14822 Competitive Solicitation.docx

STATEWIDE CONTRACT COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION – NO. 14822

IT PROJECT MANAGEMENT SERVICES

INTRODUCTION

The Washington State Department of Enterprise Services (Enterprise Services) is issuing this Competitive Solicitation pursuant to RCW 39.26. Pursuant to this Competitive Solicitation, Enterprise Services intends to conduct a competitive procurement to establish and award multiple Statewide Contracts for Washington state agencies and other eligible purchasers to purchase certain information technology project management (i.e., services involving the application of knowledge, skills, and techniques to execute projects effectively and efficiently to achieve specific goals within an information technology environment based on the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK)) and related services (“IT Project Management Services”), by experience level (journey, senior, expert), from innovative, professional, qualified bidders.

Washington state agencies and other eligible purchasers have operational needs for IT Project Management Services. Accordingly, to provide a cost effective and efficient competitive procurement solution for Washington state agencies and other eligible purchasers to purchase IT Project Management Services, this Competitive Solicitation is divided into two (2) separate categories, each with three (3) subcategories: journey level, senior level, and expert level.

· Category A: IT Project Manager Services: IT Project Manager Services involves monitoring and management of technology projects using industry standard project and process management techniques.

· Category B: IT Quality Assurance Services: Quality Assurance (QA) is the work that involves the ongoing, independent assessment of project management processes and activities. Specifically, IT Quality Assurance Services consultants evaluate, test, and validate software and/or IT services. QA consultants must have knowledge of WA Office of the Chief Information Officer’s (OCIO) requirements and abide by the minimum qualifications outlined on the OCIO’s website, policy 132-30 Minimum Project Quality Assurance Activities: https://ocio.wa.gov/policy/minimum-project-quality-assurance-activities.

Bidders may bid on one or both categories.

Pursuant to this Competitive Solicitation, Enterprise Services intends to award Contracts as follows:

· Category A – IT Project Manager Services: Up to forty-two (42) Contracts to the highest scored, responsive, responsible bidder(s).

· Category B – IT Quality Assurance Services: Up to forty-two (42) Contracts to the highest scored, responsive, responsible bidder(s).

In addition, Enterprise Services intends to award up to six (6) Contracts to the highest scored, otherwise not awarded, responsive, responsible bidders who certify pursuant to Exhibit A-1 – Bidder’s Certification as either a Washington Small Business or Washington Certified Veteran-Owned Business in each subcategory.

Total potential Contract awards are summarized in the following table:

This Competitive Solicitation is divided into six (6) sections:

· Section 1 provides a summary table of relevant deadlines for responding to the Competitive Solicitation and identifies contact information for Enterprise Services’ Procurement Coordinator.

· Section 2 provides important information about the procurement that is designed to help interested bidders evaluate the potential opportunity, including the purpose of the procurement and Contracts, the form of the resulting Contract, and potential contract sales.

· Section 3 identifies how Enterprise Services will evaluate the bids.

· Section 4 identifies how to prepare and submit a bid for this Competitive Solicitation, including detailed instructions regarding what to submit and how to submit your bid.

· Section 5 details the applicable requirements to file a complaint, request a debrief conference, or file a protest regarding this Competitive Solicitation.

· Section 6 provides information pertaining to doing business with the State of Washington.

In addition, this Competitive Solicitation includes the following Exhibits:

· Exhibit A – Required Bidder Information: These exhibits identify information that bidders must provide to Enterprise Services to constitute a responsive bid. See Section 4, below.

· Exhibit A-1 – Bidder’s Certification

· Exhibit A-2 – Bidder’s Profile

· Exhibit B – Performance Requirements: This exhibit outlines the Competitive Solicitation’s required specifications/qualifications for the service(s).

· Exhibit B-1 –Performance Requirements: IT Project Manager Services

· Exhibit B-1: Performance Requirements: IT Quality Assurance Services

· Exhibit B-2 – Non-Cost Qualifications

· Exhibit C – Bid Price: This exhibit provides the pricing information that bidders will complete as part of their bid and the price evaluation tool that Enterprise Services will use to evaluate and compare bids.

· Exhibit D – Contract: This exhibit is a draft of the Contract that any successful bidder will execute with Enterprise Services.

· EXHIBIT E – BIDDER’S DIVERSE BUSINESS INCLUSION PLAN – SUBCONTRACTORS: This document is a required bid submittal if bidder intends to utilize subcontractors if awarded a Contract. If so, bidder must complete Exhibit E – Bidder’s Diverse Business Inclusion Plan – Subcontractors as instructed therein and submit it with the bid to Enterprise Services.

Section 1 – Deadlines, Questions, Procurement Coordinator, and Modification

This section identifies important deadlines for this Competitive Solicitation, where to direct questions regarding the Competitive Solicitation, and the process for potential amendments or modifications to the Competitive Solicitation.

1.1. COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION DEADLINES. The following table identifies important dates for this Competitive Solicitation:

COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION DEADLINES

(Pacific Time) Virtual Pre-Bid Conference Attend via Microsoft Teams Weblink Passcode: SJ5Fif Telephone Pre-Bid Conference Attend via Conference Call Dial-In Number:

1-564-999-2000, United States, Olympia 1-833-322-1218, United States (Toll-free)

Conference ID: 807 834 917

1.2. COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION QUESTIONS. Questions or concerns regarding this Competitive Solicitation must be directed to the following Procurement Coordinator:

Procurement Coordinator

Questions raised at the pre-bid conference and during the Q&A period will be answered and responses posted to Washington’s Electronic Business Solution (WEBS). There will be no opportunity to negotiate Contract terms included in Exhibit D: Contract. Accordingly, bidders are encouraged to attend the pre-bid conference and, as appropriate, participate in the Q&A period to identify potential issues and commercially reasonable solutions for the resulting Contracts.

1.3. COMPLAINTS, DEBRIEFS, & PROTESTS. The Competitive Solicitation (and Contract awards) is subject to complaints, debriefs, and protests as explained in Section 5, which may impact the dates set forth above.

1.4. COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION – AMENDMENT & MODIFICATION. Enterprise Services reserves the right to amend and modify this Competitive Solicitation. Only bidders who have properly registered and downloaded the original Competitive Solicitation directly via the Washington Electronic Business Solution (WEBS) will receive notifications of amendments and other correspondence pertinent to this Competitive Solicitation. Bidders must be registered in WEBS to be awarded a Contract. Visit WEBS to register.

Section 2 – Information About the Procurement

This section describes the purpose of the Competitive Solicitation and provides information about this procurement, including the potential scope of the opportunity.

2.1. PURPOSE OF THE PROCUREMENT – AWARD CONTRACTS. The purpose of this Competitive Solicitation is to receive competitive bids to evaluate and, as appropriate, award multiple Contracts for IT Project Management Services, by category and subcategory, as identified above.

a. STATEWIDE CONTRACTS. Enterprise Services has statewide responsibility to develop specified enterprise procurement solutions including ‘statewide contracts’ for services. A Statewide Contract (Contract) is a contract for specific services that is competitively solicited and established by Enterprise Services, on behalf of the State of Washington, for use by statutorily specified eligible purchasers (see below). Typically, such purchasers use our Contracts through a purchase order, work order, or similar document. The Contract is designed to function as a ‘procurement bridge’ between innovative vendors who have bid and won a competitive solicitation to supply services and eligible purchasers who wish to purchase such services pursuant to pre-determined, clear, consistent, easy to use, value-added Contracts. In short, the Contract will establish precisely what services may be purchased, the relevant performance requirements for such services as well as the vendor’s contractual performance, and the applicable price for such services. Purchaser-specific purchase orders will specify, for example, the particular volume of services, the Purchaser’s timeframe, etc.

b. CONTRACT USERS – ELIGIBLE PURCHASERS. Any resulting Contract from this Competitive Solicitation will be available for use by the following entities, each of whom is an eligible purchaser (“Purchasers”):

· WASHINGTON STATE AGENCIES. All Washington State agencies, departments, offices, divisions, boards, and commissions.

· WASHINGTON STATE INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION (COLLEGES). Any of the following specific institutions of higher education in Washington:

· State universities – i.e., University of Washington & Washington State University;

· Regional universities – i.e., Central Washington University, Eastern Washington University, & Western Washington University

· Evergreen State College;

· Community colleges; and

· Technical colleges.

· CONTRACT USAGE AGREEMENT PARTIES. Any resulting Contract also may be utilized by any of the following types of entities that have executed a Contract Usage Agreement (MCUA) with Enterprise Services:

· Political subdivisions (e.g., counties, cities, school districts, public utility districts, ports) in the State of Washington;

· Federal governmental agencies or entities;

· Public-benefit nonprofit corporations (i.e., § 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporations that receive federal, state, or local funding); and

· Federally-recognized Indian Tribes located in the State of Washington.

Enterprise Services maintains a list of eligible MCUA parties on the MCUA website.

While Contract usage is optional for Purchasers other than Washington State agencies, these entities can increase Contract use significantly. All Purchasers are subject to the same contract terms, conditions, and pricing as Washington State agencies.

2.2. CONTRACT. The form of the Contract that will be awarded as a result of this Competitive Solicitation is attached as Exhibit D – Contract.

2.3. CONTRACT TERM. As set forth in the attached Contract for this Competitive Solicitation, the contract term is up to forty-eight (48) months. Bidders are to specify prices for the first year of the contract term. Hourly pricing will be automatically increased each year by 5% for the remainder of the contract term. The Contract is subject to earlier termination.

2.4. WASHINGTON STATE PROCUREMENT PRIORITIES & PREFERENCES. Enterprise Services will apply the following Washington State procurement priorities and preferences to this Competitive Solicitation which, as set forth in Section 3.5, will impact the evaluation of bids for this Competitive Solicitation:

· Executive Order 18-03-Worker’s Rights (Mandatory employee arbitration & class action waivers): 5 Points

Section 3 – Bid Evaluation

This section identifies how Enterprise Service will evaluate bids for this Competitive Solicitation.

3.1. OVERVIEW. Enterprise Services will evaluate bids for this Competitive Solicitation as described below.

· Bidder responsiveness, performance requirements, price factors, and responsibility, will be evaluated based on the process described herein.

· Any bidder whose bid is determined to be non-responsive will be rejected and will be notified of the reason(s) for this rejection.

· Enterprise Services reserves the right to: (1) Request clarification regarding any bid; (2) Waive any informality; (3) Reject any or all bids, or portions thereof; (4) Accept any portion of the bid unless the bidder stipulates all or nothing in their bid; (5) Cancel the Competitive Solicitation and, if desired, re-solicit bids; and/or (6) Negotiate with the lowest responsive and responsible bidder(s) to determine if such bid can be improved.

· Enterprise Services will use the following process and evaluation criteria to determine eligibility for an award of a Contract:

Bid Responsiveness

Bid Evaluation

Exhibit B-1 Performance Requirements

Exhibit B-2 – Non-Cost Qualifications

Exhibit C – Bid Price

Note: Each subcategory (Journey, Senior, and Expert) will be scored separately. Each with a maximum of 250 points. Bidders may bid any or all subcategories.

State Procurement Priorities

Responsible Bidder

3.2. BID RESPONSIVENESS (STEP 1). Enterprise Services will review bids – on a pass/fail basis – to determine whether the bid is ‘responsive’ to this Competitive Solicitation. This means that Enterprise Services will review each bid to determine whether the bid is complete – i.e., does the bid include each of the required bid submittals, are the submittals complete, signed, legible. Enterprise Services reserves the right – in its sole discretion – to determine whether a bid is responsive – i.e., to determine a bidder’s compliance with the requirements specified in this Competitive Solicitation and to waive informalities in a bid. An informality is an immaterial variation from the exact requirements of the Competitive Solicitation, having no effect or merely a minor or negligible effect on quality, quantity, or delivery of the services or the quality, capability, or performance of the services being procured, and the correction or waiver of which would not affect the relative standing of, or be otherwise prejudicial, to bidders. Responsive bids will be evaluated as set forth herein.

3.3. PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS EVALUATION (STEP 2). Enterprise Services will evaluate each bid to ensure that each bidder’s services meet the performance requirements set forth in Exhibit B-1 – Performance Requirements. Bidders will also have the opportunity to earn additional points for desirable qualifications. Enterprise Services reserves the right to request additional information before selecting the Apparent Successful Bidders. A bidder’s failure to provide requested information to Enterprise Services within ten (10) business days may result in disqualification.

3.4. NON-COST QUALIFICATIONS EVALUATION (STEP 3). The evaluation team will conduct blind evaluations and score each bid based on the merit of bidder’s responses to Exhibit B-2 – Non-Cost Qualifications Requirements . Bidders must carefully read and follow all the instruction in Exhibit B-2. Bidders must not include any identifiable information in their responses on Exhibit B-2 – Non-Cost Qualifications. Enterprise Services reserves the right to request additional information before selecting the Apparent Successful Bidders. A bidder’s failure to provide requested information to Enterprise Services within ten (10) business days may result in disqualification.

3.5. BID PRICING EVALUATION (STEP 4). Enterprise Services will evaluate bid pricing by reviewing and comparing the submitted bid prices as provided in Exhibit C – Bid Price. Bidders may bid on any or all subcategories (Journey, Senior, Expert) and either or both Categories (IT Project Management Services & IT Quality Assurance Services). Bids for each subcategory will be evaluated separately. Accordingly, for each subcategory, the bid with the lowest Final Evaluation Price will receive 250 points. Bids with a higher Final Evaluation Price will receive a proportionately lesser number of evaluation points based upon the lowest Bid for each subcategory, using the following formula:

Lowest Final Evaluation Price divided by a higher Final Evaluation Price (bid that is being evaluated) multiplied by number of available points equals the cost factor evaluation points. Points will be rounded to three (3) places to the right of the decimal point using standard rounding method.

Sample Calculation using Bidder A = $100 and Bidder B = $500 Bid B calculation: $100(A) / $500(B) = 0.20 x 250 (maximum points available) = 50 Cost points (rounded to three places to the right of the decimal point using standard rounding).

· Bidder A is the lowest total bid evaluation cost, so it would be assigned the 250 points.

· Bidder B would be assigned 50 points.

3.6. WASHINGTON STATE PROCUREMENT PRIORITIES & PREFERENCES (STEP 5). Enterprise Services will apply the following Washington State procurement priorities and preferences, as set forth below, to this Competitive Solicitation:

· PROCUREMENT PREFERENCE FOR EXECUTIVE ORDER 18-03 (Firms without Mandatory Individual Arbitration for Employees). Pursuant to RCW 39.26.160(3) (best value criteria) and consistent with Executive Order 18-03 – Supporting Workers’ Rights to Effectively Address Workplace Violations (dated June 12, 2018), Enterprise Services will evaluate bids for best value and will provide a bid preference in the amount of 5 points to any bidder who certifies, pursuant to Exhibit A-1 – Bidder’s Certification, that their firm does NOT require its employees, as a condition of employment, to sign or agree to mandatory individual arbitration clauses or class or collective action waivers.

3.7. BIDDER RESPONSIBILITY ANALYSIS (STEP 6). For responsive bids, Enterprise Services must determine whether the bidder is a ‘responsible bidder.’ Accordingly, Enterprise Services will make reasonable inquiry to determine bidder responsibility on a pass/fail basis. In determining bidder responsibility, Enterprise Services will consider the following statutory elements:

· Bidder’s ability, capacity, and skill to perform the contract or provide the service required;

· Bidder’s character, integrity, reputation, judgment, experience, and efficiency;

· Bidder’s ability to perform the contract within the time specified;

· Bidder’s performance quality pertaining to previous contracts or services;

· Bidder’s compliance with laws relating to the contract or services;

· Whether, within the three-year period immediately preceding the date of the Competitive Solicitation, bidder has been determined by a final and binding citation and notice of assessment issued by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries or through a civil judgment entered by a court of limited or general jurisdiction to have willfully violated, as defined in RCW 49.48.082, any provision of chapter 49.46, 49.48, or 49.52 RCW; and

· Such other information as may be secured having a bearing on the decision to award the Contract.

See RCW 39.26.160(2)(a)-(g). In addition, Enterprise Services may consider the following:

· Financial Information: Enterprise Services may request financial statements, credit ratings, references, record of past performance, clarification of bidder’s bid, or other information as necessary to determine bidder’s capacity to perform and the enforceability of bidder’s contractual commitments. Failure to respond to these requests may result in a bid being rejected as non-responsive.

· References: Enterprise Services reserves the right to use references to confirm satisfactory customer service, performance, satisfaction with service/product, knowledge of products/service/industry and timeliness. Any negative or unsatisfactory reference can be reason for rejecting a bidder as non-responsible.

3.8. ANNOUNCEMENT OF APPARENT SUCCESSFUL BIDDERS. Enterprise Services will determine the Apparent Successful Bidders (“ASBs”). The ASBs will be the responsive and responsible bidders that best meet the Competitive Solicitation requirements and presents the best total value, including price, as calculated consistent with the instructions set forth in Exhibit C – Bid Price, and other factors as set forth in this Competitive Solicitation including any applicable state procurement priority or preference.

· Designation as an ASB does not imply that Enterprise Services will issue a Contract award. Rather, this designation allows Enterprise Services to perform further analysis and ask for additional documentation. Bidders must not construe ASB designation as an award, impending award, attempt to negotiate, etc. If a bidder acts or fails to act as a result of such notification or designation, it does so at its own risk and expense.

· Upon ASB announcement, bidders may request a debrief conference as specified in Section 5.

3.9. CONTRACT AWARDS. Subject to protests, if any, Enterprise Services and the ASBs will enter into Contracts as set forth in Exhibit D – Contract. An award is made and a contract formed by signature of Enterprise Services and awarded bidder on the Contract. Following the Contract awards, all bidders registered in WEBS will receive a Notice of Award delivered to the bidder’s email address provided in the bidder’s profile in WEBS.

3.10. BID INFORMATION AVAILABILITY. Upon Enterprise Services’ announcement of ASBs, all bid submissions and all bid evaluations are subject to public disclosure pursuant to Washington’s Public Records Act. See RCW 39.26.030(2). Upon Enterprise Services’ announcement of ASBs, Enterprise Services will post all bid evaluations to Enterprise Services’ website. In addition, Enterprise Services intends to post all winning bid submissions to its contract portal webpage after the Contracts are awarded.

3.11. ADDITIONAL AWARDS. Enterprise Services reserves the right, during the resulting Contract term, to make additional Contract awards to responsive, responsible bidders who provided a bid but who were not awarded a Contract. Such awards would be on the same or substantially similar terms and conditions and would be designed to address an awarded Contractor vacancy (e.g., an awarded contractor is terminated or goes out of business), respond to Purchaser needs, or be in the best interest of the State of Washington.

Section 4 – How to Prepare and Submit a Bid for this Competitive Solicitation

This section identifies how to prepare and submit your bid to Enterprise Services for this Competitive Solicitation. In addition, bidders will need to review and follow the Competitive Solicitation requirements including those set forth in the exhibits, which identifies the information that bidders must provide to Enterprise Services to constitute a responsive bid. By responding to this Competitive Solicitation and submitting a bid, bidders acknowledge having read and understood the entire Competitive Solicitation and accept all information contained within this Competitive Solicitation.

4.1. PRE-BID CONFERENCE. Enterprise Services will host a Competitive Solicitation pre-bid conference at the time set forth in Section 1.1 of this Competitive Solicitation. Attendance is not mandatory. Bidders, however, are encouraged to attend and participate. The purpose of the pre-bid conference is to clarify the Competitive Solicitation as needed and raise any issues or concerns that bidders may have. There will be no opportunity to negotiate so it is critical that all issues are brought forward during the Q&A period and during the pre-bid conference. If changes to the Competitive Solicitation are required as a result of the pre-bid conference, the Procurement Coordinator will post an amendment to this Competitive Solicitation to WEBS. Assistance for disabled, blind, or hearing-impaired persons who wish to attend the pre-bid conference is available with prior arrangement by contacting the Procurement Coordinator.

4.2. BIDDER COMMUNICATIONS REGARDING THIS COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION. During the Competitive Solicitation process, all bidder communications regarding this Competitive Solicitation must be directed to the Procurement Coordinator specified in Section 1.2 of this Competitive Solicitation. Bidders should rely only on this Competitive Solicitation and written amendments to this Competitive Solicitation issued by the Procurement Coordinator. In no event will oral communications regarding this Competitive Solicitation be binding.

· Bidders are encouraged to make any inquiry regarding the Competitive Solicitation as early in the process as possible to allow Enterprise Services to consider and, if warranted, respond to the inquiry. If a bidder does not notify Enterprise Services of an issue, exception, addition, or omission, Enterprise Services may consider the matter waived by the bidder for protest purposes.

· If bidder inquiries result in changes to the Competitive Solicitation, written amendments will be issued and posted on WEBS.

· Unauthorized contact regarding this Competitive Solicitation with other state employees involved with the Competitive Solicitation may result in bidder disqualification.

4.3. PRICING. Bid prices must include all cost components needed for the performance of the services as described in this Competitive Solicitation. See Exhibit C – Bid Price. A bidder’s failure to identify all costs in a manner consistent with the instructions in this Competitive Solicitation is sufficient grounds for disqualification.

· Inclusive Pricing: Bidders must identify and include all cost elements in their pricing. In the event that bidder is awarded a Contract, the total price for the services shall be bidder’s price as submitted. Except as provided in the Contract, there shall be no additional costs of any kind.

· Credit Cards (P-Cards): In the event that bidder is awarded a Contract, the total price for the services shall be the same regardless of whether Purchasers make payment by cash, credit card, or electronic payment. Bidder shall bear, in full, any processing or surcharge fees associated with the use of credit cards or electronic payment.

· Vendor Management Fee: The resulting Contract from this Competitive Solicitation will include a Vendor Management Fee as specified in the Contract attached as Exhibit D – Contract.

4.4. BID SUBMITTAL CHECKLIST – REQUIRED BID SUBMITTALS. This section identifies the bid submittals that must be provided to Enterprise Services to constitute a responsive bid. The submittals must be delivered as set forth below. Bids that do not include the submittals identified below may be rejected as nonresponsive. In addition, a bidder’s failure to complete any submittal as instructed may result in the bid being rejected. Bidders may not provide unsolicited materials. For any supplemental materials expressly required by Enterprise Services in writing, bidders must identify such supplemental materials with the bidder’s name.

· EXHIBIT A-1 – BIDDER’S CERTIFICATION

This document is the Bidder’s Certification.

Complete the certification, along with any exceptions or required explanations, and submit it with the bid to Enterprise Services.

Note: the Certification must be complete. Where there are choices, bidder must check a box. The certification must be signed and submitted by a duly authorized representative for the bidder.

· EXHIBIT A-2 – BIDDER’S PROFILE

This document is required bidder information for Enterprise Services’ contract administration purposes.

Complete as instructed and submit it with the bid to Enterprise Services.

· EXHIBIT B-1 – PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS

Bidder will need to confirm that bidder’s services meet or exceed the detailed specifications and qualifications set forth in Exhibit B-1 – Performance Requirements and submit it with the bid to Enterprise Services.

· EXHIBIT B-2 – NON-COST QUALIFICATIONS

Bidder will need to respond to the qualification questions as instructed in Exhibit B-2 – Non-Cost Qualifications and submit it with the bid to Enterprise Services.

· EXHIBIT C – BID PRICE

Bidder will need to complete the price worksheet tool as instructed in Exhibit C – Bid Price and submit it with the bid to Enterprise Services.

· EXHIBIT E – BIDDER’S DIVERSE BUSINESS INCLUSION PLAN – SUBCONTRACTORS

This document is a required bid submittal IF bidder intends to utilize subcontractors if awarded a Contract. If so, bidder must complete as instructed therein and submit it with the bid to Enterprise Services.

4.5. BID FORMAT. Bids must be complete, legible, signed, and follow all instructions stated in the Competitive Solicitation (including the exhibits). Unless otherwise specified in writing by Enterprise Services, documents included with an electronic bid must be prepared in MS Word, MS Excel, or Adobe PDF. Where required to do so, bidders may sign using either a physical or electronic signature.

4.6. SUBMITTING BIDS. Bidder’s electronic bid must be emailed to DESITPS@des.wa.gov. Enterprise Services’ email only can accept emails (including attachments) that total less than 30MB in size. Bidders are cautioned to keep email sizes to less than 25MB to ease delivery. Zipped files cannot be accepted.

Section 5 – Complaint, Debrief, & Protest Requirements

This section details the applicable requirements for complaints, debriefs, and protests.

5.1. COMPLAINTS. This Competitive Solicitation offers a complaint period for bidders wishing to voice objections to this Competitive Solicitation. The complaint period ends five (5) business days before the bid due date. The complaint period is an opportunity to voice objections, raise concerns, or suggest changes that were not addressed during the Question & Answer Period or, if applicable, at the Pre-Bid Conference. Failure by the bidder to raise a complaint at this stage may waive its right for later consideration. Enterprise Services will consider all complaints, but is not required to adopt a complaint, in part or in full. If bidder complaints result in changes to the Competitive Solicitation, written amendments will be issued and posted on WEBS.

a. CRITERIA FOR COMPLAINT. A complaint may be based only on one or more of the following grounds: (a) The Competitive Solicitation unnecessarily restricts competition; (b) The Competitive Solicitation evaluation or scoring process is unfair or flawed; or (c) The Competitive Solicitation requirements are inadequate or insufficient to prepare a response.

b. INITIATING A COMPLAINT. A complaint must: (a) Be submitted to and received by the Procurement Coordinator no less than five (5) business days prior to the deadline for bid submittal; and (b) Be in writing (see Form and Substance, and Other below). A complaint should clearly articulate the basis of the complaint and include a proposed remedy.

c. RESPONSE. When a complaint is received, the Procurement Coordinator (or designee) will consider all the facts available and respond in writing prior to the deadline for bid submittals, unless more time is needed. Enterprise Services is required to promptly post the response to a complaint on WEBS.

d. RESPONSE IS FINAL. The Procurement Coordinator’s response to the complaint is final and not subject to administrative appeal. Issues raised in a complaint may not be raised again during the protest period. Furthermore, any issue, exception, addition, or omission not brought to the attention of the Procurement Coordinator prior to bid submittal may be deemed to be waived for protest purposes.

5.2. DEBRIEF CONFERENCES. A Debrief Conference is an opportunity for a bidder and Enterprise Services, through its Procurement Coordinator, to meet and discuss the bidder’s bid (and is a necessary prerequisite to filing a protest).

a. PURPOSE OF DEBRIEF CONFERENCE. A Debrief Conference provides an opportunity for the bidder to meet with Enterprise Services to discuss bidder’s bid and evaluation. It does not provide an opportunity to discuss other bids and evaluations.

b. REQUESTING A DEBRIEF CONFERENCE. Following the Apparent Successful Bidder (ASB) announcement, any bidder who submitted a timely bid may request a Debrief Conference; Provided, however, that a request for a Debrief Conference, if desired, must be made in writing via email to the Procurement Coordinator and received within three (3) business days after ASB announcement.

c. CONDUCTING THE DEBRIEF CONFERENCE. Debrief conferences may be conducted virtually (e.g., by telephone or web-based virtual meeting such as MS Teams) or in-person, as determined by Enterprise Services, and may be limited by Enterprise Services to a specified period of time. Please note, because the debrief process must occur before making an award, Enterprise Services likely will schedule the Debrief Conference shortly after the ASB announcement and the bidder’s request for a Debrief Conference. Enterprise Services will not allow the debrief process to delay the Contract award. Accordingly, bidders should plan for contingencies and alternate representatives.

d. A DEBRIEF CONFERENCE IS A MANDATORY PREREQUISITE TO A PROTEST. A bidder’s failure to timely request a Debrief Conference within the specified time and attend the Debrief Conference constitutes a waiver of the right to submit a protest. Any issue, exception, addition, or omission not brought to the attention of the Procurement Coordinator before or during the Debrief Conference may be deemed waived for protest purposes. Bidders who wish to protest must first participate in a Debrief Conference. Bidders who are unwilling or unable to attend the Debrief Conference will lose the opportunity to protest. A Debrief Conference is a required prerequisite for a bidder to file a protest.

5.3. PROTESTS. Following a Debrief Conference, a bidder may protest the award of a Contract.

a. CRITERIA FOR A PROTEST. A protest may be based only on one or more of the following: (a) Bias, discrimination, or conflict of interest on the part of an evaluator; (b) Error in computing evaluation scores; or (c) Non-compliance with any procedures described in the Competitive Solicitation.

b. INITIATING A PROTEST. Any bidder may protest an award to the ASB. A protest must: (a) Be submitted to and received by the Protest Officer specified below, within five (5) business days after the protesting bidder’s Debrief Conference (see also Section 5.4, below); (b) Be in writing; (c) Include a specific and complete statement of facts forming the basis of the protest; and (d) Include a description of the relief or corrective action requested.

c. PROTEST RESPONSE. After reviewing the protest and available facts, Enterprise Services’ Protest Officer will issue a written response within ten (10) business days from receipt of the protest, unless additional time is needed.

d. DECISION IS FINAL. The protest decision is final and not subject to administrative appeal. If the protesting bidder does not accept Enterprise Services’ protest response, the bidder may seek relief in Thurston County Superior Court.

5.4. COMMUNICATION DURING COMPLAINTS, DEBRIEFS, AND PROTESTS. With the exception of protests, all communications about this Competitive Solicitation, including complaints and debriefs, must be addressed to the Procurement Coordinator unless otherwise directed. Protests must be addressed to the Protest Officer.

a. FORM, SUBSTANCE, & OTHER. All complaints, debrief conference requests, and protests must:

i. Be in writing;

ii. Be signed by the complaining, requesting, or protesting bidder or an authorized agent;

iii. Be delivered within the time frame(s) outlined herein;

iv. Identify the Competitive Solicitation number;

v. Conspicuously state “Complaint,” “Debrief,” or “Protest” in any subject line of any correspondence or email; and

vi. Be sent to the address identified below.

b. COMPLAINTS & PROTESTS. All complaints and protests must (a) State all facts and arguments on which the complaining or protesting bidder is relying as the basis for its action; and (b) Include any relevant documentation or other supporting evidence.

5.5. HOW TO CONTACT ENTERPRISE SERVICES.

a. TO SUBMIT A COMPLAINT. Send an email message to the Procurement Coordinator listed in this Competitive Solicitation (see Section 1.2, above). The email message must include “Complaint” in the subject line of the email message. Alternatively, mail the complaint to the Procurement Coordinator listed in this Competitive Solicitation at the following address:

Attn: Procurement Coordinator – Complaint Contracts & Procurement Division Washington State Department of Enterprise Services P.O. Box 41411 Olympia, WA 98504-1411

b. TO REQUEST A DEBRIEF CONFERENCE. Send an email message to the Procurement Coordinator listed in this Competitive Solicitation (see Section 1.2, above). The email message must include “Debrief” in the subject line of the email message.

c. TO SUBMIT A PROTEST. Send an email message to the Protest Officer at the following email address: DESDLProcurementProtest@des.wa.gov. The email message must include “Protest” in the subject line of the email message. Alternatively, mail the protest to the Protest Officer at the following address:

Attn: Protest Officer Contracts & Procurement Division Washington State Department of Enterprise Services P.O. Box 41411 Olympia, WA 98504-1411

Section 6 – Doing Business with the State of Washington

This section provides additional information regarding Washington’s Public Records Act and doing business with the State of Washington, including Enterprise Services’ efforts to enable Washington’s small, diverse, and veteran-owned businesses to compete for and participate in state procurements for services.

6.1. WASHINGTON’S PUBLIC RECORDS ACT – PUBLIC RECORDS DISCLOSURE REQUESTS.

· All documents (written and electronic) submitted to Enterprise Services as part of this procurement are public records. Unless statutorily exempt from disclosure, such records are subject to disclosure if requested. See RCW 42.56, Public Records Act. Enterprise Services strongly discourages bidders from unnecessarily submitting sensitive information (e.g., information that you might categorize as ‘confidential,’ ‘proprietary,’ ‘sensitive,’ ‘trade secret,’ etc.).

· If, in bidder’s judgment, Washington’s Public Records Act provides an applicable statutory exemption from disclosure for certain portions of bidder’s bid, please mark the precise portion(s) of the relevant page(s) of the bid that bidder believes are statutorily exempt from disclosure and identify the precise statutory basis for exemption from disclosure.

· In addition, if, in bidder’s judgment, certain portions of bidder’s bid are not statutorily exempt from disclosure but are sensitive because these particular portions of bidder’s bid (NOT including pricing) include highly confidential, proprietary, or trade secret information (or the equivalent) that bidder protects through the regular use of confidentiality or similar agreements and routine enforcements through court enforcement actions, please mark the precise portion(s) of the relevant page(s) of bidder’s bid that include such sensitive information.

· In the event that Enterprise Services receives a public records disclosure request pertaining to information that bidder has submitted and marked either as (a) statutorily exempt from disclosure; or (b) sensitive, Enterprise Services, prior to disclosure, will do the following:

· Enterprise Services’ Public Records Officer will review any records marked by bidder as statutorily exempt from disclosure. In those situations, where the designation comports with the stated statutory exemption from disclosure, Enterprise Services will redact or withhold the document(s) as appropriate.

· For documents marked ‘sensitive’ or for documents where Enterprise Services either determines that no statutory exemption to disclosure applies or is unable to determine whether the stated statutory exemption to disclosure properly applies, Enterprise Services will notify the bidder, at the address provided in the bid submittal, of the public records disclosure request and identify the date that Enterprise Services intends to release the document(s) (including documents marked ‘sensitive’ or exempt from disclosure) to the requester unless the bidder, at bidder’s sole expense, timely obtains a court order enjoining Enterprise Services from such disclosure. In the event bidder fails to timely file a motion for a court order enjoining such disclosure, Enterprise Services will release the requested document(s) on the date specified. Bidder’s failure to properly identify exempted or sensitive information or timely respond after notice of request for public disclosure has been given shall be deemed a waiver by bidder of any claim that such materials are exempt or protected from disclosure.

6.2. SMALL & DIVERSE BUSINESSES. Enterprise Services, in accordance with Washington law, encourages small and diverse businesses to compete for and participate in state procurements as contractors and as subcontractors to awarded bidders. See, e.g., RCW 39.19 (OMWBE certified businesses); RCW 43.60A.200 (WDVA Certified Veteran-Owned Businesses); and RCW 39.26.005 (Washington Small Businesses). In support of the state’s economic goals and to support a diverse supplier pool, Enterprise Services has established the following voluntary numerical goals for Enterprise Services’ Competitive Solicitations:

· Ten percent (10%) Minority-Owned Businesses certified by the Washington State Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE);

· Six percent (6%) Women-Owned Businesses certified by the Washington State Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE);

· Five percent (5%) Veteran-Owned Businesses certified by the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA); and

· Twenty-five percent (25%) Washington Small Businesses, five percent (5%) of which are microbusinesses or minibusinesses as defined in RCW 39.26.010(16) and (17).

Achievement of these goals is encouraged whether directly or through subcontractors.

· OMWBE CERTIFICATION. Bidders may contact the Washington State Office of Minority and Women’s Business Enterprises (OMWBE) regarding information on Minority-Owned and Women-Owned certified firms, state and federal certification programs, or to become certified. OMWBE can be reached by telephone, 866-208-1064, or through their website at OMWBE. OMWBE-Certified firms may provide their certification information to Enterprise Serviced through Exhibit A-2 – Bidder’s Profile.

· WDVA CERTIFICATION. Bidders may contact the Washington State Department of Veterans’ Affairs (WDVA) for information regarding Certified Veteran-Owned Businesses or to become a Certified Veteran-Owned Business. The WDVA can be reached by telephone, (360) 725-2169, or through their website at WDVA. The qualification requirements to be a Certified Veteran-Owned Business are set forth in Exhibit A-1 – Bidder’s Certification.

· WASHINGTON SMALL BUSINESSES. Bidders may contact Enterprise Services about small and diverse business inclusion and qualification as a Washington Small Business. If bidder qualifies as a Washington Small Business, identify bidder as such in WEBS. Call WEBS Customer Service at 360-902-7400. The qualification requirements to self-certify as a Washington Small Business are set forth in Exhibit A-1 – Bidder’s Certification.

6.3. WEBS REGISTRATION. Individuals and firms interested in state contracting opportunities with Enterprise Services or any Washington state agency should register for competitive solicitation notices at the Washington Electronic Business Solution (WEBS) WEBS Registration. Note: There is no cost to register in WEBS.

INCLUDED EXHIBITS

EXHIBIT A-1 – BIDDER’S CERTIFICATION

See attached Exhibit A-1 – Bidder’s Certification.

Note: As set forth above, Bidder must complete, sign, and return the Bidder’s Certification to Enterprise Services.

EXHIBIT A-2 – BIDDER’S PROFILE

See attached Exhibit A-2 – Bidder’s Profile.

Note: As set forth above, Bidder must complete and return the Bidder’s Profile to Enterprise Services.

EXHIBIT B-1 – PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS

See attached Exhibit B1 – Performance Requirements: IT Project Manager Services See attached Exhibit B1-Performance Requirements; IT Quality Assurance Services Note: As set forth above, Bidder must complete and return Exhibit B1 – Performance Requirements to Enterprise Services.

EXHIBIT B-2 – NON-COST QUALIFICATIONS

See attached Exhibit B2 – Non-Cost Qualifications.

Note: As set forth above, Bidder must complete and return Exhibit B2 – Non-Cost Qualifications to Enterprise Services.

EXHIBIT C – BID PRICE

See attached Exhibit C – Bid Price.

Note: As set forth above, Bidder must complete and return Exhibit C – Bid Price to Enterprise Services.

EXHIBIT D – CONTRACT

See attached Exhibit D – Contract for Competitive Solicitation No. 14822-IT Project Management Services.

EXHIBIT E – BIDDER’S DIVERSE BUSINESS INCLUSION PLAN – SUBCONTRACTORS

See attached Exhibit E – Bidder’s Diverse Business Inclusion Plan – Subcontractors Note: As set forth above, Bidder must complete and return Exhibit E – Diverse Business Inclusion Plan – Subcontractors to Enterprise Services if bidder intends to utilize subcontractors if awarded a Contract.

COMPETITIVE SOLICITATION NO. 14822– IT PROJECT MANAGEMENT SERVICES PAGE 1

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