11-Special Requirements.pdf

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS/INSTRUCTIONS

The following requirements and instructions supersede General Requirements where applicable. The term “Harris County” and “County" is understood to include the Harris County Universal Services Department (HCUS).

VENDOR INSTRUCTIONS

Responses to this Request for Proposal (RFP) shall be formatted and organized in the following order for consistency and easy screening:

• All proposals must be typed, single spaced, and printed single-sided on 8 ½” by 11” paper and submitted electronically in a searchable format i.e. PDF/Word/Excel format.

• Each section of the vendor’s response should start on a new page. A tabbed divider page marked with the section number should separate each section.

• Sections I-IX below must be uploaded under Bonfire’s Requested Information section.

Section I: Transmittal Letter – The transmittal letter should include:

• Company name and address; name, title, email, telephone and fax number of person(s) to be contacted for clarifications or additional information regarding proposal;

• Name, title, email, telephone and fax number of person authorized to contractually obligate vendor’s company with proposal and any future negotiations; and

• A brief statement summarizing the vendor’s understanding of the project and relevant experience.

Section II: Scope of Service/Methodology/Technical Approach

• Describe proposed methodology and approach for meeting requirements in the specifications, including a description of vendor’s understanding of the project.

• Provide the greatest amount of meaningful detail as possible to describe the proposed products/ services and specific deliverables. Indicate if vendor can meet the specifications, or if the specifications can be met only under certain conditions or circumstances. If vendor is not able to meet the specification, briefly explain why, noting any concerns or issues Harris County should be aware of.

• Provide a timeline indicating key phases, deliverables, and project milestones.

• Indicate vendor responsibilities and required resources from Harris County.

• Optional/Value-Added Products and/or Services (if applicable).

o Vendor may offer services that have the potential of providing substantial benefits to the project by increasing functionality, streamlining operations, and delivering long-term value.

Mere reiterations of specifications are strongly discouraged, as they do not provide insight into the vendor’s ability to meet the specifications.

Section III: Pricing Information (BidTable and Fee Schedule) – Vendor shall download the BidTable BT-68QV under the Requested Information section and follow the included instructions. The completed BidTable shall be uploaded to Bonfire in an Excel format under the Requested Information section of this solicitation.

Vendor proposal shall include a complete scope of services, all associated costs, and a detailed explanation of how prices are calculated, clearly outlined in the “Fee Schedule” and shall include hourly rates for any items that fall outside the defined scope of services and uploaded in Section III.

Vendors “Fee Schedule” for all service offering(s), at a minimum, shall clearly identify the following:

• Project Management

• Equipment, Installation, System Configuration, Data Migration, and Training (all applicable services)

• Training/Documentation for all purchased modules

• Third party software (if applicable)

• Additional Interfaces (if applicable)

• Additional licenses (if applicable)

Section IV: Service Level Agreement(s) (SLA)

• Vendor shall provide SLAs outlining response times, service commitments, and escalation procedures.

Section V: Project Management Plan

• Vendor shall provide a comprehensive project management plan outlining key phases, milestones, deliverables, timelines, and resource assignments.

Section VI: Qualifications and Experience

• Qualifications:

o Vendor shall have a minimum of five (5) years of experience implementing an asset and inventory management system for government or private entities similar in size and complexity as Harris

County.

o Vendor shall be in an established business for five (5) years or more.

o Provide a brief company overview including years in business, size, and core services.

▪ Vendor shall be capable of providing technical support and be available on a (twenty four/seven) 24x7, 365 days basis.

• Experience and Expertise:

o Past performance on projects of similar size and complexity.

o Evidence of success in asset and inventory management system integration improvement.

o Strength and qualifications of the proposed team.

• References:

o References Questionnaire Q-13CR – Vendor shall provide at least three (3) relevant references that are from similar public-sector, infrastructure, or enterprise implementations. Ensure the references can speak to the vendor’s ability to collaborate, deliver on time, and resolve issues.

Section VII: Proposed Project Team and Key Resources

• Proposed Project Team o Identify key personnel for the following roles:

▪ Project Manager (primary point of contact).

▪ Technical/Information Technology (IT) Integration Lead.

• Key Resources o For each key resource, include:

o Name and role.

o Resume or biography.

o Relevant project experience

Section VIII: Legal Documents – Include any standard agreement(s) and/or contracts(s) associated with vendor’s response.

Section IX: Miscellaneous – State exceptions to any of the requirements in this RSP, if any. Company brochures, marketing materials, or any other information vendor deems appropriate to the RSP response may be included in this section.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

Award shall be made to the responsible vendor whose proposal is determined to be the best evaluated proposal resulting from negotiations and taking into consideration all aspects of proposal impact items and the following in order of relative importance:

• Scope of Service/Methodology and Technical Approach (Section II).............................................................................. 30%

• Qualifications and Experience (Section VII) ..................................................................................................................... 25%

• Project Team and Key Resources (Section VII) ................................................................................................................ 15%

• Vendor Presentation/Demo ................................................................................................................................................ 10%

• Pricing (Section III) ............................................................................................................................................................ 20%

• Cybersecurity and Information Technology Controls ...................................................................................... [Pass/Fail] Vendor shall acknowledge and agree to abide by the County Cybersecurity and Information Technology Controls defined within the attachment.

Cybersecurity Technical Questionnaire (when applicable): IT Infrastructure Planning and Security Governance (I2PSG) committee review to assess IT security and/or cybersecurity risk of proposed solution shall apply if the proposed product(s)/solution(s) needs or requires access to the Harris County network. The intent of this review phase is to ensure that proposed product(s)/solution(s) meet or exceed the minimum IT security and/or cybersecurity requirements.

Product(s)/solution(s) will receive a “Pass/Fail” rating. Product(s)/solution(s) receiving a Fail rating may only be considered for award if they do not require access to the Harris County network.

Submission of a proposal implies the vendor's acceptance of the evaluation criteria and vendor’s recognition that subjective judgments must be made by the Evaluation Committee.

AWARD

Harris County anticipates awarding to a single vendor. However, Harris County reserves the right to award to more than one

(1) vendor if in the best interest of Harris County.

No award can be made until approved by Harris County Commissioners Court. This RSP does not obligate Harris County to the eventual purchase of any product/service described, implied or which may be proposed. Progress toward this end is solely at the discretion of Harris County and may be terminated at any time prior to execution of an agreement.

CERTIFICATE OF INTERESTED PARTIES (FORM 1295)

Texas law requires all parties who enter into any contract with the County which must be approved by Commissioners Court to disclose all interested parties. Form 1295 must be completed in its entirety at the following website:

https://ethics.state.tx.us/filinginfo/1295/ prior to submitting your response. Failure to do so may result in disqualification of your response.

LEGAL DOCUMENTS

Vendor should submit any agreement for products/services which may be required by the vendor’s organization to enter into a contract with Harris County. The awarded vendor will be required to execute an agreement with Harris County which finalizes the terms and conditions set forth in vendor’s proposal, best and final proposal, and any negotiations between vendor and Harris County. The agreement is subject to review and amendment by the Harris County Attorney’s Office.

INSURANCE

Harris County requires that each proposal be accompanied by the company’s current Certificate of Insurance. The Certificate

MUST be on the standard industry ACORD form and signed by the agent. If the insurance on the certificate will expire in six months or less from the time the proposal is submitted, the company must include a letter on its own stationery that verifies it will continue insurance at the same levels beyond the expiration date on the certificate. The proposer does not need to commit to the same agent or carrier but must continue insurance. When said current policies expire, the proposer must provide new certificates, as no further agreement will be pursued until verification of coverage is confirmed.

The Certificate of Insurance must include coverage for each and every insurance requirement in this document particularly the Workers Compensation 110.110 requirements. Vendor shall procure and maintain appropriate insurance coverage, including as a minimum, public liability and property damage with adequate limits to cover Vendor’s liability as may arise directly or indirectly from work performed under terms of this proposal. The certificate must identify Harris County as an additional insured, provide a waiver of subrogation and confirm the Hold Harmless status of the County.

SUBCONTRACTOR

Should the awarded vendor use any subcontractor(s) to perform the physical services required under this contract and the total contract amount proposed exceeds $25,000, the vendor shall be required to obtain a payment bond for the total https://ethics.state.tx.us/filinginfo/1295/ amount of the vendor’s proposal. The payment bond shall remain in effect for the entire initial term of the contract. For the purposes of this RFP, a subcontractor shall include anyone performing any Work or Services under the resulting contract not directly employed by vendor. Subcontractor includes but is not limited to, personnel provided by staffing agencies or other means, personnel in direct contractual relationship with vendor, or those being paid as 1099 personnel. Where appropriate, it shall also mean trade vendors.

By law, any subcontractor used on any Harris County contract/job must be paid by the awarded vendor. Any cost associated with the payment bond must be included in the costs associated with this contract. A new payment bond will be required each year the contract is renewed. Harris County will provide the appropriate bond documents to the awarded vendor to complete and submit prior to commencing any work.

BOND

If successful vendor utilizes a subcontractor, successful vendor is required to furnish a payment bond in the amount of 100% of proposal within ten (10) days of the award. The payment bond must remain in effect for the duration of the contract including renewals. Upon award, Harris County Purchasing will send awarded vendor a payment bond application.

PAYMENTS

Vendor payment requests may be submitted on a milestone or progress-payment basis. Payments will be provided for monthly progress based on completion of agreed-to milestones. Invoices shall include a written progress report and the project schedule showing the completion percentages for each task and milestone. All payment requests will be accompanied by:

monthly reports, backup tabulations, and copies of employee time sheets (if required) for hourly Time and Materials (T&M) tasks. The exact format for monthly invoices and other attachments will be agreed upon between the vendor and BMD during contract negotiations.

INVOICES

Vendor shall submit an invoice upon completion of each deliverable. Deliverables will be considered complete only upon written acceptance by Harris County. Each invoice shall include deliverable(s) completed and the price for each. No charges may be billed to Harris County unless such costs are explicitly included in the agreement.

VENDOR ELIGIBILITY, EMPLOYMENT COMPLIANCE, AND BACKGROUND SCREENING

Vendors shall not be in default or arrearage under any previous or existing contract(s) with the County, the State, or any other political subdivision of the State of Texas. The County reserves the right to disqualify any vendor, or any constituent entity of vendor, that has pending litigation, claims or debt with the County, or if such proposal includes a proposed sub-contractor.

All contract employees utilized under this contract shall be employed directly by the Vendor to which the contract is awarded and/or its contracted sub-contractors.

• A fully qualified labor force shall be on board at the beginning of the contract and maintained throughout the duration of this contract. All contract employees shall receive close and continuous first line supervision by the Vendor.

• Vendor shall comply with all requirements related to federal immigration laws and regulations, to include but not be limited to, the Immigration and Reform Act of 1986, the Illegal Immigration Reform, and Immigrant Responsibility

Act of 1996 ("IIRIRA") and the Immigration Act of 1990 (8 U.S.C.1101, et seq.) regarding employment verification and retention of verification forms for any individual(s) who will perform any labor or services under the Contract.

• Vendor shall, as a condition of the Contract, also comply with the United States Department of Homeland Security’s

E-Verify system to determine the eligibility of: all persons 1) to whom the E-Verify system applies, and 2) who are hired by the Successful Proposer during the term of the Contract to perform duties within Texas; and ii) all subcontractors’ employees 1) to whom the E-Verify system applies, and 2) who are hired by the subcontractor during the term of the Contract and assigned by the subcontractor to perform work pursuant to the Contract.

• Vendor shall require its subcontractors to comply with the requirements of this Section and is responsible for the compliance of its subcontractors. Nothing herein is intended to exclude compliance by Vendor and its subcontractors with all other relevant federal immigration statutes and regulations promulgated pursuant thereto.

• Vendor shall conduct a screening/background check on each contract employee prior to being assigned to work in any capacity at a County facility. Vendor shall notify the County of felony and misdemeanor background checks obtained from the County Clerk defining the findings of their screening/background checks. The County reserves the right to instruct the Vendor to remove any contract employee upon review of the employment information form and/or findings of the screening process. The Vendor shall maintain and provide the County a current contract employee list showing all contract employees assigned to work under this contract and shall immediately report any changes to the contract employee listing and shall furnish information reflecting the changes as they occur. Vendor agrees that all contract employees shall submit to and pass a police background investigation report, a drug test and/or a polygraph examination upon request. Note: The cost associated with the required background check is the responsibility of the awarded vendor and shall not be passed on to potential contract employee or the County.

• Please be aware that the County may use sources of information not supplied by the Proposer concerning the abilities to perform this work. Such sources may include, for instance, current or past customers of the organization, suppliers, articles from data processing, communications, and related publications, articles from other published sources such as industry newsletters or from non-published sources made available to the County.

• Ability to obtain a payment bond, if required.

SECURITY BREACH NOTIFICATION

Contractor shall have policies and procedures in place for the effective management of information security. In the event that Contractor discovers a “security incident,” Contractor agrees to notify the County as soon as possible, but in no event shall notification occur later than twenty-four (24) hours after discovery. “Security incident” is defined by Sec. 2054.603 of the Texas Government Code to include (i) a breach or suspected breach of system security (as defined by Sec. 521.053, Texas Business and Commerce Code), and (ii) the introduction of ransomware (as defined by Sec. 33.023, Texas Penal

Code) into a computer, computer network, or computer system. Contractor shall provide notifications required by this clause to the County’s Chief Information Officer at 713-274-4444 or svcitchd@hctx.net.