5-RFP-02-Scope of Service .pdf

CITY OF FORT WORTH - PURCHASING DIVISION

SCOPE OF SERVICES

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1.0 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

1.1 The City of Fort Worth Municipal Court seeks proposals from qualified Vendors to provide a Virtual Courtroom Platform that enables judges, court staff, attorneys, defendants, and the public to participate in court proceedings remotely or in hybrid settings.

Currently, the Court relies on general-purpose video conferencing platforms such as Cisco Webex and Microsoft Teams, which are not purpose-built for judicial processes. These platforms lack features necessary for court operations, including secure role-based access, case management integration, evidence handling, and public access compliance.

The platform must include all necessary software, hosting, licensing, configuration, training, integration, and technical support services to ensure successful deployment and ongoing operation.

2.0 PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES

2.1 Provides a secure, compliant, and user-friendly environment.

2.2 Supports multi-language interpretation, evidence sharing, and accessibility.

2.3 Improves the scheduling, management, and recording of court proceedings.

2.4 Enhances public trust, transparency, and efficiency in court operations.

3.0 DEFINITIONS

3.1 VCP – Virtual Courtroom Platform

3.2 CMS - Case Management System

3.3 CourtView - a case management system and public access tool.

3.4 SaaS - Software as a Service; A cloud computing service model that delivers software applications over the internet.

3.5 TLS - Transport Layer Security

3.6 SSO - Single Sign On

3.7 CJIS – Criminal Justice Information Services Security Policy as administered by the Federal Bureau of Investigation

3.8 ADA - Americans with Disabilities Act

3.9 HIPAA – Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

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3.10 AICPA SOC2 – American Institute of Certified Public Accountants System and Organization Controls; an auditing framework for service providers, especially SaaS and cloud-based companies, to ensure secure management of customer data.

3.11 ISO – International Organization for Standardization.

3.12 API – Application Programming Interface; is a set of rules and protocols that allow different software applications to communicate with each other. It acts as a bridge between systems, enabling them to exchange data and perform operations seamlessly. APIs are widely used in modern software development to integrate functionalities, fetch data, and connect services. For example, when you use a weather app, the app communicates with a weather service's API to fetch the latest weather data and display it to you.

3.13 RESTful API – Representational State Transfer Application Programming Interface; is a set of rules and guidelines for designing web services that use standard HTTP methods to enable communication between different software applications over the internet. These APIs are the most common style used today due to their simplicity, scalability, and flexibility.

3.14 SLA - Service Level Agreement

3.15 AES – Advanced Encryption Standard

3.16 SMS - Short Message Service (text updates/notifications)

3.17 Data Migration - Process of transferring data from one system, storage, or computing environment to another.

4.0 SCOPE OF SERVICE

4.1 Deliverables

4.1.1 Vendor shall conduct an initial requirements analysis in coordination with the Court’s IT and business process teams.

4.1.2 Vendor shall provide a fully functional, cloud-based or hybrid virtual courtroom platform.

4.1.3 Vendor shall provide implementation plan with timeline and milestones.

4.1.4 Vendor shall provide end-user training for judges, clerks, administrators, and IT staff. Minimum of two sessions.

4.1.5 Provide administrative training manuals

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4.1.6 Vendor shall provide integration documentation and testing with

CourtView CMS.

4.1.7 Vendor shall provide technical support and maintenance SLA for the term of the agreement with uptime and response time commitments.

4.1.8 Usage, uptime, and performance reporting dashboard.

4.2 The platform shall provide:

4.2.1 Integration with the City’s case management system (CourtView).

4.2.2 Multiple concurrent virtual courtrooms with judicial controls.

4.2.3 Integration with other court technologies e.g. recording, payment, electronic-filing (e-filing), and scheduling systems.

4.2.4 Role-based access for judges, clerks, defendants, attorneys, interpreters, and the public.

4.2.5 Evidence presentation and document sharing.

4.2.6 Real-time, automatic enabled, transcription and recording.

4.2.7 Secure storage and playback.

4.2.8 Public access to livestreams or audio when required.

4.2.9 Full compliance with judicial security and privacy standards.

4.2.10 Courtroom integrity, security, and compliance with legal standards.

4.2.11 A dedicated court solution to replace general-purpose conferencing tools.

5.0 TECHNICAL AND FUNCTIONAL REQUIREMENTS

5.1 Platform Technical Specifications

5.1.1 Cloud based (SaaS or hybrid) solution preferred.

5.1.2 Compatible with Windows 11, Microsoft 365 and standard court-issued hardware.

5.1.3 Role based user authentication (SSO or Microsoft 365 integration).

5.1.4 Browser-based access, no software installation required for participants.

5.1.5 Integration ready via secure RESTful API.

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5.1.6 Data Security.

5.1.6.1 AES-256 at rest.

5.1.6.2 TLS 1.2 in transit.

5.1.6.3 AICPA SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certification.

5.2 Platform Functional Requirements

5.2.1 Real-time recording and archiving of audio/video to City approved storage.

5.2.2 Support concurrent operation of 12 virtual courtrooms or more.

5.2.3 Allow judges and clerks to manage participant access and mute/unmute.

5.2.4 Support public livestreaming or view-only access for open hearings.

5.2.5 Generate attendance logs and participation records.

5.2.6 Enable automatic recording and transcript generation.

5.2.7 Offer bilingual or interpreter support functions.

5.2.8 Offer captioning.

5.2.9 Send automated hearing notifications and reminders.

5.2.10 Integrate via secure API or direct connection to CourtView CMS, for automatic hearing scheduling, hearing link generation, and record retention.

6.0 PLATFORM SECURITY

6.1 Shall be compliant with CJIS requirements for CMS’s.

6.2 All recordings/transcriptions shall be stored in secure City or Vendor hosted environments.

6.3 Encryption shall be maintained in transit and at rest.

6.4 Shall be compliant with HIPAA.

7.0 PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS

7.1 Minimum 99.9% monthly uptime.

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7.2 Response time (critical) within one (1) hour.

7.3 Response time (non-critical) within twenty-four (24) hours.

7.4 Shall be compliant with ADA Section 508.

8.0 SCHEDULE AND DEADLINES

8.1 Vendor must submit a detailed project schedule with milestones, dependencies, and resource allocation within ten (10) business days of contract award.

Phase Deliverable Target Completion (from contract execution)

1 Kickoff, requirements gathering, and design

30 days

2 Platform configuration and pilot testing

90 days

3 Full Implementation and staff training

150 days

4 Final acceptance and go-live 180 days 5 Ongoing maintenance and support Throughout term of contract

9.0 PAYMENT TERMS

9.1 All invoices must reference deliverables achieved and will be subject to approval by the Court’s Project Manager.

9.2 If ongoing support and updates are not covered beyond the one-year minimum warranty period an annual SLR fee will be paid on a timeline agreed upon by the City and Vendor during contract execution discussion.

Milestone Payment Basis for Payment Project kickoff and requirements documentation

10% Upon acceptance of project plan

Configuration and integration completion

30% Successful completion of pilot and testing

Training and go-live readiness 30% Verified readiness and training completion

Final acceptance 20% Formal sign-off after successful go-live

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Post-implementation support initiation

10% 30 days after go-live, upon system stability

10.0 VENDOR REQUIREMENTS

10.1 All Vendor staff with access during implementation and life of the Agreement shall pass a CJIS background check at the Vendor’s expense.

10.1.1 These background checks may be obtained and submitted during the initial requirements analysis.

10.1.2 Any employee of the awarded vendor who is unable to pass the CJIS review must be replaced with an employee who has passed CJIS.

10.1.3 All implementation team members must be in compliance before implementation may begin.

10.2 Vendor must provide a one-year warranty and technical support for a minimum of one year from final acceptance.

10.2.1 An SLA must be provided for all years not covered by the warranty.

10.3 Comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, including Texas judicial data privacy standards.

10.4 Maintain confidentiality of all court data.

11.0 ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

11.1 The City reserves the right to request demonstrations, references, or proof-of-concept testing.

11.2 Any subcontractors must be identified in advance and approved by the City.

11.3 All data produced or collected under this contract remains the property of the City of Fort Worth.

12.0 ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA

12.1 Successful completion of all deliverables as scheduled.

12.2 Demonstrated compliance with functional and technical requirements.

12.3 Approval by the Court’s designated project manager; and

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12.4 Signed acceptance documentation submitted to the Court’s designated project manager.

13.0 TERM OF AGREEMENT

13.1 The initial term of the Agreement shall be for 3 years with the option to renew for two (2) additional one-year terms.

14.0 LOCATION services will be provided at:

14.1 Fort Worth Municipal Court Main Court Building – 1000 Throckmorton St.

Fort Worth TX, 76102

14.2 Tarrant County Belknap Facility (Jail) - 305 W. Belknap St. Fort Worth TX, 76102

14.3 Vendor-hosted cloud environments

15.0 METHOD OF AWARD

15.1 Proposals will be evaluated based on “best value” to the City. Any Proposals that receive less than 50% of the total available points, excluding price points, will be considered non-responsive.

16.0 EVALUATION FACTORS

16.1 Technical Capabilities & Compliance – up to 30 points available

16.2 Implementation Plan & Training – up to 20 points available

16.3 Vendor Experience & References – up to 20 points available

16.4 Support & Maintenance Plan – up to 10 points available

16.5 Cost – up to 20 points available

17.0 PROPOSER REQUIREMENTS IN ORDER TO BE EVALUATED

17.1 Proposer shall have a minimum of three (3) years experience providing virtual courtroom platforms.

17.2 Proposer shall complete and submit all documents listed in Requested Documents in Bonfire.

18.0 SMALL BUSINESS PROGRAM

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18.1 There will be no Small Business Program incentive for this Request for

Proposal.

19.0 CONTRACT AWARD PROCESS

19.1 The Purchasing Division will facilitate and manage the evaluation process.

19.2 An Evaluation Panel consisting of representatives from various City departments and City consultants may be appointed to review and evaluate RFP responses in accordance with this RFP. City reserves the right at its sole discretion to include additional representatives at any point during the evaluation.

19.3 The Evaluation Committee will evaluate responses and may select Proposer for onsite interviews, presentations or demonstrations.

19.4 At its sole discretion, the City may request Best and Final Offers (BAFO) from proposers whose proposals are deemed most advantageous. Contract negotiations will be based on the BAFO submissions.

19.5 The City reserves the right to negotiate all elements that comprise the successful Proposer’s response to ensure that the best possible consideration is afforded to all concerned.

19.6 The City reserves the right to shortlist firms based upon scores/ratings received during the evaluation process.

19.7 The City will notify all proposers in writing of the outcome once an award determination has been made.

20.0 PROPOSAL FORMAT AND ATTACHMENTS

20.1 Proposal Format Requirements

20.1.1 Proposal format shall be in font no smaller than 12 point, 8.5-inch by 11-inch paper size, with one inch margins and single-spaced for the entire submitted proposal.

20.2 Required Response Forms

20.2.1 Completed and signed RFP-03 Authorized Signature and

Questionnaire.

20.2.2 Completed and signed RFP-05 Forms (W-9 & Conflict of Interest Questionnaire).

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20.2.3 Completed RFP-06, Deviations, if applicable.

20.2.4 Signed Addendum(s), if applicable.

20.2.5 Completed Technical Response (refer to section 21.0 for details). This will be uploaded to Other Required Documents in Bonfire.

21.0 TECHNICAL RESPONSE

21.1 Executive Summary –The purpose of the Executive Summary is to provide a high-level description of the Proposer’s ability to meet the requirements of the RFP. Briefly state your understanding of the services to be performed.

21.2 Qualifications and Experience in providing VCPs:

21.2.1 Proposer’s background, number of years in business, number of personnel that will be performing service, and timeframe to provide service after notification;

21.2.2 Description of Relevant Experience Qualifications and Capacity: The description details qualifications of the Proposer’s operations and staff regarding the requested services;

21.2.3 Experience Providing VCP’s.

21.2.3.1 Describe experience providing VCP’s.

21.2.3.2 Include the number of VCP clients currently served.

21.2.4 Provide key personnel who will be assigned to support this project along with their names if determined at this point, and job title/description.

21.2.5 Firm’s project approach and methodology to perform the work.

Demonstrate the firm’s understanding of the project needs, how it plans to address them, and the overall time required to implement existing records and workflows within the proposed VCP.

21.2.6 Comparable Contract/References

21.2.6.1 Provide information for a minimum of three (3)

VCPcontracts comparable in size to the City of Fort Worth within the last three (3) years, including:

21.2.6.1.1 Client name and contact information;

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21.2.6.1.2 Scope of services provided;

21.2.6.1.3 Contract term and duration.

21.2.6.1.3.1 At least one reference must be

able to also serve as documentation that your company has been in business installing/supporting VCP’s for a minimum of three (3) years.

21.3 Platform Overview

21.3.1 Provide a detailed description of the platform, including:

21.3.1.1 System architecture

21.3.1.2 Hosting model (SaaS / hybrid)

21.3.1.3 Infrastructure provider (AWS, Azure, etc.)

21.3.1.4 System scalability

21.3.1.5 User interface overview

21.3.1.6 Supported browsers and devices

21.3.2 Functional Capability- Proposer shall:

21.3.2.1 Explain how proposed system performs key courtroom

functions stated in RFP-03-Authorized Signature and Questionnaire:

21.3.2.1.1 Virtual hearings

21.3.2.1.2 Participant controls

21.3.2.1.3 Waiting rooms

21.3.2.1.4 Breakout rooms for attorney-client

communication

21.3.2.1.5 Multi-party hearings

21.3.2.1.6 Evidence presentation

21.3.2.1.7 Recording and transcription

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21.3.2.1.8 Public livestreaming

21.3.2.1.9 Interpreter support

21.3.2.1.10 ADA accessibility features

21.3.3 Integration Approach- Proposer shall describe

21.3.3.1 Integration architecture

21.3.3.2 API capabilities

21.3.3.3 Data exchange methods

21.3.3.4 Scheduling automation

21.3.3.5 Hearing link generation

21.3.3.6 Data synchronization

21.3.4 Security and Compliance Documentation

21.3.4.1 Submit documentation demonstrating compliance with the security requirements referenced in RFP-03-Authorized Signature and Questionnaire and scope of services.

21.3.5 Data Management and Disaster Recovery- Proposer shall describe:

21.3.5.1 Data storage location

21.3.5.2 Backup procedures

21.3.5.3 Retention policies

21.3.5.4 Disaster recovery architecture

21.3.5.5 Recovery Point Objective (RPO)

21.3.5.6 Recovery Time Objective (RTO)

21.3.6 Implementation Plan- Proposer shall describe:

21.3.6.1 Implementation methodology

21.3.6.2 Project phases

21.3.6.3 Timeline

21.3.6.4 Milestones

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21.3.6.5 Roles and responsibilities

21.3.6.6 Risk mitigation strategy

21.3.7 Training Plan- Proposer shall describe

21.3.7.1 Training for City staff (Judges, Court clerks, administrators, IT staff) that includes:

21.3.7.1.1 number of sessions

21.3.7.1.2 training format (virtual / in-person)

21.3.7.1.3 training materials provided

21.3.7.1.4 post-training support

21.3.8 Support and Maintenance- Proposer shall describe:

21.3.8.1 support structure

21.3.8.2 helpdesk availability

21.3.8.3 escalation procedures

21.3.8.4 SLA response times

21.3.8.5 maintenance schedules

21.3.8.6 upgrade processes

21.4 Platform Optional Features, please provide information on:

21.4.1 SMS capability

21.4.2 Data Migration capability

21.4.3 Any other features not mentioned in required capabilities that are included in your base platform or provided as an option.