11-Special Requirements.pdf

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS/INSTRUCTIONS

The following requirements and instructions supersede General Requirements where applicable.

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.

• 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-VI below must be uploaded under Bonfire’s Requested Information section.

Vendors shall provide the information below in addition to the information identified on the attachment titled Specifications within the respective Sections.

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/Narrative of Proposed Services

• Describe proposed methodology and approach to the project, including a description of understanding of the project, the training program and onboarding, and support and maintenance services to be provided, and implementation, data migration (if applicable), and integration;

• Provide the greatest amount of meaningful detail as possible to describe the proposed products/ services and specific deliverables, including timelines and milestones. Indicate how vendor can meet expectations and scope of services described in specifications, or if specifications can only be met under certain conditions or circumstances. Include the description of optional value-added services and unique features of the proposal that would provide greater benefit to the Harris County Clerk’s Office.

• Describe overall summary of the proposed turnkey solution and service(s) covering all necessary components, including but not limited to planning and strategy development, communication and reporting, performance, scalability, and provide the highest level of efficiency for the Harris County Clerk’s Office;

• Provide information regarding proposed technical requirements, including description of the systems architecture, components, functionalities, data management, and security; and

• Optional/value added services and pricing (if applicable).

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

Section III: Pricing Information – Pricing shall be uploaded to Bonfire in an Excel format under the Requested Information section of this solicitation. (BidTable BT-34PT).

Section IV: Organizational Information/Qualifications

• Consultant/firm history, background, and principal officers;

• Company organization chart;

• Demonstrate a minimum of two (2) years’ experience providing technology/software solutions;

• Description of project team organization; names and resumes of team members and the role of each team member that will be assigned to the proposed services;

• For the Project Manager and other key personnel that will be assigned to the proposed services, please

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS/INSTRUCTIONS (CONTINUED)

provide a list of projects they have worked on in the past and their role in that project;

• Please explain, describe, and provide examples of how the vendor is qualified to provide the required services, with specific examples of providing similar services to large governmental entities (i.e., governmental jurisdictions over one (1) million), including project’s size, scope, and duration, specifying the time period in which the work was performed. If no prior large governmental experience, furnish information for similarly sized large commercial entities, small governmental entities (i.e., local government or their subdivisions), or similarly sized small commercial entities;

• Demonstrated ability to provide turnkey solutions, including software, and services;

• Knowledge of and compliance with Texas state laws and regulations related to public safety operations and communication and data sharing;

• Strong references from previous clients with similar projects; and

• Note other qualifications or additional information that vendor believes would be important to Harris

County in determining that vendor is qualified.

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

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

Harris County will not be liable for any costs incurred by the vendor in preparing a response to this RFP. Vendors submit proposals at their own risk and expense. Harris County makes no guarantee that any products or services will be purchased as a result of this RFP and reserves the right to reject any and all proposals. All proposals and accompanying documentation will become the property of Harris County. All proposals are open to negotiation.

The vendor is expected to examine all documents, forms, specifications, and all instructions. Failure to do so will be at vendor’s risk.

At and after opening, proposals will NOT be part of the public record and subject to disclosure but will be kept confidential until time of award and execution of an agreement. When an award is made and an agreement is executed, proposals are subject to review under the “Public Information Act”. To the extent permitted by law, vendors may request in writing non-disclosure of confidential data. Such data shall accompany the proposal, be readily separable from the proposal, and shall be CLEARLY MARKED “CONFIDENTIAL”. For those portions identified as confidential by the vendor, Harris County must rely on advice, decisions and opinions of the Attorney General of the State of Texas relative to the disclosure of data or information.

EVALUATION PROCESS

All proposals will be examined by an evaluation committee consisting of various Harris County personnel and Harris County Purchasing.

Proposals that do not conform to the instructions or which do not address all the services as specified may be eliminated from consideration. However, Harris County reserves the right to accept such a proposal if it is determined to be in the best interest of Harris County.

While Harris County appreciates a brief, straightforward, concise reply, the proposer must fully understand that the evaluation is based on the information provided. Accuracy and completeness are essential. Omissions, ambiguous and equivocal statements may be construed against the proposer. The proposal response may be incorporated into any contract which results from this RFP, and vendors are cautioned not to make claims or statements it is not prepared to commit to contractually.

Failure of the vendor to meet such claims will result in a requirement that the vendor provide resources necessary to meet submitted claims.

Harris County Purchasing may initiate discussions with selected vendors; however, discussions may not be initiated by vendors. Harris County Purchasing expects to conduct discussions with vendor’s representatives authorized to contractually obligate the vendor with an offer. Vendors shall not contact any Harris County personnel during the RFP process without the express permission from the Office of the Harris County Purchasing Agent. Harris County Purchasing may disqualify any vendor who has made site visits, contacted Harris County personnel or distributed any literature without authorization from Harris County Purchasing.

All correspondence relating to this RFP, from advertisement to award shall be sent to Harris County Purchasing. All presentations and/or meetings between Harris County and the vendor relating to this RFP shall be coordinated by Harris County Purchasing.

Selected vendors may be expected to make a presentation/product demonstration to an evaluation committee. Proposals, vendor presentations and product/service evaluations may develop into negotiating sessions with the vendor(s) as selected by the Evaluation Committee. Harris County expects to conduct negotiations with vendor’s representatives authorized to contractually obligate the vendor with an offer. If vendor is unable to agree to contract terms and conditions, Harris County reserves the right to terminate contract negotiations with that vendor and initiate negotiations with another vendor. In addition to a presentation, visits by the Evaluation Committee to representative vendor client sites may be conducted where the proposed solution can be demonstrated in a production environment.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

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

• Software System Functionality and Comprehensiveness (Sections II & IV)………….……. ...…………..…..……...…25%

Firm demonstrates the functionality, completeness, and effectiveness of the proposed solution by:

a. Addressing all specified components, including training and election schedule management, sign-up and survey forms and modules, worker access portal, voting center management (site supervisors and sites assigned to internal staff), data imports (i.e., equipment and worker allocation, judge party assignment) and voter identification confirmation.

b. Supporting up to 15,000+ users per election event and accommodate a preliminary import of up to 65,000 historic users.

c. Offering built-in communication tools, including text/email services, mass communication, templates for common communications, customizable mass communications, and communication tracking within system.

d. Integrating real-time voter registration verification via the VIC API.

e. Delivering an intuitive user interface for both workers, CRM users and administrators.

f. Providing an accessible worker portal for managing profiles, documents, and schedules.

g. Ensuring mobile accessibility (responsive design, iOS/Android apps, offline functionality).

h. Featuring a streamlined sign-up module allowing workers to manage roles, training, and schedules efficiently.

• Integration and Scalability (Sections, II &IV) …………………………….……….……..…...........................................15% Firm demonstrates integration compatibility and growth potential by:

a. Fully addressing all RFP technical, administrative, and vendor requirements.

b. Integrating seamlessly with Harris County Clerk’s systems.

c. Supporting future scalability in user volume and data.

d. Adapting to evolving election processes and technology.

e. Providing APIs for present and future platform integrations.

f. Supporting data exchange with other government entities.

• Reporting and Analytics Capabilities (Sections II & IV) ……............................................................................................15% Firm sufficiently describes reporting and analytics functionalities by:

a. Offering customizable reports and real-time dashboards.

b. Providing predictive analytics and live dashboards for planning, forecasting and risk mitigation.

c. Supporting creation of tailored reports for Harris County Clerk needs.

d. Enabling data export for advanced or third-party analysis.

• Implementation and Support Plan (Section II) …………………………….…….……………....……..….......................15% Firm demonstrates readiness and long-term support capabilities by:

a. Outlining a clear system testing and validation plan.

b. Providing post-launch and ongoing technical support.

c. Including comprehensive training plans for County staff.

d. Delivering full documentation, user guides, and help resources.

e. Offering a defined warranty and maintenance program.

f. Presenting a realistic implementation schedule.

• Vendor Experience and Expertise (Section II & IV)............................................................................................................10% Firm demonstrates relevant experience and capability by:

a. Detailing prior implementation of similar poll worker systems for public agencies.

b. Demonstrating understanding of the County’s needs and challenges.

c. Highlighting experience delivering secure, compliant, high-volume systems.

d. Showcasing technical qualifications to execute proposed services.

e. Providing evidence of solution quality, design integrity, and team experience.

• Data Management and Security (Sections II & IV) …………...…………………….………….……..…........................15% Firm sufficiently describes data protection and compliance measures by:

a. Explaining use of data protection/encryption, MFA, and role-based access controls.

b. Providing data backup, disaster recovery, and GovCloud hosting compliance.

c. Complying with all applicable local, state, and federal data regulations.

d. Providing GovCloud hosting solution to ensure data protection and compliance.

e. Maintaining robust audit trail capabilities for monitoring all system activity and changes.

f. Detailing cybersecurity protocols, including:

i. SOC 2 Type II Certification

ii. Detailed data encryption standards and protocols

iii. Use of MFA for both internal access and customer login

iv. Patch management process

v. Detailing audit logs for tracking user and system-level activities

vi. Secure handling Personally Identifiable Information (PII)

vii. Identification of the cloud provider and associated compliance standards

viii. Governance of internal data access within the vendor organization

ix. Protocol for data return or secure deletion upon contract termination

x. Incident response planning

• Pricing (Section III) ...................................................................................................................................................... ....5%

• Cybersecurity and Information Technology Controls …………………............................................................... [Pass/Fail]

Vendor shall acknowledge and agree to abide by the County Cybersecurity and Information Technology Controls.

Additionally, vendor shall complete Reference Architecture and Questionnaire checklist (when applicable). When applicable, County IT Infrastructure Planning and Security Governance (I2PSG) committee will assess IT security and/or cybersecurity risk of proposed solution 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

No award can be made until approved by Harris County Commissioners Court. This RFP 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://www.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 offer, and any negotiations between vendor and Harris County. The agreement is subject to review and amendment by the Harris County Attorney’s Office.

PAYMENT CARD INDUSTRY COMPLIANCE

Harris County is a Level 3 merchant with the exception of the Harris County Toll Road Authority which is a Level 1 merchant.

As a merchant accepting payment cards, the County is required to maintain compliance with the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard (DSS). This requirement extends to all cardholder information and systems within the County’s control, including information and systems that may be accessed or managed by County contracted vendors.

A County contracted vendor may have access to confidential information, which may include customer credit card information, that may be accessed and utilized by the vendor to perform services under the terms of this Agreement and/or other agreements between the County and said vendor. The vendor acknowledges that any such confidential information is the sole property of the County and the vendor agrees to protect and secure the information from unauthorized access, whether by the vendor’s employees or other parties.

The vendor agrees to comply with the PCI DSS in all vendor-owned systems, networks, and hosts which interface with County-owned systems. The vendor agrees that the processes it uses for developing and/or accessing systems that contain client confidential information will be PCI DSS compliant. The vendor agrees to promptly notify the County of any security breach or failure of a vendor-owned system that affects confidential information belonging to the County.

DATA BREACH OR SUSPECTED BREACH

Vendor shall have policies and procedures in place for the effective management of information security. In the event that vendor discovers a “security incident,” the vendor agrees to notify the County as soon as possible, but in no event shall notification occur later than 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. Vendor shall provide notifications required by this clause to the County’s Chief Information Officer at 713-274-4444 or svcitchd@hctx.net.

THIRD-AND-FOURTH-PARTY TOOLS/SOLUTIONS

Vendor shall disclose all vendor supplied third- and fourth-party tools/solution anticipated for use in providing goods and/or completing the services associated with a solicitation.

NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT (NDA)

This solicitation is subject to the execution of an NDA when deemed applicable. If an NDA is deemed applicable, the https://www.ethics.state.tx.us/filinginfo/1295/ mailto:svcitchd@hctx.net applicable NDA must be executed prior to vendor gaining access to County data and/or system(s). Documentation related to this portion of the solicitation will receive a Pass/Fail score prior to moving forward in the solicitation process. Vendor(s) receiving a failing score will be deemed non-compliant and may not be considered for further award consideration.

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. Each invoice shall include deliverable(s) completed and the price for each. Invoice shall be submitted on a monthly basis for work performed during the previous month. All payment requests will be accompanied by applicable: weekly/monthly reports, backup tabulations, and copies of employee time sheets for hourly T&M (Time and Material) tasks. No charges may be billed to Harris County unless such costs are explicitly included in the agreement. Invoices will be sent to:

Harris County Auditor’s Office c/o Accounts Payable 1001 Preston, Suite 800 Houston, Texas 77002

Or emailed to: vendorinvoices@aud.hctx.net

The exact format for monthly invoices and other attachments will be agreed upon between the vendor and Harris County during contract negotiations.

PURCHASE ORDER

Services and/or products must not be provided and invoices will not be paid without a purchase order, signed by the Harris County Purchasing Agent. Purchase orders will be written in annual increments when applicable. Once a purchase order is issued, the using department will contact the vendor directly to place service orders.

PAYMENTS

Vendor shall be compensated monthly based on a milestone or progress-payment basis. Payments will be provided for monthly progress based on completion of accepted milestones. Invoices shall contain a written report of the project progress and the progressed project schedule showing the completion percentages for each task and milestone.

POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Notwithstanding any other requirements contained in the General Requirements section, the Potential Conflicts of Interest section specifically disqualifies any consultant, contractor and or any other entity who may have been a contributor to the creation of this RFP from proposing on this RFP and shall constitute a “prohibited proposal”.

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 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% mailto:vendorinvoices@aud.hctx.net 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.