data due to complex processes, a lack of resources, and disparate data management systems. This backlog includes records and data that have been submitted to CNDDB and have not been reviewed by program staff to determine if they can be incorporated. Approximately 20 years of animal and plant data exist in the backlog.

In summary, the CNDDB needs standardized, efficient, and technologically current methods for managing and updating this large complex dataset. The objective of this solicitation is to modernize the CNDDB with a MODS solution so to better capture, store, update, and share element observation data in a timely manner.

1.3. TERM OF CONTRACT

Effective upon approval of CDT, Office of Statewide Technology Procurement (OSTP), the base term of the Contract is three (3) years, with an estimated start date of May 1, 2025.

The State, at its sole discretion, may exercise its options to execute two (2) one (1)-year extensions to perform maintenance and operational support, for a maximum Contract term of five (5) years.

The State is not obligated to use any or all of these options. The Agreement is of no effect unless approved by CDT and no work shall begin before full execution of the Agreement.

1.4. CURRENT AND PROPOSED ENVIRONMENT

State of California Department of Fish & Wildlife

RFP 0078-02

CDT OSTP Request For Proposal

1.4.1. CURRENT ENVIRONMENT

The CNDDB Program staff work with a multitude of internal and external partners to maintain current lists of special status species that are tracked in the system, as well as an ever-growing database of spatially mapped Element Occurrences (EOs) for these species. The EO is the primary method of maintaining special status species data in CNDDB. An EO is a spatial representation of an area where a species is, or was, present. The textual aspect of the EO includes site characteristics, habitat, number of occurrences and threats. EOs do not contain point observation data. Using multiple applications, CNDDB houses EOs and source data (original data in various formats) in database tables, spatial and digital files, network shared folders, and physical file cabinets.

In a typical year, thousands of people collect species data in California, resulting in thousands more data submissions to the CNDDB. This data is accepted in a variety of formats via a variety of different channels. However, to help standardize format and reduce processing time, the preferred method for data submission is through the Online Field Survey Form (OFSF) web application. The OFSF does not accept bulk data upload so users must enter one observation at a time. Once data is submitted in the OFSF, back-end scripts automatically assign a source code for tracking and populate the associated database.

Other forms of data that CNDDB Program receives are paper/scanned forms, Portable Document Format (PDF) filled forms, digital data within a spreadsheet, reports, Access databases, Geographic Information System (GIS) shapefiles, and more. Data including these are submitted via email or postal delivery and contains multiple species and multiple observations. Some are transcribed in the OFSF application by program staff, but many require in-depth lengthy review before they may be incorporated into the CNDDB.

Because accuracy of the CNDDB products is critical to conservation and management decision making, standard and methodical processes are used in creating or updating EOS, as well as for quality control (QC). The QC process involves a second program staff member reviewing all data input and mapping done by the initial program staff who create/update an EO record. The EO creation/update process does not store spatial points or much of the qualitative data evaluated to create records, making the QC more time consuming. Because the CNDDB methodology is so complex, new program staff require lengthy training and practice before they can become proficient with all the various processes and applications used to update/maintain the system. Depending on the duties of the staff, this can range from several months to a year.

The intent of the diagram below is to show the major aspects of the CNDDB system, including the various data sources and business processes as described above. Once data is mapped and QC’d, it becomes available to subscribers and CDFW staff in various formats, including RareFind and Biogeographic Information and Observation System (BIOS) datasets. Summary data is also available to subscribers, CDFW staff, and the public using the BIOS QuickView tool. The CNDDB uses NatureServe’s Biotics application to manage elements (plants and animals) and provides our data to NatureServe annually.

Note that observational data is paramount to the development of CNDDB data products, but there is no

State of California Department of Fish & Wildlife

RFP 0078-02

CDT OSTP Request For Proposal central repository for such data.

Figure 1.4.1: CNDDB System Overview. The purple and blue boxes below represent processes, and the red lines/arrows represent manual flow. Note: Other Data Sources represented below are not in scope for this project.

1.4.2. PROPOSED ENVIRONMENT

This section presents an overview of the proposed system and, as such, will not specify any detailed technical requirements. The bidder requirements and solution requirements supporting this overview are included in SECTION 4. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS , ATTACHMENT 1: APPENDIX A - STATEMENT OF WORK, and referenced documents, therein.

In the event of a discrepancy or ambiguity between the requirements described in this section, and the requirements set forth in SECTION 4. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS are detected after the opening of Final Proposals, SECTION 4. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS and the bidder’s response thereto shall have priority over this section.

State of California Department of Fish & Wildlife

RFP 0078-02

CDT OSTP Request For Proposal

The legacy CNDDB system will undergo modernization through the development and implementation of a MODS system. This system will serve as a central repository for all observation data, streamlining processes such as data collection, review, creation or updating of element occurrences (EOs), quality control (QC), and query/reporting capabilities. Additionally, the MODS system will introduce new tools and efficiencies for CNDDB staff, including workflow automation, bulk data uploads, an improved Online Field Survey Form, legacy data migration, and integration with systems such as Active Directory and Survey 123.

The MODS solution will be hosted on the CDFW Commercial Azure Cloud platform, and it will not follow a subscription-based model. The Contractor is responsible for the configuration of the Azure Cloud environment, development and support of the MODS solution, while CDFW will manage its Commercial Azure Cloud platform.

1.5. AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA)

To comply with the nondiscrimination requirements of ADA, it is the policy of the State of California to make every effort to ensure that its programs, activities, and services are available to all persons, including persons with disabilities.

For persons with a disability needing reasonable accommodation to participate in the procurement process or for persons having questions regarding reasonable accommodations of the procurement process, you may contact the Procurement Officer identified in SECTION 2.2.1. PROCUREMENT OFFICER. You may also contact the State of California at the numbers listed below.

Important: To ensure that we can meet your needs, it is best that we receive your request for reasonable accommodations at least ten (10) working days before the scheduled event, e.g., meeting, conference, workshop, etc., or deadline due-date for procurement documents.

The California Relay Service Telephone Numbers are:

TTY/VCO/HCO to Voice

English

Spanish

1-800-735-2929

1-800-855-3000

Voice to TTY/VCO/HCO

English

Spanish

1-800-735-2922

1-800-855-3000

From or to Speech-to-Speech English & Spanish 1-800-854-7784

State of California Department of Fish & Wildlife

RFP 0078-02

CDT OSTP Request For Proposal

2. BIDDING INSTRUCTIONS

2.1. BIDDER ADMONITION

This procurement will follow an approach designed to increase the likelihood of a successful Final Proposal and Bidder eligibility for an invitation to negotiations. The Bidder should refer to SECTION 2.5.

BIDDING STEPS to understand the phases applicable to this solicitation. It is the Bidder’s responsibility to:

1. Ensure that the Bidder clearly understands the State’s requirements before attempting to develop its Final Proposal;

2. Ensure that the State clearly understands what each Bidder intends to propose before Proposals are finalized;

3. Provide an opportunity for the State and each Bidder to discuss weaknesses or potentially unacceptable elements of a Bidder’s Proposal and give the Bidder an opportunity to modify its Proposal to correct such problems

Specific information regarding such steps is found in SECTION 2.5. BIDDING STEPS and SECTION 7.

EVALUATION of the solicitation.

1. Carefully read the entire solicitation.

2. Submit questions in a timely manner, if clarification is necessary.

3. Submit a Proposal by the required dates and times specified in SECTION 2.3. KEY ACTION

DATES.

4. Make sure that all procedures and requirements of the solicitation are accurately followed and appropriately addressed.

5. Do not include conditional statements, assumptions, or exception language with Proposals.

6. Carefully review the entire solicitation before submitting a Final Proposal.

2.2. COMMUNICATIONS AND CONTACTS

The State uses an online procurement system known as Cal eProcure to communicate with prospective bidders and suppliers. Information and ongoing communications for this solicitation will be posted by the State on the Cal eProcure website, www.caleprocure.com.

Oral communications by Agency/state entity officers and employees concerning this solicitation shall not be binding on the State and shall in no way excuse the Bidder of any obligations set forth in this solicitation.

State of California Department of Fish & Wildlife

RFP 0078-02

CDT OSTP Request For Proposal

September 23, 2024 https://sb.cityinnovate.com/account/solicitations/documents/297289#section-577242 https://sb.cityinnovate.com/account/solicitations/documents/297289#section-577376 http://www.caleprocure.com/

2.2.1. PROCUREMENT OFFICER

The Procurement Officer is the State’s designated authorized representative regarding this procurement.

Bidders are directed to communicate all correspondence regarding this procurement to the Procurement Officer at the contact information below:

Procurement Officer: Lauren Neisen, Lauren.Neisen@state.ca.gov, +1 916-205-4836 and

Procurement Officer: Edna Toy, Edna.Toy@state.ca.gov +1 916-857-9601

2.2.2. QUESTIONS REGARDING THE SOLICITATION DOCUMENT

Bidders requiring clarification of the intent, terms and conditions, content of this solicitation, or on procedural matters regarding the competitive bid process may request clarification by submitting questions using ATTACHMENT 19: TEMPLATE FOR QUESTION SUBMITTAL via electronic mail (email) addressed to the Procurement Officer listed in SECTION 2.2.1. PROCUREMENT OFFICER.

The email must include the solicitation identification information from the solicitation title page in the subject line. To ensure a response, questions must be received in writing by the scheduled date(s) specified in SECTION 2.3. KEY ACTION DATES. Question and answer sets will be posted to Cal eProcure and will not identify the submitters. At the sole discretion of the State, questions may be paraphrased by the State for clarity.

Only questions submitted in writing and answered in writing by the Procurement Officer shall be binding and official. Written questions must be submitted by email to the Procurement Officer identified in SECTION 2.2.1. PROCUREMENT OFFICER, using ATTACHMENT 19: TEMPLATE FOR QUESTION SUBMITTAL. All written questions submitted by the deadline specified in SECTION 2.3. KEY ACTION DATES, will be responded to at the same time with all questions and answers posted to Cal eProcure in the form of a question and answer set.

If a Bidder desires clarification or further information on the content of the solicitation, but whose questions relate to the proprietary aspect of its Proposal and disclosure exposes its Proposal to other Bidders, the question may be submitted using the same criteria above with the notation, “CONFIDENTIAL.” The Bidder must explain why the question is sensitive in nature. If the State concurs that the disclosure of the question or answer would expose the proprietary nature of the Proposal, the question will be answered and both the question and answer will be confidentially maintained. If the State does not concur with the proprietary aspect of the question, the question and answer will not be confidentially maintained and the Bidder will be so notified.

State of California Department of Fish & Wildlife

RFP 0078-02

CDT OSTP Request For Proposal

September 23, 2024 mailto:Lauren.Neisen@state.ca.gov mailto:Tien.Le@state.ca.gov https://sb.cityinnovate.com/account/solicitations/documents/168954#section-467180 https://sb.cityinnovate.com/account/solicitations/documents/168970 https://sb.cityinnovate.com/account/solicitations/documents/168954#section-467436

2.2.3. INTENT TO BID

Bidders that participate in the solicitation should submit a completed ATTACHMENT 2: INTENT TO BID by the date specified in SECTION 2.3. KEY ACTION DATES.

This document shall be emailed to the Procurement Officer identified in SECTION 2.2.1.

PROCUREMENT OFFICER. Only those Bidders acknowledging interest in this solicitation will receive correspondence applicable to the solicitation (e.g., scheduling dates for confidential discussions, meetings, etc.) throughout this procurement. Correspondence to a Bidder regarding this solicitation will only be given to the Bidder’s designated contact person.

It shall be the Bidder’s responsibility to immediately notify the Procurement Officer identified in SECTION

2.2.1. PROCUREMENT OFFICER, in writing, regarding any revision to the contact person information by the Proposal submission date. The State shall not be responsible for Proposal correspondence not received by the Bidder if the Bidder fails to notify the State, in writing, about any change pertaining to the designated contact person.

2.2.4. BIDDERS' LIBRARY

The Bidder is encouraged to review the information in the Bidder's Library to gain a thorough understanding of RFP 0078-02 Master Observation System and the project solution requirements.

The Bidders’ Library is accessible using the URL provided in ATTACHMENT 18: BIDDERS' LIBRARY.

2.2.5. CLOUD COMPUTING SERVICES

Per State’s Cloud Smart Computing Policy, Agencies/State entities must first consider CDT Managed Cloud Services or CDT approved cloud service offerings. These service options include Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS).

For this RFP, if an Agency/State entity is planning to utilize cloud services and determines that the use of a CDT provided cloud service solution is not feasible, the State shall submit an exemption request to CDT for approval. The Cloud Smart Computing Policy exemption process is defined in SIMM 18B.

Upon contract award, the Contractor is expected to work with the State team in an effort to comply with the State's Cloud Smart Computing Policy (https://cdt.ca.gov/technology-innovation/cloud-smart/).

2.3. KEY ACTION DATES

Table 2-1: Key Action Dates (KAD) provides the key action dates and times by which actions must be taken or completed. If the State finds it necessary to change these dates or times, it will be accomplished via an addendum to this solicitation except for dates listed after the Bidder’s submission of a Final

State of California Department of Fish & Wildlife

RFP 0078-02

CDT OSTP Request For Proposal

September 23, 2024 https://sb.cityinnovate.com/account/solicitations/documents/50220 https://sb.cityinnovate.com/account/solicitations/documents/50214?return_path=%2Faccount%2Fworkflows%2Fstages%2F7840%3Fsub_stage%3Ddocuments#section-241107 https://sb.cityinnovate.com/account/solicitations/documents/50214?return_path=%2Faccount%2Fworkflows%2Fstages%2F7840%3Fsub_stage%3Ddocuments#section-234074 https://sb.cityinnovate.com/account/solicitations/documents/50214?return_path=%2Faccount%2Fworkflows%2Fstages%2F7840%3Fsub_stage%3Ddocuments#section-234074 https://cdt.ca.gov/technology-innovation/cloud-smart/

Proposal. Dates listed after the Bidder’s submission of the Final Proposal are estimated and may be adjusted without addendum to this solicitation. All times listed are for Pacific Time.

Table 2-1: Key Action Dates

KEY ACTION DATES

Item Action Date and Time

1. Release of Pre-Solicitation March 26, 2024

2. Bidder's written feedback and request to meet with the State

April 12, 2024 by 12:00 p.m.

3.

Confidential meetings with potential Bidders

(Conducted via video conference) April 24, 2024 - April 30, 2024

4. Release of Solicitation September 23, 2024

5. Last day to submit questions: ATTACHMENT 19:

TEMPLATE FOR QUESTION SUBMITTAL

October 8, 2024 by 10:00 a.m.

6. Release of potential addendum October 22, 2024 - October 29, 2024

7. Last day to submit ATTACHMENT 2: INTENT TO BID and ATTACHMENT 3: CONFIDENTIALITY STATEMENT (signed)

October 31, 2024 by 10:00 a.m.

8.

Last day to email Procurement Officer (SECTION

2.2.1. PROCUREMENT OFFICER) for Final

Proposal response uploading instructions (Refer to

SECTION 6. PROPOSAL FORMAT AND

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS for further information).

November 7, 2024

9. Last day to submit the Final Proposal and last day to be deemed OSTP eVAQ approved

November 15, 2024 by 10:00 a.m.

10. First Evaluation Period November 18, 2024 - January 21, 2025

State of California Department of Fish & Wildlife

RFP 0078-02

CDT OSTP Request For Proposal

KEY ACTION DATES

Item Action Date and Time

11. Notification of Live Demonstration to Responsive Bidder(s)

January 22, 2025 - January 24, 2025

12. Live Demonstration January 27, 2025 - February 7, 2025

13. Second Evaluation Period

February 10, 2025 - February 12, 2025

14. Confidential Negotiations with Bidder(s) February 24, 2025 - March 7 , 2025

15. Notification of Contract Award April 1, 2025

16. Estimated Project Start Date May 1, 2025

2.4. RULES GOVERNING COMPETITION

This solicitation, the evaluation of responses, and the award of any resultant Contract shall be made in conformance with the provisions set forth in Public Contract Code (PCC) 6611 as they relate to the procurement of IT goods and services by public bodies in the State of California.

2.4.1. IDENTIFICATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF SOLICITATION

REQUIREMENTS

The State has established certain requirements with respect to Proposals to be submitted by prospective Bidders. The use of “shall,” “must,” or “will” (except to indicate simple futurity) in the solicitation indicates a requirement or condition which is mandatory.

A deviation of any non-negotiable requirement identified in SECTION 2.5. BIDDING STEPS will disqualify a vendor from participating in Evaluations, Negotiations and Contract Award.

A deviation of any other requirement must be resolved to the State's satisfaction prior to or during Negotiations, as requested by the State, and corrected prior to or in the Bidder's Best and Final Offer

(BAFO).

State of California Department of Fish & Wildlife

RFP 0078-02

CDT OSTP Request For Proposal

The words “should” or “may” in the solicitation indicate desirable attributes or conditions, but are non-mandatory in nature.

2.4.2. SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS

This solicitation document includes, in addition to an explanation of the State’s requirements which must be met, instructions which prescribe the format and content of Proposals to be submitted and the model of the Contract to be executed between the State and the successful Bidder.

If a Bidder discovers any ambiguity, conflict, discrepancy, omission, or other error in this solicitation document, the Bidder shall immediately notify the Procurement Officer identified in SECTION 2.2.1.

PROCUREMENT OFFICER, of such error in writing and request clarification or modification of the document.

Modifications will be made by addenda issued pursuant to SECTION 2.4.6. ADDENDA. Such modifications shall be given by written notice to all parties who have identified themselves as Bidders to the Procurement Officer without divulging the source of the request. Insofar as practicable, the State will give such notices to other interested parties, but the State shall not be responsible therefore.

If the solicitation document contains an error known to the Bidder, or an error that reasonably should have been known, the Bidder shall bid at its own risk. If the Bidder fails to notify the State of the error prior to the date fixed for submission of Proposals, and is awarded the Contract, the Bidder shall not be entitled to additional compensation or time by reason of the error or its later correction.

2.4.3. EXAMINATION OF THE WORK

The Bidder should carefully examine the entire solicitation document and any addenda thereto, and all related materials and data referenced in the solicitation document or otherwise available to the Bidder, and should become fully aware of the nature and location of the work, the quantities of the work, and the conditions to be encountered in performing the work.

2.4.4. EXCLUSION FOR CONFLICT OF INTEREST

No consultant shall be paid out of State funds for developing recommendations on the acquisition of information technology (IT) products or services or assisting in the preparation of the project approval lifecycle documents (stages 2, 3, or 4) or feasibility study, while in effect, if that consultant is to be a source of such acquisition or could otherwise directly and/or materially benefit from State adoption of such recommendations or the course of action recommended in the project approval lifecycle documents (stages 2, 3, or 4) or feasibility study. Further, no consultant shall be paid out of State funds for developing recommendations on the disposal of State surplus IT products if that consultant would directly and/or materially benefit from State adoption of such recommendations.

State of California Department of Fish & Wildlife

RFP 0078-02

CDT OSTP Request For Proposal

A consultant shall not be eligible to serve as the Prime Contractor or subcontractor pursuant to this solicitation if the Contractor/subcontractor is currently working on the solicitation in an Independent Verification and Validation (IV & V) role.

2.4.5. CONFIDENTIALITY

Bidder material becomes public only after the Notification of Award is released. If material marked “confidential,” “proprietary,” or “trade secret” is requested pursuant to the Public Records Act, the State will make an independent assessment whether it is exempt from disclosure. If the State disagrees with the Bidder, the State will notify the Bidder and give them a reasonable opportunity to justify their position or obtain a court order protecting the material from disclosure.

The Bidder should be aware that marking a document “confidential” or “proprietary” in a Final Proposal may exclude it from consideration for award and will not keep that document from being released after notice of award as part of the public record, unless a court has ordered the State not to release the document. The content of all working papers and discussions relating to the Bidder’s Proposal shall be held in confidence indefinitely, unless the public interest is best served by an item’s disclosure because of its direct pertinence to a decision, agreement or the evaluation of the Proposal.

Any disclosure of confidential information by the Bidder is a basis for rejecting the Bidder’s Proposal and ruling the Bidder ineligible to further participate. Any disclosure of confidential information by a State employee is a basis for disciplinary action, including dismissal from State employment, as provided by Government Code §19570 et seq. Total confidentiality is paramount; it cannot be over emphasized.

2.4.6. ADDENDA

The State may modify the solicitation at any time prior to submission of the Final Proposal by issuing an addendum. Addenda will be numbered consecutively.

If a Bidder determines that an addendum unnecessarily restricts its ability to bid, the Bidder is allowed five

(5) business days to submit written questions regarding the addendum according to the instructions contained in SECTION 2.2.2. QUESTIONS REGARDING THE SOLICITATION DOCUMENT .

2.4.7. COST FOR DEVELOPING PROPOSAL

Costs for developing Proposals are the responsibility entirely of the Bidder and shall not be chargeable to the State.

2.4.8. DISCOUNTS

In connection with any discount offered, except when a provision is made for a testing period preceding

State of California Department of Fish & Wildlife

RFP 0078-02

CDT OSTP Request For Proposal acceptance by the State, time will be computed from the date of delivery of the supplies or equipment as specified, or from date correct invoices are received in the office specified by the State if the latter date is later than the date of delivery. When a provision is made for a testing period preceding acceptance by the State, the date of delivery shall mean the date the supplies or equipment are accepted by the State during the specified testing period. Payment is deemed made, for the purpose of earning the discount, on the date of mailing the State warrant or check.

Cash discounts offered by bidders for the prompt payment of invoices will not be considered in evaluating offers for award purposes; however, all offered discounts will be taken if the payment is made within the discount period, even though not considered in the evaluation of offers.

2.4.9. SIGNATURE OF PROPOSAL

A cover letter shall be considered an integral part of the Final Proposal and any Proposal form requiring signature, must be signed by an individual who is authorized to bind the bidding firm contractually. The signature block must indicate the title or position that the individual holds in the firm. An unsigned Final Proposal may be rejected.

The draft proposal, if applicable, must also contain the cover letter, including the title of the person who will sign, but need not contain the signature.

2.4.10. IRREVOCABLE OFFER

A Bidder’s Proposal is an irrevocable offer for 180 days following the scheduled date for submission of Contract specified in SECTION 2.3. KEY ACTION DATES. A Bidder may extend the offer in the event of a delay of Contract award.

2.4.11. FALSE OR MISLEADING STATEMENTS

Proposals which contain false or misleading statements, or which provide references that do not support an attribute or condition claimed by the Bidder, may be rejected. If, in the opinion of the State, such information was intended to mislead the State in its evaluation of the Proposal, and the attribute, condition, or capability is a requirement of this solicitation document, it will be the basis for rejection of the Bidder’s Proposal.

2.4.12. BONDS

The State reserves the right to require a performance bond or other security document as specified in the solicitation from the Bidder in an amount not to exceed the amount of the Contract. In the event the State requires a surety bond that has not been expressly required by the solicitation, the State will reimburse the Bidder as an addition to the purchase price in an amount not exceeding the standard premium on

State of California Department of Fish & Wildlife

RFP 0078-02

CDT OSTP Request For Proposal such bond.

2.5. BIDDING STEPS

SECTION 2.5. BIDDING STEPS outlines the steps for interested Bidders to submit a Final Proposal in response to this solicitation. Instructions and details to submit a Proposal are described in subsequent sections of this solicitation.

The Bidder is expected to follow the format requirements and utilize all forms included in this solicitation necessary for its response. This solicitation also addresses the Bidder responsibilities and requirements that must be met to be eligible for consideration. If the Bidder fails to follow the provided instructions, the Bidder may be disqualified from the solicitation process.

This solicitation will follow an approach as indicated below to ensure contract award. Refer to +SECTION

2.3. KEY ACTION DATES to determine which mandatory steps are included in this solicitation. SECTION

2.3. KEY ACTION DATES lists milestones, mandatory steps, and due dates for deliverables in this solicitation. Prior to submitting a Final Proposal, Bidders should submit an Intent to Bid as detailed in SECTION 2.2.3. INTENT TO BID and a ATTACHMENT 3: CONFIDENTIALITY STATEMENT as detailed in SECTION 2.4.5. CONFIDENTIALITY. Bidders must also submit a pre-qualified Electronic Vendor Application of Qualifications (eVAQ) as detailed in SECTION 3.4. ELECTRONIC VENDOR

APPLICATION OF QUALIFICATIONS (EVAQ).

The State will use the following non-negotiable item(s) to determine if a Bidder’s Final Proposal response is eligible to proceed further in evaluations and Negotiations in accordance with SECTION 7.

EVALUATION.

1. The Bidder must be deemed OSTP eVAQ approved by the Last day to submit the Final Proposal submission due date of this RFP, specified in SECTION 2.3. KEY ACTION DATES.

A Final Proposal received from a Bidder that is deemed non-responsive to the non-negotiable item(s) above shall not be opened or evaluated further.

2.5.1. ADMINISTRATIVE, TECHNICAL, COST REQUIREMENTS AND LIVE

DEMONSTRATION

The purpose of this phase is to obtain Final Proposals that are responsive in every aspect. This is a mandatory step for all Bidders. The Final Proposal must be complete, and include all cost information, required signatures, contract changes issued by the State via addendum and corrections made to those defects noted by the State in its review of the Final Proposal, if any. Cost as identified in SECTION 6.

PROPOSAL FORMAT AND SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS must be submitted in a separate folder.

State of California Department of Fish & Wildlife

RFP 0078-02

CDT OSTP Request For Proposal

September 23, 2024 https://sb.cityinnovate.com/account/solicitations/documents/50214#section-241107 https://sb.cityinnovate.com/account/solicitations/documents/50214#section-241107 https://sb.cityinnovate.com/account/solicitations/documents/50214#section-241107 https://sb.cityinnovate.com/account/solicitations/documents/50214#section-234079 https://sb.cityinnovate.com/account/solicitations/documents/50214#section-234097 https://sb.cityinnovate.com/account/solicitations/documents/50214#section-234136 https://sb.cityinnovate.com/account/solicitations/documents/50214#section-241117 https://sb.cityinnovate.com/account/solicitations/documents/50214#section-241107

Bidders must complete and obtain OSTP approval of the eVAQ online application by the Final Proposal due date. Please note, it is recommended that Bidders allow a minimum of two (2) weeks before the Final Proposal due date for the State to process the application approval.

a. Bidder submits an application to the eVAQ site detailed in SECTION 3.1. ELECTRONIC VENDOR

APPLICATION OF QUALIFICATIONS (EVAQ).

b. Bidder submits a Final Proposal response to SECTION 3. ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS, SECTION 4. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS , and SECTION 5. COST .

c. The States evaluates SECTION 3. ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS and SECTION 4.

PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS .*

d. Bidder participates in Live Demonstrations that occur in-person in accordance with SECTION

7.3.6. DEMONSTRATIONS.

e. The State evaluates Live Demonstrations and Cost responses based on the evaluation criteria detailed in SECTION 7. EVALUATION.

f. Following the evaluation, at the discretion of the State, up to three (3) of the highest scoring Bidders may be determined eligible to participate in the negotiation process.

*A Final Proposal received from a Bidder that is deemed non-responsive to the mandatory requirements prior to Live Demonstrations shall not be evaluated further.

2.5.2. NEGOTIATIONS

The State will conduct negotiations under PCC §6611 and as detailed in SECTION 7.4. NEGOTIATIONS.

The purpose of the negotiation process is to maximize the State's ability to obtain a value-effective solution.

In addition to the non-negotiable item(s) above in SECTION 2.5. BIDDING STEPS and following the Final Proposal Rank Determination described in SECTION 7.3.10. BIDDER FINAL SCORE CALCULATION AND RANK DETERMINATION, the State may invite and proceed to negotiations with up to three (3) compliant Bidders that may result in a Contract Award.

Negotiations may include a request by the State for the Bidder(s) to submit a Best and Final Offer

(BAFO).

Agenda items for negotiations will be determined by the State after Final Proposals are evaluated. Any deviation of any requirement that is not defined as a non-negotiable must be resolved to the State's satisfaction prior to or during Negotiations, as requested by the State, and corrected prior to or in the Bidder's BAFO, if requested.

State of California Department of Fish & Wildlife

RFP 0078-02

CDT OSTP Request For Proposal

2.5.3. WITHDRAWAL AND RESUBMISSION/MODIFICATION OF PROPOSALS

A Bidder may withdraw its Final Proposal at any time prior to the Final Proposal submission date and time specified in SECTION 2.3. KEY ACTION DATES, by submitting a written notification of withdrawal signed by an authorized representative of the Bidder in accordance with SECTION 2.4.9. SIGNATURE OF PROPOSAL. The Bidder may thereafter submit a new or modified Proposal prior to the respective Final Proposal submission date and time specified in SECTION 2.3. KEY ACTION DATES. Modification offered in any other manner, oral or written, will not be considered.