[A]_C250153_RFP_Exhibit_A,_SOW_idedits.docx

RFP 250153

EXHIBIT A

SCOPE OF WORK

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Cloud Migration Hosting and Management

1.0 INTENT

The purpose of this solicitation is to acquire the services of a Contractor to build, deploy, and fully manage a Microsoft Azure cloud environment to support Orange County Transportation Authority’s (OCTA) desktop and enterprise GIS. OCTA’s web-based, enterprise GIS is currently hosted by physical server machines at an off-premises data center. All desktop GIS software is currently installed on physical on-premises workstations and connects to enterprise GIS servers through OCTA’s private network. Based on current GIS usage and requirements, Contractor shall plan, architect, deploy and manage an Azure cloud platform to support OCTA’s desktop and enterprise GIS. Once the cloud platform has been developed, Contractor shall migrate all geospatial data, services, automated workflows and content from the current platform to the cloud platform. This is a firm-fixed contract that covers a two (2)-phase approach: an initial deployment and migration phase (approximately four [4] to six [6] months), followed by a three (3)-year administration and management phase.

2.0 BACKGROUND

OCTA is a county transportation commission responsible for providing coordinated, effective, and accountable transportation planning and public transportation services within Orange County, California.

OCTA’s GIS Section was established in 1991 to primarily support strategic transportation planning. Since then, the GIS Section has evolved to support additional business functions within OCTA including transit operations, capital programs (construction and engineering), finance, external affairs, marketing, risk management, and information systems. From its beginning until now, OCTA has fully, and almost exclusively, utilized Esri (Environmental Systems Research Institute) ArcGIS products and services for its GIS activities.

Figure 1 – The business functions that GIS currently supports

Initially, most of the tasks that the GIS Section performed included preparing hardcopy maps and performing spatial analyses to provide answers to business questions. Over time, the GIS section began developing custom desktop applications and tools for non-GIS users and managing data on relational database management systems (RDBMS) and ultimately migrated many of these GIS functions to web-based platforms and services. Today, OCTA utilizes a full stack GIS platform using ArcGIS Pro for desktop; ArcGIS Enterprise for web-based applications and services; and Enterprise Geodatabases for geospatial data management. ArcGIS Enterprise is also used for inter-agency collaboration using ArcGIS-based data collection applications such as Survey 123. OCTA already has licenses for Esri GIS software and doesn’t anticipate any licensing costs for this contract.

The GIS Section, within OCTA’s Planning Division, has three (3) full-time staff members: a manager, a senior analyst, and a programmer/administrator. OCTA is licensed to support ten (10) desktop GIS power users that run ArcGIS Pro and ArcMap for analysis and preparing hardcopy maps. The internal web-based GIS applications are used by hundreds of OCTA employees. The public facing web-based GIS applications and services receive on average over five hundred (500) hits per day.

OCTA is ready for the next level of GIS computing where all GIS software will be hosted and managed on a cloud platform. This effort is in alignment with OCTA’s Information Systems (IS) Department, which is actively pursuing a cloud-first strategy on Microsoft Azure. The GIS Section of OCTA recognizes several key advantages of a cloud-hosted solution including:

· Lower Information Technology (IT) Overhead: Cloud providers handle hardware upgrades, security patches, and system maintenance.

· Reduced Infrastructure Costs: No need for expensive on-premises servers, networks, and their maintenance.

· High Availability: Cloud platforms distribute workloads across multiple data centers, reducing downtime.

· On-Demand Resources: Resources can be scaled up or down based on agency needs without large upfront investments.

· Advanced Security Measures: Cloud providers implement robust security protocols, including encryption, firewalls, and access controls.

· Backup and Disaster Recovery: Cloud providers offer built-in redundancy and backup solutions, ensuring data is safe in case of hardware failure or cyberattacks.

· Remote Access: GIS staff, stakeholders and end-users can access systems securely from almost anywhere with an internet connection.

By migrating to the cloud, the GIS Section can focus more on building capabilities for advanced and innovative mapping, analysis and visualization rather than routine infrastructure management.

3.0 DESCRIPTION OF GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

This section describes the general requirements for this project and is not intended to serve as technical specification.

3.1 REVIEW OF EXISTING SYSTEM

Upon project initiation, the hired Contractor shall be required to schedule and execute a kickoff meeting to discuss the project plan, schedule and control processes with OCTA stakeholders. The kickoff meeting will be an opportunity to meet with the teams of OCTA’s IS department, including the cyber security team.

After the kickoff, Contractor shall execute a comprehensive and detailed review of OCTA’s entire GIS software and hardware ecosystem for servers and workstations. With its current licensing, OCTA’s GIS enterprise architecture consists of single-machine deployment of ArcGIS Enterprise (version 11.3 Standard) with Portal, Server, Web Adapter and Data Store installed and running on one server. The ArcGIS Server component hosts over two hundred (200) services and there are about thirty (30) production web applications hosted through ArcGIS Portal. Contractor shall dedicate some time to test and review the hosted GIS applications to get a feel of the user experience and performance since the cloud environment must not introduce any latency or poor responsiveness to the end user. There are over twelve (12) enterprise geodatabases running on a server with Microsoft SQL Server 2019 Standard. Contractor shall review all geodatabase configurations, data footprints and security settings. Comment by Rhea Aninzo: Does MS SWL stand for “Microsoft Structured Query Language”? Comment by Steve Hossack: Yes. MS indicates Microsoft and SQL is structured query language. The industry-standard name is “Microsoft SQL Server”. I recommend using that. Comment by Iris Deneau: Good to leave as Microsoft SQL Contractor shall fully review OCTA’s desktop mapping, analysis and workflow activities. Hardcopy maps in the form of digital images and files are still an important product for projects, presentations, reports and studies. A major planning project such as the Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) may require hundreds of PDF (Portable Document Format) and image (i.e. JPEG, PNG) files. The virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) shall not introduce any performance degradation, latency or unnecessary complexity for power users of desktop GIS software. An appropriate file store solution must be implemented for storage and use of file-based data and documents that are needed for desktop GIS functionality. The file types include ArcMap documents (mxd), ArcGIS Pro project files (aprx), Esri Shapefiles, CSV, Excel, File Geodatabase, PDF, JPEG, and others. The size of file storage must have the capacity for all existing files and allow growth for about three (3) to four (4) years. Our OCTA’s current estimate for this storage size is about 2.0 terabytes (TB).

Many existing GIS workflows, analyses and production applications require the use of automated scripts and tools for extract, transform, and load (ETL) processes. For example, there are automated scripts to extract transit ridership information out of a central, on-premises Oracle data warehouse (DW). Currently, these processes can access the data warehouse through OCTA’s local network. However, once the processes are moved to a cloud platform, they will no longer be able to reach it. Contractor shall work with OCTA GIS and IS staff to devise a solution to smoothly facilitate these data flows.

Contractor shall be required to meet with the IS Department staff and the dDirector of cyber security to establish and document all security-related concerns and requirements. Contractor shall provide a written statement of all security practices, protocols, and procedures to be approved by the dDirector of cyber security before deploying the cloud environment. It is a requirement that all OCTA users of the cloud environment be able to login using their OCTA credentials. Therefore, Contractor shall meet with appropriate IS staff to discuss how to integrate Single Sign-On (SSO) authentication of the cloud environment with OCTA’s Active Directory identity provider.

3.2 ARCHITECTURE OF CLOUD ENVIRONMENT

Once existing system requirements and specifications have been finalized, Contractor shall architect an Azure cloud solution to support them. The solution shall be able to scale up and allow additional resources based on increased usage and/or additional future requirements but within certain limits of agreed upon cost.

The cloud architecture shall provide the following:

· Virtual server(s) to support the ArcGIS Enterprise platform

· Web Adaptor

· ArcGIS Server

· Portal

· Datastore

· Virtual server to support Microsoft SQL Server Comment by Rhea Aninzo: Does SQL stand for structured query language? Comment by Steve Hossack: Yes. But I highly recommend using the industry-standard name “Microsoft SQL Server”.

· Three (3) graphics processing unit (GPU) enabled virtual desktops to support ArcGIS Pro and other desktop software

· 2.0 TB of file-based storage The diagram in Figure 2 illustrates the desired components of the cloud platform but only serves as a high-level guide. Other required items not shown include, but are not limited to: Internet Gateway, load balancer, subnets, Active Directory, and backup/recovery services.

Figure 2 – OCTA’s GIS cloud platform concept diagram

3.3 MANAGEMENT OF CLOUD ENVIRONMENT

Once the GIS cloud environment is fully deployed, Contractor shall continue to maintain and administer the system for a period of three (3) years. The general responsibilities of Contractor to maintain and administer the cloud environment and ArcGIS Enterprise are outlined below.

1. ArcGIS Enterprise Deployment, Configuration and Administration

a. Installing and configuring ArcGIS Enterprise components (Portal, Server and Data Store).

b. Setting up Web Adaptors for secure access.

c. Configuring secure sockets layer (SSL) certificates and hypertext transfer protocol secure (HTTPS) settings.

d. Monitoring service performance and troubleshooting service failures.

2. Cloud Platform Security

a. Configuring identity providers (built-in, Active Directory, security assertion markup language [SAML], lightweight directory access protocol [LDAP]).

b. Configuring network security groups (NSG) and virtual private network (VPN) connections.

c. Configuring Active Directory authentication with database.

3. Database Deployment and Configuration

a. Setting up an Enterprise Geodatabase on Azure SQL Database or Azure SQL Managed Instance on Azure.

b. Configuring ArcGIS Server to connect to the database.

c. Applying database tuning settings for spatial data storage.

d. Scaling Azure SQL databases up/down based on usage.

e. Monitoring central processing unit (CPU), memory, and IOPS usage in Azure SQL Insights.

f. Ensuring ArcGIS Enterprise is updated to support database changes.

g. Managing driver compatibility for Azure SQL with ArcGIS.

4. Troubleshooting and Monitoring

a. Using ArcGIS Monitor or administrative tools to track system health.

b. Monitoring logs from Portal, Server, and Data Store for troubleshooting.

c. Monitoring database logs for errors or slow queries.

d. Using Azure Monitor and Log Analytics for insights into database health.

e. Troubleshooting ArcGIS connection issues to the geodatabase.

f. Investigating deadlocks, blocking queries, and slow spatial operations.

5. Backup and Disaster Recovery

a. Scheduling regular backups for ArcGIS Server and Portal.

b. Managing ArcGIS Data Store backup and restore processes.

c. Using Esri’s web GIS disaster recovery (WebGISDR) tool for full-stack recovery when required.

d. Configuring automated database backups using Azure Backup.

e. Developing and testing disaster recovery plans.

6. Software Updates and Patch Management

a. Applying Esri patches and security updates.

b. Upgrading ArcGIS Enterprise to newer versions.

c. Applying SQL Server updates and patches.

The general responsibilities of Contractor to maintain and administer the virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) for desktop software are outlined below.

1. Virtual Desktop Deployment & Configuration

a. Setting up VDI environments using VMware Horizon, Citrix Virtual Apps & Desktops, or Microsoft AVD.

b. Installing and configuring ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Desktop (ArcMap) and other desktop software in a golden image.

c. Ensuring GPU acceleration is enabled (e.g., NVIDIA GRID vGPU for 3D rendering).

2. Performance and Optimization Administration and Support

a. Allocating appropriate CPU, random access memory (RAM), and GPU resources for GIS workloads.

b. Optimizing network latency and bandwidth for remote GIS users.

c. Monitoring and resolving VDI performance issues (lag, crashes, high latency).

d. Investigating GIS application errors and conflicts in VDI environments.

3. Security and Compliance

a. Applying security patches and updates for operating system (OS), GIS software, and hypervisors.

b. Enforcing role-based access controls (RBAC).

c. Monitoring for unauthorized access or usage.

4. Backup and Disaster Recovery

a. Implementing snapshot-based backups for VDI images.

b. Testing and documenting recovery plans.

The items listed above are not exhaustive and will depend on the proposed solution and agreed upon responsibilities.

OCTA GIS staff shall be responsible for some high-level administrative tasks for ArcGIS Enterprise and Enterprise Geodatabases. Contractor shall be required to configure the cloud environment, database and GIS software to enable GIS staff to perform some of these high-level tasks outlined below.

1. ArcGIS Enterprise (Server, Portal and Data Store)

a. Publishing, updating, and securing GIS services (feature, map, geoprocessing, etc.).

b. Organizing and managing portal items (maps, apps, layers, dashboards).

c. Managing content metadata.

d. Managing users, roles, and permissions in Portal for ArcGIS.

e. Configuring portal groups for collaboration.

f. Controlling sharing policies (public, organization, groups).

g. Configuring Web GIS settings such as basemaps, locators, and print services.

h. Controlling and tuning service parameters (instances, timeouts, caching).

i. Configuring Open Data portals.

j. Customizing the ArcGIS Enterprise portal user interface (UI) and branding.

2. Enterprise Geodatabase

a. Creating and managing feature classes, feature datasets, tables, and relationship classes.

b. Assigning database permissions for GIS users (viewers, editors, administrators).

c. Performing geodatabase compress operations to optimize storage.

d. Using ArcPy scripts to manage feature classes and perform geoprocessing.

e. Manage traditional and branch versioning for editing geodatabases.

The items listed above are not exhaustive and will depend on the proposed solution architecture and agreed upon and documented responsibilities defined in the first Task of the project.

3.4 EXIT STRATEGY

An exit strategy is required for the cloud environment service agreement for this contract. This shall ensure that OCTA has a clear and defined process for transitioning away from Contractor services, whether at the end of the contract or due to other reasons. The exit strategy shall outline how OCTA can move their data, applications, and services to another provider or back to on-premises systems while minimizing downtime, costs, and risks.

4.0 CONTRACTOR QUALIFICATIONS

OCTA intends to select a Contractor with in-depth knowledge of the Esri ArcGIS Enterprise platform and suite of desktop products with several successful GIS cloud migration and hosting projects for public sector clients. The most important Contractor qualifications that OCTA is seeking are listed below:

· Either Gold or Platinum Esri Partner Comment by Iris Deneau: Should include this in the RFP under proposal forma and content

For bullets #3&4 - do these apply to the firm as a whole or to the specific key staff proposed?

· Azure certified staff

· Ten (10) years of proven experience planning, architecting, implementing and maintaining the full stack of ArcGIS Enterprise for public agencies

· Seven (7) years of proven experience implementing GIS managed cloud services using Esri technology

· Expertise in integrating ArcGIS Enterprise security with an organization's Active Directory

· Experience with implementing ArcGIS Enterprise and Geodatabases for high availability

· Experience in developing and maintaining a service level agreement (SLA) that ensures high availability and performance and minimum downtime for ArcGIS Enterprise

· Five (5) years of proven experience in hosting virtual desktop machines on the cloud that run ArcGIS Pro while maintaining a high level of performance and stability

· Experience with public sector clients, especially in transportation

5.0 WORK PLAN

The work plan will be executed in two (2) phases. The first phase will involve Contractor planning, architecting, and deploying the cloud environment. After that, Contractor shall migrate all GIS services, data and content from legacy to the cloud environment. The second phase will involve Contractor performing the duties of fully managing the GIS cloud environment for a three (3)-year period.

Phase 1 – Cloud Environment Architecture and Migration Task 1 - Project Initiation and Planning Contractor shall work with OCTA to refine and finalize the project, scope, requirements, and deliverables, and establish a project timeline. The anticipated deliverables are outlined below.

1. Project Kickoff Meeting

a. Introduce key stakeholders from both parties.

b. Outline objectives, timeline, and roles.

c. Review the existing infrastructure and data.

d. Review existing software and licensing and determine if any changes are needed

2. Detailed Migration Plan

a. Define the scope of migration (ArcGIS Enterprise, ArcGIS Pro, and associated databases).

b. Identify dependencies and data integration needs.

c. Establish risk management and mitigation strategies.

3. Cloud Infrastructure Design

a. Design the Azure environment (networking, storage, security, etc.).

b. Identify appropriate Azure resources and services (e.g., Azure VMs, SQL Database, Blob Storage).

c. Draft an architecture diagram.

4. Service Level Agreement (SLA)

a. Develop an SLA to cover the second phase of the project.

b. Provide details of what services are included (and excluded) in the SLA.

c. Establish measurable service levels.

i. Examples:

1. Uptime: 99.5% monthly

2. Web Map Rendering Time (avg): <500 ms

3. Spatial Query Response Time: < 2 seconds

d. Establish monitoring and reporting

e. Define support and maintenance procedures

f. Set Service Credits or Penalties

i. Define what happens if service levels are not met (e.g., refunds, discounts/credits, termination options)

5. Exit Strategy Agreement

a. Define the events that might lead to an exit (e.g., breach of SLA or contract, vendor insolvency or acquisition, pricing changes).

b. Define the exit notice period.

c. Develop a transition plan.

6. Finalize Task 1

a. Review and sign off on Task deliverables

b. Determine if project can proceed to Task 2 Task 2 -Pre-Migration Setup In this task, Contractor shall prepare the Azure environment for migration and configure necessary cloud resources. The deliverables are outlined below.

1. Azure Cloud Setup and Configuration

a. Set up Azure subscriptions and resource groups.

b. Configure Virtual Networks, Subnets, and Security Groups to ensure a secure environment.

c. Deploy base infrastructure components (e.g., VMs, databases, storage, network configurations).

2. Backup and Testing of Current Environment

a. Backup all current GIS data, configurations, and applications.

3. Migration Tools and Procedures

a. Set up necessary migration tools and protocols.

b. Develop a detailed migration checklist.

4. Finalize Task 2

a. Review and sign off on Task deliverables

b. Determine if project can proceed to Task 3 Task 3 – Migration of GIS Systems to Azure In this task, Contractor will shall execute the migration ArcGIS Enterprise and ArcGIS Pro to the Azure environment. The deliverables are outlined below.

1. ArcGIS Enterprise Migration

a. Migrate ArcGIS Server, Portal for ArcGIS, ArcGIS Data Store, and other essential components to Azure.

b. Set up web access, load balancing, and security ArcGIS Enterprise in Azure.

c. Migrate all associated geodatabases and configure them for Azure SQL Database

2. ArcGIS Pro Configuration

a. Migrate licenses and configurations for ArcGIS Pro installations.

b. Ensure that desktop workstations are properly connected to the Azure-hosted ArcGIS Enterprise environment.

3. Testing and Validation

a. Test the functionality and performance of the new cloud-based GIS system.

b. Verify that all workflows, applications, and data are accessible and operating correctly.

4. Finalize Task 3

a. Review and sign off on Task deliverables

b. Determine if project can proceed to Task 4 Task 4 -Post-Migration Optimization and Monitoring Setup For this task, e Contractor will shall optimize the cloud environment and establish monitoring and performance tracking. The deliverables are outlined below.

1. Performance Optimization

a. Fine-tune system settings for optimal performance in the cloud.

b. Adjust resources such as VMs, storage, and network configurations as needed.

2. Monitoring Setup

a. Set up monitoring tools (e.g., Azure Monitor, ArcGIS Monitoring Tools) for tracking system performance, uptime, and resource usage.

b. Implement alerting mechanisms for critical issues.

3. Documentation

a. Provide comprehensive documentation for the cloud-based GIS environment, including architecture diagrams, user guides, and maintenance instructions.

b. Finalize and sign the SLA

c. Finalize and sign the Exit Strategy Agreement

4. Finalize Task 4

a. Review and sign off on Task deliverables

b. Determine if project can proceed to Phase 2 Phase 2 - Task 1 - Ongoing Management and Support (3 Years) During the second phase of this project, Contractor shall provide ongoing management, support and optimization for the cloud-based GIS environment over a three (3)-year term. In addition, the SLA and Exit Strategy Agreement will be in effect. The deliverables are outlined below

1. Monthly System Maintenance and Updates

a. Perform regular updates and patches for ArcGIS Enterprise, ArcGIS Pro, and Azure components.

b. Implement security updates and ensure compliance with best practices.

2. Performance Monitoring and Reporting

a. Monitor system performance, resource usage, and availability.

b. Provide monthly performance reports and adjust resources as necessary.

3. Incident Management and Support

a. Offer 24/7 technical support for troubleshooting and resolving issues.

b. Establish a clear incident escalation process.

4. Optimization and Scaling

a. Continuously assess and optimize the cloud environment for cost and performance.

b. Scale resources as needed based on organizational growth or changes in GIS workload.

5. Quarterly Review Meetings

a. Meet quarterly to review system performance, security, and any new needs or requirements.

b. Provide recommendations for further optimizations or upgrades.

c. Vendor will prepare a quarterly report summarizing items covered in each meeting.

6. End-of-Term Review and Handoff

a. At the conclusion of the three-year term, conduct a review of the services provided.

b. Provide a plan for transition or continuation of services as needed.

6.0 SCHEDULE

OCTA anticipates executing an Agreement and starting the project in the Spring of 2026. OCTA intends that Contractor shall have completed the cloud migration in the Fall of 2026 and the cloud hosting phase will begin. The cloud hosting phase shall last three (3) years until the Fall of 2029. OCTA anticipates an overall project duration of approximately three- and- a- half (3 ½) years. Contractor shall state its readiness and commitment to support this schedule in its proposal.

LIMITATION ON GOVERNMENTAL DECISIONS

Nothing contained in this scope of work permits Contractor’s personnel to authorize or direct any actions, votes, appoint any person, obligate, or commit OCTA to any course of action or enter into any contractual agreement on behalf of OCTA. In addition, Contractor’s personnel shall not provide information, an opinion, or a recommendation for the purpose of affecting a decision without significant intervening substantive review by OCTA personnel, counsel, and management.

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