2324-013 Q A's RFP Projects Database Solution.pdf

SUWANNEE RIVER WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

NO. 23/24-013

Projects Database Solution

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

1. a. Is there an approved budget?

Yes.

b. If so, what is the designated budget for this project?...

This project has been approved to utilize budget funds with the expectation that the cost will fall to within $150,000.

c. What was the previous budget for this endeavor when last launched?

This is the first time the District has sought proposals for a projects database solution. The current Access database was built in-house by District staff. There was no previous budget.

2. What is the priority of this project?

The project has a high priority.

3. What is the expected/needed "go-live" date of the project?

The “go-live” date must fall within 2 years of the contract execution date.

4. Do you accept offshore (and or nearshore) development services for this project?

While we can accept development services located offshore and nearshore, it will negatively affect the score of the Location selection criteria. There is a preference for local vendors and developers. Time zone differences is a significant factor and all members of a vendor’s team, including developers, are expected to be available for communication and coordination during the District’s normal business hours as mentioned in the RFP. Additionally, all proposing vendors must be registered with the FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE DIVISION OF CORPORATIONS before contract execution. Any vendor located outside the state of Florida is considered a “Foreign” entity and must register as such.

5. Will onsite visits be required during development?

Onsite visits during development are not required. However, one onsite visit to present to the Governing Board is required.

6. a. Are there any circumstances that will cause you to not move forward with the winning bidder?

The estimated cost for the project is substantially higher than our expected budget.

b. Or prolong the evaluation process and or reissue the RFP?

If the District receives no proposals that fall within $150,000, it may result in a scope change and a reissue of the RFP.

7. Is there a preference for local or state-based firms?

Yes. Local or Florida-based vendors and developers are preferred and will receive the highest score in the Location selection criteria.

8. Is there an incumbent bidding?

No.

9. Notwithstanding, SRWMD’s current update requirement, is your organization satisfied with its solution to date?

No. The District is seeking a new solution that is more user friendly and has more automation capabilities than the Access database that is currently being utilized.

10. Are there any set-aside requirements?

11. Is this a re-bid of a previous offer?

This is not a re-bid.

12. Is there a preferred list of bidders?

13. Will there be a bid conference?

14. We are a Canadian company interested in bidding on the above-noted RFP. The selection criteria includes points for location. With that in mind, just wanted to confirm that you are open to working with Canadian vendors - acknowledging we couldn't score full points for location.

Yes, the District is open to working with nearshore vendors and developers. Time zone differences are a significant factor and all members of a vendor’s team, including developers, are expected to be available for communication and coordination during the District’s normal business hours as mentioned in the RFP. Additionally, all proposed vendors must be registered with the FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF STATE DIVISION OF CORPORATIONS before contract execution. Any vendor located outside the state of Florida is considered a “Foreign” entity and must register as such.

15. Will this projects database solution be used to create reports for all major program areas with the District’s purview?

No. this projects database will be used to create reports for the projects program which includes data from several other programs within the District.

16. Does the District have a content management solution today? If so, what is the name of the system?

The CivicPlus platform is the closest to fitting the definition of a content management system. It is used by the District for its main public-facing website.

17. What are the Access databases used for? What kinds of records, transactions, applications, permits, reviews, renewals (or whatever the case may be) are they used to facilitate and track?

Access Database is used for Project Management, tracking and data storage (documents, financial, information, location) of District projects.

18. How many distinct job functions or user roles might be necessary?

At least four – Data administrator, Signature authority, Project Manager, Data viewer.

19. What are the profiles of the different types of users? How often would they use the software? Why will they be using the software? What kinds of activities will they do in the software (e.g., adding records, reviewing records, approving records, editing records, viewing reports, creating reports, administering users, etc.)?

Data administrator – Daily use- Make any changes needed to the system, Signature authority – Daily use- All PM actions, approval of contracts, amendments, invoices, etc.

Project Manager (PM) – Daily use- All DV actions, Able to enter data, create documents, route, sign memos, invoices, push data, score projects, track activity and timelines, etc.

Data viewer (DV) – Daily- view and pull data, create reports.

20. Do users need to be able to create new custom reports based on the underlying data or only to customize standard reports?

Users will need to create new custom reports based on the system data.

21. About how many different document templates are needed? What is the required format for each?

Rough estimate – 25. Most will be in excel, word, PDF, GIS maps.

22. Can you explain the requirement that data be stored in a SQL database? Is there a technical or regulatory reason for this requirement?

Much of the existing data at the District is currently stored using Microsoft SQL Server. It would be valuable to the District to retain the ability to use SQL queries combining both data from this prospective database management system and related data from the District’s existing databases.

23. Is the expectation that users will perform queries directly using SQL statements rather than through a report builder? Will there be a need to export data?

No, users will not be expected to perform any queries using SQL statements. Users are expected to utilize an intuitive GUI report builder. Yes, all data and generated reports must be able to be exported.

24. What is the use case for integrating with E-Reg? In other words, what data needs to be pushed to or pulled from E-Reg, how often, and under what circumstances?

When a project is linked to a permit, permitting and possibly location data. After initial linking, most data that will be shared would be activity logs, reports, submittals and internal documents.

25. What is the use case for integrating with WUMAR? In other words, what data needs to be pushed to or pulled from WUMAR, how often, and under what circumstances?

Same as E-reg.

26. What is the use case for integrating with AccuFund? In other words, what data needs to be pushed to or pulled from AccuFund, how often, and under what circumstances?

Financial and project tracking data, Invoices, reimbursements, amendments, etc.

27. Which specific Esri products are you using? What is the use case for integrating with ArcGIS? In other words, what data needs to be pushed to or pulled from ArcGIS, how often, and under what circumstances?

See catalog of versions later in document. Location information, spatial analysis, linking the information in the database with the GIS attributes.

28. Which CivicPlus products are you using? What is the use case for integrating with CivicPlus? In other words, what data needs to be pushed to or pulled from a CivicPlus product, how often, and under what circumstances?

The specific product name is CivicPlus Municipal Websites, formerly branded as CivicEngage.

Project application submission and public document hosting are currently handled by CivicPlus. Integration with CivicPlus is not required if the optional public web interface component is implemented, as the public interface would replace the District’s current uses of CivicPlus.

29. What is the use case for integrating with Hydstra? In other words, what data needs to be pushed to or pulled from a Hydstra, how often, and under what circumstances?

When information is linked to a Project, linking projects to data stored in Hydstra. Could be done daily.

30. The ability to send reminders when deadlines are approaching may require integration with your e-mail system. What e-mail provider are you using?

Exchange Online through Microsoft 365.

31. What are the expectations, if any, for in-person training and/or support?

No expectation, in person training is preferred.

32. What are the expectations for training artifacts (user manuals, training videos)?

No paper. Otherwise, no expectations. information should be accessible to users.

33. Are there any special or specific security requirements?

We are not certain at this time if the District is strictly required to adhere to a specific security standard. To the best of our knowledge, information intended to be stored in this new system is not under any special protection under federal or state law. As a special district, it is unclear if the District falls under the definition of state agency as used in Fla.

Stat. § 282.318.

In the absence of a state or federal explicit security standard requirement, compliance with the NIST Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 will be the target for this project.

34. The RFP calls for in-person project management meetings. How often would you anticipate wanting to schedule in-person, as opposed to virtual, meetings? Are there any statutory or other restrictions on billable travel expenses?

In-person project management meetings are not required but are preferred. Rules on per diem and travel expenses is covered in Florida statutes 112.061:

http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0100- 0199/0112/Sections/0112.061.html .

35. How many users will need to be accommodated? How many will be heavy active users?

Must be able to accommodate at least 20 users, with 7 being heavy active users. Must be able to accommodate multiple users in the system at the same time.

36. What is the budget for this project?

This project has been approved to utilize budget funds with the expectation that the cost does not exceed $150,000.

37. What is the expected range of bids for this project? How much would be too much?

It is possible that a bid over $150,000 could be accepted by the District, however, over $200,000 would be very unlikely.

38. What is the anticipated/preferred development timeline? When is the solution expected to be put into production?

The solution must be put into production within 2 years of the contract execution date.

39. Is there a budget the district is looking to stay in for this project?

Previously answered in another question.

40. Has budget been approved for the project?

Yes

41. Can a data schema from the Access Databases be provided?

See attached Access database diagrams.

42. Are you accepting bids from out of state companies?

43. If vendor is not local, how many times would you require onsite visits for this project?

Onsite visits during development are not required, however they are preferred. One on-site visit to present to the Governing Board is required.

http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0100-0199/0112/Sections/0112.061.html http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0100-0199/0112/Sections/0112.061.html

44. Would the District like to have hosting of the web application and SQL database included as part of the proposal?

Hosting does not need to be part of the proposal, but assistance with setting up the site with a cloud hosting provider is expected.

45. How many levels of user access or roles will be required in the system?

4 – see previous similar questions.

46. Will the Public Facing Web Interface require public users to create an account in order to submit applications, submit requests, or search for projects?

Yes, could be linked to other accounts already created for other reasons.

47. Would a live chat component be desired for the public facing web interface?

48. Do you have examples, or a list of reports that will need to be generated?

Yes, to be provided during database creation. Documents would need to be in excel, word, PDF or GIS map.

49. To what extent do the reports need to be customizable?

PM should be able to create any report needed and have a list of commonly used reports.

50. Are there any specific accessibility standards the site is required to meet? Such as

WCAG?

Compliance with Section 508 as well as WCAG 2.0 A and AA are expected.

51. Do you have examples of the templates that will need to be utilized for document generation?

Yes, to be provided during database creation. Documents would need to be in excel, word, PDF or GIS map.

52. Are there available APIs for the external systems that need to be integrated with the new database?

ArcGIS, CivicPlus, and Hydstra have APIs. Integrations with E-Reg and WUMAR would be dependent on connections to their backend databases. Integration with AccuFund may require exporting reports from AccuFund via CSV.

53. If an External system does not offer a way to push/pull data will this requirement be removed during Phase 1: Planning and Requirements Gathering?

If there is no possible way to achieve the desired goal, yes. However, it must be shown that there is no possible way to achieve the requested goal.

54. For ongoing maintenance after the site is live, does the district prefer to have an annual support cost, or pay for requested updates on a time and materials basis?

No preference. To be determined with selected vendor.

https://www.section508.gov/ https://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/wcag

55. Does the District wish to receive a fixed price proposal, or a time and materials proposal for the project.

Cost not to exceed budget. Otherwise, no preference. To be determined with selected vendor.

56. Where will be the application hosted ? on cloud or on-premise Cloud-hosted is preferred.

57. How many users will be accessing the public site of the app on a concurrent basis?

Could have multiple customers using the public site at the same time, especially prior to submission deadlines.

58. Should admin applications also be accessible outside the internal network?

Administrative applications should only be available from the District’s internal network.

Limiting these applications to a whitelist of public IP addresses is sufficient.

59. Do you store any sensitive data that needs data protection?

Yes. Possible.

60. How many reports need to be developed?

Unsure at this time. Some reports will be created and stored; others will have to be created on a case-by-case basis.

61. Are there any preferred technologies by SUWANNEE RIVER WATER MANAGEMENT

DISTRICT

.NET is used elsewhere at the District, but any technologies with long-term support may be considered.

62. Do you have a disaster recovery system in place A disaster recovery system is only in place for on-premises applications. As cloud-hosting is preferred for this application, it would require its own disaster recovery solution.

63. Can you confirm the deadlines for each phase of the project as outlined in the RFP

Project to be completed by contracted timeframe. No specific deadline for each phase.

64. Are there any critical milestones that we should be aware of and prioritize within our proposal?

Project to be completed by contracted timeframe. No specific deadline for each phase.

65. Are you looking for a physical presence of a trainer or virtual sessions would work?

In-person training is preferred.

66. Can Suwannee provide an example of the amount of information that makes up a project?

Examples could be provided in the form of a blank export, redacted single project export, or something similar.

See attached Database diagram

67. Can Suwannee provide what integration methods are available for the custom developed systems (i.e. REST AP, Direct DB Access, CSV extract, etc.)?

ArcGIS applications, CivicPlus, and Hydstra have APIs. Integrations with E-Reg and WUMAR would be dependent on connections to their backend databases. Integration with AccuFund may require exporting reports from AccuFund via CSV.

68. Does Suwannee require the integrations to be real time or delayed (ie: in batches)?

Where possible, real-time integrations are preferred.

69. Does Suwannee expect to move off any of the existing COTS solutions within the next 2 years?

It is not expected that the District will move away from the mentioned COTS solutions in the next 2 years.

70. Does Suwannee expect to move off any of the existing custom in house solutions within the next 2 years?

It is not expected that the District will move away from the mentioned custom solutions in the next 2 years.

71. Can Suwannee provide an example of a branded website they expect the public portal to adhere to?

See District website for examples of branding.

72. Is the "Data Retrieval" mentioned in item 2 of the project deliverables intended to convey improved end user access, improved system access from other applications, or both?

“Data Retrieval” in this instance refers to facilitating easier access to end-users of the prospective database management system. The following “reduce manual data entry” refers to removing the need for Projects staff to re-enter data that already exists in other District databases.

73. Does Suwannee have a preferred long term document storage system that this application must integrate with?

The District currently uses the COTS product PaperVision from DigiTech Systems for long-term document storage of certain categories of documents. This is a potential route for addressing some of the document management features listed in the request for proposal, but integration is not required with this product.

74. Are the templates mentioned in item 7 of the project deliverables limited to text (Word + PDF) or do they include other formats (i.e. Excel, diagrams, etc)?

Not limited to Word or PDF. See previous similar questions above.

75. Can Suwannee provide examples of the checklists and scoring sheets mentioned in item 9 of the project deliverables?

Yes, During development of the database.

76. Is Suwannee interested in building a support team internally to support the solution (i.e Not having to rely on the vendor after X months)?

Vendor support will be required for any non-trivial changes to the system. It is not currently possible for the District to build an internal support team for this application.

77. What devices does Suwannee expect all aspects of this application to be consumed on (i.e. Desktop, phone, tablet, other)?

Yes, all listed above.

78. Migration of existing data is mentioned in the project timeline but not the project deliverables, is this included in the desired Project Scope?

79. Can Suwannee confirm that they expect existing data from the 3 access databases to be migrated to the new system? If so, can Suwannee provide an overview of the 3 Access databases? If Suwannee chooses to migrate all current projects to the new system, does Suwannee expect all ongoing projects to continue in the existing Access DB or the new system?

There are currently 2 Access databases, not 3. Yes, existing data from both of these databases are expected to be migrated to the new system. After migration of all current projects, ongoing projects will be tracked and managed via the new system. The current Access databases are being used to track different types of projects: one is for environemtal projects and the other is for agriculture cost-share projects. Much of the data fields in both are similar.

80. Suwannee does not explicitly discuss the types of access control they expect within the solution. Can you provide a high level description of your expectations?

See similar previous questions.

81. Will documents need to be generated from previous versions of templates as part of the Template Version Control?

82. What types of notifications would need to be generated from the application (i.e. email, text, application prompt)?

Email, application prompt, not text.

83. What are the parameters for ongoing support (i.e. 24x7x365 or Monday - Friday during business hours)?

During Business hours.

83. Which hosting solution do you prefer: Cloud Hosting (AWS, Azure, GCP), Vendor Hosting, Self Hosting?

Cloud hosting is preferred.

84. For the COTS applications, you're already using AccuFund, ArcGIS, CivicPlus, and Hydstra; do you have licenses that enable us to access them via a REST API?

To the best of our knowledge, the District’s current licenses cover API usage for ArcGIS, CivicPlus, and Hydstra. The District’s current usage of AccuFund does not include the AccuFund web component, so the API for that application is unavailable for this project.

CSV exports may be the only way to pull AccuFund data.

85. Are existing tools like Crystal Reports, Tableau, or Looker acceptable?

No, these tools do not fit the requirement.

86. Do you have a set number of reports already designed, or do you think you'll need new ones regularly?

No set number already designed.

Yes, new reports will be needed regularly. See previous similar question above.

87. Will you need ad hoc reporting functionality? Will you need report templating functionality?

Yes. See previous similar question above.

88. We're partnering with another company with a lot of experience in this field. For clarification, will our team's combined experience, including that of our experienced IT partner, be considered in the proposal evaluation while also preserving our minority woman-owned small business accreditation?

89. Could you give us an idea of the budget range you're thinking of for this project?

Knowing this will help us make sure our proposal matches your expectations and stays within budget.

See previous similar question above.

90. 1. Branded Web Application: Develop a web-based application with a branded UI that reflects the organization's identity and facilitates intuitive user interaction. •Question 1 (in 3 parts): How many pages will the web application have?

The final product will determine.

91. Additionally, could you please provide information on the size and structure of the existing application? Specifically, the number of modules and their respective sizes.

See attached Database diagram.

92. Question 2: Will the existing Suwannee River Water Management District Official Website (mysuwanneeriver.com) be rebranded as the user-interactive application or will it be from scratch?

This will not be part of the existing website mysuwanneeriver.com. 

93. Question 3: Are there any preferred technologies for the web application? (React, Angular, View, etc.)

.NET is used elsewhere in the District, but any technologies with long-term support may

94. Question 4: What the size of user group?

95. Question 5: How many concurrent users accessing application are anticipated?

96. Single Database Integration: Integrate multiple systems (E-Reg, AccuFund, ArcGIS, CivicPlus, WUMAR, Hydstra) into a single interface to automate data retrieval and reduce manual data entry.

Question 6: Can we gain demo (view-only) access to the systems listed?

Yes. During database development.

97. Question 7: What technologies are the custom developed (WUMAR and E-Reg) systems in?

WUMAR is developed in .NET Framework 4.8 with a Microsoft SQL Server backend database. E-Reg is developed and hosted by a sister organization, but the data is stored in an Oracle database accessible at the District.

98. Data Storage: Store backend data tables in a SQL instance.

Question 8: Are there any specific data validation or transformation requirements during integration?

Yes, there will necessarily be changes to the database schema to be supported in SQL Server and the web application to be developed.

100.Question 9 (in 2 parts): Where will the application be hosted? Government owned or Contractor provided?

Cloud hosting on an account owned by the District is preferred.

101.User Authentication and Authorization: Implement secure user authentication and authorization mechanisms to ensure data security and access control. Integration with Microsoft 365/Entra ID Single Sign-On (SSO) or Windows authentication is preferred. • Question 10: Would other SSO and Access providers, such as Okta, be considered?

Microsoft 365/Entra ID are extensively used at the District for Single Sign On and Multi- Factor Authentication, so these integrations are preferred. The optional public interface can integrate other identity providers.

102.Report Generation: Enable users to generate customizable reports based on the integrated data, with various filtering and sorting options. Question 11: Are there any specific permissions or roles that dictate who can edit certain types of project data?

Yes. See previous similar questions above.

103.Document Generation: Enable automatic generation of memorandums and other project documents using pre-defined document templates in various formats such as Microsoft Word (.docx), PDF, etc. Must include document template management, version control, and integration with project workflow. • Question 12: Can the predefined template can be modified by users at any time?

104.Question 13: What is the estimated number documents that need to autogenerated?

Will be determined during database development.

105.9. Support for Basic Bug Fixes: Provide ongoing support to address basic bugs and issues encountered within the application. • Question 14: After accepted delivery of application, what is the timeframe for support?

Up to three years under this contract.

106. Under Section 5 Scope of Work – “Branded Web Application: Develop a web-based application with a branded UI that reflects the organization's identity and facilitates intuitive user interaction.” Question – Is the District open to enter into an agreement with proven software company that has an established Project Management solution that fits the business requirements of this solicitation versus having a system custom developed?

107. Under Acceptance Criteria: The solution meets all federal, state and district criteria and requirements. Is FedRamp and StateRamp required for the vendor of choice?

To the best of our knowledge, FedRamp and StateRamp are not required.

108. What is the volume of construction in dollars that Suwanee Water District does on an annual basis / over the next 5 years?

Undetermined. However, currently the District has $157M under contract.

109. How many anticipated user do you intend using the system?

See previous similar questions above.

110. Budget What is the estimated approved budget for this project?

111. Could the District provide a copy of the reports and the Access databases (with or without data) so we can better estimate the level of effort?

Can be provided during database development.

112. To scale our proposal and response appropriately, can the District provide the allocated budget for this project?

113. Does the District currently have a document management solution that is utilized today? If so, what is the name of that system.

The District currently uses the COTS product PaperVision from DigiTech Systems for long-term document storage of certain categories of documents.

114. Is there an expectation that the Project Database solution be an on-premise, cloud-hosted solution?

A cloud-hosted solution on an account owned by the District is preferred.

115. If cloud-housed is the desired approach, is there a specific cloud-hosting requirement that the District has?

There is no requirement for a specific cloud-hosting provider, but the District currently uses Azure for its few cloud-hosted applications.

116. What is the estimated number of concurrent users that will use the custom developed application at any given time?

117. Are existing APIs available for integration to the following systems:

a. E-Reg, b. Accufund, c. Hydstra

Hydstra has an API. Integration with E-Reg may be dependent on a connection to its backend databases. Integration with AccuFund may require exporting reports from AccuFund via CSV.

118. Is one of the legacy system to be replaced, WUMAR?

WUMAR is not intended to be replaced by this system.

119. Section 4>Insurance Requirements We fulfill the criteria of General liability insurance, and we don't have Motor vehicular liability insurance, please suggest if it's mandatory to have it as per pointer 3 of section 4th.?

It is not mandatory to provide vehicular liability insurance for this project.

120. SECTION 5>SCOPE OF WORK Can you please share BRD containing details on features, functionality, roles, permission and access control

Details beyond what is outlined in RFP and listed in this document will be established during discovery phase.

121. SECTION 5>SCOPE OF WORK How many concurrent users are expected to acces the public system

122. SECTION 6>PROPOSAL PACKAGE Location: we are present in USA, Canada and India; so apart from the USA, can we propose off shore delivery center as Inida as well, can propose India ODC?

As long as the requirements of the RFP are met.

123. SECTION 6>PROPOSAL PACKAGE Also, We assume that is it required to be delivered from vendor's office; is there any requirement for client location or remote as well?

124. SECTION 6>PROPOSAL PACKAGE Any licenses and certifications of the team members: What technologies/certifications are required by the client.

Must be a company registered to do work in the state of Florida. Otherwise, no required licenses/certifications.

125. SECTION 5>SCOPE OF WORK How big are the 2 data acess DBs ?

See attached database diagrams.

126. SECTION 5>SCOPE OF WORK What is your proposed timeline for the project, including major milestones?

127. SECTION 5>SCOPE OF WORK Are you considering a Microsoft database solution for the SQL instance?

Yes, Microsoft SQL Server is preferred.

128. SECTION 5>SCOPE OF WORK How do you plan to handle the integration of the existing systems (E-Reg, WUMAR) with the new application?

Selected Information in those systems should be readable from the developed system.

The developed system should be able to push and pull data from/to the 2 systems.

129. SECTION 5>SCOPE OF WORK How will the system manage data synchronization between the custom-developed systems and COTS applications such as AccuFund, ArcGIS, CivicPlus, and Hydstra?

ArcGIS, CivicPlus, and Hydstra have APIs. Integrations with E-Reg and WUMAR would

129. SECTION 5>SCOPE OF WORK What is the current reporting suite that is being used ?

There is no currently used reporting suite.

130. Number of internal users and roles?

131. Is it possible to see a demo of the two Access systems currently in use?

Not prior to submittal of RFP. Selected Vendor will be given access.

132. What part(s) of the existing Access applications are to be retained?

Only information.

133. What part(s) of the new requirements are not included in the current solution?

Unneeded information. The new database should be created from scratch.

134. Besides the manual data entry, what are other major shortcomings of the current applications?

It is unable to perform required tasks.

135. Is there a preferred format for: Requirements gathering? Requirements documentation? Project plan?

136. How many active projects are generally being managed/active at once using the Access systems?

Around 500.

137. How many active and inactive (not started or completed) projects are currently being tracked?

All projects that have been received; this number will continue to grow daily.

138. How many types of projects will the system track?

4 programs – agriculture, environmental, CTP, internal.

139. How many concurrent users will log into the system?

140. How many total users (internal and external) will the system have?

141. Does the project include developing branding (logo, software name, color scheme, and other visual identify)? Or will SRWMD provide the branding, which will be implemented as part of the application development?

Branding will be provided.

142. Is separate branding required for the internal and external applications?

143. Do you expect a fixed price estimate, or is actual time (invoiced weekly) with a not to exceed acceptable?

See previous similar questions above.

144. Assuming that the outside systems (packages plus the two custom applications) are the system of record for their applicable data, for what (if any) data will the new application be the system of record?

Infromation for and about projects.

145. Will the integration with each outside system be real time or a static data feed?

See previous similar questions above.

146. If real time, is it read only or is the external data pulled into and saved in the new system?

Real-time is preferred. If the data needs to be cached in the new application, frequent updates are preferred. Data in outside applications is currently planned to be read-only.

147. If a static feed, how often will the data be refreshed for each integration point?

148. How much data from the outside systems (if any) will be saved in the new application?

149. AccuFund - What AccuFund accounting data or modules will be integrated with the new application?

Information such as invoices, encumbrances, etc.

150. Does SRWMD have a license for Automation Workbench, or is there another API tool available for this application?

The District does not currently have additional licensing for Automation Workbench.

151. If so, does the Access system currently integrate with AccuFund?

The Access system does not integrate with AccuFund.

152. Is the data to be read/retrieved/pushed to AccuFund defined?

It will be during database development.

153. Can we get this documentation?

During database development.

154. Will the system use ArcGIS to build maps?

155. Will it read ArcGIS data from outside sources for use in reports and/or communications in the new application?

ArcGIS data used in reports and/or communications will be hosted internally.

156. Which CivicPlus modules are applicable to the new application?

Anything included in the CivicPlus Municipal Websites product should be available for use. In this project.

157. What type of data will be integrated with the new application?

New applications, any information submitted as part of that application including Lat/Long

158. Does SRWMD have a license for an API for CivicPlus?

The District is not aware of additional licensing needed for usage of the CivicPlus API.

159. Does the Access system currently integrate with CivicPlus?

160. Is the data to be read/retrieved/pushed to CivicPlus defined?

161. Does the Access system currently integrate with Hydstra?

162. Is the data to be read/retrieved/pushed to Hydstra defined?

163. Can we get this documentation?

164. WUMAR and E-Reg - Does the Access system currently integrate with these systems?

The Access system does not integrate with these systems.

165. If not, do these custom applications have an API for the data required for the new application, or will APIs have to be custom coded by the WUMAR and/or E-Reg developers?

APIs will not be created by the WUMAR or E-Reg developers, but connection to the backend databases for each are available.

166. Is the data to be read/retrieved/pushed to these systems defined?

167. Can we get this documentation?

168. Is the most current version of SQL Server acceptable?

Yes, the most current version of SQL Server is preferred.

169. If not, what is the preferred version?

170. Are there any authentication and/or authorization requirements not covered by Entra or Windows Authentication?

Entra would be required if the application is cloud-hosted, which is preferred, due to the native Multi-Factor Authentication. Windows Authentication meets requirements for an on-premises solution.

171. What data will be edited in the new application?

All data in the system will be editable.

172. Will any of the edited data be returned to the source system?

Possibly.

173. Do all changes need to be tracked (added by user; added by date/time; changed by user;

changed by date/time)? Or is only the most current version of the data required?

Only most current data is needed.

174. What types of security rights are required to limit access to applicable users?

See previous “access control” questions above.

175. Does SRWMD have a preferred reporting software tool?

There is no preference on any reporting tool used.

176. How many reports are currently being used?

177. Can we get copies?

178. Templates will be version controlled, but will documents built from the templates be saved to the system or generated on demand?

There should be an option to have them saved, but most will be generated on demand.

179. If saved to the system, will the docs be “frozen” (identified by document type, date/time created, and user who saved the document) for future retrieval?

Yes, but maybe not identified by those categories.

180. Is there documentation such as a process flow of the project workflow with which documents will integrate?

To be given to the selected vender during database development.

181 Does the process/workflow vary by project type?

Yes, by program type.

182 Can we get copies of the templates currently being used?

The selected vendor will receive during database development.

183. Receipt of project information documentation What is the source of the project information to be tracked?

Mostly provided by the applicant. Some information will be provided by staff user or other databases.

184. What types of documents?

Word, PDFs, excel spreadsheets, maps, plans, calculations.

185. Are the documents read only or editable in the new application?

Documents received by the applicant should be read-only all other documents (created by staff) should be editable.

186. Will documents be identified by type? Title? Sender?

Can be identified by type.

187. If not, how will documents be identified and retrieved?

All documents will be tied to a project.

188. Review times: what starts and ends review time?

Review time starts when an application is submitted. Review time ends when the project is either closed or a contract executed.

189. Will the system integrate with the client email tool for sending and receiving correspondence?

Ideally yes.

190. Is the requirement to include an email send/receive/inbox tool in the application?

Preferred, not required.

191. If not via email, how will documents be sent and received?

From civic plus if being submitted with an application, through a routing tool between staff.

192. Reminders are to be based on deadlines, receipt of something, and reviewer/approver actions. Are deadlines set up by project?

Yes, by the project manager or automatically set based on certain actions.

193. Or are they consistent across projects based on a specified starting point (such as receipt of a type of document)?

Yes, some will be this way.

194. Is there a preference for how the system identifies receipt of a new document/file?

No preference.

195. Approval routing: is this standard across projects? Customized for each project?

Standard based on the type of project?

Standard based on type of project.

196. Checklist: are procedures available for issuance, invoicing, and closeouts?

Available for the selected vendor during database development.

197. Do these vary by project or type of project?

Vary by type of project.

198. Tools for scoring project applications: does a paper form exist or is there a page in the current Access applications for this process?

Yes, however, the new system does not have to follow that layout. the new system can develop one.

199. Can we get a copy of the current scoring tool?

200. Documenting reviewer comments: is there an existing form for this?

This is done through an activity log. New system will be required to create a new system.

201. Does the review process vary by project or by type of project?

By project type.

202. Documentation: do you want online help and/or hard copy documentation?

Digital access to training documents and ability to contact a person.

203. Do you want video training?

In-person training is preferable. All other forms are acceptable.

204. What’s the preferred format for training?

In-person.

205. In person: if so, do you have a classroom set up for this? Online (Zoom)?

A classroom can be set up. Any meeting platform will work.

206. How many stakeholders are to be interviewed to identify requirements?

No requirement amount.

207. Is all of the data from the current Access applications required in the new solution, or will some of the data be archived (and not brought into the new solution)?

All information is to be transferred.

208. Does SRWMD have specific current security standards (in addition to the normal best practices)?

See previous similar questions above

209. Does SRWMD have a preferred security scanning tool (e.g., Veracode)?

There is no preference for a particular security scanning tool.

210. What level of WCAG is required? (A, B, or C?)

See previous similar accessibility questions above.

211. Will responders create their own account for the application (self-registration)?

See previous similar questions above.

212. If not, how will accounts be established?

213. Project Applications: are applications standard by project type?

Standard by type .

214. If not, is there standard information that is collected for each project?

215. Is a backend page (or set of pages) required to set up each project or project type so application information is collected?

Not required. To be determined during database development.

216. Does SRWMD have a standard tool, website, or process used to check uploaded documents for possible threats before saving them?

The District does not have a standard tool for scanning uploads.

217. Is a process to identify and remove inappropriate files required?

Filtering malware uploaded by users is required, especially for the public interface if implemented. Otherwise, filtering generally inappropriate files is a benefit, but not a requirement.

218. What type of communication is required?

Between public and staff emails and calls. Between staff any accepted form.

219. Emails? If so, does SRWMD have a preferred platform for public facing emails?

220. Does SRWMD have their own send-receive provider or will the system need to create one (e.g., AWS, MailChimp, etc.) for the application?

Exchange Online through Microsoft 365 is available if the necessary number of emails do not exceed the allotted messages per month. If another email provider is needed, there is no current preference for a particular provider.

221. Is a chat feature required?

222. If so, does SRWMD have a preferred tool?

223. Is a texting feature required?

224. If so, does SRWMD have a preferred tool?

225. Would this be two-way texting (message, response, etc.), or would this be one-way communication (such as reminders of deadlines) with a link to a URL to log into the application?

No texting.

226. Will text responses update the application?

No texts.

227. RAIs - Will responders be notified that additional information is required via the normal communication channels, or is something else required?

Normal channels.

228. Project tracking - Project milestones: are these specific to a project? A type of project?

Type of project.

229. Should a user be limited to searching/viewing only their projects?

No. Project managers should be able to search/view and edit all projects.

230. If so, how many projects could one user have?

Project Managers could have hundreds of projects active at any given moment.

231. Does access to a project change depending on the user’s rights? For example, will some users have read/write access to projects, and other users will have read-only access to the same projects?

Yes. See previous similar questions above.

232. Will external users be updating project status? Or will all updates be created by internal SRWMD staff?

External users can submit additional information, but updates to data should be done by Project managers.

233. Will a user’s rights determine their access to some or all of the documents in the repository? For example, can an external user see documents submitted by another external user, or can all types of external users see all documents provided to the public?

There should be an option given to the SRWMD project managers that allows them to decide what gets initially published to the public. Staff would also need the ability to publish all.

234. Can we get documentation of any security and access control standards specific to

SRWMD?

Specific user tiers of the ability to read/write data in certain fields is not yet defined.

Broadly, there will be tiers of access to read/write data for internal users, depending upon their job function. For example, a group controlling who can create new “projects”, who can edit information linked to an existing parent “project”, or who can only edit data related to a “project” to which they are assigned as a manager. If the public interface is implemented, public users will have limited visibility of data and functionality.

235. Do you want to include password-less authentication? (e.g., a user registers with their Google account) Integration with other identity providers for public users would be a benefit, but it is not required.

236. In addition to making the site responsive, is a PWA (progressive web app) required?

A progressive web app is not required.

237. Does SRWMD have a defined testing and QA process for software systems?

There is not a defined testing and QA process for software systems at the District.

238. Is online documentation sufficient, or do you also want hard copy manuals/quick reference guides, too?

No paper. Digital and online are sufficient.

239. Do you want training videos?

Not required. They may be requested during development of the project scope.

240. What type of training is required?

In-person is preferable.

241. Online or in person?

242. If in person, do you have facilities for this?

243. RFP on page 10, Section 6 Proposal Package the RFP states that it is “not required to complete and submit the form”. Does this refer to the Proposal Response Form RFP 23/24-013?

244. Can you confirm this is not required?

The Proposal Response Form is not required.

245. Are there any other forms required as part of this response?

No forms, just information.

246. What metrics or KPIs will be used to demonstrate return on investment?

Nothing Required, this can be determined during database development.

247. What regulations or legislation impact / dictate the workflows supported by this system?

Governing Board directives, District policies and procedures

248. In the "Project Timeline" there is defined a traditional waterfall development lifecycle.

Are we able to use our agile lifecycle for development or will strict waterfall processes be expected to be followed?

Agile is acceptable.

249. What is the size of each Access database? (Size on disk, how many tables, how many fields)

250. What types of data are stored in these databases (e.g., text, dates, numbers, attachments)?

The databases contain text, dates, numbers, and GUIDs, but no attachments.

251. Are there any complex data types or structures that might be challenging to migrate?

Only common data types are used, but the database schema on the new system will be somewhat more complex than the source databases.

252. What are the specific requirements for the new SQL database in terms of data integrity, security, performance, and reliability?

Detailed requirements are not defined at this time.

253. Will there be objective measures for data integrity, security, and performance?

See previous similar questions above. NIST 2.0 compliance will likely be targeted.

254. Have performance baselines / measurements already been captured for the legacy system?

No, performance has not been measured.

255. Are there any compatibility issues between the data types in Access and the SQL database?

There are currently some multi-value fields used in the Access system, which are incompatible with older versions of SQL Server. These can be re-implemented in SQL Server as separate tables.

256. Are there any data quality issues in the current databases that need to be addressed before migration?

There will be some data quality issues to address as part of the project.

257. What spatial data currently exists?

GIS layers of projects, by type.

258. How is it currently managed (e.g. shapefiles, geodatabase, etc.)?

Information consists of shapefiles and points.

259. How many feature classes and how large is each (i.e., number of attributes)?

There is some information in the attribute tables, but not much.

260. What spatial representations are used (polygon, line, point)?

All are used.

261. How is current spatial data related to Access database records?

Linked by project ID number

262. Can you provide a listing of spatial layers in the current system?

Layers will be provided to the selected vendor during database development

263. Can NoSQL databases (document, key-value, graph, etc) be used as part of the solution if they fit the needs appropriately?

NoSQL databases can be considered for parts of the application as long as necessary data can be queried from this system using SQL.

264. Will changes to the dataset need to be auditable? To what level? Specific items, or row level changes?

Auditing of changes to important fields is preferred.

265. Will data need to be tracked via its state at any particular time in the past? i.e. a full data history that shows “here is what a case looked like Monday, here is what it looked like later on Friday”, etc.

Not to that level.

266. Could you please define in a simple table which systems are being REPLACED and which systems are being INTEGRATED with as part of the new solution, as well as their specific name and version.

System Intention Version Projects Access Database REPLACED N/A Ag Projects Access Database REPLACED N/A AccuFund +INTEGRATED 06.03 Hydstra -INTEGRATED 13.0 ArcGIS +INTEGRATED ArcGIS server: 11.1

ArcGIS: 10.8.2 ArcGIS Pro: 3.X

E-Reg +INTEGRATED N/A

WUMAR +INTEGRATED N/A

267. For integrations can you define if data is being pushed too,…