2017 Deferred Compensation Plan Consulting Services-Final.docx

Request for Proposals

#17-040 Deferred Compensation Plan Consulting Services

All Walworth County solicitations are posted on Demandstar by Onvia at: www.demandstar.com.

Consultants may register with Demandstar, at no charge, through the Wisconsin Association of Public Purchasers (WAPP) of which Walworth County is a participating member, at: http://www.onvia.com/WAPP

To ensure notification of future opportunities with Walworth County, consultants must be registered.

Contents

Deferred Compensation Plan Consulting Services

INTRODUCTION

Walworth County is in the process of reviewing the County’s Deferred Compensation Plan. The County desires to contract with a retirement plan advisor to review the County’s current 457(b) and 403(b) deferred compensation plan including reviewing employee investment options, evaluating the investment fees being incurred, suggesting potential options for the plan, assisting with an RFP process for 457(b) and/or 403(b) plan providers if deemed appropriate, and assisting with possible plan transition. The chosen consultant would also be expected to act in a continuing fiduciary capacity to monitor the program and provide County employees with education and advice related to their 457(b) and/or 403(b) plan options. This RFP defines Walworth County’s requirements for this service.

All parts, items, details of services or features not specifically mentioned which are regularly furnished in order to complete this type of work will be furnished at proposed pricing and shall conform in quality, workmanship and service to that usually provided by the practice as specified in this Request for Proposals.

Proposal conditions including either the word “must” or “shall,” describe a mandatory requirement. All specifications are defined as mandatory minimum requirements unless otherwise stated. If no consultant is able to comply with a given specification or condition, Walworth County Purchasing reserves the right to delete that specification or condition in the proposal.

Walworth County reserves the right to cancel any agreement that may result from this Request for Proposals with no penalty if the Walworth County Board of Supervisors fails to appropriate funds for this contract.

Consultants may attach additional information to this proposal.

BACKGROUND

Walworth County’s Human Resources department administers the County’s Deferred Compensation Plan. The plan currently has approximately $40,000,000.00 in plan assets and 650 participants. The current recordkeeping provider is Nationwide Retirement Solutions for the 457(b) program and Ameriprise Financial, AXA Equitable, and Verisight Trust Company as three available 403(b) providers.

The County has approximately 985 active employees eligible to participate in the deferred compensation program. Of those eligible to participate, there is currently 337 employees actively deferring compensation into the Deferred Compensation Plan.

The responsibility for day-to-day administration, management and coordination of the County’s benefits programs rests with the Human Resources Department. The Employee Benefits Division staff includes one (1) Risk/Benefits Manager and two (2) Employee Benefits Specialists. The Employee Benefits staff is overseen by the Human Resources Director who reports to the County Administrator.

The consultant shall work directly with the Human Resources Director, Risk/Benefits Manager and the Employee Benefits Specialists. The consultant may be required to meet and work with the Board of Supervisors, County Administrator, committees, employee organizations, as well as employees and retirees at specially scheduled meetings.

SCOPE OF SERVICES

The selected consultant will assist the Human Resources Department staff in developing Requests for Proposal (RFP) for various functions involved in the administration of the Deferred Compensation Plan, which may include some or all of the following:

· Third-party administration and recordkeeping services

· Plan audit services

· Services/programs which may or may not presently be included in the plan

The selected consultant will be required to assist in evaluating responses to those proposals and generating recommendations to the County for action. The selected consultant must be capable of drafting proposed RFP questionnaires, evaluation criteria, scoring methodologies, response summaries, recommendations for action, and other information as necessary to assist the County in evaluating the capabilities and soundness of firms submitting proposals.

The selected consultant will be required to provide assistance to the County in development/review of proposed contracts for the various plan-related services identified above which are periodically placed out to competitive bid. In addition, the selected consultant must be capable of drafting, reviewing and providing advice regarding amendments or extensions to existing contracts.

The selected consultant will be asked to provide input and advice with respect to defined contribution plan design, best practices, and benchmarking relative to the deferred compensation plan. This may include issues regarding:

· Determinations as to what services should be offered under the plan;

· Best practices in plan design and administration; and

· Measuring the success of the plan relative to plan mission/goals as well as other defined contribution plan sponsors.

The selected consultant will be asked to, on an as-needed basis, evaluate and provide commentary with respect to a variety of tax, technical and retirement plan issues for use in day-to-day administration of the program and/or in the research of related matters. The selected consultant must be capable of providing expert review and analysis with respect to the following:

· Proposed or actual State/Federal legislation and regulations affection 457(b) and/or 403(b) plans;

· Potential modifications to the County’s Plan document;

· Questions which may arise from time to time in the administration of the Plan concerning the interpretation of Federal rules and policies and their applicability to the County’s Plan; and

· A broad range of questions related to retirement or tax-deferred saving concepts or issues not necessarily directly related to Section 457(b)/403(b) defined contribution plan administration.

The selected consultant will be asked to create an investment policy and provide ongoing advice for updates to the investment policy.

The selected consultant will be asked to provide the following investment option monitoring/review services in accordance with the County’s Investment Policy Statement:

· Evaluate performance results and investment management fees relative to the appropriate benchmark and peer ranking for each investment fund option on a quarterly basis.

· Advise the County of significant changes impacting the County’s funds including management team depth and personnel stability, portfolio construction, adherence to style objectives, and organizational stability.

· Advise the County as to the continuing appropriateness of each Deferred Compensation Plan investment manager and each investment fund option, including making recommendations for termination as necessary and in accordance with the Plan’s Investment Policy Statement.

· Recommend modifications to the County regarding the overall investment program including the Investment Policy Statement, fund selection/deletion, and performance objectives and standards for each investment fund option.

· Inform the County of relevant investment, economic, and related trends and issues which may impact the Plan and its investment offerings.

The selected consultant will assist the County in developing procurements and search processes for investment management services. Investment management services includes professional management of mutual funds, separate accounts, variable annuities, commingled funds, bank/money market funds, certificates of deposit, and other such holding vehicles for all investment options made available within the Plan’s core investment menu.

The selected consultant must be able to provide assistance in the design/review of communications materials regarding various aspects of promoting the Plan or educating participants regarding various aspects of the Plan. Communications materials include Plan print materials such as account statements, program or benefit descriptions, and forms; Plan virtual materials such as videos and webinars on our Plan website; and Plan audio/verbal communications such as group meeting presentations or the automated telephone line.

The intent of this proposal is to award the project to the responsive/responsible qualified consultant providing the best services at a competitive price for all items included in this proposal as a whole project. Walworth County reserves the right to split up award if it is in the best interest of Walworth County.

CONSULTANT REQUIREMENTS

Selected consultant will be required to work in conjunction with the County regarding all deferred compensation related activities and decisions. Consultant shall meet as requested to resolve problems. The successful consultant shall be required to meet the following minimum requirements:

1. Have broad experience in conducting related business with public employers.

2. Ability to provide market data for public sector employers.

3. Have proven experience in redesigning with providing fiduciary services, development of investment strategies, and conducting RFP and bid services for deferred compensation record keepers.

4. Consultant must possess a minimum of five (5) years of verifiable experience in providing deferred compensation plan consulting services in a governmental environment. Experience should include accounts equal or larger in size and scope of this Proposal.

5. Can demonstrate a breadth and depth of knowledge on the deferred compensation plan systems and be able to demonstrate significant experience with fund management.

6. Be properly licensed and incorporated to do business in the State of Wisconsin.

7. Consultant has proven ability to work with collectively bargained groups, employee groups, and Management of their client.

8. Have a proven reputation for keeping the client abreast of industry factors that impact the benefits plan and keeping the plan in compliance with all necessary regulations.

9. Can provide references and can demonstrate a reputation for timeliness and responsiveness.

PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL

Interested Consultant(s) s shall submit six (6) paper copies of their sealed proposal and one (1) copy of their price proposal in the format set forth in Attachment B in a separate sealed envelope marked “Deferred Compensation Plan Consulting Services” by 1:00 PM, May 2, 2017 to:

Walworth Co. Dept. of Public Works Purchasing Division W4097 County Road NN Elkhorn, WI 53121

CONTRACT TERM

The contract term shall be for a period of three (3) years, with an option to extend for two (2) additional one (1) year periods, under the same terms and conditions as specified in the awarded proposal response, and by mutual consent of both parties. The commencement date of the service contract shall be August 1, 2017 or earlier if agreed upon by both parties.

LICENSING, CERTIFICATION AND OTHER STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS

Consultant is responsible to comply with all statutory rules and regulations. All applicable federal, state and local laws, rules and regulations governing this type of service will apply and will be deemed incorporated into this project. These requirements shall be done at consultant’s expense, at no expense to the County.

PROJECT SCHEDULE

OTHER

1. The Consultant, including any subcontractors, must have the financial capability to undertake the requirement. In order to demonstrate its financial capability, Walworth County may require the submission of some or all of the financial information detailed below by both the Consultant and subcontractor if applicable. The requested information must be provided within five (5) working days of Walworth County’s written request.

A. Audited Financial Statements for the Respondent’s last three (3) fiscal years, including as a minimum the Balance Sheet, Statement of Retained Earnings, Income Statement and any notes to the statements.

B. If the date of the Financial Statements provided in A) above is more than three (3) months from the date on which Walworth County requests this information, the Respondent must also provide Interim Financial Statements consisting of a Balance Sheet and year to date Income Statement, as of two (2) months prior to the date of Walworth County’s request.

C. Evidence by certification from the Chief Financial Officer or an authorized signing officer of the Respondent, regarding the accuracy of any financial information provided.

D. Formal certification on proposer’s stationary signed by the owner or authorized officer of the company indicating the proposing firm has not filed for bankruptcy in any form, nor are there any current intentions of filing any type of bankruptcy proceedings. In the event a proposer has or is considering filing bankruptcy of any type, formal certification will take on the form of a written explanation of such filing, complete with history and current status.

E. A confirmation letter from the Respondent’s financial institution(s) outlining the total of lines of credit granted and the amount of credit that remains available and not drawn upon as of one month prior to the date of Walworth County’s request.

F. If any proposal is submitted by a joint venture, then the specific financial information requested may be required from each member of the joint venture depending on the magnitude and impact of their role in the joint venture.

G. If the Consultant or subcontractor is a subsidiary of another company, then the specific financial information requested is also required from the parent company.

2. The County shall be entitled to request the removal of individuals working on any project for any of the following grounds, provided that such request be in writing and shall specify the reasons for the County’s dissatisfaction:

(i) unsatisfactory performance that causes negative operational impact at the County or causes the County to commit additional resources to avoid operational impact;

(ii) dishonesty or belligerent conduct;

(iii) lack of compatibility with County staff; or

(iv) violation of County rules or policies.

Upon such written request, the County and Consultant shall decide on a course of action to cure any such problems, provided that there shall be no cure opportunity required for problems involving categories (ii) or (iv) in the preceding sentence. In the event Consultant does not cure the problem within (7) days from the date of notice, Consultant shall remove such person and shall promptly provide a qualified replacement. The County will be liable for payment of services only up to the time of dismissal and provided then only if services rendered meet the minimum requirements of the County.

The Consultant is responsible for ensuring that any substitute personnel have comparable skills and experience. Resumes must be submitted for approval by Walworth County for substitute personnel. The County reserves the right to interview and approve of substitute personnel prior to commencement of activity on the project.

3. Walworth County reserves the right to perform Background Checks on consultants providing goods and/or services to the County.

4. Selected offeror(s) will not be permitted to sublet, sell, transfer, assign or otherwise dispose of the contract of any portion therein, or its right, title or interest in, to any person, Consultant(s) or Contractor(s) without the written consent of Walworth County. No subcontract shall, under any circumstances, relieve the contractor of liability and obligation under this contract. The prime contractor shall be fully responsible for the acts, errors and omissions of the subcontractor.

5. The names and addresses of any Subcontractor proposed to be used to complete any of the work shall be stated in the consultant proposal document. State the capacity they would be used in and the approximate percentage of total services they would provide.

If Subcontractors are used, Walworth County will consider the proposing consultant to be the Prime Contractor who will be solely responsible in all contractual matters, including payment if any and all charges resulting from such Contractor/Subcontractor arrangements. The Prime Contractor will be fully responsible for the acts, errors and omissions of the Subcontractors. The Contractor shall cause appropriate provision of its proposal to be inserted in all subcontracts to ensure fulfillment of all contractual provisions by Subcontractors.

All Subcontractors must be licensed to practice in the State of Wisconsin and must have been in business for no less than 5 years.

CLARIFICATIONS

Any questions concerning this RFP must be submitted in writing by 3:30 p.m., Friday, 04/24/2017 to Nick Cramer, Purchasing Manager, e-mail ncramer@co.walworth.wi.us or fax questions to (262) 741-3195.

No information provided verbally, or by any other personnel, will be considered binding.

Questions submitted should be labeled “QUESTIONS FOR Deferred Compensation Plan Consulting Services”

If a consultant discovers any significant ambiguity, error, conflict, discrepancy, omission, or other deficiency exists in the RFP, the consultant should immediately notify the buyer listed above of such error and request modification or clarification of the RFP document. In the event that it becomes necessary to provide additional clarifying data or information, that revises any part of this RFP, supplements or revisions will be provided to all recipients of this initial RFP via written amendment.

The issuance of a written amendment is the only official method whereby interpretation, clarification, or additional information can be given. Amendments will be posted on Demandstar by Onvia at: www.demandstar.com. Hard copies may be obtained from Walworth County Purchasing located at the Department of Public Works, W4097 County Road NN, Elkhorn, WI 53121 from 7:00 am to 3:30 pm Monday through Friday.

Consultants are responsible for checking the website for any future amendments, etc. prior to the opening date. Consultants who do not acknowledge the amendments in their response may have their proposal rejected.

The County reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to reject any or all proposals, issue addenda, request clarification, waive technicalities, alter the nature and/or scope of the proposed project, request re-submittals, and/or discontinue this process. Walworth County also reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to award a contract based upon the proposals received without prior discussion or negotiation with respect to those proposals.

Contact with any other party or attempts by bidders to contact any other party may result in the rejection of their proposal.

TERM, PRICING AND PAYMENT

Term The term of the contract will be upon contract execution thru completion of services.

Pricing Provide a schedule of fees (firm fixed cost) to fully provide the consulting services as required and listed in the Scope of Services. Items which are normally referred to as reimbursable expenses, including but not limited to transportation, long distance communications, and other documents, overtime work requiring higher than regular rates, additional insurance requested in excess of that normally carried by the Consultant, are to be included in the fee for which no additional compensation will be due.

Rates of Additional Work Include a list of the hourly rates in the pricing document only to be charged to the County in the event additional work is required beyond the scope of service stated. Any additional work must be authorized in writing and be based on the hourly rates as submitted in the Cost Proposal before additional cost may be incurred.

Include a cost for additional oral presentation(s), which are above and beyond the presentations listed in the Scope of Services, in the area provided on the pricing document.

Payment Walworth County’s preference is to pay for goods/services on a P-Card. Indicate in the pricing document whether you will accept MasterCard for payment purchases without additional fees. Firm should note how many days after receipt and acceptance of services or receipt of invoice (whichever is later), payment must be processed to accept the credit. Please keep in mind that we will not process payment until/unless compliance with the requirements is confirmed and that Walworth County requires a minimum of two days to process p-card payments.

If you are unable to accept credit card, payment will be made within forty five days after acceptance of services and receipt of a properly documented invoice. Note: Invoice must be sent to the location specified on the purchase order to avoid delays in payment.

Firms who wish to quote a discount for early payment against a purchase order may do so (reference the payment terms of the Pricing Document). For example, 1%/10 days.

PROPOSAL FORMAT & SUBMISSION

In order for an evaluation committee to adequately compare proposals and evaluate them uniformly and objectively, all proposals must be submitted according to the following format. The proposal should be prepared simply and economically, providing straightforward and concise information as requested. Every attempt should be made to use technological terminology that is common to the industry. Comparable terminology may be substituted where appropriate, if there is a use of clear and concise definitions.

The format is presented below along with the minimum information that should be contained in each section, as well as responding to each component listed in the Detailed Consultant Requirements section. Each section shall be clearly identified and contain all of the information necessary to meet the minimum information required. The responses should emphasize services and experiences, which most closely match those requested by Walworth County. While the consultant should provide enough information to fully respond to each section, proposals should be as concise as possible.

A. Table of Contents: Include a clear identification of the material by section and by page number.

B. Letter of Transmittal: Briefly state the consultants understanding of the service to be provided and a positive commitment to perform the services as defined in the RFP. (Limit to one (1) or two (2) pages).

C. General Information: Include information as it pertains to the services, which are proposed. In addition, respond to the Detailed Consultant Requirements section by providing in detail an explanation of how your services are able to meet (or exceed) the requirements.

D. Firm Experience: Furnish information including the size of the firm, legal status (corporation, partnership, etc…) lines of business, management and technical expertise, financial position, and years in business. Also, describe any unique approaches or techniques developed and used by the firm that would give it an advantage in this engagement. Financial viability of your firm will be a factor when determining the final award.

E. References: Consultant shall provide at least five (5) references of recent clients with similar requirements as specified in this proposal. Reference information shall include contact person, phone number, fax number, e-mail address of a person that may be contacted and relevant recent project information. Walworth County is especially interested in receiving references from government entities that most closely match the requirements as described in this Request for Proposals.

F. Project Plan and Timetable: Describe the project plan recommended by your firm to insure that the required services are met or exceeded. (First in summary and then in detail). This plan should highlight all milestones and deliverables, starting dates and completion dates, project reporting, issue definition and resolution.

G. Exceptions: Any desired exceptions to the terms and conditions of the Request for Proposals must be addressed to the specific paragraph where a conflict exists. If exceptions are taken, cite the paragraph involved, the exception taken, and state alternate language acceptable to the proposer.

H. Proof of Proposer’s Financial Stability: Proposer must provide within five (5) Days, upon request, the following:

a. Formal certification on proposer’s letterhead signed by the owner or authorized officer of the company indicating the proposing firm has not filed bankruptcy proceedings. In the event a proposer has or is considering filing bankruptcy of any type; formal certification will take on the form of a written explanation of such filing, complete with history and current status.

Note: the selected proposer may be required to submit audited or sworn to accuracy financial statements for the proposer’s last two (2) fiscal years. Please state in your proposal response if your company cannot provide this information. This information will be required within five (5) days of request.

All proposals submitted will be binding for 90 calendar days following the proposal opening date unless consultant, upon request of the county, agrees to an extension.

All potential firms, by submission of their respective proposals, agree to abide by the rules, regulations and procedures of Walworth County. Walworth County reserves the right to cancel any order or contract for failure of the successful firm to comply with the terms, conditions and specifications of the contract.

PIGGYBACK CLAUSE

Common purchasing practices in government include cooperative or “piggyback” purchasing among various units of government or municipalities. This contract will be extended, with the authorization of the consultant, to other units of government or municipalities at the same prices and/or discounts and terms and conditions. If another unit of government or municipality decides to use this contract, the consultant must deal directly with the respective unit of government or municipality concerning the placement of orders, issuance of the purchase orders, contractual disputes, invoicing and payment. Walworth County acts only as the “Contracting Agent” for those public agencies.

WITHDRAWAL OF BID

After receipt by the Purchasing Division, consultant proposals may only be amended by submitting a later dated proposal that specifically states that it is amending an earlier proposal. No proposal may be amended after the opening date unless requested by the Purchasing Division.

All proposals shall be valid for a period of ninety (90) days after the scheduled time of closing.

Offers may be withdrawn only in total and only by a written request to Walworth County Purchasing prior to the time and date scheduled for opening offers.

ACCEPTANCE – REJECTION

Walworth County reserves the right to accept or reject any or all offers, in whole or in part, received in response to solicitations, to waive or permit cure of minor irregularities, and to conduct discussions with all qualified offerors in any manner necessary to serve the best interest of Walworth County. Walworth County also reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to award a contract based upon the offers received without prior discussion or negotiation with respect to those offers. Therefore, offerors are cautioned that offers should be submitted initially on the most favorable terms.

All potential consultants, by submission of their respective offer, agree to abide by the rules, regulations and procedures of Walworth County. Walworth County reserves the right to cancel any order or contract for failure of the successful consultant to comply with the standard terms, conditions and specifications.

NONCONFORMING TERMS AND CONDITIONS

A response that includes contractual terms and conditions that do not conform to the contractual terms and conditions in the RFP document are subject to rejection as nonresponsive. Walworth County reserves the right to permit the respondent to withdraw nonconforming terms and conditions from its response or negotiate changes to the contractual requirements prior to making a determination of responsiveness.

PROPOSED EVALUATION & SELECTION OF CONSULTANT

An award will be made to the responsive, responsible consultant who complies with the requirements and scores the highest total on the evaluation criteria as it pertains to the overall needs of Walworth County.

Proposals will be examined for responsiveness and responsibility. Responsiveness equates to whether or not the firm has the capabilities to successfully complete the services detailed herein.

The County reserves the right to request additional information as may reasonably be required to make this determination and to further investigate the qualifications of the respondent as deemed appropriate.

Once responsiveness and responsibility are determined, the remaining proposals will be evaluated on the following criteria:

I. Completeness of the proposal

a) Including clear understanding of requirements

b) Ability to meet the minimum requirements

c) Provided completed W-9 form

d) Provided project relevant references

e) Provided completed proposal form and table

0-10 points

II. Consultant’s experience, qualifications and ability to provide all required services in this Proposal. Evaluators will consider whether the list of exceptions hinder consultant’s ability to perform the requirements listed in this proposal? References should include companies of similar size with similar requirements as specified in this Proposal.

0-25 points

III. Service

a) Ability of consultant to render satisfactory service as specified in this proposal

b) Sufficient resources knowledgeable in deferred compensation and experience acting as a fiduciary, conducting RFP’s, establishing an investment policy, and providing recommendations for Fund selection based upon market knowledge.

c) Evaluation of consultant’s standard response time

d) Background of consultant, certifications and licensure proving expertise, demonstrated history of expertise in compliance of fiduciary responsibilities.

e) Distinctive service characteristics

0-25 points

IV. Consultant’s Proposed Pricing. The evaluation of each Consultant’s cost proposal will be conducted using the following formula:

Lowest Qualified Consultant Cost Total X 15= Points Award This Consultant’s Cost Total

0-15 points

Evaluations will be made on all proposals up to this point. Selected consultants will be invited to participate in the rest of the evaluation process.

a) Demonstrated ability to perform Scope of Services

b) Industry knowledge

c) Effectiveness of presentation materials

d) Service quality and resources available to assist in servicing the County

e) Cultural fit for County workforce

0-25 points

*Only consultant finalists will receive points for an oral presentation and demonstration

The County will convene an evaluation team to evaluate responsive proposals using the evaluation criteria listed above. Evaluation team members will independently review and score each proposal. Such scores will be submitted to the County’s Purchasing Division Buyer for a master tabulation.

The evaluation team will then meet to review the composite technical scores. Evaluation team members may then discuss scores, strengths and weaknesses of proposals. Evaluation team members may adjust their scores if they choose to do so. If so, they will update their scoring sheets and submit the updated scoring to Purchasing for changing the composite score.

At this point, the evaluation team will decide whether to determine a “shortlist” of proposers for interviews. If the evaluation team elects to forego the interviews, the process is over, the scores will be calculated including costs and a recommendation will be made to the Finance Committee to award the highest scoring proposer.

The evaluation team may elect to interview the highest ranked proposers. If interviews are required, the Buyer will arrange structured interviews by each proposer on the shortlist. The sole purpose of the interviews is to give the proposers the opportunity to further clarify their proposal.

The 60-minute interview will be separated into the following parts:

Please reserve the date(s) of May 18, 2017 through May 19, 2017 for a potential interview. All respondents to the RFP will be notified by 12 p.m. on Tuesday, May 16, 2017 if they will or will not be scheduled for an interview.

REQUEST FOR CHANGES TO THESE DATES WILL NOT BE GRANTED

At the conclusion of the interviews, the evaluation team members will re-score based on the written proposal and interview and submit their post interview scores to the buyer. The buyer will tabulate the scores and at this time, the cost will be added to the technical scores. Final scores will determine who is the highest rated consultant and recommendation for award will be made to the Finance Committee.

All materials submitted pursuant to this RFP become the property of Walworth County. Walworth County will work with consultants to meet their confidentiality requirements, provided that they are within reason. All consultant confidential material must have each page clearly marked as confidential. Wisconsin "Open Records Laws" apply.

Information about proposals which are submitted will not be released to anyone until the process is complete (which is contract execution) and a recommendation is ready for the Finance Committee. Members of the evaluation team will not release information to anyone except the Buyer listed herein.

Walworth County reserves the right to use all pertinent information (also learned from sources other than disclosed in the RFP process) that affect the County’s judgment as to the appropriateness of an award to the best-evaluated proposer.

NON-INTEREST OF COUNTY EMPLOYEES AND OFFICIALS

No County official, employee or representative on the evaluation committee shall have any financial interest, either direct or indirect, in the proposal or contract or shall exercise any undue influence in the awarding of the contract.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

Consultants must submit the following documents with their proposal. Any proposals received without the required documents may result in the proposal being rejected.

1. Attachment A – Consultant Proposal

2. Attachment B – Cost Proposal

3. Non-Collusion Affidavit

4. Signed Assurance of Compliance

END OF DOCUMENT

EXHIBIT A

INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

I. Supplier shall furnish County with Certificate of Insurance indicating proof of the following insurance from companies licensed in the State:

A. Workers Compensation and Employers' Liability - Worker's Compensation statutory - in compliance with the Compensation law have the State and Employers’ Liability insurance with a limit not less than $ 100,000 each accident.

B. Comprehensive or Commercial General Liability with a minimum limit of $1,000,000 per occurrence, $1,000,000 if aggregate Combined Single Limit for Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability. This insurance shall include, but is not limited to, the following coverage:

1. Premises - Operations

2. Products and Completed Operations

3. Broad Form Property Damage

4. Contractual Personal Injury

If excavating, underground or collapse is involved the limits of liability stated above shall be changed to $2,000,000.

C. Liability with a minimum limit of $1,000,000 per occurrence/$1,000,000 aggregate Combined Single Limit for Bodily Injury and Property Damage Liability. This insurance shall include coverage for all of the following:

1. Owned Automobiles

2. Hired Automobiles

3. Non-Owned Automobiles

II. The certificate shall list the Certificate Holder and address as follows: Walworth County, Attn: Walworth County Purchasing, Department of Public Works, W4097 County Road NN, Elkhorn, Wisconsin 53121.

III. Such insurance shall include under the General Liability and Automobile Liability Policies Walworth County, its employees, elected officials, representatives, and members of its boards and/or commissions as "Additional Insureds."

IV. Such insurance shall include a thirty (30) day notice to the County prior to cancellation or material policy change. The notice shall be given to Walworth County Purchasing, Department of Public Works, W4097 County Road NN, Elkhorn, Wisconsin 53121. NOTE: Standard Cancellation Clause on a Certificate of Insurance is not acceptable.

V. Supplier shall require sub supplier; if applicable, to furnish identical Certificates of Insurance to Walworth County prior to contract taking effect.

EXHIBIT B

VENDOR NAME________________________________________RETURN THIS DOCUMENT

EXHIBIT C

CONSULTANT PROPOSAL DOCUMENT

RFP 17-040

Deferred Compensation Plan Consulting Services Walworth County 02/23/2017

Name of Firm Proposing:

*Contact Name:

Phone Number:

Email Address:

*This should be the name of the individual that can provide clarifications on technical and pricing questions, additional information, etc.

NOTE: Proposers must provide answers to the following questions in the areas provided in this document. Proposers may provide additional documents; however, responses to the request and questions included in this document must be complete and must provide full answers and detailed information. Additional documents should not be used in place of responding to the questions herein; i.e. do not say “See attached” unless it is to further elaborate. For example, if in addition to providing references, you want to attach your entire client list as well, that would be acceptable.

Failure to comply with this requirement may result in disqualification of a proposal.

Proposers should not include any pricing information in the answers provided in this document. Pricing is to be included only in the Cost Proposal Document. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in disqualification of a proposal.

Eligibility Requirements: Listed below are the eligibility requirements. Confirm at a high level your eligibility by line item providing a brief description on how you meet the requirement. Detailed information is requested elsewhere in this document.

1. Briefly describe your organization and its history, including number of locations and employees.

CONSULTANT RESPONSE:

2. Describe how your organization complies with Sarbanes-Oxley.

CONSULTANT RESPONSE:

3. How does your organization differ from your competitors

CONSULTANT RESPONSE:

4. Provide proof your company carries Errors and Omission (E&O) insurance coverage.

CONSULTANT RESPONSE:

5. Please indicate if you had any claims filed against you for Errors and Omissions in the last five years and provide a short description of such claims.

CONSULTANT RESPONSE:

6. Describe your organization's policy around maintaining client records in a HIPAA-secure environment.

CONSULTANT RESPONSE:

7. Provide the name and contact information of the primary contact, as well as other key consulting staff who will be assigned to our account. Describe their relevant work experience, credentials, and the role they will play on our account. List their current workloads and the number of clients you and they are responsible for.

8. What is your client retention rate for those clients retaining your agency for strictly deferred compensation consulting and fiduciary compliance?

CONSULTANT RESPONSE:

9. What size client does your organization generally support?

CONSULTANT RESPONSE:

10. Describe how you propose to transition our account to your organization, should your organization be selected.

CONSULTANT RESPONSE:

11. Describe your services for program renewals and marketing, including Request for Proposal (RFP), Proposal Analysis, Carrier Selection and Implementation

CONSULTANT RESPONSE:

12. How do you monitor the performance of investment funds and fund managers?

CONSULTANT RESPONSE:

13. What can we expect for the day-to-day servicing of our account?

CONSULTANT RESPONSE:

14. Describe how your organization tracks objectives and activities associated with our organization.

CONSULTANT RESPONSE:

15. Provide an overview of your reporting and analytics capabilities.

CONSULTANT RESPONSE:

16. What types of Subject Matter Experts do you have and what types of services do they provide?

CONSULTANT RESPONSE:

17. What types of communication strategies can your organization provide to engage our employees, educate their families and drive action?

CONSULTANT RESPONSE:

18. Describe your organization’s services to directly assist our organization in maintaining compliance with Federal regulations related to deferred compensation plans.

CONSULTANT RESPONSE:

19. How does your organization update clients on trends, regulations and best practices?

CONSULTANT RESPONSE:

20. Please describe your company’s philosophy on compensation arrangements and contingency fees.

CONSULTANT RESPONSE:

21. If you anticipate sub-contracting with anyone outside your organization, identify the party, their anticipated role in the project, and provide a resume for each party (i.e., actuarial services, financial/accounting services, legal counsel, other, etc…)

CONSULTANT RESPONSE:

22. Identify the types of information the County would be required to provide to enable your organization to complete the scope of services.

CONSULTANT RESPONSE:

23. Describe the scope of the data resources you maintain that allow you to evaluate deferred compensation plans.

24. Identify any contractual arrangements that may conflict with your role as an independent contractor for Walworth County or which may result in any monetary compensation related to county contracts.

25. Describe in detail your approach to providing Walworth County general consulting services. What do you perceive as your role? How would you analyze the County’s particular situation, problems and needs?

CONSULTANT RESPONSE:

26. Describe the means your firm uses to communicate and share information with clients, participants, and committees?

CONSULTANT RESPONSE:

27. Describe how your firm ensures consistent service to clients. Does your firm have procedures and organizational structures in place to assure consistent service? What is the turnaround time for all report and information requests?

CONSULTANT RESPONSE:

28. Please describe how your firm will monitor the deferred compensation plans to assure it is in compliance with all State and Federal regulations

CONSULTANT RESPONSE:

29. Please describe the types of reports your firm will provide both for the review of Management and possible presentation to County Supervisors. Please provide examples of report formats.

CONSULTANT RESPONSE:

30. Consulting firms servicing the deferred compensation market are expected to provide clients with a whole host of broker and consulting services. Please provide the following information:

a. Explain the role your firm provides clients in the review of the deferred compensation program and fiduciary compliance. Also include your role in selecting Funds included in the investment mix and the contract with the record-keeper of the program.

CONSULTANT RESPONSE:

b.

c. Describe how your firm assists clients and/or employees with questions and resolving issues.

CONSULTANT RESPONSE:

d. Describe how your firm assists with all state and federal compliance.

CONSULTANT RESPONSE:

e. Please provide a detailed sample of information/data you provide as backup for any solicitations you make on behalf of Walworth County.

EXHIBIT D

Cost Proposal

RFP 17-040

Deferred Compensation Plan Consulting Services Walworth County 02/23/2017

Company Name:____________________________

Company FEIN #:____________________________

Payment Terms:_____________________________

1. Total Annual Cost for Deferred Compensation Plan Consulting Services:

$ _______________________________ / per year

2. List the hourly rates to be charged to the County in the event additional work is required beyond the scope of services stated:

3. Will your company accept payment with a credit card? Yes____ No____

If yes, how many days after receipt of invoice (or acceptance of services, whichever is later) payment must be processed to accept the credit card? _____ of days.

EXHIBIT E

References Provide references for similar contracts you have, preferably one who is a public sector client, which demonstrates your firm’s relevant experience. Include name, address and phone number of a person who can be contacted regarding the project.

Reference 1:

Name of Company or Vendor(s): ____________________________________________________

Address: __________________________________ City, State, Zip: ________________________

Contact Name: _______________________ Phone Number: ______________________________

E-mail Address __________________________________ Fax Number: _____________________

Relevant Project Name ____________________________________Year of Service ___________

Reference 2:

Address: __________________________________ City, State, Zip: ________________________

Contact Name: _______________________ Phone Number: _____________________________

E-mail Address ___________________________________ Fax Number: ____________________

Relevant Project Name ____________________________________Year of Service ___________

Reference 3:

Address: __________________________________ City, State, Zip: ________________________

Contact Name: _______________________ Phone Number: ______________________________

E-mail Address __________________________________ Fax Number: _____________________

Relevant Project Name ___________________________________Year of Service ____________

ASSURANCE OF COMPLIANCE

RFP 17-040

Deferred Compensation Plan Consulting Services Walworth County 02/23/2017

GENERAL: This form must be completed in its entirety and submitted with consultant response to acknowledge that consultant meets or exceeds the minimum requirements.

INSURANCE: Consultant certifies that the company / individual is in compliance with, or is prepared to comply with the insurance requirements as detailed in the RFP. Certificates of insurance must be provided prior to issuance of a contract and/or purchase order. If the certificate(s) of insurance is/are not received by the Walworth County Purchasing Division the County reserves the right to select another consultant.

Acknowledgement of Insurance Requirements ________ (initials)

CONTRACT TERMS: Consultant has received and reviewed the enclosed Walworth County Standard Agreement and agrees to utilize it. (Attachment A)

Acknowledgement of Standard Agreement ________ (initials)

BUSINESS ASSOCIATES AGREEMENT: Consultant has received and reviewed the enclosed Business Associates Agreement (BAA) and agrees to utilize it. (Attachment B)

Acknowledgement of BAA Agreement ________ (initials)

STANDARD TERMS & CONDITIONS: Consultant has received and reviewed the enclosed Standard Terms & Conditions and agrees to abide by them. (Attachment C)

Acknowledgement of Standard Terms & Conditions ________ (initials)

RECEIPT OF ADDENDUM: Consultant acknowledges receipt and inclusion of Addendum number ________ through ________.

FORM OF PAYMENT: Would company accept a Purchasing Card as a form of payment, without any minimums and/or additional fee(s)? ____ Yes ____ No

DEBARRED CONTRACTORS: Acknowledgement that the consultant is not on the State of Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development list of debarred contractors with the effective dates during this project: ________ (initials)

___________________________________________________________________________________I hereby certify that all statements herein are made on behalf of:

Name of Company: _________________________ Contact Name: _____________________________

Address: _________________________________ Phone Number: ____________________________

_________________________________________ E-mail: ___________________________________

Signature _________________________________ Date: ____________________________________

ATTACHMENT A

SAMPLE CONTRACT

WALWORTH COUNTY

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT

THIS AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”) is made and entered into as of (Date of Agreement), by and between Walworth County, a municipal corporation (the County) and (Consultant Name), a (type of organization) with a federal employer identification number of (Employer Identification Number) and an address of (Consultant’s Address)

WHEREAS, (Consultant Name) is an (type of business) firm licensed to practice in the State of Wisconsin, and possesses considerable experience in (services to be provided);

WHEREAS, Walworth County is interested in obtaining the (services to be provided) in order to provide (services to be provided);

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises, terms and conditions hereof, the County and (Consultant Name) agree as follows:

1. Term: The term of this agreement shall be (date of agreement terms.

2. Services: At…