Agency Payroll System RFP FINAL.docx

Illinois State Board of Education Request for Proposal Agency Payroll System

25-586SBE-CHOPE-B-45866

Section A. SCOPE OF WORK

A.1. OVERVIEW AND PURPOSE

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is seeking a vendor to provide a new agency payroll processing system. A new Payroll System must be able to meet our growing needs to adjust to scale.

A.2. DESIRED OUTCOMES OF THIS PROJECT/ENGAGEMENT

ISBE is interested in obtaining a new cloud-based system with a single sign-on (SSO) with Active Directory or Entra ID to process payroll. The primary purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to solicit competitive Bids and proposals from different vendors so that ISBE can evaluate its options and select the most suitable vendor.

A.3. SCHEDULE

Below is an estimated timeline of the procurement process:

Bid Posted – January 21, 2025 Bid Opening – February 20, 2025 Evaluation – February 21, 2025 – March 7, 2025 Demonstrations – March 12, 2025 Award – March 20, 2025 Execution – April 14, 2025 System Go live – No later than December 31, 2025

A.4. TERM

A.4.1. TERM OF THIS CONTRACT: The contract resulting from this procurement will have an initial term commencing upon execution and ending on June 30, 2029. In no event will the total term of the contract, including the initial term, any renewal terms, and any extensions, exceed 10 years. Vendor shall not commence billable work in furtherance of the contract prior to final execution of the contract except when permitted pursuant to 30 ILCS 500/20-80.

Section B. CURRENT CONDITIONS

B.1. OVERVIEW & BACKGROUND

ISBE is seeking a vendor to provide a new agency payroll processing system. A new Payroll System must be able to meet our growing needs to adjust to scale. The Payroll System must be useable over the long term and have the capacity to be upgraded, if needed. It must be a cloud-based system with an SSO with Active Directory or Entra ID. Cost structure of upgrades and maintenance must be provided for transparency. The system also must contain options for talent management applications to enable the agency to manage functions such as timekeeping, recruitment, onboarding, performance management, training and development, and succession planning.

B.2. AREAS OF CONCERN/CHALLENGES

The payroll process at ISBE is burdened with several inefficiencies and challenges that significantly impact its effectiveness and accuracy. The process is complicated by the excessive number of forms and requests received through various channels, such as emails, SharePoint, physical documents, and internal systems like the Human Resources Management System (HRMS). The lack of integration between these systems further exacerbates the issue, necessitating manual data entry across multiple platforms, which increases the risk of errors and consumes substantial staff time. Moreover, the absence of established metrics and key performance indicators makes it difficult to monitor the efficiency, accuracy, or timeliness of payroll operations, hindering the identification of areas for improvement. The process also relies heavily on manual interventions, with inconsistent data validation and no real-time feedback mechanisms, leading to potential errors and delayed corrective actions. Additionally, the high resource intensity of managing 50 to 400 changes per pay period, coupled with the potential for overlapping responsibilities due to multiple approval layers, further underscores the need for streamlining and optimizing processes within the payroll department.

ISBE is currently utilizing the Central Payroll System of the Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology (DoIT). That system is hosted on DoIT’s IBM z/OS-based mainframe. DoIT plans to retire that system by calendar year 2025. It is in the process of procuring the Human Capital Management (HCM) tool, which contains a payroll module, but that system is not designed to meet the demands of ISBE. The Human Resources Department has been experiencing issues with the Employee Central module that is part of the HCM tool, including timeliness of issue resolution, missing fields, data errors, and complications with various fields. In addition, the module cannot be customized and is not a repository for historical documents. Data quality issues, such as inaccuracies and inconsistencies, have negatively impacted system performance and reliability. Lack of customization requires the agency to maintain and provide support to legacy systems. A significant flaw in the HCM system is the lack of integration capability with the agency’s Management Information Database Accounting System. The accounting system hosts the agency budget tables and pay codes, and is necessary to process payroll.

B.3. STRENGTHS

ISBE staff supporting the current payroll process (Human Resources, Budget, Payroll System Solutions+ and Technology Support and Infrastructure) consistently goes above and beyond by performing thorough and meticulous checks on every payroll update. This extra effort ensures the accuracy of the data, even under tight deadlines, to compensate for the system’s lack of automated validation.

The agency is currently using the Human Resources Management System (HRMS), which was developed by ISBE programmers, as its central repository for all personnel-related transactions as well as its budgeting database. HRMS is LAN-based app with a SQL server backend. The system is adequate for those purposes, but is not capable of processing payroll.

Section C. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS Only Electronic Submissions through BidBuy of Offers will be Accepted

C.1. REQUIRED DOCUMENTS TO COMPLETE AND SUBMIT

The Offeror shall submit the listed documents in BidBuy under the Attachments tab in the appropriate “Required Attachments” spaces.

· Vendor Disclosure or IPG Active Registered Vendor Disclosure

· Offer to State (Including Subcontractor Disclosure and Where Services are to be Performed, found in BidBuy Attachments.)

· Technical response

· Commitment to Diversity

· BEP Utilization Plan

· VBP Utilization Plan Blank documents may be found on the Chief Procurement Officer for General Service’s website at https://cpo-general.illinois.gov/solicitation-and-contract-templates.html and on the BidBuy posting under “File Attachments:”. Business Enterprise Program/Veterans Small Business Program Utilization Plan may be downloaded from the Commission on Equity and Inclusion’s website at https://cei.illinois.gov/purchasing-entity-resources/compliance.html.

Failure to submit Vendor Disclosure or IPG Active Registered Vendor Disclosure, as applicable, and the Utilization Plan(s), as applicable, with the Offer submitted in BidBuy shall render the Offer non-responsive.

Offerors are required to submit their response to the State’s solicitation through BidBuy. Any information sent to the State outside of BidBuy (e.g., by U.S. Mail, FedEx, UPS, email, or hand-delivery) will neither be accepted nor considered. Offeror submissions will only be considered if they are received through BidBuy and on or before the time and date indicated as the “Bid Opening Date” on the BidBuy posting. Any required attachments must be submitted via BidBuy.

Price entries on the Items tab will be locked automatically upon submission of the quote. Entering cost, pricing or discount information in the Alternate Description may result in disqualification. If the agency requires pricing to be submitted in an attachment, Offeror shall upload pricing under the “Required Documents” section on the Attachments tab and check the box “Does the attachment contain any pricing, cost or discount information?”. Failure to check this box allows your pricing to be viewed when Bids are opened and will result in disqualification of your Offer. NOTE: Do not check “Does the attachment contain any pricing, cost or discount information” if the attachment does NOT include pricing, cost, or discount information.

Documents shall be submitted in an electronic format that is accessible and readable using Microsoft Office suite Payroll System or Adobe Reader. Corrupted files shall not be considered. It is the Offeror’s responsibility to check that files are accessible and legible after uploading.

The Offeror is solely responsible for ensuring timely submission of their electronic solicitation response. Failure to allow adequate time prior to the Bid Opening Date to complete and submit a response to a solicitation, particularly in the event technical support assistance from the State is required, places the Offeror and their Offer or response at risk of not being accepted.

The State encourages the Offeror to ensure that their BidBuy account is up to date. It is recommended that you access your BidBuy account prior to the solicitation due date and time to make sure that your company’s information is up to date and your password is current. Files may be uploaded at any time prior to submission.

File size may impact the uploading and downloading speed and may lead to browser time-outs, resulting in failed upload/download attempts. Please consider this dependency when attaching very large documents.

OFFEROR INSTRUCTIONS TO SUBMIT IN BIDBUY

Create Quote:

Note: Any pricing entered in the Unit Cost of the Items Tab will be locked until after Technical Evaluations take place. Do not enter cost, pricing, or any discount information in the Alternate Description field. Entering cost, pricing, or discount information in the Alternate Description may result in disqualification.

Note: If taking any exceptions to Standard Terms and Conditions an Offeror must submit a redline version of the Standard Terms and Conditions with their proposal.

: “Upload” (next to each required attachment).

: “Choose File.”

Note: If a pricing document is required, mark the box next to the question, “Does this attachment contain any pricing, cost, or discount information?”.

Failure to mark this box when attaching a pricing document will result in disqualification.

Check this box ONLY if a separate pricing document is required.

Do NOT check this box for any other required quote attachment such as the Technical Proposal, Vendor Disclosure / IPG Active Registered Vendor Disclosure, or Utilization Plan(s), or Offer.

Offerors may also view the “Request for Proposal (RFP) Vendor Submission Instructions Video found at https://cpo-general.illinois.gov/vendor-resources.html

C.2. DUE DATE AND TIME FOR SUBMISSION OF OFFERS

Each solicitation contains the Offer due date and time, appearing as the “Bid Opening Date:” on the BidBuy posting. Offeror shall submit Offers in BidBuy, and the State shall open Offers electronically in BidBuy on the “Bid Opening Date.” The Offer must remain firm for 180 days from opening.

C.3. CONFLICT BETWEEN INFORMATION IN ELECTRONIC DOCUMENTS AND ON BIDBUY

If the State provides information in electronic documents (i.e., the RFP and other attachments) that is different or in conflict with the information the State provides on BidBuy, then the information in electronic documents is presumed to represent the State’s intent. If the Offeror provides information in electronic documents that is different or in conflict with the information the Offeror provides in BidBuy through their Seller Account, then the information in electronic documents shall represent the Offeror’s intended submission.

C.4. PUBLISHED PROCUREMENT INFORMATION

The State publishes procurement information, including solicitations, awards, and amendments, on the Chief Procurement Officer for General Services’ Illinois Procurement Bulletin, known as the Bulletin or BidBuy (https://www.bidbuy.illinois.gov/bso/). Procurement information may not be available in any other form or location. Offeror is responsible for monitoring BidBuy. The State will not be held responsible if Offeror fails to receive the optional email notice of future amendments to the solicitation.

C.5. INFORMATION CONTACT

The individual listed in the “Info Contact:” field on the BidBuy posting shall be the single point of contact for this solicitation. Unless otherwise directed, Offeror should only communicate with the Information Contact. The State/agency shall not be held responsible for information provided by or to any other person.

Suspected errors should be immediately reported to the Information Contact. Do not discuss, directly or indirectly, the solicitation or any Offer with any State officer or employee other than the Information Contact.

C.6. OFFEROR QUESTIONS AND AGENCY RESPONSE

All questions, other than questions raised at the Pre-Submission Conference, pertaining to this solicitation must be submitted in writing to the Information Contact no later than February 4, 2025. Questions received and agency responses may be posted as a Bid Amendment to the original solicitation on BidBuy; only these posted answers to questions shall be binding on the State. Offeror is responsible for monitoring BidBuy and BidBuy email notifications.

C.7. PRE-SUBMISSION CONFERENCE

The agency may conduct a Mandatory or Non-Mandatory Pre-Submission Conference, listed in the “Pre-Bid Conference:” field of the BidBuy posting. Please refer to BidBuy for this information.

If attendance is mandatory, Offeror (current contractor included) will be disqualified and considered non-responsive if Offeror does not attend, is not on time, leaves early, or fails to sign the attendance sheet. Offeror must allow adequate time to accommodate security screenings at the site.

C.8. SMALL BUSINESS SET-ASIDE

In the Bulletin posting, if “Yes” is shown to the question “Is this a Small Business Set-Aside Procurement?”, then Offeror must be registered by the Illinois Small Business Set-Aside Program at the time Offers are due for the Offer to be evaluated. For requirements on qualifying Offeror’s business in the Small Business Set-Aside Program, please go to the Chief Procurement Office for General Service’s website at https://cpo-general.illinois.gov/sell-2-illinois.html.

C.9. BUSINESS ENTERPRISE FOR MINORITIES, WOMEN, AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES ACT PARTICIPATION AND UTILIZATION PLAN

The BidBuy posting indicates whether this solicitation contains a goal to include businesses owned and controlled by minorities, women, and persons with disabilities. If this solicitation contains a goal, then failure to complete and submit a Utilization Plan, including documentation demonstrating good faith efforts when requesting a waiver, shall render the Offer non-responsive (30 ILCS 575/4(e)). All questions regarding the subcontracting goal must be directed to the Information Contact indicated in BidBuy no later than February 4, 2025. See the Utilization Plan for NIGP codes used to establish this goal.

BEP Goal: 2.1% Go to https://cei.illinois.gov/vendor-resources/get-bep-certified.html for complete requirements for BEP certification. Go to State of Illinois Commission on Equity and Inclusion at https://supplierdiversitymanagementportal.illinois.gov/home.aspx to search for certified BEP vendors.

C.10. VETERAN SMALL BUSINESS PARTICIPATION AND UTLIZATION PLAN

The BidBuy posting indicates whether this solicitation contains a goal to include businesses owned and controlled by military veterans. If this solicitation contains a goal, then failure to submit a Utilization Plan as instructed later in this solicitation may render the Offer non-responsive. All questions regarding the subcontracting goal must be directed to the Information Contact indicated in BidBuy no later than February 4, 2025. See the Utilization Plan for NIGP codes used to establish this goal.

VBP Goal: 1% Go to https://cei.illinois.gov/veterans-business-program.html for complete requirements for Veteran Owned Small Business (VOSB) or Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) certification. Go to State of Illinois Commission on Equity and Inclusion at https://supplierdiversitymanagementportal.illinois.gov/home.aspx to search for certified VOSB and SDVOSB vendors.

C.11. SECURITY

Bid/Performance Bond: $ N/A. If a bond is required, Offeror must submit the Bid Bond with your Offer or Performance Bond to the Information Contact within 10 days after contract execution. The bond must be from a surety licensed to do business in Illinois. An irrevocable letter of credit is an acceptable substitute. The form of security must be acceptable to the State.

C.12. TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Standard Terms and Conditions will become a part of any resulting contract. To view the Standard Terms and Conditions, please go to https://cpo-general.illinois.gov/solicitation-and-contract-templates.html.

Section D. EVALUATION PROCEDURES

D.1. EVALUATION PROCESS

The State assesses each Offer for Responsibility (E.10) and Responsiveness. The State considers the information provided and the quality of that information when assessing Offers. If the State finds a failure or deficiency, the State may reject the Offer or reflect the failure or deficiency in the assessment.

There are three scored parts to each proposal – Technical, Commitment to Diversity, and Pricing. Each part of the proposal is evaluated and ranked independently of the other parts of the proposal. The results of the evaluation of all three parts shall be used in ranking the proposals.

The State may award to the most responsive and responsible Offeror whose Offer best meets the specified criteria.

D.2. RESPONSIVENESS

A responsive Offeror is one who submits an Offer that conforms in all material respects to the Request for Proposal and includes all required forms.

D.2.1. The State will determine whether the Offeror complied with the instructions for submitting Offers. Except for late submissions, and other requirements that by law must be part of the submission, the State may require that an Offeror correct deficiencies as a condition of further evaluation.

D.2.2. Subcontractor Disclosure: If the Offer includes any subcontractors, then Offeror shall complete the Subcontractor Disclosure section of the Offer to the State of Illinois.

D.2.3. If completing IPG Active Registered Vendor Disclosure, then responsiveness may include and may not be limited to:

· Active Illinois Procurement Gateway registration # with expiration date

· Certifications timely to this solicitation

· Disclosure of lobbyists for Offeror and parent entity(ies)

· Disclosure of pending and current contracts

D.2.4. If completing Vendor Disclosure, required parts may include and may not be limited to:

D.2.5. The State will determine whether the Offer meets the stated Technical Requirements. Minor differences or deviations that have negligible impact on the Price or suitability of the supply or service to meet the State’s needs may be accepted or corrections allowed. If no Offeror meets a particular Technical Requirement, the State may waive that requirement.

D.2.6. When the specification calls for “Brand Name or Equal,” the brand name product is acceptable. Other products will be considered with proof that the other product meets stated specifications and is equivalent to the brand product in terms of quality, performance, and desired characteristics.

D.3. EVALUATION METHODOLOGY

The Technical Requirements are described in Sections F.1., F.2., F.3., F.5, and F.6. The State evaluates the Technical Requirements without consideration of Price.

D.3.1. Total Number of Points Available for Technical Requirements is: 800.

D.3.2. Offeror shall complete and return Sections F.1., F.2., F.3.

D.3.3. Relative Weight in Point Format

D.4. COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY ELEMENTS

Sections 20-15 and 35-30 of the Illinois Procurement Code (30 ILCS 500/) require Offerors to be evaluated on their Commitment to Diversity. The points available for Commitment to Diversity are described in Section F.4. and are equivalent to 20% of the Technical Requirements points. The State evaluates Commitment to Diversity without consideration of Price.

D.4.1. The total number of points for Commitment to Diversity is 160.

D.4.2. Offeror shall complete and return Section F.4 Commitment to Diversity.

D.4.3. Commitment to Diversity Categories: The percentages at the end of each section reflect the weighted distribution of points available identified in D.4.1.

Commitment to Diversity Categories

Category 1 – BEP Compliance - Whether or how well the Offeror meets this solicitation’s goal of contracting or subcontracting with businesses owned by women, minorities, or persons with disabilities. 5%

Category 2 – Subcontracting/Contracting with any WMD businesses (not limited to BEP vendors) - Whether the Offeror assisted businesses owned by women, minorities, or persons with disabilities. 10%

Category 3 – Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Spend – Offeror’s percentage of business, education and/or community spend from prior calendar year gross revenue that involves businesses owned by women, minorities and/or persons with disabilities. The assisted businesses are not required to be certified in the Illinois Business Enterprise Program. 20%

Category 4 – DEI Time - Offeror’s hours spent in the prior calendar year on promoting DEI in the workplace, the community, education institutes, or supporting businesses owned by women, minorities, or persons with disabilities. The assisted business is not required to be certified in the Illinois Business Enterprise Program. The success or failure of each event does not impact the points achieved. The event may be voluntary or paid time. 20%

Category 5 – DEI Policies - Entity has provided a written copy of, or link to, their current written workforce diversity, equity, and inclusion policy. Policies must be actionable plans, not overarching concepts around DEI. 10%

Category 6 – Diversity in Staffing - % of individuals on governing board and/or Senior executives out of all staff who identify as women, minorities or person with disabilities. 10% % of individuals in management/supervisor positions out of all staff who identify as women, minorities or person with disabilities. 13% % of total staff who identify as women, minorities or person with disabilities. 12%

D.5. MINIMUM REQUIRED POINTS 700 points

Requests for Proposal may specify that Offerors must receive a minimum number of points in their Technical and Commitment to Diversity proposals combined to be considered for Price evaluation and award.

The State determines how well Offers meet the Technical and Commitment to Diversity requirements and rank the Offers from best to least qualified using a point ranking system (unless otherwise specified) as an aid in conducting the evaluation. Offerors who receive fewer than the minimum required points will not be considered for Price evaluation and award.

D.5.1. The total number of available points for Technical and Commitment to Diversity is 960.

D.6. PRICE

The State opens Price proposals after evaluating all Technical and Commitment to Diversity proposals.

If the State does not consider the Price to be fair and reasonable and negotiations fail to meet an acceptable Price, the State reserves the right to cancel the award and take appropriate action to meet the needs of the State. The State determines whether the Price is fair and reasonable by considering the Offer, including the Offeror's qualifications, the Offeror's reputation, all Price proposals submitted, other known Prices, the project budget, and other relevant factors.

D.6.1. The total number of points for Price is 280 D.6.2. The State will determine Price points using the following formula:

Maximum Price Points X (Lowest Price/Offeror’s Price) = Total Price Points

D.7. MAXIMUM AVAILABLE POINTS

The maximum number of points is 1000 (Technical) + 200 (Commitment to Diversity) + 280 (Price) = 1480 maximum available points.

Section E. ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS

E.1. GOVERNING LAW AND FORUM

Illinois law and rules govern this solicitation and any resulting contract. Offeror must bring any action relating to this solicitation or any resulting contract in the appropriate court in Illinois. This document contains statutory references designated with “ILCS”. To view the full text, go to http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs.asp . The Illinois Procurement Code (30 ILCS 500) and the Standard Procurement Rules (44 ILL. ADM. CODE PART 1) are applicable to this solicitation. To view them respectively, go to http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs5.asp?ActID=532&ChapterID=7) and https://www.ilga.gov/commission/jcar/admincode/044/044parts.html

E.2. PUBLIC RECORDS AND REQUESTS FOR CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT

Offers become the property of the State. All Offers will be open to the public under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 ILCS 140) and other applicable laws and rules, unless Offeror requests in its Offer that the State treat certain information as confidential. A request for confidential treatment will not supersede the State’s legal obligations under FOIA. The State will not honor requests to keep entire Offers confidential. Offerors must show the specific grounds in FOIA or other law or rule that support confidential treatment. Regardless, the State will disclose the successful Offeror’s name, the substance of the Offer, and the Price.

If Offeror requests confidential treatment, Offeror must submit additional copy/copies (see Instructions for Submission of Offers in Section C.) of the Offer with proposed confidential information redacted. This redacted copy must tell the general nature of the material removed and shall retain as much of the Offer as possible. In a separate attachment, Offeror shall supply a listing of the provisions identified by section number for which it seeks confidential treatment and identify the statutory basis or bases under Illinois law, including a detailed justification for exempting the information from public disclosure.

Offeror will hold harmless and indemnify the State for all costs or damages associated with the State defending Offeror’s request for confidential treatment. Offeror agrees that the State may copy the Offer to facilitate evaluation, or to respond to requests for public records. Offeror warrants that such copying will not violate the rights of any third party.

E.3. MINORITY CONTRACTOR INITIATIVE

The State requires a fee of $15 to cover expenses related to the administration of the Minority Contractor Opportunity Initiative. Any Offeror awarded a contract of $1,000 or more under Section 20-10, 20-15, 20-25, or 20-30 of the Illinois Procurement Code (30 ILCS 500) is required to pay a fee of $15. The Comptroller shall deduct the fee from the first check issued to the vendor under the contract and deposit the fee in the Comptroller’s Administrative Fund (15 ILCS 405/23.9).

E.4. FEDERAL FUNDS

The resulting contract may be partially or totally funded with Federal funds. Upon notice of intent to award, the percentage of supplies and/or services involved that are Federally funded and the dollar amount of such Federal funds will be disclosed.

E.5. EMPLOYMENT TAX CREDIT

Offerors who hire qualified veterans and certain ex-offenders may be eligible for tax credits (30 ILCS 500/45-67 and 45-70). Please contact the Illinois Department of Revenue at 217-524-4772 for information about tax credits (35 ILCS 5/216, 5/217).

E.6. RESERVATIONS

Offeror must read and understand the solicitation and tailor the Offer and all activities to ensure compliance. The State reserves the right to amend the solicitation; reject any or all Offers; award by item/services, group of items/services, or grand total; and waive minor defects. The State may request a clarification, inspect Offeror’s premises, interview staff, request a presentation, or otherwise verify the contents of the Offer, including information about subcontractors and suppliers. The State may request Best and Final Offers when appropriate. The State will make all decisions on compliance, evaluation, and terms and conditions, and shall make decisions in the best interests of the State and in accordance with the Illinois Procurement Code, rules, and other applicable State and Federal statutes and regulations. This competitive process may require that Offeror provide additional information and otherwise cooperate with the State. If an Offeror does not comply with requests for information and cooperate, the State may reject the Offer as non-responsive to the solicitation. Submitting an Offer does not entitle Offeror to an award or a contract. Posting a vendor’s name in a Bulletin notice does not entitle the vendor to a contract. The State is not responsible for and will not pay any costs associated with the preparation and submission of any Offer.

Awarded Offeror(s) shall not commence and will not be paid for any billable work undertaken prior to the date all parties execute the contract, unless approved in writing in advance by the State Purchasing Officer or the Chief Procurement Officer (or designee).

E.7. AWARD

The State is not obligated to award a contract pursuant to this solicitation. If the State issues an award, the award will be made to the responsive and responsible Offeror whose Offer best meets the specified criteria unless otherwise permitted by the Illinois Procurement Code and Illinois Administrative Code. However, if the State does not consider the Price to be fair and reasonable and negotiations fail to meet an acceptable Price, then the State reserves the right to cancel the award and take appropriate action to meet the needs of the State. The State will determine whether the Price is fair and reasonable by considering the Offer, including the Offeror's qualifications, the Offeror's reputation, all Prices submitted, other known Prices, the project budget, and other relevant factors. The State will post a notice to the Bulletin identifying the apparent most responsive and responsible Offeror.

E.8. INVOICING ADDRESS

The awarded vendor shall invoice at the completion of the contract unless invoicing is tied in the contract to milestones, deliverables, or other invoicing requirements agreed to in the contract. The Bulletin posting contains the “Bill-to Address:” where invoices should be sent.

Vendor shall not bill for any taxes unless accompanied by proof that the State is subject to the tax. If necessary, vendor may request the applicable agency’s Illinois tax exemption number and Federal tax exemption information.

E.9. PROTEST REVIEW OFFICE

Offeror may submit a written protest to the Protest Review Office following the requirements of the Standard Procurement Rules (44 Ill. Admin. Code 1.5550). For protests related to specifications, the Protest Review Office must physically receive the protest no later than 14 days after the solicitation or related addendum was posted to the Bulletin. For protests related to rejection of individual proposals or awards, the protest must be received by close of business no later than 14 days after the protesting party knows or should have known of the facts giving rise to the protest. The Protest Review Office’s information is as follows:

Chief Procurement Office Attn: Protest Review Office 300 West Jefferson Suite 128 Springfield, IL 62702 Email: cpogs.pro@illinois.gov

E.10. RESPONSIBILITY

A “responsible” Offeror is one who has the capability in all respects to perform fully the contract requirements and who has the integrity and reliability that will assure good faith performance. The State determines whether the Offeror is a responsible Offeror, one with whom the State can or should do business. For example, the State may consider the following:

E.10.1. A “prohibited” bidder includes any person assisting an employee of the State of Illinois by reviewing, drafting, directing, or preparing any Invitation for Bids, a Request for Proposal, or Request of Information, or providing similar assistance unless such assistance was part of a publicly issued opportunity to review drafts of all or part of these documents. For purposes of this section, an employee of the State of Illinois means one who, by the nature of his or her duties, has the authority to participate personally and substantially in the decision to award a State contract. No person or business shall submit specifications to a State agency unless requested to do so by an employee of the State. No person or business that contracts with a State agency to write specifications for a particular procurement need shall submit a Bid or proposal or receive a contract for that procurement need.

Nothing herein is intended to prohibit a vendor from bidding or offering to supply developing technology, supplies, or services after providing the State with a demonstration of the developing technology, supplies, or services, provided the subject of the demonstration to the State represents industry trends and innovation and is not specifically designed to meet the State's needs. Nothing herein is intended to prohibit a person or business from submitting a Bid or Offer or entering into a contract if the person or business (i) initiates a communication with an employee to provide general information about products, services, or industry best practices and, if applicable, that communication is documented in accordance with Section 50-39 of the Illinois Procurement Code or (ii) responds to a communication initiated by an employee of the State for the purposes of providing information to evaluate new products, trends, services, or technologies.

E.10.2. Other factors that the State may use to evaluate to determine responsibility include, but are not limited to, political contributions, certifications, conflict of interest, financial disclosures, taxpayer identification number, past performance in business or industry, references (including those found outside the Offer), compliance with applicable laws, financial responsibility, insurability, effective equal opportunity compliance, payment of prevailing wages if required by law, capacity to produce or sources of supply, and the ability to provide required maintenance service or other matters relating to the Offeror’s ability to deliver in the quality and quantity within the time and Price as specified in this solicitation.

E.10.3. Awarded Offerors must always have financial resources sufficient, in the opinion of the State, to ensure performance of the contract and must provide proof upon request. The State may require a Performance Bond if, in the opinion of the State, it ensures performance of the contract. The State may terminate the contract, consistent with the termination for cause provision of the contract, if the vendor lacks the financial resources to perform under the contract.

E.10.4. The State may require that an Offeror correct any deficiencies as a condition of further evaluation.

E.10.5. BidBuy Terminology and Guidance: BidBuy is an online e-procurement system. There may be some difference between the procurement terminology used in this solicitation and the terms used in BidBuy. Please learn more about BidBuy by accessing the online resources found at https://www2.illinois.gov/cpo/PathwayToProcurement/Pages/Guides-and-Manuals.aspx.

Section F. PROPOSAL FORMS Offeror must complete and return:

· The following three tables of Technical Requirements: Mandatory Requirements without Evidence (Section F.1); Mandatory Requirements with Evidence (Section F.2); and Proposed Technical Solution (Section F.3).

· Commitment to Diversity (Section F.4).

· Offer to the State of Illinois.

Please read and follow each instruction carefully.

F.1. MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS WITHOUT EVIDENCE

Please read each item carefully and check “Agree” indicating acceptance for each requirement in F.1. An Offeror that does not check “Agree” will be disqualified and the rest of the proposal will not be scored. These Mandatory Requirements shall be included in any contract resulting from this solicitation.

MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS WITHOUT EVIDENCE

F.1.1. Employee Payroll Changes:

a. Automated Satisfactory Performance Increase: The system must trigger salary increases automatically based on predefined hire date criteria.

b. Personal Service Contracts: The system must incorporate functionality for automated validation and updating of personal service contracts.

c. Data Validation/Comparison: The system must include validation mechanisms to compare payroll data against HRMS records, with automated alerts for variances.

|_| Agree

F.1.2. Automated Cross-Checks:

a. The system must support automated cross-checks between HRMS data and generated reports, ensuring consistency and accuracy.

|_| Agree

F.1.2.

F.1.3. User Training and Support:

a. This must include initial training, refresher courses, and comprehensive user manuals.

|_| Agree

F.1.4. Compliance and Legal Updates:

a. Ensure the system can automatically update and comply with changes in local, State, and Federal laws, especially regarding payroll and tax regulations.

|_| Agree

F.1.5. Customization and Flexibility:

a. The system must allow for customization to meet specific needs that may arise in the future. This includes flexible reporting capabilities and the ability to add or modify workflows.

|_| Agree

F.1.6. Data Migration and Transition:

a. This includes historical data conversion and ensuring data integrity throughout the transition process.

|_| Agree

F. 1. 7 Budgetary Information:

1. Payroll pre-run to ensure funding is where it is needed.

1. Scenario planning to ensure that we have enough funds for the year.

1. Standard and ad hoc reporting to allow department directors to confirm employees are properly allocated, and allow Budget staff to confirm (by individual, center, department, fund, fund source, etc.) allocations, year-to-date spending, and remaining estimates (by spending type, such as salary, retirement [Teachers’ Retirement System and State Employees’ Retirement System], pickup, Federal taxes, etc.).

1. Predictive analytics for out-year forecasting to allow Budget staff to estimate future year costs using various scenarios, each based on various entered parameters (including salary tables, raise percentages, tax assumptions, and staffing that might differ from current year staffing).

|_| Agree

F. 1.8. System Requirements

a. The system must have single sign-on (SSO) with Active Directory or Entra ID.

b. The system must be cloud-based.

c. Vendor must provide SOC Type 2 reports and bridge letter upon request for the life of the contract.

F.2. MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS WITH EVIDENCE

Please check “Met” to each of the mandatory requirements for the proposed solution. An Offeror that does not provide substantiating evidence for each requirement will be disqualified and the rest of the proposal will not be scored.

These Mandatory Requirements shall be included in any contract resulting from this solicitation.

Please provide substantiating evidence in your Proposed Technical Solution. Use the column on the right to indicate the section and page number where your evidence/response to each item may be found. The State will evaluate Offeror’s evidence/response to verify the mandatory requirement is met.

MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS WITH EVIDENCE

Proposal Section and Page Number

F.2.1.

· The Payroll System will provide named user licenses.

· Respondent had provided evidence of experience in HR/Payroll System and services.

· Payroll System will provide automated transaction processing based on effective date and user rules.

· Payroll System will provide rules-based system logic.

· Payroll System will support document scanning.

· The Payroll System workflow design will be event-triggered or date-specific, or rules-based.

|_| Met

|_| Met

F.2.2 System must have the ability to import historical data from ISBE existing SQL-backed homegrown LAN system.

· System must be able to pull accurate reports in HRMS with the merged data.

· System must be able to integrate with Management Information Database Accounting System.

· Payroll needs database reports to review payroll paperwork and what was entered into the new system to confirm accuracy.

· The system will have to print database reports for payroll vouchers, Deferred Comp reports, and commuter savings.

|_| Met

F.3. PROPOSED TECHNICAL SOLUTION – DESIRABLE ELEMENTS

Please explain how your organization meets or will meet each of the Desirable Elements. Use the column on the right to indicate the section and page number of your proposal where your response to each item may be found.

F.3.1. Solutions Overview

Offeror has provided a strategy for Steps Taken for Successful Implementation in the following areas:

F.3.2. Implementation Plan –

· Will provide an overview of how the Payroll System will be set up and configured to incorporate employee data, compensation structures, and compliance with the various tax and labor laws.

A successful payroll implementation plan will be evaluated on the following key requirements:

1. Clear Objectives and Goals: Define what you will achieve with the Payroll System, such as efficiency, compliance, and accuracy.

2. Stakeholder Involvement: Describe how you will engage key stakeholders from various departments (HR, Finance, IT) to ensure their needs and concerns are addressed.

3. Comprehensive Data Collection: Provide information on how you will gather all necessary employee data, such as personal information, tax details, and payroll history, to ensure a smooth transition.

4. Payroll System Selection: Describe how the Payroll System meets our organization’s needs and integrates well with existing systems.

5. Compliance and Legal Requirements: Provide details on your experience with local, State, and Federal payroll regulations to ensure compliance throughout the implementation.

6. Testing and Validation: Describe how you will conduct a thorough testing of the Payroll System to identify and resolve any issues before going live.

7. Training and Support: Provide an overview of training for the HR and payroll staff to ensure they are proficient in using the new system and establish a support plan for ongoing assistance.

8. Communication Plan: Provide an example of a communication strategy to keep all employees informed about the new Payroll System and any changes that may affect them.

9. Feedback Mechanism: Discuss plan to gather feedback from users after the rollout to make continuous improvements to the system.

10. Post-Implementation Review: Describe the review of the implementation process after the system goes live and how successes and areas for improvement will be identified.

F.4. COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY

Commitment to Diversity Vendor Guidance including Vendor Submission Forms are located on the Chief Procurement Officer for General Service’s website at https://cpo-general.illinois.gov/commitment-to-diversity/c2d-guidance.html and on the BidBuy posting under “File Attachments:”

F.5. DEMONSTRATIONS

Demonstrations will be scheduled during the evaluation period. Offerors are to demonstrate their capability/functionality based on the metrics D.1-D.9 listed on the next page. Offerors are to provide their own hardware/Payroll System and will not have access to any State-supplied equipment. In addition, Offerors are responsible for populating their demonstrations with sample data as ISBE will not provide such data. All demonstrations must abide by all security and compliance regulations stated within the RFP. Offerors will be given a maximum of 60 minutes for demonstrations. This time includes any necessary set-up and break-down time.

F.6. PRICING

F.6.1. FORMAT OF PRICING:

F.6.1.1. Offeror shall submit pricing in the Quote Items Tab on BidBuy, based on the terms and conditions set forth in this Request for Proposal solicitation document. Offeror’s Price Offer shall serve as the basis for the compensation terms of the resulting contract. Failure to submit pricing in the Items Tab on BidBuy may render Offeror’s entire Offer non-responsive and ineligible for award. Note: Any pricing entered in the Unit Cost of the Items Tab will be locked until after Technical and Commitment to Diversity Evaluations are complete. Do not enter cost, pricing, or any discount information in the Alternate Description field. Entering cost, pricing, or discount information in the Alternate Description may result in disqualification.

F.6.1.2. Offeror…