6-K26-0055-29 - SPP- Human Resources Division Compensation Data Subscription Services.pdf

Solicitation No. K26-0055-29 – Human Resources Division Compensation Data Subscription Services

Rev. 11/06/2025

STATE OF MARYLAND

ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF THE COURTS

PROCUREMENT, CONTRACT AND GRANT ADMINISTRATION

187 HARRY S. TRUMAN PARKWAY

ANNAPOLIS, MD 21401

SMALL PROCUREMENT

FOR

Human Resources Division Compensation Data Subscription Services

Solicitation No. K26-0055-29

The sole point of contact for this solicitation is the Procurement Officer. Offerors are specifically directed NOT to contact any other Maryland Judiciary personnel or its contracted consultants for meetings, conferences, or discussions that are specifically related to this Small Procurement at any time prior to any award and issuance of a Purchase

Order. Unauthorized contact with any Maryland Judiciary personnel or the Maryland Judiciary’s contracted consultants may be cause for rejection of the Offeror’s proposal.

Unless otherwise stated in this solicitation, the Maryland Judiciary's Procurement Portal will be the sole method of communication during all phases of the solicitation and award process. We encourage Offerors to whitelist emails from the Procurement Portal to ensure relevant emails are not blocked and/or marked as spam. Additionally, Offerors are strongly encouraged to access the Procurement Portal on a regular basis to view and respond to relevant communications.

Minority Business Enterprises (MBE) and Veteran-owned Small Business Enterprises (VSBE) are encouraged to respond to this Small Procurement.

KEY INFORMATION SUMMARY SHEET

Small Procurement

Human Resources Division Compensation Data Subscription Services

Solicitation No. K26-0055-29

Issue Date: 03/17/2026

Issuing Office: Procurement, Contract and Grant Administration

Procurement Officer: Karen Hoang

Maryland Judiciary, Administrative Office of the Courts

Department of Procurement, Contract and Grant Administration

187 Harry S. Truman Parkway

Annapolis, MD 21401

410-260-1582

Karen.Hoang@mdcourts.gov

Proposal Submission: Submissions are exclusively accepted electronically via the Procurement Portal.

Important Events: Refer to the project details and important events on the Procurement Portal for the date and time of the pre-proposal conference (as applicable), site visit(s) (as applicable), deadline for questions, and solicitation closing date & time.

Purchase Order Term: The Purchase Order term will be for a period of one (1) year from May 13, 2026, to

May 12, 2027, with the AOC retaining the sole right to exercise two (2) one-year renewal options at its discretion.

mailto:Karen.Hoang@mdcourts.gov https://www.mdcourts.gov/procurementportal

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION I. GENERAL INFORMATION

A. SUMMARY STATEMENT

B. ABBREVIATIONS AND DEFINITIONS

C. PROCUREMENT OFFICER

D. CONTRACT MANAGER

E. DURATION OF OFFER

F. REVISIONS TO THE SMALL PROCUREMENT

G. CANCELLATIONS

H. PROTESTS/DISPUTES

I. MULTIPLE OR ALTERNATE PROPOSALS

J. ARREARAGES

K. FALSE STATEMENTS

L. PRESS RELEASES

M. PAYMENTS TO SUCCESSFUL OFFEROR

N. NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT

O. DAMAGE TO STATE AND PERSONAL PROPERTY

P. OFFEROR SECURITY REQUIREMENTS

Q. ACCESS TO AOC INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS

R. ACCESS AND BACKGROUND CHECKS

S. REQUIRED POLICIES, GUIDELINES, AND METHODOLOGIES

T. SUBSTITUTION OF KEY PERSONNEL

SECTION II. INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

A. PURCHASE ORDER TYPE

B. PROCUREMENT METHOD

C. AWARD BASIS

D. QUESTIONS

E. PROPOSAL CLOSING DATE & TIME

F. ORAL PRESENTATIONS & DISCUSSIONS

G. INCURRED EXPENSES

H. ECONOMY OF PREPARATION

I. PUBLIC ACCESS TO JUDICIAL RECORDS

J. OFFEROR RESPONSIBILITIES

K. ACCEPTANCE OF TERMS & CONDITIONS

L. ACCEPTANCE OF SERVICES

M. DIVERSITY & OUTREACH PROGRAMS

SECTION III. SCOPE OF WORK

A. SUMMARY

B. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

C. OBJECTIVES

D. OFFEROR MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

E. SCOPE OF SERVICES

SECTION IV. PROPOSAL FORMAT

A. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

B. PROPOSAL SUBMITTALS

SECTION V. EVALUATION PROCEDURE

A. EVALUATION COMMITTEE

B. PROPOSAL CRITERIA

C. SELECTION PROCEDURES

ATTACHMENTS

Attachment E – Bid/Price Proposal Form

Attachment F – Non-Disclosure Agreement Sample

Attachment G – Standard Terms and Conditions for Small Procurements

Attachment L – Bidder/Offeror Profile

Attachment M – Bidder/Offeror Experience

SECTION I. GENERAL INFORMATION

A. SUMMARY STATEMENT

The Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) issues this Small Procurement on behalf of Maryland

Judiciary Human Resources to obtain a compensation market data and analytics tool that enables the Judiciary to benchmark compensation structure against relevant labor markets and inform compensation decisions to maintain fairness and equity within the compensation structure.

B. ABBREVIATIONS AND DEFINITIONS

For the purpose of this Small Procurement, the following abbreviations or terms have the meanings indicated below:

1. AOC – Administrative Office of the Courts

2. Contract Manager – The AOC representative that serves as the technical manager for the resulting

Purchase Order. The Contract Manager monitors the daily activities of the Purchase Order and provides technical guidance to the Successful Offeror.

3. Diversity & Outreach Programs – Judiciary Program established to encourage and increase participation in Judiciary procurement by underrepresented or disadvantaged groups. The Program includes Minority Business Enterprises (MBE) and Veteran-owned Small Business Enterprises

(VSBE).

4. eMMA – eMaryland Marketplace Advantage online procurement platform used to connect the supplier community with contracting opportunities from with the state, county, and local government entities.

5. Extraordinary Personal Event – Leave under the Family Medical Leave Act; an incapacitating injury or incapacitating illness; or, other circumstances that in the sole discretion of the AOC warrant an extended leave of absence such as extended jury duty, or extended military services that precludes the individual from performing their job duties under the Purchase Order.

6. Key Personnel – Offeror personnel or subcontractor personnel who are to be assigned to this Purchase

Order, as identified in Section IV of this Small Procurement, if the Offeror receives award.

7. Local Time – Time in the Eastern Standard Time Zone.

8. MBE – Minority Business Enterprise means any legal entity, other than a joint venture, organized to engage in commercial transactions, that is at least 51 percent owned and controlled by one or more individuals who are in a minority group (African American, Native American, Hispanic, women, or the physically or mentally disabled) that is socially and economically disadvantaged, and managed and operated by one or more of the socially and economically disadvantaged individuals who own it, and is so certified by the Maryland Department of Transportation.

9. Offeror – An entity that submits a proposal in response to this solicitation.

10. Procurement Officer – The AOC representative responsible for this solicitation, for the determination of Purchase Order scope issues, and the only AOC representative who can authorize changes to the

Purchase Order.

11. Purchase Order – written document issued to a Successful Offeror formalizing the terms and conditions of a proposed transaction, such as a description of the requested items, delivery schedule and terms of payment.

12. Procurement Portal – Strategic sourcing software allowing the Judiciary to receive and evaluate bids and proposals electronically.

13. Small Procurement – The use of the procedures set forth in the Procurement Procedures Manual to obtain items reasonably expected by the Procurement Officer to cost $100,000 or less.

14. Successful Offeror – The awarded Offeror.

15. VSBE - Veteran-owned Small Business Enterprise means any legal entity that meets the requirements set by the United States Small Business Administration, that is organized to engage in commercial transactions and is at least 51 percent owned and controlled by one or more individuals who are Veterans, and who manage the operations of the business, and is so designated in eMMA.

C. PROCUREMENT OFFICER

The sole point of contact in the AOC for purposes of this Small Procurement is the Procurement Officer noted on the Key Information Summary Sheet. The AOC may change the Procurement Officer at any time by written notice to the Offeror. Only information communicated by the Procurement Officer shall be deemed the official position of the AOC. No other State of Maryland or AOC employee, official, or representative has the authority to change the requirements of this solicitation. Attempts by the Offeror to contact members of the evaluation committee, or otherwise circumvent this procedure in any manner may be grounds for disqualification.

D. CONTRACT MANAGER

The Contract Manager for post-award activities will be disclosed to the Successful Offeror. The AOC may change the Contract Manager at any time by written notice to the Successful Offeror.

E. DURATION OF OFFER

Proposals submitted in response to this Small Procurement are irrevocable for 90 days following: (1) the closing date of proposals, (2) Best and Final Offers (BAFOs), if requested, or (3) the resolution date of any protest concerning this Small Procurement. This period may be extended at the Procurement Officer’s request only with the Offeror’s written agreement.

F. REVISIONS TO THE SMALL PROCUREMENT

1. The AOC reserves the right to amend this Small Procurement at any time prior to the proposal closing date and time. If the Small Procurement is revised prior to the proposal closing date and time, the

AOC shall post any addenda to the Small Procurement on the Procurement Portal and shall attempt to provide such addenda to all prospective Offerors that received the Small Procurement or are otherwise known by the Procurement Officers to have obtained this Small Procurement. It remains the responsibility of all prospective Offerors to review the Procurement Portal for any addenda issued prior to the submission of proposals.

2. If one (1) or more addenda are issued to this Small Procurement, Offerors shall acknowledge receipt of all addenda on the Procurement Portal. Addenda issued after the closing date and time for proposals will be sent only to those Offerors who submitted a timely proposal.

3. Failure to acknowledge receipt of an addendum does not relieve the Offeror from complying with the terms, additions, deletions, clarifications, or corrections set forth in the addendum, and may cause the proposal to be deemed not reasonably susceptible of being selected for award.

G. CANCELLATIONS

The AOC reserves the right to cancel this Small Procurement; accept or reject any and all proposals, in whole or in part, received in response to this Small Procurement; or, waive or permit cure of minor irregularities’ and conduct discussions with all Offerors in any manner necessary to serve the best interests of the AOC.

The AOC also reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to award a Purchase Order based upon the written proposals received without prior discussions or negotiations.

H. PROTESTS/DISPUTES

Any protest or dispute related to this solicitation, or the resulting Purchase Order shall be subject to the provisions of the Judicial Branch Procurement Policy.

I. MULTIPLE OR ALTERNATE PROPOSALS

Neither multiple nor alternate proposals will be accepted.

J. ARREARAGES

By submitting a proposal in response to this Small Procurement, each Offeror represents that it is not in arrears in the payment of any obligations due and owing the State of Maryland, including the payment of taxes and employee benefits, and that it shall not become so in arrears during the term of the Purchase Order, if selected for Purchase Order award.

K. FALSE STATEMENTS

Offerors are advised that in connection with a procurement Purchase Order, a person may not willfully:

Falsify, conceal or suppress a material fact by any scheme or device; make a false or fraudulent statement or representation of a material fact; use a false writing or document that contains a false or fraudulent statement or entry of a material fact; or, aid or conspire with another person to commit any of the aforementioned acts.

L. PRESS RELEASES

The Successful Offeror shall issue no press release to any publication, including newspapers and social media outlets, regarding work being conducted under the resulting Purchase Order from this Small Procurement, or utilize the Maryland Judiciary brand mark in any marketing materials, without the express written consent of the AOC.

M. PAYMENTS TO SUCCESSFUL OFFEROR

1. By submitting a response to this solicitation, the Offeror agrees to accept payments by electronic funds transfer unless the State Comptroller’s Office grants an exemption. The selected Offeror shall register using the COT/GAD X-10 Vendor Electronic Funds (EFT) Registration Request Form. Any request for exemption must be submitted to the State Comptroller’s Office for approval at the address specified on the COT/GAD X-10 form and must include the business identification information as stated on the form and include the reason for the exemption. The COT/GAC X-10 form can be downloaded at: COT-GAD X-10 Form

2. Payments to the Successful Offeror shall be made not later than thirty (30) days after the acceptance of deliverables, and receipt of a proper invoice from the Offeror. Any charges of interest or the like for late payment are prohibited.

3. The AOC may consider adjustments to rates only upon submission of documented increases and decreases, not less than sixty (60) days prior to the expiration of each contract term; however, in no case will increases or decreases exceed the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for All

Urban Customers (CPI-U) or Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers

(CPI-W) as published by the Federal Government for the latest 12-month period.

N. NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT

All Offerors are advised that if a Purchase Order is awarded as a result of this Small Procurement, the

Successful Offeror may be required to complete a Non-Disclosure Agreement. A sample of this Agreement is included for informational purposes as Attachment F of this Small Procurement.

O. DAMAGE TO STATE AND PERSONAL PROPERTY

1. The Offeror, their employees, subcontractors and agents shall be held directly responsible to repair, replace or restore to its original condition, to the satisfaction of the AOC, curbs, roadway surfaces, wheel stops, shrubbery, trees, buildings, bollards, gates, light pole, sign poles or any other State-owned property which is damaged by the actions of the above-mentioned representatives.

2. The Offeror, their employees, subcontractors and agents shall be held directly responsible for any damage caused by their action or inaction to privately-owned property and shall hold the State of

Maryland harmless for such damages.

P. OFFEROR SECURITY REQUIREMENTS

1. The Successful Offeror, and all Successful Offeror personnel and subcontractor personnel assigned to the Purchase Order, must comply with all applicable federal and state laws, regulations, policies, and AOC policies and procedures for the duration of the Purchase Order.

2. The Successful Offeror must comply with the Judicial Information Systems (JIS) Information

Security Policy. The Information Security Policy closely aligns with guidelines published by the https://www.marylandtaxes.gov/forms/state-accounting/static-files/GADX10Form.pdf

National Institute of Standards and Technology. The Information Security Policy is available online at: Procurement, Contract & Grant Administration Website.

3. The AOC reserves the right to monitor all applicable computer and electronic equipment usage for compliance with its policies.

Q. ACCESS TO AOC INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS

1. The Successful Offeror’s personnel shall complete all required paperwork as directed for access to any AOC information systems.

2. The Successful Offeror shall ensure the list of authorized Offeror personnel is always maintained and accurate. The system access rights of Successful Offeror personnel must be updated no later than twenty-four (24) hours after notification of the change in status; therefore, the Successful Offeror shall immediately notify the Contract Manager and JIS Information Security of any termination of

Successful Offeror personnel or if any approved Successful Offeror personnel no longer require access to an AOC system. The AOC security identification badge and all issued AOC assets must be immediately returned to the Contract Manager.

3. To ensure compliance with the JIS Information Security Policy, the approval, configuration, and monitoring of secured remote access into AOC systems will be processed by JIS staff. All remote connections that utilize a shared infrastructure must utilize encryption for transmission of data and authentication.

4. Any software used to meet the requirements of this solicitation, on any AOC system, must be included in the Offeror’s technical proposal. Software must be assessed by JIS and approved by the

JIS Chief Information Officer. At the discretion of JIS, proposed software may be determined to be a risk to system and information integrity security controls and therefore rejected. If software is to be used remotely, the Judiciary shall control the method of access to our network via Virtual Private

Network (VPN), firewall configurations, and/or segregating remote machine access within our environment.

5. Offerors using an As-a-Service (e.g., infrastructure, software, platform, hardware) subservice hosting provider (e.g., Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform) must submit a current Service Organization Control (SOC) 2 Type II report, or equivalent (as determined by the

AOC), for the subservice and for the As-a-Service service provider. A SOC 2 Type II report for the subservice alone does not meet the requirements of this solicitation.

R. ACCESS AND BACKGROUND CHECKS

1. Successful Offeror may be required to submit the following information for AOC engagements for

Successful Offeror personnel, subcontractors, third-party resources, temporary employees, and training candidates:

a. Full Name

b. Phone Number

c. Personal/Private email with no connection to employer

d. Emergency contact information

2. Site visits to any AOC location must be coordinated by AOC staff with the designated site personnel in advance of any visit.

3. Any Successful Offeror personnel working at AOC locations, or on AOC systems or projects, or who have access to AOC or State criminal data or systems, must be approved in writing by the

Procurement Officer prior to beginning work.

http://www.mdcourts.gov/procurement/index.html

4. All Successful Offeror personnel working on AOC premises, property, systems or projects, contracts, or who have access to AOC or State criminal data or systems, may be required to obtain a Criminal

Justice Information System (CJIS) State and Federal criminal background check prior to beginning work. The AOC reserves the right to refuse to allow any Successful Offeror personnel to begin work based upon criminal records.

5. All Successful Offeror personnel assigned to work at AOC locations may be required to obtain an

AOC security identification badge prior to beginning work, and annually thereafter. The Successful

Offeror is responsible for any fees that may be incurred for initial issuance of the badge and for any replacement.

6. The security identification badge shall always be displayed while on AOC premises. To verify identity, the Successful Offeror personnel shall be prepared to provide photo identification upon request by an AOC employee.

7. Successful Offeror personnel are required to immediately notify the Contract Manager, the

Administrative Official of the respective department or office or the Contract Manager, if their security identification badge is lost or stolen.

8. The Successful Offeror personnel must notify the Contract Manager, the Administrative Official of the respective department or office, within one (1) business day if any personnel have been arrested, indicted, served with a criminal summons, named in a peace or protective order, or named as a defendant in any civil case. The Successful Offeror personnel are also required to provide regular updated information regarding the status of any of these court actions.

9. The Contract Manager, in conjunction with the Chief of the Office of Security Administration and the Procurement Officer, may impose restrictive conditions in response to prior criminal convictions, pending criminal charges, or a violation of AOC procedures, including removal from the Purchase

Order, and/or restricted access to AOC locations or systems.

10. In the event of a security incident or suspected security incident, the Successful Offeror personnel shall immediately notify the Contract Manager.

11. The Successful Offeror personnel shall cooperate fully in all security incident investigations.

12. During the Purchase Order, if necessary, for the delivery of goods and services, the Successful

Offeror may be provided an AOC asset in the form of a cell phone, laptop, or other electronic device.

All AOC devices are the property of the AOC and must be returned in working, acceptable condition at the Purchase Order’s conclusion. If said devices are not in working acceptable conditions, Successful Offeror may be responsible for the cost of said device(s). All devices must be regularly updated as specified by the manufacturer and JIS and must adhere to all confidentiality guidelines as provided by JIS and the AOC.

13. If the AOC determines that there is cause for the Successful Offeror’s work to be suspended, the

Successful Offeror shall take the following steps:

a. Immediately cease to represent itself as providing services to the AOC.

b. Deliver to the AOC: (a) a report describing the current state of the Deliverables provided by the Successful Offeror under this Agreement and any applicable Statements of Work outstanding as of the date of termination; (b) all AOC Confidential information in its possession or, at AOC’s option, destroy all such AOC Confidential information; and (c) all work product to the AOC within seven (7) business days as of the date of termination. Work product includes, but is not limited to, works for hire and materials as described in §29.3.

c. The Successful Offeror is responsible for all AOC assets (including but not limited to, laptops, tablets, computers, cell phones, other portable electronic devices, accessories, and peripherals, etc.), that have been provided to the Successful Offeror at the AOC’s cost. All

AOC issued assets are required to be surrendered to the AOC within five (5) business days of the termination of services. Assets will be subject to evaluation and can include normal and expected wear and tear but must be functional and operable. Assets that do not meet this condition may be subject to additional charge to the Successful Offeror. Successful Offeror shall be liable to the AOC for all assets not surrendered.

S. REQUIRED POLICIES, GUIDELINES, AND METHODOLOGIES

The Offeror shall be required to comply with all applicable laws, regulations, policies, standards and guidelines affecting information technology projects, which may be created or changed periodically by the

State of Maryland. The Offeror shall adhere to and remain abreast of current, new, and revised laws, regulations, policies, standards and guidelines affecting project execution. These may include, but are not limited to:

1. A System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) methodology and framework based on best practices and industry standards, such as the incremental waterfall methodology, and the agile software development framework.

2. The Administrative Office of the Courts Judicial Information Systems Security Policy.

T. SUBSTITUTION OF KEY PERSONNEL

1. Successful Offeror personnel may not be removed from working under the Purchase Order without the express written approval of the Contract Manager, or designee, and shall be subject to the same requirements set forth in Access and Background Check Section of this Small Procurement.

2. The Contract Manager may direct the Successful Offeror to replace any Successful Offeror personnel who, in the sole discretion of the Contract Manager, are perceived as being unqualified, non-productive, unable to fully perform the job duties, disruptive, or known, or reasonably believed, to have committed a major infraction(s) of law, AOC policies, or Purchase Order requirements.

END OF SECTION I.

SECTION II. INSTRUCTIONS TO OFFERORS

A. PURCHASE ORDER TYPE

The Purchase Order that results from this Small Procurement shall be based on Fixed Price.

B. PROCUREMENT METHOD

The Purchase Order resulting from this Small Procurement shall be awarded in accordance with the Small

Procurement process under the Judicial Branch Procurement Policy.

C. AWARD BASIS

A Purchase Order shall be awarded to the responsible Offeror(s) submitting the proposal that has been determined to be the most advantageous to the AOC, considering price and evaluation factors set forth in this

Small Procurement, for providing the specified goods and/or services. The AOC intends to make a single award under this Small Procurement.

D. QUESTIONS

1. Offerors shall direct all communication regarding this Small Procurement to the Procurement

Officer. Submit questions to the Procurement Officer through the opportunity Q&A section on the

Procurement Portal no later than the date indicated on the solicitation.

2. The Procurement Officer, based on the availability of time to research and communicate, shall answer questions at their discretion prior to the proposal closing date and time.

3. Answers to all substantive questions that are not clearly specific only to one (1) Offeror will be answered via Addenda and will be furnished to all potential Offerors known to have received the

Small Procurement as posted on the Procurement Portal.

4. The statements and interpretations contained in responses to any questions, whether responded to verbally or in writing, are not binding on the AOC unless issued in writing as an addendum.

E. PROPOSAL CLOSING DATE & TIME

1. Proposals must be received through the Procurement Portal not later than the date and time indicated on the solicitation. Offerors shall allow sufficient time to complete the submission process on the

Procurement Portal. Untimely proposals will not be considered.

2. Proposals may be modified or withdrawn by the Offeror through the Procurement Portal any time before the date and time set forth in the solicitation.

3. Unless specifically requested, proposals not submitted electronically through the Procurement Portal will not be accepted.

F. ORAL PRESENTATIONS & DISCUSSIONS

1. Offerors may be required to participate in oral presentations. Material representations made by an

Offeror during the oral presentation shall be submitted in writing. Any such representations will become part of the Offeror’s proposal and are binding if the Purchase Order is awarded.

2. The AOC may hold discussions with all Offerors judged reasonably susceptible of being selected for award, or potentially so. However, the AOC also reserves the right to make an award without holding discussions. With or without discussions, the AOC may determine an Offeror to be not responsible and/or not reasonably susceptible of being selected for award, at any time after the initial closing date for receipt of proposals and prior to Purchase Order award.

G. INCURRED EXPENSES

The AOC will not be responsible for any costs incurred by an Offeror in preparing and submitting a proposal, in making an oral presentation, in providing a demonstration, or in performing any other activities relative to this Small Procurement.

H. ECONOMY OF PREPARATION

Proposals shall be prepared simply and economically providing a straightforward, concise description of the

Offeror’s ability to meet the requirements of this Small Procurement.

I. PUBLIC ACCESS TO JUDICIAL RECORDS

1. An Offeror shall specifically identify those portions of its proposal that it considers confidential, proprietary commercial information, or trade secret, and provide justification why such materials, upon request, shall not be disclosed by the AOC under Title 16, Chapter 900 of the Maryland Rules.

2. The inspection of Judiciary procurement documents shall be governed exclusively by the Judicial

Branch Procurement Policy. Procurement documents are presumed to be open to the public for inspection, except as otherwise provided by the Judicial Branch Procurement Policy.

J. OFFEROR RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Offerors shall be responsible for all goods and/or services and requirements set forth in this Small

Procurement including the Purchase Order performance of any subcontractor participation.

2. All subcontractors must be identified and a complete description of their role relative to the proposal must be included in the Offeror’s proposal. If the Successful Offeror requires the use of a subcontractor during the life of the Contract that was not identified in the proposal or the role of an identified subcontractor otherwise changes, the Successful Offeror shall obtain approval from the

Contract Manager. If applicable, subcontractors utilized in meeting the established MBE or VSBE participation goal(s) shall be identified as provided in the appropriate MBE/VSBE forms attached to this Small Procurement.

3. If an Offeror that seeks to perform or provide the services required by this Small Procurement is the subsidiary of another entity, all information submitted by the Offeror such as, but not limited to, references and financial reports, shall pertain exclusively to the Offeror, unless the parent organization will guarantee the performance of the subsidiary. If applicable, the Offeror’s proposal must contain an explicit statement, signed by an authorized representative of the parent organization, stating that the parent organization consents to the terms of the Small Procurement and will guarantee the performance of the subsidiary.

4. A parental guarantee of the performance of the Offeror under this section will not automatically result in crediting the Offeror with the experience or qualification of the parent under any evaluation criteria pertaining to the actual Offeror’s experience and qualifications. The Offeror will be evaluated on the extent to which the AOC determines that the experience and qualifications of the parent are applicable to and shared with the Offeror, any stated intent by the parent to be directly involved in the performance of the Purchase Order, and the value of the parent’s participation as determined by

5. The Successful Offeror will be required to follow all current Judiciary protocols referencing pandemic flu or other infectious diseases including, but not limited to, proof of vaccination, producing negative COVID tests, completing/passing an initial screening questionnaire, non-contact temperature taking, the wearing of personal protective equipment (e.g., face mask), and practicing appropriate social distancing. Failure to comply with any of the Judiciary’s protocol could result in being denied entry into Judiciary workspace, and mitigation up to and including Purchase Order termination.

K. ACCEPTANCE OF TERMS & CONDITIONS

1. By submitting a proposal in response to this Small Procurement, the Offeror, if selected for award, shall be deemed to have accepted the terms and conditions of this Small Procurement and the

Standard Terms and Conditions for Small Procurements attached hereto as Attachment G.

2. Any exceptions to the terms and conditions of this Small Procurement or the Purchase Order must be clearly identified in the Proposal. All exceptions will be taken into consideration when evaluating an Offeror’s proposal.

3. A proposal that takes exception to these terms may be rejected and therefore determined to be not reasonably susceptible of being selected for award.

4. By submitting a proposal in response to this Small Procurement, the Offeror, if selected for award, agrees that it will comply with all federal, State, and local laws applicable to its activities and obligations under the Purchase Order.

L. ACCEPTANCE OF SERVICES

1. The Contract Manager or his/her designated representative has authority to determine the acceptable level of service.

2. When the Contact Manager or his/her designee determines that the Successful Offeror service is unsatisfactory, the Successful Offeror shall return to the site at the request of the AOC, or an authorized designee, and resolve the issue at no additional cost to the AOC.

M. DIVERSITY & OUTREACH PROGRAMS

The objective of the Diversity & Outreach Programs is to encourage and increase participation in AOC procurements by Minority Business Enterprises (MBE) and Veteran-owned Small Business Enterprises

(VSBE).

1. Minority Business Enterprise

MBEs are encouraged to respond to this solicitation notice as Prime Contractors. In order to participate as an MBE in AOC procurements, MBEs must be certified by the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT). Additional information regarding certification can be located on the

MDOT Website: Social & Economic Mobility Website

2. Veteran-owned Small Business Enterprise

VSBEs are encouraged to respond to this solicitation notice as Prime Contractors. VSBEs must complete three (3) steps: Supplier Registration, Veteran Verification, and VSBE Certification. These steps are outlined by the State of Maryland VSBE program. Additional information regarding certification can be located at: Maryland VSBE Program

END OF SECTION II.

https://economicmobility.maryland.gov/Pages/default.aspx https://gomdsmallbiz.maryland.gov/Pages/VSBE-Program.aspx

SECTION III. SCOPE OF WORK

A. SUMMARY

The AOC is seeking proposals from prospective Offerors to obtain a compensation market data and analytics tool that enables the Judiciary to benchmark compensation structure against relevant labor markets and inform compensation decisions to maintain fairness and equity within the compensation structure.

The AOC’s intent is to obtain a tool that provides access to a comprehensive, reliable, and current compensation data that emphasizes public-sector and judicial positions. The AOC will conduct its own assessments for internal equity analysis and maintain control for compensation and salary structure model.

B. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

At present, the Judiciary Human Resources Division (JHRD) Benefits and Compensation section uses two salary benchmarking tools to conduct market research regarding Judiciary classifications and the corresponding duties, responsibilities, and requirements. These salary surveys tend to be more aligned with classifications and compensation for general industry positions. The Benefits and Compensation section also uses information provided by the National Center for State Courts for certain court-specific positions.

The JHRD Benefits and Compensation section research general industry positions that have comparable duties to court and administrative positions; however, the duties for court positions are often very specific and unique to the industry. Without direct comparisons, analysts spend a lot of time researching and analyzing to determine whether a general industry position is a good comparator and whether the salary benchmarks make sense for Judiciary positions.

C. OBJECTIVES

The AOC desires to achieve the following objectives through the award of this Small Procurement:

1. Benchmark positions against local, regional, and national labor markets.

2. Analyze compensation trends across all industries and relevant labor markets and similar public-sector entities to include state courts, public-sector roles, and comparable constitutional or statutory offices.

3. Obtain ongoing access to a comprehensive compensation database relevant to judicial and public-sector positions.

4. Provide Judiciary staff with direct, independent access to underlying data and reporting tools.

5. Enable transparent, defensible analysis without reliance on vendor-performed studies.

D. OFFEROR MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

The Offeror shall have three (3) years’ experience providing subscription-based compensation data platform and related services.

E. SCOPE OF SERVICES

The AOC desires a subscription-based compensation data platform and related services, which may include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Compensation Data Access:

a. Access to a comprehensive compensation database that includes salary data for all industries including, but not limited to, the following:

(1) Base salary,

(2) Total cash compensation,

(3) Incentive pay where applicable,

(4) Market percentile data (e.g., 25th, 50th, 75th),

(5) Geographic market comparisons,

(6) Industry sector benchmarking,

(7) Public and private sector compensation comparisons when available, and

(8) Coverage that includes state court systems and other relevant public-sector entities.

2. Job Benchmarking:

a. Access to a comprehensive database that includes, but is not limited to, the following:

(1) Job descriptions and titles,

(2) Aggregated job posting data locally, regionally, and nationally throughout all labor markets, which has a filter for industry specific (e.g. public-sector),

(3) Evaluated job scope and responsibilities, and

(4) Matched internal positions to market benchmark jobs.

3. Public-Sector and Judicial Focus:

a. Due to the AOC’s compensation structure differing significantly from private-sector compensation models, the AOC prefers a data geared toward the following:

(1) Access to a comprehensive compensation database that includes salary data for judicial and public-sector positions,

(2) State and local government roles,

(3) Judicial and quasi-judicial positions, and

(4) Public leadership and constitutional officer positions, where appropriate.

4. Platform and Accessibility:

a. The AOC desires the following:

(1) Secure online access to the database,

(2) Role-based or multi-user access,

(3) Search, filter, export, and reporting capabilities, and

(4) The ability to export data into commonly used formats (e.g., Excel, CSV).

b. The AOC desires a platform that includes the following features:

(1) Allows users to independently analyze and manipulate data,

(2) Clearly identifies data sources and reporting dates, and

(3) Provides sufficient transparency to support defensible internal analyses.

c. The AOC prefers solutions that do not require proprietary software installations beyond standard web access.

5. Data Transparency and Methodology:

a. Transparency is critical to ensure the JHRD can rely on an defend its analysis. The AOC desires a solution with defined and mature processes as follows:

(1) Data collection methods,

(2) Validation and quality control processes,

(3) Frequency of updates,

(4) Treatment of incomplete or estimated data, and

(5) Methodology for classifying and aligning comparable positions.

6. User Support and Training:

a. The AOC desires a solution with the following user support and training:

(1) Initial orientation or training for designated Judiciary users,

(2) Ongoing technical support during normal business hours (i.e., 8:30AM-5:00PM

EST),

(3) Documentation or user guides, and

(4) Notice of significant platform updates or data changes.

7. Additional Services:

a. Offerors may propose additional services not included in Section III.E.1-6 for this Small

Procurement, such as:

(1) Customized benchmarking tools,

(2) Legislative reporting templates,

(3) Market alerts, and

(4) Periodic analytical summaries.

b. Additional services shall be included on the Attachment E – Bid/Price Proposal Form in the

Additional Services Section (i.e., Lines 5-19).

c. The AOC reserves the right to include or not include any additional services in the resulting

Purchase Order.

END OF SECTION III.

SECTION IV. PROPOSAL FORMAT

A. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

Offerors shall submit their Proposal in accordance with the required and optional submittals as defined in

Section IV.B of this Small Procurement, and the Procurement Portal. By submitting a response in the

Procurement Portal, the submitting individual certifies they are authorized to bind the Offeror to the requirements of this Solicitation, including all addenda.

B. PROPOSAL SUBMITTALS

1. Addenda Acknowledgment: Offeror shall acknowledge receipt of any addenda on the Procurement

Portal. Failure to acknowledge addenda may result in your proposal being found not reasonably susceptible of being selected for award.

2. Transmittal Letter: Prepared on the Offeror’s business stationary and signed by an individual who is authorized to bind the Offeror to the requirements as stated in this Small Procurement, including all addenda.

3. Claim of Confidentiality: Any information which is claimed to be confidential and/or proprietary shall be identified by section, subsection (if applicable), and page number. An explanation for each claim of confidentiality shall be included. The entire Proposal cannot be given a blanket confidentiality designation.

4. Executive Summary: The Offeror shall condense and highlight the contents of the Proposal in an executive summary. In accordance with Section II of this Small Procurement, and only as applicable, the executive summary shall indicate whether the Offeror is the subsidiary of another entity, and if so, whether all information submitted by the Offeror pertains exclusively to the Offeror. If not, the subsidiary Offeror shall include a guarantee of performance from its parent organization as part of its executive summary.

5. Attachment L – Bidder/Offeror Profile: Offeror shall complete Attachment L – Bidder/Offeror

Profile included on the Procurement Portal and enclose with their Proposal.

6. Offeror’s Technical Response to Small Procurement Requirements: Offerors shall address each

Small Procurement requirement (Section III) in the proposal and describe how its proposed services will meet or exceed those requirements, including how any proposed subcontractor(s) will meet or exceed requirements. If the AOC is seeking the Offeror’s agreement to a requirement(s), the Offeror shall state its agreement or disagreement. Any paragraph that responds to a work requirement shall not merely rely on a stated agreement to perform the requested work, but rather, the Offeror shall outline how the Offeror can fulfill the requested tasks in a manner that best meets the AOCs needs.

a. Offerors shall ensure they include the following information about their Compensation Data

Access:

(1) The breadth of jurisdictions covered,

(2) Frequency of data updates,

(3) Historical trend data availability,

(4) Data validation methodology, and

(5) Any limitations or exclusions.

7. Attachment M – Bidder/Offeror Experience: Offeror shall complete Attachment M – Bidder/Offeror

Experience included on the Procurement Portal and enclose with their Proposal.

Experience/References shall include at least three (3) distinct references, within the past five (5) years, from customers/clients who can document the Offeror’s ability to provide the goods and/or services specified in this Small Procurement. Multiple references from the same customer/client will not be accepted. A reference may not be submitted from an employee of the Maryland Judicial

Branch of government.

8. IRS Form W-9, Request for Taxpayer Identification Number & Certification: Offeror shall submit a completed IRS Form W-9 and enclose with their Proposal.

9. Price:

a. Offeror’s Financial Proposal must contain all price information in the format specified in the

Bid/Price Proposal Form and/or the requested total price. Do not amend, alter, or leave blank

(as applicable) any items on the Bid/Price Proposal Form, or include additional clarifying or contingent language. Failure to adhere to any of these instructions may result in the proposal being determined to be not reasonably susceptible of being selected for award.

(1) Offerors shall enter the total of Line 4 from the Attachment E – Bid/Price Proposal

Form when a Total Price is requested in the Procurement Portal.

b. The Offeror will not be reimbursed for any travel expenses including but not limited to transportation, meals, and hotel accommodations, except as approved in advance by the

Contract Manager.

END OF SECTION IV.

SECTION V. EVALUATION PROCEDURE

A. EVALUATION COMMITTEE

1. Evaluation of the proposals will be performed by a committee, of one (1) or more than one (1) individuals, established for the purpose of analyzing the proposals based on the evaluation criteria set forth below. The Evaluation Committee will provide input to the Procurement Officer after reviewing proposals, participating in oral presentations and discussions, and any other activities relative to this Small Procurement.

2. The AOC reserves the right to utilize the services of individuals outside of the established Evaluation

Committee for advice and assistance, as deemed appropriate by the Procurement Officer.

B. PROPOSAL CRITERIA

The criteria to be applied to each proposal are listed in descending order of importance. Unless stated otherwise, any sub-criteria within each criterion have equal weight.

1. Price

2. Extent to which the Offeror’s response meets the overall requirements and objectives of the Small

Procurement; and,

3. Extent to which the Offeror’s experience and references demonstrate their ability to provide the requested services outlined in Section III.

The AOC prefers the Offeror’s Proposal to illustrate a comprehensive understanding of work requirements and mastery of the subject matter, including an explanation of how the work will be performed. Proposals which include limited responses to work requirements such as “concur” or “will comply” will receive a lower ranking than Proposals that demonstrate an understanding of the work requirements and include plans to meet or exceed requirements.

C. SELECTION PROCEDURES

1. The Procurement Officer shall initially review for compliance with the Small Procurement requirements. Failure to comply with Small Procurement requirements may result in a proposal being classified as not reasonably susceptible of being selected for award. Minor irregularities in proposals that are immaterial or inconsequential in nature may be cured or waived whenever it is determined to be in the AOC’s best interest.

2. Selection Procedures:

a. Proposals are evaluated for technical and financial merit and ranked. During this review, oral presentations, interviews, and discussions may be held. The purpose of such discussions shall be to assure a full understanding of the AOCs requirements and the Offeror’s ability to perform, and to facilitate understanding of the Purchase Order that shall be most advantageous to the AOC.

(1) At the discretion of the Procurement Officer, following the recommendation of the

Evaluation Committee, a shortlist of Offerors may be established during the evaluation. Only shortlisted Offerors would continue in the evaluation process;

Offerors not shortlisted shall be so advised.

(2) Offerors must confirm in writing any substantive oral clarifications of, or changes in, their Proposal made during discussions. Any such written clarifications or changes become part of the Offeror’s Proposal.

b. When in the best interest of the AOC, the Procurement Officer may permit remaining

Offerors to revise their initial proposals and submit, in writing, Best and Final Offers

(BAFOs). The AOC may make award without issuing a request for a BAFO.

3. Recommendation for Award

a. Upon completion of the Proposal evaluations and rankings, and overall ranking will be designated to each Offeror.

b. The Procurement Officer will recommend award of the Purchase Order to the responsive and responsible Offeror that submitted the proposal determined to be the most advantageous to

END OF SECTION V.