Mandatory Specifications.doc

IV. MANDATORY SPECIFICATIONS

1. New Mexico Employees Health Coverage Form - The Offeror must agree with the terms and submit a signed New Mexico Employees Health Coverage Form (Appendix F) with the submittal of their proposal. A statement of concurrence is required and form must be signed.

2. In accordance with OMB A-133, Offerors must complete and submit to HSD copies of their organization’s most recent year’s audit report (also referred to as a single audit), as well as those for the preceding two (2) years. The submissions should include the audit opinion, the balance sheet, statements of income, retained earnings, cash flows, management letters and the notes to the financial statements.

3. The Offeror shall include evidence of the financial stability of its organization, along with the following financial information:

a) Offerors shall submit information regarding any mergers, acquisitions, or sales of the Offeror or subcontracting companies within the last ten years, or if any are pending or being negotiated and if so, an explanation providing relevant details.

b) Offerors should provide a statement as to whether there is any pending litigation against the Offeror, and if such litigation exists, attach an opinion of counsel as to whether the pending litigation may impair the Offeror’s performance in a contract under this RFP. Likewise, Offerors must provide a statement as to whether the Offeror or any of the Offeror’s employees, agents, independent contractors, or subcontractors have been convicted of, pled guilty to, or pled nolo contendere to any felony, and if so provide an explanation with relevant details.

c) Offerors should include a statement of their intention and evidence of ability to procure, submit to the Department, and maintain throughout the duration of the contract, a blanket Fidelity Bond in favor of the Department to insure the Contractor’s performance under the contract. The Contractor shall obtain and maintain at all times during the term of the Agreement a blanket Fidelity Bond covering the activities of the Contractor in an amount of at least 25% of the total dollar amount of this contract. It is suggested that the Contractor obtain a bond that covers 25% of the total agency budget/funding.

4. If non-profit status, Offeror shall include:

a. proof of current federal tax exempt status [501 (c) 3] designation with the most recently filed IRS Form 990

b. a copy of approved Articles of Incorporation

c. a list of all board members.

d. a copy of the bylaws, a list of a board committees and copies of the minutes of the three most recent meetings of the full board.

5. Offeror shall include evidence of the ability to provide and maintain caseload data, track parent participation and provide required reports to HSD.

a) NMW service provider(s) is(are) required to collect, analyze, and report specific program data related to all work activities that parent participants are involved in and all assessments conducted with participants, as a means of providing evidence to HSD that program requirements are being met. Reports are to be submitted to HSD on a monthly basis or as requested by HSD (see SOW attached herein as Appendix A, Section 10, Records and Reporting, and Appendix G to this RFP). In addition, the service provider(s) is required to conduct assessments of NMW participants’ skills, education, work experience and barriers to employment using the assessment tool prescribed/approved by HSD.

b) The current database of record for TANF federal performance is ISD2. This application will be accessed via the Case/Client Menu and utilizing the five Works Programs Screens; Assessment Tracking, Participant Info, Activity Part/History, Attendance and Reimbursement.

c) HSD includes NMW service provider funding for a data management collection and reporting system, but does not provide or maintain the system which must be used to record and report other TANF/NMW performance data. All data, current and historical as well as the computer equipment related to this program will be the property of the State of New Mexico and will be turned over to the state at the end of the contract. In case of any security breach or unauthorized use, the NMW service provider will turn over to HSD upon request the computer equipment and its contents, related to such incident.

6. The Offeror shall include evidence of its capability to fully implement services by July 1, 2010.

7. Project Plan:

The NMW Program is administered by HSD which has responsibility for program direction and oversight. HSD through its regional offices and through contracts with service providers delivers integrated services to TANF parents to help them obtain employment and thereby reduce their dependency on public cash assistance.

The Offeror(s)’ detailed description on how the following responsibilities would be met as a NMW service provider will be evaluated according to the following elements (each item must be addressed individually and in order):

a. Meet performance standards as established by Federal and State TANF authority;

b. Provide integrated services to families and individuals whose primary language is not English (see Appendix J, Certification of Compliance);

c. Provide effective plan for outreach to TANF recipients and TANF eligibles;

d. Identify community partnerships for the purpose of providing support services to NMW participants in response to the needs of the region;

e. Provide quality services in rural communities;

f. Meet the responsibilities as described in the SOW, attached to this RFP as Appendix A, and summarized as follows:

1) Assist TANF parents to improve the quality of life for themselves and their children through case management and referrals to support services;

2) Reduce the TANF caseload by increasing the number of families who are able to leave TANF due to an increase in family income through appropriate job placements which promote retention and progression in the workplace; and

3) Reduce the number of TANF parents who are sanctioned by assisting them in meeting federal/state participation requirements through appropriate case management, including referrals to support services.

4) Ensure that TANF families obtain the services that will help them reduce or avoid dependence on public cash assistance and increase their quality of life;

5) Provide services that will stabilize a family’s situation and enable parents to fulfill their responsibilities to support their children;

6) Provide TANF parents with the opportunity to acquire the education and skills necessary to qualify for employment;

7) Provide necessary support services so that TANF parents can participate in NMW Program and become employed;

8) Promote coordination of services, to increase accessibility to those services for parents, and maximize the use of existing resources;

9) Emphasize parental accountability;

10) Assist low-income noncustodial fathers become better parents, obtain employment, and pay child support;

11) Conduct skills and aptitudes assessments with each parent referred to the NMW Program and counseling parents on appropriate activity tracks that are in line with their present circumstances;

12) Provide a case manager, a Career Development Specialist (CDS) for each parent throughout the parent’s period of enrollment in NMW who will counsel the parent regarding life-coping skills; make referrals to support services; place parent in appropriate activities after assessing the parent; and monitor, evaluate and document the patent’s progress;

13) Develop resources to increase the accessibility and quality of services for parents; and

8. Organizational Management and Expertise:

Offerors shall submit a statement as evidence of organizational management and expertise, and include:

a. Evidence of the organization’s effective internal communications, transfer of knowledge, training of staff and distribution of information

b. Three (3) external letters of support and three (3) client references from clients who have received similar services to those specified in this RFP that have occurred within the past five (5) years. Offers that propose to use Subcontractors for significant portions of the scope of work must also include three (3) external references for each major Subcontractor. Each reference should include:

a. the name of the organization/name of client

b. current address of organization/client

c. name of the contact person (if organization)

d. telephone number of contact person, and

e. dates and description of the services provided.

c. Three (3) external references for senior organizational management proposed to be responsible for the Contractor’s performance, and empowered by the Contractor to legally bind the Contractor on a contract. Each reference should include the name of the organization, organization current address, name of the contact person, telephone number, and the date and description of the services provided.

d. A description of the experience level, technical knowledge, and education of key organizational staff and any subcontractors, including CEO or executive director, fiscal manager, operational staff, and all personnel required to complete the Contractor responsibilities described in this RFP and the SOW, Appendix A. The Contractor is not to assume or propose the use of State staff to conduct any work pursuant to this RFP. The Offeror should include any experiences of the proposed core team relevant to any projects of the type, size, and scope of this project. Special attention should be given to experience related to providing services to low-income families and individuals. The most recent relevant experience for proposed staff members should be within the last two years of the date of this RFP Note: The Offeror is responsible for verifying reference contact information. The Evaluation Committee is not obligated to try to locate persons not found at the numbers or places given in the proposals. Obsolete or wrong Contact information will result in a zero score in this category.

Pertaining to key positions that are not filled, Offerors must provide information on efforts to fill those positions and a detailed job description.

9. Past Performance Serving Low-Income Populations:

Offerors shall submit a statement of relevant organizational experience within the last five (5) years, including the experience of major subcontractors in delivering services to low-income families. The narrative in response to this factor should thoroughly describe the following information (referencing the subsections in sequence) to evidence the Offeror’s experience:

a. A brief statement and documentation of how long the Offeror has been performing the services sought under this RFP.

b. A description of the extent of the Offeror’s knowledge and samples of work, thereof, regarding the following services that assist low-income families and individuals:

a) Employment development

b) Education and Training assistance (includes GED and Vocational Training)

c) Services that stabilize a family’s situation

d) Case management

e) Connections with other programs that serve the hard to employ, including vocational rehabilitation, mental health, and substance abuse services

f) Outreach and services in rural communities

10. Cost Proposal/Budget:

The proposal shall include a detailed description and line item budget on how the grant will be used to serve eligible families. The TANF Budget Proposal Form and the SNAP E & T Budget Proposal Form, (to be provided by HSD), must be used to summarize all costs and expenses.

11. Identification of Regions to be Served:

The Offerors shall identify the HSD Region(s) where they propose to provide comprehensive services to NMW participants together with the cost for providing services in each region identified. Regions are specified in I.E, Scope of Procurement, above.

V. EVALUATION

A.

EVALUATION POINT TABLE/SUMMARY

The following is a summary of Section IV specifications identifying points assigned to each item. These weighed factors will be used in the evaluation of Offeror proposals.

Mandatory Specifications

4. If non-profit status:

a. Meet performance standards as established by Federal and State TANF authority

b. Ability to provide integrated services to families and individuals whose primary language is not English (see Appendix J)

c. Effective plan for outreach to TANF recipients and TANF eligibles

d. Community partnerships for the purpose of providing support services to NMW participants in response to the needs of the region

e. Ability to provide quality services in rural communities

f. Meet the responsibilities as described in the SOW, Appendix A

a. Evidence of the organization’s effective internal communications, transfer of knowledge, training of staff and distribution of information

b. References and letters of support

c. Experience, education and expertise of key personnel who deliver services to NMW participants

B.

EVALUATION FACTORS

Points will be awarded on the basis of the following evaluation factors:

MANDATORY SPECIFICATIONS:

1. NM Employee Health Coverage (Pass/Fail)

2. Single audit for 2009 (Pass/Fail)

3. Financial stability of organization (Pass/Fail)

4. If non-profit status:

a. Submission of 501 (c) 3 designation (Pass/Fail)

b. Submission of Articles of Incorporation (Pass/Fail)

c. Board of Directors Composition (Pass/Fail)

d. Board Bylaws, Board Committees and Minutes (Pass/Fail)

5. Ability to provide and maintain caseload data, track parent participation and provide required reports to HSD (Pass/Fail)

6. Capability to fully implement program by July 1, 2010 (Pass/Fail)

7. Outline of an effective program strategy to attain program outcomes. (35 Points)

Points will be awarded based upon an evaluation of the strength and quality of the project plan, to include details pertaining to Offeror’s:

· Ability to meet performance standards as established by Federal and State TANF authority

· Ability to provide integrated services to families and individuals whose primary language is not English (See Appendix J)

· Detailed explanation of the proposed HSD Regions to be served

· Ability to develop and maintain caseload database, track parent participation, and provide required reports to HSD

· Effective plan for outreach to TANF recipients and TANF eligibles

· Community partnerships for the purpose of providing support services to NMW participants in response to the needs of the region

· Ability to provide quality services in rural communities

· Ability to meet the responsibilities as described in the SOW, attached to this RFP as Appendix A

8. Organizational management and expertise. (25 Points) Points will be awarded based upon an evaluation of the Offeror’s:

· Efficient use of expertise within its organization, such as, internal communications, tools for effective transfer of knowledge, training of staff and distribution of information

· References and letters of support

· Experience, education and expertise of key personnel who deliver services to NMW participants

9. Past performance as related to the successful implementation of programs serving low-income populations. (20 Points)

· The Offeror’s experience in delivering quality and effective services to low-income populations is evaluated and points are awarded based on the review.

10. Cost Proposal/Budget (10 Points)

Points will be awarded based upon an evaluation of the line item budget as it pertains to the Offeror’s proposal.

11. Regions to be Served (10 Points)

Points will be awarded based on each region identified to be served (2 points for each region).

C.

EVALUATION PROCESS

The evaluation process will follow the steps listed below:

1.

All Offeror proposals will be reviewed for compliance with the mandatory requirements stated within the RFP. Proposals deemed non-responsive will be eliminated from further consideration.

2.

The Procurement Manager may contact the Offeror for clarification of the response.

3.

The Evaluation Committee may use other sources of information to perform the evaluation.

4.

Responsive proposals will be evaluated on the factors in Section V that have been assigned a point value. The responsible Offeror’s with the highest scores will be selected as finalist Offeror’s based upon the proposals submitted. Finalist Offeror’s who are asked or choose to submit revised proposals for the purpose of obtaining best and final offers will have their points recalculated accordingly. Points awarded from the oral presentations will be added to the previously assigned points to attain final scores. The responsible Offeror whose proposal is most advantageous to the Department, taking into consideration the evaluation factors in Section V, will be recommended for contract award. Please note, however, that a serious

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