17-037-08 RRS for WI Recreation Facilities RFP final Master RFP document.doc

A

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

FOR

STATE OF WISCONSIN

DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

BUREAU OF PARKS AND RECREATION MANAGEMENT

Reservation and Registration System (RRS) for WI Recreation Facilities

RFP# 17-037-08

Proposals must be submitted no later than 11:00 AM Central Standard Time

Monday, August 14, 2017 For further information regarding this

RFP contact Richard M. Straub at (608) 261-6415.

Issued By

State of Wisconsin

Department of Natural Resources

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

LATE PROPOSALS WILL BE REJECTED

State of Wisconsin

DOA-3261 (R05/2014)

s.16.75, Wis. Statutes

PROPOSALS MUST BE SEALED AND ADDRESSED TO:

FORMCHECKBOX

Remove from proposer list for this commodity/service. (Return this page only.)

AGENCY ADDRESS:

WI Department of Natural Resources

Attn: Richard M. Straub FN/2 101 South Webster Street

P.O. Box 7921

Madison, WI 53707-7921

Proposal envelope must be sealed and plainly marked in lower corner with due date and Request for Proposal # 17-037-08. Late proposals will be rejected. Proposals MUST be date and time stamped by the soliciting purchasing office on or before the date and time that the proposal is due. Proposals dated and time stamped in another office will be rejected. Receipt of a proposal by the mail system does not constitute receipt of a proposal by the purchasing office. Any proposal which is inadvertently opened as a result of not being properly and clearly marked is subject to rejection. Proposals must be submitted separately, i.e., not included with sample packages or other proposals. Proposal openings are public unless otherwise specified. Records will be available for public inspection after issuance of the notice of intent to award or the award of the contract. Proposer should contact person named below for an appointment to view the proposal record. Proposals shall be firm for acceptance for one hundred eighty (180) days from date of proposal opening, unless otherwise noted. The attached terms and conditions apply to any subsequent award.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

11:00 AM CST, Monday, August 14, 2017 Public Opening

FORMCHECKBOX

fillin "Date and time"

PROPOSER (Name and Address)

No Public Opening

Name (Contact for further information)

Richard M. Straub (email address: richard.straub@wisconsin.gov)fillin "Contact Person"

Phone

608-261-6415 Date

June 20, 2017fillin "Phone" fillin "Date"

Quote Price and Delivery FOB

Destinationfillin "F.O.B /Destination"

Description

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Bureau of Parks and Recreation Management is soliciting proposals for the provision of systems and services to operate a Reservation and Registration System, per the attached Request for Proposal (RFP) document #17-037-08.

Proposers shall complete this form and submit it as instructed in Section 2.4. Tab 1, of the attached request for proposal. Fill in the proposer name and address in the box above and complete the sections below. The vendor’s signed and completed version of this form shall be submitted as part of the vendor’s proposal under Tab 1.

FORMCHECKBOX

We claim minority bidder preference [Wis. Stats. s. 16.75(3m)(b)(3)]. Under Wisconsin Statutes, a 5% preference may be granted to CERTIFIED Minority Business Enterprises. Bidder must be certified by the Wisconsin Supplier Diversity Program. If you have questions concerning the certification process, contact the Wisconsin Supplier Diversity Program, 6th Floor, 101 E. Wilson St., Madison, Wisconsin 53703, (608) 267-9550. Does not apply to printing bids.

FORMCHECKBOX

We claim disabled veteran owned business bidder preference [Wis.Stats. s. 16.75(3m)(b)(3)]. Under Wisconsin Statutes, a 5% preference may be granted to CERTIFIED Disabled Veteran Owned Businesses. Bidder must be certified by the Wisconsin Supplier Diversity Program. If you have questions concerning the certification process, contact the Wisconsin Supplier Diversity Program, 6th Floor, 101 E. Wilson St., Madison, Wisconsin 53703, (608) 267-9550. Does not apply to printing bids..

FORMCHECKBOX

We are a work center certified under Wis. Stats. s. 16.752 employing persons with severe disabilities. Questions concerning the certification process should be addressed to the Work Center Program, State Bureau of Procurement, 6th Floor, 101 E. Wilson St., Madison, Wisconsin 53702, (608) 266-5462.

Wis. Stats. s. 16.754 directs the state to purchase materials which are manufactured to the greatest extent in the United States when all other factors are substantially equal. Materials covered in our bid were manufactured in whole or in substantial part within the United States, or the majority of the component parts thereof were manufactured in whole or in substantial part in the United States. FORMCHECKBOX Yes FORMCHECKBOX No FORMCHECKBOX Unknown

In signing this proposal we also certify that we have not, either directly or indirectly, entered into any agreement or participated in any collusion or otherwise taken any action in restraint of free competition; that no attempt has been made to induce any other person or firm to submit or not to submit a proposal; that this proposal has been independently arrived at without collusion with any other proposer, competitor or potential competitor; that this proposal has not been knowingly disclosed prior to the opening of proposals to any other proposer or competitor; that the above statement is accurate under penalty of perjury.

We will comply with all terms, conditions and specifications required by the state in this Request for Proposal and all terms of our proposal.

Name of Authorized Company Representative (Type or Print)

Title

Phone

Fax

Signature of Above

Date

Federal Employer Identification No.

Social Security No. if Sole

Proprietor (Voluntary)

This form can be made available in accessible formats upon request to qualified individuals with disabilities.

Reservation and Registration System (RRS) for WI Recreation Facilities Request for Proposal # 17-037-08

TABLE OF CONTENTS

9DEFINITIONS

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

1.1. Introduction and background

1.2. Scope of the Project

1.3. Procuring and Contracting Agency

1.4. Clarification and/or Revisions to the Specifications and Requirements

1.5. Vendor Conference

1.6. Contact with State Personnel

1.7. News Releases

1.8. Reasonable Accommodations

1.9. Calendar of Events

1.10. VendorNet Registration

1.11. Contract Term and Funding

1.12. No Obligation to Contract

1.13. Retention of Rights

2. PREPARING AND SUBMITTING A PROPOSAL

2.1. General Instructions

2.2. Incurring Costs

2.3. Submitting the Proposal

2.4. Proposal Organization and Format

2.5. Oral Presentations and Demonstrations

2.6. Multiple Proposals

2.7. Withdrawal of Proposals

3. PROPOSAL SELECTION AND AWARD PROCESS

3.1. Preliminary Evaluation

3.2. Proposal Scoring

3.3. Right to Reject Proposals and Negotiate Contract Terms

3.4. Financial Stability

3.5. Evaluation Criteria

3.6. Award and Final Offers

3.7. Offer in Effect for 180 Days

3.8. Notification of Intent to Award

3.9. Appeals Process

4. GENERAL PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

4.1. Campground Reservation Systems Capabilities

4.2. Call Center Capabilities

4.3. Staff Qualifications

4.4. Proposer References

Exhibit 4-1: Basic Corporate Experience

5. MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS

6. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

6.1. General Overview

6.2. Reservation Processing

6.3. Reservation Modifications

6.4. Reservation Cancellations

6.5. Customer Transactions at the Parks

6.6. Financial Processes

6.7. System Data Requirements

6.8. Hardware, Application /Software, Support, and Reliability

6.9. Training Requirements

6.10. Project Work-plan

7. COST PROPOSAL

7.1. General instructions on preparing cost proposals

7.2. Format for submitting cost proposals

7.3. Fixed price period

8. SPECIAL CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS

8.1. Liquidated damages

8.2. Additional Insurance requirements

8.3. Executed Contract to Constitute Entire Agreement

8.4. Notices

8.5. Prime Contractor and Subcontractors

8.6. Prime Vendor Responsibility

8.7. Termination of Agreement

8.8. Warranty (additional terms)

8.9. Pricing and Discount (additional terms)

9. REQUIRED FORMS & ATTACHMENTS

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FORM (DOA-3261)

State of Wisconsin Reservation and Registration System Agreement

AFFIDAVIT OF CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY INFORMATION

Vendor Information Form Vendor Reference Form Cost Proposal Form Attachment A: Standard PC Configuration for WIDNR Parks Attachment B: Park End-User Devices and Connectivity Information Attachment C: Campsite Information to be provided by DNR Attachment D: WIDNR’s Accounting System Attachment E: Park Financial Report Samples Attachment F: WI DNR Call Center Statistics Attachment G: WIDNR Rates

DEFINITIONS

Agency: the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Alias List: A listing of parks and campgrounds cross referenced to the official name of the park facility, e.g. Northern Lights refers to the campground at Devil's Lake State Park but is not the official name of the property.

Amphitheater: An outdoor facility used for outdoor activities and education. The facility is reservable.

Application: the web and phone based system used by customers of WIDNR to make camping reservations and used by WIDNR staff to register campers and manage for campsites at WIDNR properties. The application also processes and tracks all related financial transactions and reports.

Bureau of Parks and Recreation Management: The organizational unit in the Department of Natural Resources, which is responsible for the State Parks and Southern Forests. Note that a small number of northern state forests or flowages, managed by other programs, are also included in this procurement, but the terms “parks” and “Wisconsin State Park system” is used generically to mean “park, forest or flowage property”, and the term “Bureau of Parks and Recreation Management” is used to mean all DNR organizational units with campsites and facilities included in this RFP.

Cabin, ADA Accessible: A designated building in a campground made available only to people with disabilities for camping purposes. Cabins are full service. For cooking there is a kitchen with low counter, stove, microwave and refrigerator. Cabins have two hospital beds with lift, a full-size sofa sleeper, two cots and a bathroom with wheel-in shower, bench and shower commode chair. For electricity there are several outlets and lighting in the cabin. See also Rustic Accessible Cabins.

Cabin Reservation: Specific cabins may be requested and/or are assigned at the time of initial reservation.

Camp or Camping: The use of a shelter such as a tent, trailer, motor vehicle, tarpaulin, bedroll or sleeping bag for temporary residence or sleeping purposes.

Camper day: The period beginning at 3:00 p.m. and ending at 3:00 p.m. the following day.

Camping Party: Any individual, family or non-family group occupying a campsite. Family as defined in Administrative code NR45.03(10) “Family” means a parent or parents with their unemancipated children and not more than 2 guests.

Camping Unit: Any single shelter except sleeping bags and hammocks used for a camp by a camping party except those used exclusively for dining purposes.

Campground: A designated camping facility in a state park, forest or recreation area.

Campground Type: Type A or B as determined by listing in Wisconsin Administrative Code 45.

Campground, Family: Any tract of land designated for camping by families or groups of 6 persons or less.

Campground, Outdoor Group: A campground designated for use by juvenile or adult groups.

Camping Equipment Type: The type and size of a camper's camping equipment; e.g., tent, tent-trailer, trailer, motor home, car or boat.

Camping Period: A camping stay not to exceed 14 nights in any one property. Some properties may allow a camper to move to another campground on the same property for additional nights.

Camping Permit: Means any permit for camping over-night that requires registration and payment of daily fee.

Camping Program Manager: The staff person of the DNR, Bureau of Parks and Recreation Management designated to manage the camping program.

Campsite: A segment of a campground which is designated for camping use by a camping unit or camping party and which will be identified by type and included in the campground inventory for reservations as determined by the Parks & Recreation Management.

Campsite, Backpack: Remote campsites available only on foot usually removed by some distance from other designated use areas within a property.

Campsite, Canoe/Kayak: A campsite along a waterway for use by persons traveling exclusively by canoe or kayak.

Campsite, Carry-in: Similar to a family campsite, however, site is a short walk from the parking spot.

Campsite, Watercraft: A campsite along a waterway for use by persons traveling exclusively by watercraft.

Cancellation: A contact by the reservation party to cancel the entire reservation including the actual refund of camping fees, as appropriate.

Central Reservation Caller: Any person who calls the central reservation telephone number.

Central Server System: The host computer system upon which the master reservation software and other primary software systems are installed and accessible at the Contractor's premises.

Chargeable Reservation Transaction: All initial reservations, as well as, reservation changes that affect dates or site numbers and cancellations. (All First-Come, First-Served registration and or Same Day Reservations or a change in reservation or registration dates of stay that occur within the dates of stay and are processed by DNR employees, will not be considered chargeable reservation transactions). The Contractor shall not receive any compensation for changes in reservation transactions made or modified at the park.

Confirmed Reservation: Initial reservations for which payment has been received and verified.

Contractor: Proposer awarded the contract.

Contractor Customer Service department: A group of Contractor employees who are more skilled and more highly trained than the operator in Wisconsin State Parks rule and regulations.

Central Office Workstation: Those computer workstations located in the Parks & Recreation Management office.

Department: The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

DNR: The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources also known as WIDNR.

DNR Natural Resources Board: That body charged with setting DNR policy.

Effectiveness Level: A calculation based on the ability of WIDNR staff and WIDNR customers to use the vendor’s solution to make confirmed and unduplicated camping reservations and to register campers on site at the parks using the solution database.

Electronic Mail (Email): The automated data processing system capable of transferring messages and/or data files among multiple parties via host and remote computer locations. Department Email will be available to all WIDNR workstations.

Extension: An increase in the number of camper nights made by the camping party at some point during their camping stay. Extensions are not chargeable reservation transactions.

Facility: Recreational feature that can be reserved through the system offered in response to the RFP. For this RFP, the term facility includes campgrounds and camp sites, amphitheaters, day use shelters, cabins and ADA cabins.

Family: A parent or parents with their un-emancipated children and not more than 2 guests.

Fee: That amount of money established by the Natural Resources Board or Legislature for the use of state park and recreation area facilities and services. Such fees may be added or altered at the sole discretion of the Department.

First-Come, First Serve/Walk-in site: A camping party that arrives at a park without an advanced reservation for a campsite and or facility requested. First-Come, First-Served camping parties and or facilities which are registered by DNR personnel on-site, are able to register for any campsite or facility that is unreserved for the time period requested with no registration fee payable to the Contractor. The camping party will only be charged the nightly camping and or facility fees and entrance fees.

Fiscal Year: July 1 through June 30.

Gift Cards/Gift Accounts: promotional program developed by the contractor that includes the sale and use of debit/credit type cards that can be used for payment of any fees or use charges that the contractor collects on the behalf of the Bureau of Parks and Recreation Management. The program developed by the contractor may involve actual cards or virtual cards (accounts) that are set up and tracked in the vendors database.

Go Live: Date that camping reservations will first be processed through the system established as a result of this RFP.

Indoor Group Camp Modern: Indoor group camps at Wyalusing and Black River Falls.

Indoor Group Camp Rustic: Indoor group camps at Point Beach

Initial Reservation: The initial contact to reserve a campsite/cabin space for a specific period of time in a particular campground or cabin. The initial reservation process shall include the acceptance of payment for all related camping and reservation fees as well as the issuance of a reservation confirmation number and transaction number.

Juvenile Group, Wisconsin Non-profit: A group made up of juvenile members of an established organization and under the leadership of at least one competent, mature adult for each 10 juveniles in the group and using any number of camping units or occupying a group campground.

No-show: All registrants with an advance camping reservation shall occupy the site with a camping unit the first night of the registration and every night thereafter. If the site is not occupied for all registered nights the registrant could be labeled a no-show. The department shall require that a camping unit occupy the reserved site by 3:00 p.m. on the second day of the reservation and be present for the duration of the reservation or the customer can be labeled a no-show. Reserved sites labeled as no shows by park staff shall be released by the system and made available for First-Come, First-Served registration or reservation depending on any reservation window. Sites and or facilities which are no-showed are not eligible for refunds.

Non-family Group: Any group of 6 or less individuals who do not meet the definition of family.

NSF Checks: Non-sufficient fund checks. Checks submitted as payment for state park services for which the payers bank reports insufficient deposits to cover the amount of the check.

Occupancy: Occupy, “occupied” or “occupying” means the camping unit, such as a tent, trailer or RV, is set up in a useable condition.

Operational Policy: All terms and conditions under which the public reserves and/or uses a state park facility, program or service. The Parks & Recreation Management Bureau reserves the right to change any and all operational policies.

Operator: The Contractor’s staff members who process telephone reservations.

Park: A Wisconsin State Park, Forest, Trail, Recreation Area or Flowage.

Park Database: A database of reservation, transaction, and inventory information.

Park Office: The building where campers are registered and assigned campsites upon arrival at the park.

Park Office Workstation: Those computers, printers and other hardware located in the Park Office.

Parks & Recreation Bureau: See Bureau of Parks and Recreation Management.

PCI: acronym for Payment Card Industry.

PeopleSoft/Star System: The state wide computerized accounting system used by DNR and other state agencies.

Primary Database: The master database residing in the Contractor's computer that contains all transactions related to Parks & Recreation programs

Private Label web site: The WIDNR approved web site with a WIDNR look and feel that is used as the point of entry to the campsite reservation system that the contractor is providing.

Program: A Bureau of Parks & Recreation Management service or activity opportunity offered to park visitors and/or the general public.

Proposer/vendor: A firm submitting a proposal in response to this RFP.

Reservation Center: That location housing the telephone operators where reservation information requests are received.

Reservation Change: A contact subsequent to the initial contact by the reservation party to change site or site characteristics, to add or delete nights from the camping stay, or to change the reservation period including the additional payment or refund, as appropriate.

Reservation Inventory: The number of campsites and facilities as established by the Bureau of Parks & Recreation Management program, in any given park subject to occupancy through the reservation system.

Reservation, next day: An advance reservation made for the period beginning on the day after the reservation is booked. Customers will be able to make next day reservations for available campsites or facilities at participating parks.

Reservation Number: A unique and specific number assigned to each tentative or confirmed reservation. The use of the number will allow those administering the reservation program to quickly identify a specific reservation period at a particular Park or Forest. Changes to a particular reservation may cause one particular reservation number to have more than one transaction number assigned to it, if those changes involve the collection or refunding of fees.

Reservation Party: The person who initially made the reservation or a member of that group who knows the reservation number and other necessary information that was used to place the reservation.

Reservation Window: That period of time the Contractor shall be required to accept and process reservation transactions. The reservation window is to coincide with the dates and hours of operation as determined by the contract.

RRS: Reservation and Registration System for WI Recreation Facilities. RRS is the WIDNR name/acronym for the system that will be deployed and used as a result of this RFP process.

Rustic Accessible Cabin: Cabins have one double bed with a thin mattress pad. Bathroom facilities include an accessible pit toilet, flush toilets and a shower near the cabin. For electricity there are two outlets and lighting in the cabin. See also Cabin, ADA Accessible.

Same Day Reservation: Transactions made through the RRS that enables customers to use the facility on the day it is processed. A transaction fee may not be charged by the vendor for this type of transaction.

Shelter: A reservable or non reservable structure which is used for visitor daily use. A reservation fee may be charged for reservable shelters.

Self Registration/Self Check-in: A process offered at some properties that allows a camper to provide required registration information on-line or through the call center, so that the camper can proceed to their site without stopping at the Park Office.

Site Number: An alphanumeric designator for a particular campsite or facility. They are unique within a park and are usually numeric, but sometimes include an alpha “type” designator, for example 47E for site 47, with electrical service. Facilities may also be identified by a unique name, for example, Red Oak Shelter.

State: State of Wisconsin.

System User: Bureau of Parks and Recreation Management Staff. Customers and contractors are not regarded as system users.

Unconfirmed Reservation: A reservation for which the fee payment has not yet been received because it is being mailed. Upon receipt of payment the initial reservation is confirmed by mail. If the reservation is never confirmed due to failure to pay, the Contractor shall cancel the tentative reservation. The Contractor shall not be paid for unconfirmed reservations or the cancellation of unconfirmed reservations.

Transaction Number: When payment is received, a specific and unique number, which cannot be duplicated, will be assigned to that transaction. Any transaction that alters an existing confirmed reservation will be assigned a unique transaction number. Thus a confirmed reservation could contain multiple transaction numbers if the customer changed dates of stay, parks, etc. Transaction numbers are not to be confused with the Reservation Number (see above) such numbers shall be used to audit accounts.

US Bank: The State of Wisconsin’s working bank or one of its branch offices. The main office, which handles State of Wisconsin requirements, is located at 777 E Wisconsin Ave Milwaukee, WI 53202, (414) 765-4035.

User: Any individual who works with the RRS to enter or retrieve data. This person will typically be an operator or an employee of DNR.

WIDNR: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources also known as DNR.

WI Recreation Facilities: all WIDNR campsites and facilities included in this RFP.

Wisconsin Call Center: The system a vendor employs to take toll-free telephone calls from customers and potential customers of the Bureau of Parks and Recreation Management who wish to make reservations and/or resolve any customer service issues related to reservations and the reservation process. For the purposes of this RFP, when the terms Telephone Reservations Center or Call Center or Wisconsin Call Center are used, Vendors will be allowed to reference whatever system of telephone call processing the vendor has proposed.

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

1.1. Introduction and background

The purpose of this document is to provide interested parties with information to enable them to prepare and submit a proposal to the State of Wisconsin, Department of Natural Resources (WIDNR) Bureau of Parks and Recreation Management to provide a Reservation and Registration System.

The State as represented by its Department of Natural Resources intends to use the results of this process to award a contract to provide a Reservation and Registration System to support the needs of Wisconsin State Parks and Forests, and the campers who visit those parks and forests.

The WIDNR has maintained a fully operational centralized reservation system since 1999. The State is specifically interested in a continuation of this type of system with improvements.

1.2. Scope of the Project

1.2.1. Environment

1.2.1.1. Wisconsin State Parks and Forests

The state parks and forests in Wisconsin provide overnight camping and a variety of facilities, which provides a variety of activities in many different environments. They range from large, rugged parks and forests of thousands of acres to small parks. The numbers of campsites vary from campgrounds with 15 sites to those with over 400 sites. Facilities in the campsites fall into many price categories. Some parks offer sites with electrical hook‑ups. More information about our parks and facilities is available on the DNR web site through the following link: http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/parks/.

1.2.1.2. Current Reservation System

Wisconsin State Parks began taking camper reservations in 1974. The percent of reservable sites now ranges from 85% to 100%, depending on the park. The popularity of reservations has continued to climb to all-time highs of 130,600 in 2016. The system has worked as follows:

· A centralized reservation system was implemented in 1998 allowing campsite reservations to be made up to 11 months in advance by calling a toll-free number or via the Internet. Reservations may be made for multiple periods during one phone call or visit to the Web site. The customer pays a non-refundable reservation fee for each reservation period. Each new site or time period currently constitutes a new reservation.

· The current system takes into account and applies agency business rules regarding fees, occupancy, length of stay, etc. There are some agency business rules that are under pending legislative review and these rules may change before contract implementation.

· Reservations may be made for no more than 14 consecutive nights year round.

Telephone Reservations Telephone reservations are accepted through the vendor’s toll free number. Telephone reservations are accepted according to the contract’s stated hours with any expanded hours at the contractors’ choice. Current contract hours are:

Call Center Hours:

· March 16- First Sunday in October

Monday- Friday 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. Central Time

Saturday - Sunday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Central time

Wisconsin Holiday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Central time

· Day After First Sunday in October- October 31

Monday - Friday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Central Time

Saturday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Central Time

· November 1- March 15

Monday - Friday 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. Central Time

Closed Saturday and Sunday The following information is needed to reserve a campsite:

· Name, address and telephone number of the customer

· Type of site desired (tent, backpack, wheeled camper site, waterview)

· Length of an RV or trailer

· Vehicle make, model and license plate state and number

· Number of people in the camping party

· Whether or not there are pets

· Name of the park or forest desired

· Date of desired arrival

· Number of nights desired

· Campground and campsite preference

· Whether or not an electrical site is desired

· Whether or not an accessible site is desired

· Credit card type, number and expiration date

· Currently there is a two-day minimum stay for reservations. Example: Any reservation request for the time period of 5/15-10/15 and made between 10/16 and 5/14 must be for multiple nights. The exception: One-day reservations for dates between May 15 and October 15 may only be made during the 5/15 through 10/15 period.

· Campers must leave the site by 3:00 p.m. on the last day of their stay.

· Customers may request specific campsites or facilities by site number or name.

1.2.1.3. Computing Environment

The various parks and offices each have DNR workstations as described in Attachment A.

1.2.2. Overview of the Project

The detailed specifications in Sections 4, 5 and 6 present the specific requirements that the Contractor must respond to in their proposal. The awarded Contractor shall be held responsible to comply with and meet all specifications, based on the responses to specifications that are included in their proposals. Responses to the mandatory requirements listed in Section 5 must meet agency requirements or the proposal may be judged as unresponsive and no further evaluation of the proposal will take place. This Section provides an overview of the specifications and the major pieces of the project.

1.2.2.1. Timing of Implementation

The proposed contract is expected to be signed no later than November 1, 2017. The Contractor must provide a proven system which will not require extensive software development or modification to meet DNR’s requirements and handle Wisconsin’s numbers of campgrounds, sites, facilities and reservations. The Contractor must also be able to move quickly from signing the contract to actually handling reservations upon completion of any required conversion/implementation services. If conversion/implementation services are required due to a change in contractor from the current vendor, the WIDNR expects delivery of the solution for full system testing no later than July 2018 with all testing completed by November 30, 2018 and expects that the system Go Live date will be no later than December 1, 2018. If this RFP process results in an award to the current contractor the WIDNR reserves the right to begin the new contract on December 1, 2017.

1.2.2.2. Central Telephone Reservations and Payment Center

The Contractor shall provide a telephone reservations center that will provide a nationwide toll-free service to people who wish to make campground reservations in Wisconsin's State Parks and Forests. This service shall be available year-round. Customers shall pay in full for their reservations when the reservation is made, using credit cards, or pay by mailing a check within a limited time (if the check is not received, the reservation shall be canceled). The reservations operators shall be physically located in Wisconsin and provide detailed information about the parks and campsites, and help the customer choose the park, campground, and site characteristics. The awarded contractor must provide backup reservation operator capabilities as necessary to assist with peak volumes and for assurance of service continuity in the event of service disruptions. See Section 5.5. and 6.2. for detailed specifications

1.2.2.3. Internet Reservations

The Contractor shall develop, implement, and support a publicly available Web site that allows customers to make reservations using the Internet. The site shall use the same WIDNR business rules as the Call Center. This site shall have the same Go Live date and time as the Call Center. WIDNR shall provide a link from WIDNR's home page to this reservation site that must have a WIDNR look to it. This site shall be located at www.wiparks.net.

1.2.2.4. First-Come, First-Served and Same Day Registration

A portion of the campsites may be dedicated at most parks for First-Come, First-Served registration, and shall not be reservable in advance. This portion may vary from park to park, and may change over time. Currently 80 percent of all sites in the Wisconsin State Park system are reservable. Same Day Reservations will be enabled for parks which have 100% reservable sites. The agency goal is that within a year, a majority of the parks will be 100 % reservable. When Same Day Reservations/registrations are enabled they will be provided with no reservation fee charged to the customer or WIDNR.

1.2.2.5. Data Provided by WIDNR

WIDNR and the current vendor shall provide initial information about park, facility and campground characteristics, campground maps, financial and accounting codes, and other necessary data. The Contractor may specify the data elements required, formats (existing flat files, spreadsheets, interactive entry into the Contractor's systems, etc.), and expected dates when the information should be provided by DNR.

1.2.2.6. Implementation Project Plan

Awarded solution provider will deliver and then follow a detailed project plan, which needs to be reviewed and accepted by the DNR and which smoothly transitions the existing reservation data to the solution provider’s system. Failure of an awarded solution provider to meet the schedules established in the agreed upon project plan may result in delaying the operational phase of the contract, and will result in liquidated damages. The WIDNR reserves the right to cancel any contract resulting from this RFP is the awarded contractor fails to deliver the proposed solution within the agreed upon project timeline. The WIDNR also reserves the right to extend the current contract in the event that the awarded solution provider fails to meet the negotiated deadlines prior to the Go Live requirements of this RFP.

1.2.2.7. Anticipated Contract Terms

Payment shall be based on the number and type of transactions processed through the reservation call center and the Web site. Enabling statutes allow the WIDNR to charge a fee to the customer for processing an initial reservation, and a separate fee for changing/canceling a reservation. The Contractor will be paid a portion of the revenues received for these fees. Currently a nominal fee is charged to modify a reservation (see Attachment G for current system rates). Terms of the anticipated contract will be those as stated in the Reservation and Registration System Agreement (RRS) form, which is included in Section 9, Required Forms, of this RFP.

1.2.2.8. Rights to Use of the Data

All data collected under this contract is the property of the Department of Natural Resources and shall not be used by the Contractor for any purpose outside the scope of this contract. The WIDNR shall have continuous access to all data throughout the term of the contract. The Contractor shall turn over all data in their possession prior to the termination of the contract.

1.2.2.9. Data Transfer to DNR

There are several steps to transferring data. First, staff in the individual parks shall be able to immediately get information on reservations, etc., from the system and provide information to it, for example on changes in length of stay for campers. Second, financial information on transactions, payments, refunds, etc. shall be provided to WIDNR on a daily basis so the data may be sent to the state's accounting system. Third, park managers and other WIDNR staff shall be able to make use of the data in the system for marketing, park management, and other purposes. Finally, the reservations data shall be transferred daily to the WIDNR computer systems for cross-program analysis, marketing, and record keeping. More information about DNR financial systems, accounting codes and revenue-processing procedures is available in Attachment D.

1.3. Procuring and Contracting Agency

This Request for Proposal (RFP) is issued by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, which is the sole point of contact for the State of Wisconsin during the selection process. The person responsible for managing the procurement process (RFP Manager) is Richard M. Straub, WIDNR Bureau of Finance, Purchasing Section.

The contract resulting from this RFP will be administered by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The contract administrator will be Robert Ramsey, WIDNR Bureau of Parks and Recreation.

1.4. Clarification and/or Revisions to the Specifications and Requirements

Any questions, exceptions, or additions concerning the subject matter of the RFP document(s) shall not be considered unless submitted via e-mail (no phone calls) on or before 11:59 p.m. Central Time (CT) on the applicable dates specified in Section 1.10, Calendar of Events, to: Richard M. Straub, FN/2 email: richard.straub@wisconsin.gov Vendors are expected to raise any questions, exceptions, or additions they have concerning the RFP before or at the vendor conference. If a vendor discovers any significant ambiguity, error, conflict, discrepancy, omission, or other deficiency in this RFP, the vendor shall immediately notify the above named individual of such error and request modification or clarification of this RFP document.

In the event that it becomes necessary to provide additional clarifying data or information, or to revise any part of this RFP, revisions/amendments and/or supplements shall be provided to all recipients of this initial RFP.

Each proposal shall stipulate that it is predicated upon the terms and conditions of this RFP and any supplements or revisions thereof.

1.5. Vendor Conference

A vendor conference will be held on Tuesday, July 11, 2017 at 1:00 PM CDT, Room G09, GEF II, 101 Webster Street Madison, WI 53703 to respond to written questions and to provide any needed additional instruction to vendors on the submission of proposals. If no questions are received, the State reserves the right to cancel the vendor conference. Oral answers provided at the conference are not binding. The WIDNR will summarize all questions presented at the conference and provide written answers to all vendors. These written answers will be incorporated as part of the RFP document through issuance of an addendum, which will be provided to all recipients of the initial RFP. Vendor attendance at the conference is not mandatory, but is advisable. The agency will make arrangements to facilitate vendor attendance by conference call and/or video conference. If a vendor wishes to participate remotely they must contact Richard Straub via email at least one day prior to the conference and instructions for remote participation will be communicated to them.

1.6. Contact with State Personnel

From the date of release of this RFP until a notice of intent to award the Contract is issued, all contacts with State employees, and other personnel performing official business for the State under contract, regarding this RFP shall be made through Richard Straub. Contact with other State personnel regarding this RFP is not permitted during the procurement process and violation of these conditions may be considered sufficient cause for automatic rejection of a Proposal.

1.7. News Releases

News releases pertaining to the RFP or to the acceptance, rejection, or evaluation of Proposals shall not be made without the prior written approval of the State.

1.8. Reasonable Accommodations

The Department shall provide reasonable accommodations, including the provision of informational material in an alternative format, for qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. If you need accommodations at a bid opening/vendor conference, contact the Department of Natural Resources at (608) 261-6415.

1.9. Calendar of Events

Listed below are specific and tentative dates of actions related to this Request for Proposal (RFP). The actions with specific dates shall be completed as indicated unless otherwise changed by the State. In the event that the State finds it necessary to change any of the specific dates in the calendar of events listed below, it shall do so by issuing a supplement to this RFP. There may or may not be a formal notification issued for changes in the tentative dates.

DATE

EVENT

06/20/2017

Date of issue of the RFP.

07/03/2017

Last day for submitting written inquires.

07/11/2017

Vendor conference.

07/18/2017

Mail notification to vendors of supplements or revisions to the RFP.

08/14/2017

Proposals due from vendors.

8/31/2017 & 9/1/2017 (tentative) Oral presentations and demonstrations by invited vendors.

September 14, 2017 (tentative)

Notification of intent to award sent to vendors.

October 2017

Contract Negotiation

November 1, 2017 (tentative)

Final contract signed by this date. Assumes completion of all contract negotiation and final project work plan.

September 1-15, 2018 (tentative) System Rollout and testing at parks (as necessary).

November 30, 2018 (tentative)

System enabled

December 8, 2018 (tentative)

Latest date for Call Center and Internet Go Live

1.10. VendorNet Registration

Vendors are directed to the State of Wisconsin’s computerized vendor information system, ”VendorNet”, for additional electronic copies of this RFP package, and for information on receiving automatic notification of all state agency procurements over $25,000 in a vendors particular area of interest. The Web address for VendorNet is http://vendornet.state.wi.us. If there is a need to solicit bids or proposals for additional services or equipment upon completion of the contract initiated by this procurement, only vendors registered with “VendorNet” will receive automatic notification of the bid. Your firms’ receipt of this bid in the mail does not guarantee receipt of future bids for these services.

1.11. Contract Term and Funding

The contract shall be effective after both parties have signed the State of Wisconsin Reservation and Registration System Agreement (see attached form) and upon the contract execution date. It shall run for 4 years from the agreed date of reservation processing commencement, with options to renew for up to 4 additional 1-year periods, by mutual agreement of the DNR and Contractor. Each 1-year renewal shall be a separate agreement.

1.12. No Obligation to Contract

The State reserves the right to cancel this RFP for any reason prior to the issuance of a notice of intent to award. The State does not guarantee the purchase of any specific quantity or dollar amount. Proposals that stipulate that the State shall guarantee a specific quantity or dollar amount will be disqualified.

1.13. Retention of Rights

The State retains the right to accept or reject any or all Proposals if deemed to be in its best interest. All Proposals become the property of WIDNR upon receipt. All rights, title, and interest in all materials and ideas prepared by the Proposer for the Proposal to WIDNR shall be the exclusive property of WIDNR and may be used by the State at its option.

2. PREPARING AND SUBMITTING A PROPOSAL

2.1. General Instructions

The evaluation and selection of a Contractor and the Contract shall be based on the information submitted in the vendor's proposal plus references and any required on‑site visits or oral presentations. Failure to respond to each of the requirements in the RFP may be the basis for rejecting a response.

Elaborate proposals (e.g. expensive artwork) beyond that sufficient to present a complete and effective proposal, are not necessary or desired.

The electronic version of this proposal is available to subscribers of the State of Wisconsin’s VendorNet bid information system or by requesting it from Richard Straub (richard.straub@wisconsin.gov) through Email.

2.2. Incurring Costs

The State of Wisconsin shall not be liable for any cost incurred by proposers in replying to this RFP, attending a vendor conference, or complying with the oral presentations, and demonstrations, requirement.

2.3. Submitting the Proposal

Proposers must submit a hard copy original, five exact hard copies and one electronic version (on CD or USB drive) of all files/materials required for acceptance of their proposal by 11:00 A.M. Central Standard Time on Monday, August 14, 2017 to one of the two following addresses depending on how you send it:

· If proposer is using the US Mail direct your proposals to:

Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources

Attn: Richard M. Straub

Senior Procurement Specialist

PO Box 7921

Madison, WI 53707-7921

· If sending your proposal via any other delivery method (e.g. UPS, FED-Ex, DHL, courier, etc.) send to:

Wisconsin Dept. of Natural Resources

Attn: Richard M. Straub

Senior Procurement Specialist

101 S. Webster St.

Madison, WI 53703

To ensure confidentiality of the document, all proposals must be packaged, sealed and show the following information on the outside of the package:

—Proposer's name and address

—Request for proposal title

—Request for proposal number

—Proposal due date All electronic copies of proposal submitted must also be labeled with this same information.

Proposals must be received in the above office by the specified time stated above. All proposals must be time-stamped in by the Department's Purchasing Office by the stated time. Proposals not so stamped will not be accepted. Receipt of a proposal by the Department's mail system does not constitute receipt of a proposal by the Department's Purchasing Office, for purposes of this RFP.

A hard copy original plus one (1) copy of the Cost Proposal Forms and one electronic copy (on CD or USB drive) must be sealed and submitted as a separate part of the proposal. Do not include the Cost Proposal Forms on the electronic copy being prepared and sent with the written proposals. The electronic copy of the cost proposal must be submitted on its own media. The outside of the envelope and the electronic copy must both be clearly labeled with the words “Cost Proposal, RFP #17-037-08, Reservation and Registration System for WI Recreation Facilities”, and include the name of the vendor and the due date. The cost proposal is due to the addressee on the due date and time noted above. No mention of the cost proposal is permissible in the response to any other section of this Request for Proposal.

All bidders are responsible for the delivery of their RFP package to this purchasing office prior to the stated RFP opening time. Late and unsigned proposals will be rejected. No fax proposals will be accepted.

2.4. Proposal Organization and Format

Proposals shall be typed and submitted on 8.5” x 11”white paper bound securely. No e-mail or faxed proposals will be accepted. As indicated above all proposers must also provide an electronic copy of their proposal on CD or USB drive. Proposals shall be organized and presented in the order and by the number assigned in the RFP. Proposals shall be organized with the following headings and subheadings. Each heading and subheading shall be separated by tabs or otherwise clearly marked. The State reserves the right to exclude any responses from consideration that do not follow the required format as instructed below.

Tab 1 – Transmittal Letter/Vendor Certifications: Include here any cover letter included with the proposal and the vendors completed and signed copy of the RFP Form (DOA –3261) attached to the front of this proposal package and also included in Section 9, which is required for submittal of a proposal. The transmittal letter must be written on the Proposer’s official business stationery and signed by an official authorized to legally bind the Proposer. Include in the letter:

1. Name and title of Proposer representative;

2. Name and address of company;

3. Telephone number, fax number, and email address;

4. RFP number and title;

5. An itemization of all materials and enclosures submitted in response to the RFP;

6. A confirmation that all RFP amendments have been reviewed by the Proposer; if none have been posted, include a statement to that effect;

7. A statement that the Proposer believes its Proposal meets all the requirements set forth in the RFP;

8.

A statement indicating that the Proposer understands and agrees that it has an affirmative duty to inquire about and seek clarification of any question or other item in the RFP that Proposer does not fully understand or that Proposer reasonably believes is susceptible to more than one interpretation;

9. A statement that the Proposer's organization or an agent of the Proposer's organization has arrived at the prices and discounts without consultation, communication, or agreement with any other respondent, or with any competitor for the purpose of restricting competition;

10. A statement that the prices, discounts, or margins quoted in the response have not been knowingly disclosed by the Proposer's organization, or by any agent of the Proposer's organization, and will not be knowingly disclosed by same, directly or indirectly, to any other respondent or to any competitor;

11. A statement that no attempt has been made or will be made by the Proposer's organization or by any agent of the Proposer's organization to induce any other person or firm to submit or not to submit a response for the purpose of restricting competition;

12. A statement acknowledging the Proposal conforms to all rights of the State including procurement rules and procedures articulated in this RFP, all rights terms and conditions specified in this RFP;

13. A statement acknowledging that the Proposer agrees to adhere to all terms and conditions of…