27SEPGT1 - Attachment A - Final.docx

135 Santilli Highway, Everett, MA 02149 | 781.338.3000 | TTY: N.E.T. Relay (800).439.2370

Attachment A

Alternate ID #: 27SEPGT1 COMMBUYS Bid #: BD-27-1026-DOE02-DOE01-130975

Comprehensive Support for Massachusetts’ IDEA Part B State Performance Plan and Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR) Background:

The Office of Special Education Planning and Policy (SEPP) within the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (“the Department”) is responsible for ensuring that all students with disabilities across the Commonwealth have access to a high-quality education in accordance with Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). As part of this responsibility, SEPP is part of a comprehensive system of general supervision designed to ensure both compliance with federal requirements and continuous improvement in outcomes for students with disabilities.

A central component of this system is the State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR). The SPP/APR is a federally required accountability framework through which states report annually to the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) on performance across a set of indicators related to educational results and compliance. These indicators span early childhood outcomes, academic performance, least restrictive environment, secondary transition, family engagement, and timely implementation of IDEA requirements.

The SPP/APR serves multiple critical purposes:

· Accountability: It ensures that the Commonwealth meets federal requirements under IDEA and demonstrates compliance with statutory and regulatory obligations.

· Transparency: It provides publicly available data on the performance of the state and local educational agencies (LEAs), supporting informed decision-making by stakeholders.

· Continuous Improvement: It drives data-informed decision-making and targeted improvement efforts to enhance outcomes for students with disabilities.

· General Supervision: It is a core mechanism through which the Department monitors, supports, and intervenes in LEA practices to ensure equitable access and high-quality services. There are eight (8) components of a successful general supervision system:

· Data;

· State Performance Plan and Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR);

· Technical Assistance and Professional Development (TA/PD);

· Integrated Monitoring;

· Implementation of Policies and Procedures;

· Fiscal Management;

· Dispute Resolution; and

· Sustaining Compliance and Improvement.

Massachusetts has a long-standing commitment to advancing educational equity and access for all students, including students with disabilities. This commitment is grounded in the belief that all students—regardless of disability, race, ethnicity, language, or socioeconomic status—deserve access to inclusive, high-quality educational experiences that prepare them for success in school and beyond.

Through the SPP/APR, the Department prioritizes:

· Equitable access to inclusive environments, consistent with the principle of education in the least restrictive environment (LRE)

· Reduction of disparities and disproportionality, particularly those affecting students of color and other historically marginalized groups

· Improved outcomes including early childhood development, academic achievement, graduation, and postsecondary success

· Meaningful family and stakeholder engagement, recognizing families as essential partners in the education of students with disabilities

The Department is also committed to ensuring that its SPP/APR work reflects evolving federal expectations, including alignment with Results-Driven Accountability (RDA) and updated OSEP guidance. This includes strengthening data quality, improving the usability of data for stakeholders, and ensuring that monitoring and correction processes lead to sustained improvements in policy, practice, and student-level outcomes.

To support these efforts, the Department seeks to partner with a vendor (or vendors) with demonstrated expertise in IDEA data systems, analysis, reporting, and stakeholder engagement. The selected vendor(s) will play a critical role in supporting the Department’s ability to meet federal requirements while advancing its broader vision of an equitable and effective education system for all students with disabilities.

Scope of Service:

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (“the Department”) seeks to procure a qualified vendor, or multiple vendors, to support the Department in fulfilling its federal obligations under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part B.

The selected vendor(s) will provide comprehensive support across the State Performance Plan and Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR) Indicators, including:

· Data collection

· Data analysis

· Reporting

· Stakeholder Engagement and Communications

· Technical Assistance (TA) and Professional Development (PD)

Through this work, the Department is seeking a vendor to assist with strengthening our General Supervision System’s SPP/APR data collection, analysis, reporting, and engagement. The successful vendor will use the components and modules within this RFR to improve coherence and:

· Strengthen Cross-System Integration

· Build Sustainable Continuous Improvement Infrastructure

· Improve the Usability and Actionable use of IDEA Data

Bidders may:

· Submit a response as a single comprehensive bidder, or

· Submit responses for a specific component (modules) of the scope of work.

There are 7 Modules that comprise this RFR. More information can be found in the Scope of Service Section and then each Module’s Section. They are:

· Module A – Data Analysis and Reporting – Indicators 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 11, 12, and 13

· Module B – Data Collection, Analysis, and Reporting – Indicator 8

· Module C – Data Collection, Analysis, and Reporting – Indicator 7

· Module D – Stakeholder Engagement

· Module E – Technical Assistance (TA), Professional Development (PD), and Continuous Improvement

· Module F – Data Collection, Analysis, and Reporting – Indicator 14

· Module G – State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) Development and Implementation

The Department reserves the right to activate, expand, reduce, or defer individual Modules during the contract period based on statewide priorities, federal requirements, funding availability, vendor performance, and operational needs.

A single awarded vendor may subcontract to fulfill portions of the work.

Core Responsibilities (All Modules) The selected vendor(s) shall:

· Draft SPP/APR submissions for all applicable indicators, consistent with OSEP requirements

· Assist the Department in responding to OSEP clarification and verification requests

· Ensure all work aligns with IDEA, OSEP guidance, and QA 23-01 requirements, including any potential changes to the SPP/APR Package

· Monitor and interpret changes in the federal SPP/APR package

· Assist the Department in adapting to new OSEP requirements

· Revise data collection, analysis, reporting, and stakeholder engagement processes accordingly

· Support transition planning and implementation for the new SPP/APR package beginning FFY2026

· Provide disaggregated and longitudinal data analyses

· Develop public-facing reports, including district and statewide reports, and prepare public reporting documents

· Create accessible materials (e.g., infographics, presentations) for use with the public, including developing and executing a Stakeholder Engagement plan that will assist the Department with developing targets for Indicators, engaging with stakeholders over the course of each reporting period, and increasing the number of participants of the sessions.

· Maintain data confidentiality and execute required data-sharing agreements

· Meet with the Department (and any other awarded vendors, if applicable)

· Assist the Department in responding to OSEP clarification, verification, and correction-related activities.

· Ensure alignment with the Department’s statewide system of General Supervision, including: Data, SPP/APR, Sustaining Compliance and Improvement, Technical Assistance and Professional Development, Implementation of Policies and Procedures, Integrated Monitoring Activities, and Stakeholder Engagement through:

· Integrated and actionable use of data;

· Continuous improvement cycles;

· Data informed/coordinated Technical Assistance (cross-system alignment); and

· Stakeholder-informed improvement planning.

· Support development of sustainable systems and processes that improve LEA implementation and student outcomes over time.

· Coordinate with other Department initiatives and vendors where applicable.

Module A – Data Analysis and Reporting – Indicators 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 11, 12, and 13 The vendor shall analyze Department-provided data to:

· Conduct performance and compliance analysis

· For Indicators 9, 11, 12, and 13 the Department will conduct follow up regarding noncompliance, but the vendor shall provide necessary support and guidance around the correction of noncompliance, ensuring the requirements in OSEP QA 23-01 are met.

· Produce disaggregated data analysis

· Support target setting and trend analysis

· Generate LEA-level data displays and reporting (Individualized LEA Reports and/or public reporting documentation)

· Draft all SPP/APR indicator narratives

· Ensure consistency across indicators

· Support OSEP clarification responses

· Based on the results of the data analysis, the vendor provides recommended improvement plans (e.g., target areas, changes to the methodology or procedures and practices.

· Coordinate and collaborate across other vendor(s) to support the overall system of General Supervision and the State Performance Plan and Annual Performance Report

Module B – Data Collection, Analysis, and Reporting – Indicator 8 The vendor shall:

· Continue data collection and analysis of Indicator 8 data collected through the Parent Survey in conjunction with the Office of Public School Monitoring

· Develop, based on recommendations provided to the Department, a new collection system for Indicator 8 that aligns with OSEP requirements for sampling/cohort collection

· Develop recommendations on how to improve response rates and support DESE to implement those changes.

· Implement modern data collection strategies

· Support target setting and trend analysis

· Generate LEA-level data outputs (Individualized LEA Reports and/or public reporting documentation)

· Draft all SPP/APR indicator narratives

· Ensure consistency across indicators

· Support OSEP clarification responses

· Based on the results of the data analysis, the vendor provides recommended improvement plans (e.g., target areas, changes to the methodology or procedures and practices.

· Coordinate and collaborate across other vendor(s) to support the overall system of General Supervision and the State Performance Plan and Annual Performance Report

Module C – Data Collection, Analysis, and Reporting – Indicator 7 The vendor shall:

· Manage and support data collection systems (ECOS within the Department’s Security Portal)

· Conduct district outreach and follow-up on entering entry/exit ratings

· Support the Department’s State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) for the duration that Indicator 7A is the State Identified Measurable Result (SiMR).

· Support target setting and trend analysis

· Generate LEA-level data outputs (Individualized LEA Reports and/or public reporting documentation)

· Draft all SPP/APR indicator narratives

· Ensure consistency across indicators

· Support OSEP clarification responses

· Based on the results of the data analysis, the vendor provides recommended improvement plans (e.g., target areas, changes to the methodology or procedures and practices.

· Coordinate and collaborate across other vendor(s) to support the overall system of General Supervision and the State Performance Plan and Annual Performance Report

Module D – Stakeholder Engagement The vendor shall:

· Assess current Stakeholder Engagement activities conducted by the Department and provide recommendations for improvement for continuous stakeholder engagement.

· Develop and implement a comprehensive stakeholder engagement plan that crosses Indicators and other priorities to bring a broad spectrum of stakeholders together to better engage with the Department.

· Develop plain-language materials for stakeholders

· Support and present on SPP/APR Indicator analysis, target setting, and discussion of improvement strategies at SEAP and stakeholder meetings

· Create communication tools (e.g., presentations, summaries)

· Based on the results of the data analysis, the vendor provides recommended improvement plans (e.g., target areas, changes to the methodology or procedures and practices.

· Coordinate and collaborate across other vendor(s) to support the overall system of General Supervision and the State Performance Plan and Annual Performance Report

Module E – Technical Assistance (TA), Professional Development (PD), and Continuous Improvement The vendor shall:

· Identify LEA needs for technical assistance and professional development based on analysis of Department-provided and/or vendor-collected data related to IDEA Part B Indicators.

· Develop and recommend tiered technical assistance structures aligned with LEA need, risk, performance, and compliance status.

· Design and deliver technical assistance and professional development supports, which may include: Webinars, Asynchronous learning modules, Office hours, Coaching sessions, Written guidance documents, Toolkits, Implementation guides, Policy memoranda, Regional trainings, and Communities of practice.

· Develop scalable and sustainable technical assistance resources that may be utilized by the Department beyond the duration of the contract.

· Coordinate with the Department and other vendors to ensure TA/PD activities align with statewide priorities and General Supervision activities.

· Assist LEAs with improvement planning activities aligned with IDEA requirements and state priorities.

· Assist with policy, practice, and procedure (PPP) reviews where applicable.

· Support the Department in identifying statewide trends and recommending systemic improvement strategies.

· Develop recommendations for differentiated support structures based on LEA need.

· Assist the Department in evaluating the effectiveness of technical assistance and professional development activities.

· Based on the results of the data analysis, the vendor provides recommended improvement plans (e.g., target areas, changes to the methodology or procedures and practices.

· Coordinate and collaborate across other vendor(s) to support the overall system of General Supervision and the State Performance Plan and Annual Performance Report.

Technical assistance and professional development activities recommended by the vendor may be implemented directly by the vendor, by the Department, or through a collaborative model as determined by the Department.

Module F – Data Collection, Analysis, and Reporting – Indicator 14 Module F may be activated during the contract period at the Department’s discretion.

Vendors may submit responses for Module F independently or in combination with other Modules.

The Department reserves the right to negotiate scope, deliverables, timelines, and budgets associated with Module F if activated after the initial contract award.

The vendor shall:

· Implement data collection procedures and activities

· Develop recommendations on how to improve response rates and support DESE to implement those changes.

· Implement modern data collection strategies through design, creation, and administration of the Indicator 14 data collection system

· Analyze and propose improvements for existing systems, resources, and procedures related to Indicator 14 data collection and analysis.

· Support target setting and trend analysis

· Generate LEA-level data outputs (Individualized LEA Reports and/or public reporting documentation)

· Draft all SPP/APR indicator narratives

· Ensure consistency across indicators

· Support OSEP clarification responses

· Based on the results of the data analysis, the vendor provides recommended improvement plans (e.g., target areas, changes to the methodology or procedures and practices.

· Coordinate and collaborate across other vendor(s) to support the overall system of General Supervision and the State Performance Plan and Annual Performance Report

Module G – State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) Development and Implementation The Department anticipates that activities related to the State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP) may evolve significantly during the duration of this contract in response to updated federal requirements, Results-Driven Accountability (RDA) priorities, statewide needs assessments, stakeholder engagement activities, and Department priorities.

The Department has not finalized the future structure, focus area(s), implementation framework, evidence-based practices, or State-Identified Measurable Result (SiMR) associated with future SSIP activities. As such, vendors must demonstrate the capacity and flexibility to support a broad range of potential statewide improvement priorities and implementation structures.

The Department reserves the right to:

· Develop, revise, restructure, expand, reduce, or replace SSIP-related activities during the contract period;

· Modify the relationship between SSIP activities and individual IDEA Part B Indicators;

· Assign SSIP-related work to one or more vendors;

· Amend the scope, deliverables, timelines, staffing structures, and budgets associated with SSIP work; and

· Phase implementation activities over multiple fiscal years.

Vendors may be required to support activities including, but not limited to:

· Statewide data analysis and infrastructure analysis;

· Stakeholder engagement and target setting;

· Identification and evaluation of potential State-Identified Measurable Results (SiMRs);

· Theory of action and logic model development;

· Evaluation planning and implementation science activities;

· Development and implementation of improvement strategies;

· Technical assistance and professional development activities;

· Progress monitoring and continuous improvement activities;

· OSEP reporting and clarification activities; and

· Development of public-facing communication and stakeholder engagement materials.

The Department anticipates that initial SSIP activities during the first year of the contract may focus primarily on research, planning, stakeholder engagement, infrastructure analysis, and SSIP framework development, with implementation and evaluation activities increasing in subsequent fiscal years.

Vendor Coordination and Project Management The Department anticipates that one or more vendors may be awarded under this procurement. As such, all awarded vendors shall coordinate and collaborate with the Department and any additional awarded vendors to support the implementation of an integrated statewide system of general supervision.

The successful vendor(s) shall:

· Participate in recurring project management meetings with the Department and other vendors, at a frequency determined by the Department, but no less than once every six weeks unless otherwise specified by the Department.

· Participate in additional meetings, planning sessions, and workgroups as requested by the Department.

· Maintain proactive and responsive communication with the Department regarding timelines, deliverables, implementation challenges, and federal reporting requirements.

· Coordinate deliverables, timelines, stakeholder engagement activities, and public-facing reporting materials across vendors, as applicable.

· Utilize Department-approved templates, formatting, and reporting structures to ensure consistency across Indicators and public reporting.

· Collaborate to ensure consistency in data interpretation, reporting narratives, technical assistance recommendations, and stakeholder communications.

· Notify the Department immediately of any identified risks to timelines, deliverables, data quality, or compliance.

The Department reserves the right to require one awarded vendor to serve as a lead coordinating entity across Modules.

Data Security, Confidentiality, and Data-Sharing Requirements The successful vendor(s) shall maintain 100 percent confidentiality of all student, family, LEA, and Department information in accordance with:

· The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

· IDEA confidentiality requirements

· Massachusetts state law and regulations

· Department data security policies and procedures

· Any applicable Department data-sharing agreement or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

The successful vendor(s) shall:

· Execute all required data-sharing agreements and/or MOUs prior to receiving access to Department data.

· Maintain secure systems for the transmission, storage, analysis, and destruction of data.

· Ensure that all subcontractors comply with the same confidentiality and security requirements.

· Immediately notify the Department of any actual or suspected data breach, unauthorized disclosure, or security concern.

· Destroy or return all Department data upon completion or termination of the contract, in accordance with Department requirements.

The Department reserves the right to review vendor data security protocols and require corrective actions where necessary.

Budget:

Bidders must:

· Submit budgets by fiscal year (FY27, FY28, and subsequent renewal years - FY29, FY30, FY31, FY32 and FY33) broken down by Quarter

· Provide an all-inclusive deliverable-based budgets (including indirect costs)

· Include staffing plans and subcontracting structures

· Staffing plans identifying key personnel and percentage of effort

· Identification of subcontractors and associated responsibilities

· Budget narratives describing assumptions and methodologies

· Separate budgets for each proposed Module

The Department reserves the right to negotiate budgets, staffing structures, and deliverables prior to award.

The initial contract term will be:

· FY2027 (approval to June 30, 2027) – FY2028 (July 1, 2027 – June 30, 2028)

The Department may elect to renew the contract for up to:

· Five (5) additional one-year terms, spanning FY29 through FY33

Renewals are contingent upon:

· Vendor performance

· Continued need

· Availability of funds

The total contract under this bid (for one or more vendors), from date of approval to June 30, 2028: $585,000 for each fiscal year, with an initial amount for this contract of $1,170,000. For subsequent renewal years the total contract amount will be $600,000.

The module amounts listed below are estimated maximum allocations for planning purposes and may be revised, redistributed, activated, deferred, or negotiated at the Department’s discretion.

· Module A $75,000

· Module B $60,000

· Module C $150,000 (Due to anticipated changes to Department priorities the Department projects that for subsequent renewal years, the awarded amount will be $105,000 per renewal for this Module)

· Module D $75,000

· Module E $75,000

· Module F $60,000 (This module will not be included in the work completed during the duration of the initial contract. Vendors proposing Module F shall submit proposed staffing structures and phased budget estimates associated with potential future implementation activities.)

· Module G $150,000

Requirements:

The Bidder must demonstrate:

· Experience supporting IDEA Part B State Performance Plan/Annual Performance Report (SPP/APR) activities.

· Knowledge of IDEA Part B requirements, Results-Driven Accountability (RDA), and OSEP reporting requirements.

· Ability to work with and manage other vendors and collaborate across agency offices

· Ability to conduct high-level statistical analysis on aggregated and disaggregated student-level data.

· Experience developing accessible reports, presentations, infographics, and public-facing communication materials.

· Ability to communicate technical information to diverse audiences including families, LEAs, advisory groups, and policymakers.

· Experience supporting state-level stakeholder engagement and target setting activities.

· Ability to maintain confidentiality and comply with all Department data-sharing and security requirements.

· Ability to begin work immediately upon contract execution.

· Experience managing large-scale projects with multiple stakeholders and timelines.

· No actual or perceived conflict of interest related to the work described in this RFR.

· Additionally, there are required qualifications specific to each Module in which bidder(s) must demonstrate the following:

• Experience conducting longitudinal, trend, and disaggregated data analyses.

• Experience preparing federal reports, performance reports, or accountability reports.

• Experience translating complex data into actionable recommendations for state or local educational agencies.

• Experience conducting statewide or large-scale stakeholder data collection efforts.

• Experience using survey data to support program evaluation and continuous improvement activities.

• Experience managing data collection systems and procedures related to preschool outcomes.

• Experience conducting analyses of child outcomes or other early childhood education data.

• Experience developing accessible communication materials for diverse audiences.

• Experience presenting technical information in a manner that is understandable and actionable for stakeholders.

• Experience using data to identify needs and develop improvement strategies.

• Experience supporting organizational, programmatic, or systems-level improvement efforts.

• Experience administering surveys or follow-up data collection activities involving former students or families.

• Experience conducting data analyses that support program evaluation and continuous improvement.

• Experience conducting infrastructure analyses, needs assessments, or program evaluations.

• Experience facilitating stakeholder engagement and strategic planning processes.

• Experience developing evaluation plans, implementation frameworks, or continuous improvement strategies.

Preferred:

Preference will be given to Bidders that demonstrate:

· Experience supporting multiple State Educational Agencies (SEAs) with IDEA Part B SPP/APR implementation.

· Expertise in implementing or supporting OSEP QA 23-01 requirements.

· Experience supporting significant disproportionality, integrated monitoring, correction of noncompliance, or statewide general supervision activities.

· Experience developing and implementing statewide technical assistance and professional development systems.

· Expertise in conducting longitudinal, trend, and equity-focused data analyses.

· Ability to support continuous improvement planning at the state and local levels.

· Experience supporting stakeholder engagement activities involving families, advocacy organizations, advisory groups, LEAs, and interagency partners.

· Ability to create scalable and sustainable technical assistance resources, including asynchronous learning modules, webinars, toolkits, and implementation guides.

· Commitment to advancing equity and addressing disparities through organizational practices and service delivery.

· Experience responding effectively to OSEP clarification, verification, and reporting requirements.

· Additionally, there are preferred qualifications specific to each Module in which preference will be given to bidder(s) that demonstrate the following:

• Experience with correction of noncompliance and implementation of OSEP QA 23-01 requirements.

• Experience with disproportionality, least restrictive environment, transition, or other IDEA compliance indicators.

• Experience developing public-facing data reports, dashboards, or LEA-level reporting tools.

• Experience with survey sampling methodologies and response rate improvement strategies.

• Experience conducting non-response bias analyses.

• Experience supporting family engagement initiatives and stakeholder outreach activities.

• Experience with the Child Outcomes Summary (COS) process and related early childhood outcomes methodologies.

• Experience working with state early childhood data systems, including ECOS or comparable systems.

• Experience supporting early childhood continuous improvement initiatives and implementation activities.

• Experience facilitating target setting, strategic planning, or consensus-building activities.

• Experience working with families, advocacy organizations, and educational stakeholders.

• Experience developing communication strategies for statewide initiatives.

• Experience developing adult learning resources, webinars, toolkits, or asynchronous learning modules.

• Experience with implementation science, continuous improvement, or improvement planning methodologies.

• Experience supporting LEA improvement planning and systems change efforts.

• Experience improving response rates for post-school outcomes data collection.

• Experience coordinating with workforce, higher education, rehabilitation, or other postsecondary systems.

• Experience supporting transition planning and postsecondary outcomes initiatives.

• Experience applying implementation science, improvement science, or systems change methodologies.

• Experience developing theories of action, logic models, or evaluation frameworks.

• Experience supporting large-scale education reform, statewide improvement initiatives, or Results-Driven Accountability activities.

Submission Requirements:

1. An all inclusive budget broken into fiscal years, with identified deliverables for each year.

2. A narrative of no more than 3 pages per Module that addresses each of the required specifications and preferred qualifications (as applicable), including:

a. The Bidder’s understanding of the project to be carried out;

b. The Bidder’s understanding of the project’s challenges and the Bidder’s approach to addressing those;

c. The Bidder’s qualifications to provide the services described above in the Scope of Services, including expertise in program evaluation; and

d. The research plan for the work, including: research questions that address the needs outlined and issues raised in the RFR, methodology and data analysis plan to answer the proposed research questions, clearly articulated and justified use of qualitative and quantitative measures, and timeline for each fiscal year.

e. Bidder’s ability to start working immediately upon contract execution

3. One of the Department’s foremost goals is to address inequities in education that exists in the Commonwealth. Describe, in a one-page narrative, the Bidder’s commitment to and actions taken to ensure equity (this should include efforts internally to support equity and efforts when providing services to clients). In addition, please share the Bidder’s current challenges with and ongoing efforts to ensure that the Bidder is working towards building equity-based mindsets, practices, and skills to support this initiative.

4. Resumes of the key personnel proposed, including the proposed Principal Investigator. Resumes must identify qualifications and relevant past experience of the key personnel who will perform the following functions: (1) project oversight, (2) project design, and (3) delivery. (Note that any change in staffing for this initiative will require pre-approval from the Department. The Department reserves the right to terminate the contract if the change in personnel does not meet the standard of the original response.); and

5. Two samples of previous work, per Module, similar to the scope and content of the Department’s work with large scale implementation and that demonstrate the bidder’s ability to generate actionable findings and written products from research in a format accessible to a general audience.

6. Two written reference letters from previous employers or contract managers (outside of the Department) for the key personnel proposed for this project.

7. A proposed project management structure describing:

a. Key personnel and lines of responsibility and percent of time and effort that each individual will be responsible for within the project structure

b. Coordination procedures across modules and subcontractors

c. Communication protocols

d. Proposed meeting cadence

e. Risk management strategies

f. Quality assurance procedures

8. A sample project timeline and deliverables schedule for the first fiscal year of implementation

· Attachment B – Contact information form (complete and upload with COMMBUYS submission

· Prompt Payment Discount (PPD) Form (available on COMMBUYS to download, complete and upload with response). Bidders are highly encouraged to offer a PPD to expediate payment and provide cost savings to the Commonwealth. Bidders unable to provide a discount can claim hardship. Hardship must be accepted by the team and procurement office.

· Supplier Diversity Program (SDP) Form (available on COMMBUYS to download, complete and upload with response). This form must be completed and offer a percentage commitment of 1% or higher to a subcontractor or ancillary partner. The higher the commitment the more points earned on the Evaluation Criteria Scorecard. See scorecard for more details.

Responses MUST be uploaded to COMMBUYS. Responses not posted to COMMBUYS will not be considered for evaluation. Do not Email and/or mail responses to the department.

To respond to this bid, please register on the COMMBUYS website. If you need assistance contact the OSD Help Desk at OSDHelpDesk@mass.gov or (8am - 5pm ET Monday – Friday) at 1-888-627-8283 or 617-720-3197.

image1.gif image2.jpeg