Attachment E: Scope of Work Project Details

1. Infrastructure Deployment and Ownership This section describes the expected responsibilities and deliverables of the Selected Responder related to the deployment of the MNIT-owned access points; and the cabling, conduit, pathways, network racks, and comparable installed infrastructure necessary to support the Platform.

The Selected Responder will be expected to design the installation approach, coordinate construction and access sequencing, furnish required materials, install cabling and conduit, install required supports and pathways, and physically mount MNIT-furnished access points in locations approved through the design and implementation process. MNIT will perform the network-side connection, configuration, testing, and operation work. After the wireless access points have been activated, the Selected Responder will be expected to perform a wireless assessment to ensure meeting the compliance of a voice-grade -65 dBm deployment, to include adding or adjusting wireless access point locations.

For planning and proposal purposes, Responders may assume MNIT will furnish approximately 4,000 wireless access points for deployment across DOC facilities. This figure is a planning assumption. The Selected Responder’s network will be expected to support assigned devices for approximately 8,000 incarcerated persons plus shared stations and staff administrative usage.

The Selected Responder will be expected to coordinate with Real Estate and Construction Services (RECS) (the State entity responsible for construction governance and facility access), DOC facility leadership, MNIT, and other identified implementation partners as needed to ensure successful infrastructure deployment. Responders should demonstrate an understanding in their proposal that deployment is a controlled construction and technical integration project inside secure institutions.

The State expects to own the network upon completion of installation and State’s acceptance. Responders should not assume that DOC is asking the vendor to own, operate, or control the DOC/MNIT network environment. The Selected Responder will be responsible for the physical deployment work required to support a DOC/MNIT-controlled wireless environment and the communications services that run across it.

Selected Responder responsibilities and deliverables will include:

· Design the installation approach and site-specific sequencing.

· Install required network cabling, conduit, pathways, supports, and associated materials.

· Coordinate access with facilities and comply with security restrictions.

· Mount MNIT-furnished wireless access points in approved locations.

· Define minimum connectivity requirements per facility, including bandwidth, latency, and redundancy needs.

· Provide as-built documentation for all installed infrastructure within 30 calendar days of State acceptance at each facility. The Selected Responder will be expected to submit the documentation in digital format and will be expected to include floor plan drawings (PDF or CAD) showing cable routes, conduit locations, access-point mounting positions, and rack or panel termination layouts, as well as network diagrams reflecting the as-installed configuration. The Selected Responder will be expected to ensure its documentation is labeled with the facility name, installation date, and applicable contractor information. The Selected Responder be expected to ensure documentation is classified and handled consistent with DOC facility security requirements.

· Provide a dedicated vendor project manager as the named point of accountability to DOC throughout implementation.

· Develop and submit prior to implementation kickoff a project plan, risk mitigation plan, communications plan, and governance plan.

· Identify and provide any additional hardware required for the proposed solution beyond MNIT-furnished wireless access points.

MNIT responsibilities will include:

· Purchase and support wireless access points and other MNIT-provided network hardware.

· Provide switch and server infrastructure needed for the system where applicable.

· Perform network closet terminations and connections.

· Configure controllers, switching, segmentation, and security settings.

· Test, commission, and operate the network environment.

· Provide internet connectivity at each facility sufficient to support the proposed platform.

2. System Architecture and Hosting Environment This section describes the expected responsibilities and deliverables of the Selected Responder related to the system architecture and hosting environment. Responders should describe how identity, device assignment, endpoint management, call control, messaging, content delivery, video visitation, monitoring, reporting, and administrative access work together across the solution.

Responders should describe system architecture in enough detail for DOC and MNIT to understand platform interdependencies, hosted components, endpoint communication flows, authentication flows, integration touchpoints, redundancy, operational dependencies, and limitations. Responders should separately describe each hosted component, its geographic location, and its role in the overall architecture. Marketing-level descriptions will not be sufficient.

Selected Responder responsibilities and deliverables will include:

· Support encrypted data transmission in transit and protection of data at rest.

· Provide redundancy for major application components and user-facing services. At minimum, redundancy should address: voice call processing, messaging delivery, video visitation scheduling and session management, device management platform availability, and administrative dashboard access. Single points of failure should be identified and disclosed in the proposal.

· Maintain documented failover, disaster recovery, backup, and planned-maintenance practices.

· Support scaling for peak activity across facilities.

· Separate and secure administrative functions from end-user functions.

· Support logging and traceability for administrative actions, security events, and user activity.

3. Integrated Platform Overview This section describes the expectations of the Selected Responder’s integrated platform. DOC is seeking one integrated platform, or one tightly integrated suite of components, that functions as a coherent system for staff and users. DOC is not seeking siloed products that require separate administration, fragmented identity management, or disconnected monitoring.

Wherever possible, the ideal platform will apply consistent identities, contact controls, suspension logic, logging, administrative permissions, and rule enforcement across modules. User identity, movement, housing, restriction, and status changes should not require separate manual reconciliation in unrelated subsystems.

The Selected Responder’s Platform will be expected to integrate the following domains:

· Assigned device access and management

· Shared kiosk and fixed-station access

· Voice communication services

· Electronic messaging and related controlled digital-mail workflows

· Video visitation

· Media and content delivery

· Education, programming, reentry, and other approved digital services

· Financial and account access tools

· Administrative notices and staff messaging

· Monitoring, investigative, and reporting tools

· Accessibility settings and features

4. Electronic Device Platform Requirements This section describes the expectations for Selected Responder’s electronic device platform. The Selected Responder will ensure each incarcerated person receive one assigned electronic device as the primary personal access point for approved services. The Selected Responder will be expected to provide shared kiosks and fixed stations for continuity, accessibility, intake, legal workflows, restricted housing, and other DOC-directed operational scenarios. Responder should identify the brand, model, and operating system of each device proposed.

The Selected Responder will be expected to require two-factor authentication on its devices. Biometric authentication is preferred where technically available on the proposed device, but is not required. If biometric authentication is proposed, Responder should demonstrate that the solution has been tested for equitable performance across diverse demographic groups, including persons with darker skin tones, and Responders should disclose any known error rates or demographic disparities. Biometric authentication will be expected to be capable of being disabled on a per-device or per-user basis by authorized DOC staff without requiring vendor intervention. The Responder should explain the authentication method proposed, including how it functions for routine use, reassignment, recovery, and exception scenarios such as transfer, suspension, restriction, reassignment, or release.

The Selected Responder will be expected to be responsible for all device replacement costs, as assigned devices are vendor-owned assets. No charge for device damage may be assessed to the incarcerated person. Responders should describe replacement timelines and the intake-to-return workflow for damaged devices. Responders should also describe what protections will be incorporated into any replacement or successor product, including transitions at no additional cost to DOC for regulatory-mandated changes.

The Selected Responder will be expected to provide devices which enable administrative search and deletion controls, including the ability for authorized DOC staff to search the content of an incarcerated person's device without that person's cooperation; remotely delete content from the device without requiring physical possession; and ensure when messages with attachments are deleted by authorized staff, attachments are also deleted from portable device automatically.

The Selected Responder will be expected to manage the lifecycle and replacement of devices, including maintaining spare inventory equal to at least 10 percent of deployed assigned devices at each facility; providing packaging and prepaid shipping labels or equivalent logistics for damaged or malfunctioning units, and providing software and firmware update procedures that avoid unnecessary service disruption.

The Selected Responder will be expected to provide devices meeting or exceeding the following minimum specifications:

· Display: Minimum 7-inch screen with scratch-resistant glass or equivalent protective coating.

· Processor: Sufficient capability to support simultaneous use of voice calling, video visitation, messaging, and media playback without degradation under normal operating conditions.

· Storage: Minimum 32 gigabytes total internal storage, with at least 1 gigabyte reserved for DOC-loaded materials.

· Battery Life: Minimum 8 hours of active use under mixed-use conditions on a single charge.

· Durability: Device should meet or exceed MIL-STD-810 or a DOC-approved equivalent standard. Device housing should be resistant to tampering, disassembly, and concealment of contraband.

· Wireless Connectivity: Wi-Fi compatible with the MNIT-furnished access point environment. No cellular, Bluetooth, or other unapproved wireless interfaces.

· Camera and Microphone: Front-facing camera and microphone sufficient for video visitation. Rear-facing cameras are not required and should be disabled or absent unless expressly approved by DOC.

· Operating System: Responders should identify OS version, update cadence, and end-of-support timeline. Devices running end-of-vendor-support OS versions should not be deployed without prior written DOC approval and a written remediation plan.

· Accessibility Settings and Features: Device must support standard OS-level accessibility features including but not limited to screen readers, display scaling, closed captioning, and assistive touch. Accessibility features should not be disabled by the vendor platform or device management controls.

5. Shared Kiosks and Fixed Communication Stations This section describes the expectations for Selected Responder’s kiosks and fixed communication stations. The Selected Responder’s solution will be expected to support a hybrid endpoint environment consisting of assigned portable devices, shared kiosks or fixed communication stations, wall-mounted phones, and TRS/VRS accessibility communication stations. For proposal planning and pricing purposes, DOC expects approximately 8,000 assigned portable devices, 900 wall-mounted phones, and 127 TRS/VRS accessibility communication stations distributed across DOC facilities.

Selected Responder responsibilities and deliverables will include:

· Support voice calling, video visitation access, accessibility workflows, and other approved communications functions.

· Provide approximately 127 TRS and VRS accessibility communication stations across DOC facilities.

· Provide approximately 900 wall-mounted phones across DOC facilities.

· Be correctional grade and suitable for secure fixed deployment, including appropriate mounting, tamper resistance, monitoring, session controls, and physical and digital accessibility compatibility.

6. Device Management and Administrative Control Platform This section describes the expectations for Selected Responder’s device management and administrative control platform. The Selected Responder will be expected to provide a centralized device management and administrative control platform that allows DOC personnel to manage assigned devices and shared or fixed endpoints as a fleet. The State desires a Platform that does not require DOC to be dependent on vendor intervention for routine configuration changes, device status review, basic restrictions, scheduling controls, or common operational actions.

The Selected Responder will be expected to provide a platform able to provide reports or dashboards covering all core management functions, including but not limited to device distribution and assignment status; device utilization, failure rates, and replacement activity; firmware and software version status across the fleet; restriction and suspension history by device, user, and housing unit; a complete audit log of all administrative actions including remote lock, remote disable, remote reset, and content removal events; and any other operational measures reasonably required by DOC. The Selected Responder will be expected to ensure all audit logs are tamper-evident and accessible to authorized DOC personnel without vendor intervention.

Selected Responder will be expected to provide a Platform able to permission Authorized DOC personnel to enable, disable, restrict, or otherwise control device-based voice calling on assigned portable devices without vendor intervention. This should include the ability to apply device-based calling permissions by facility, housing unit, classification, program status, or individual, and to maintain an audit log of all administrative actions.

Selected Responder responsibilities and deliverables will include:

· Device enrollment and assignment to individual users.

· Tracking of device and endpoint status, including active, spare, lost, damaged, restricted, in-repair, and decommissioned states.

· Remote lock, remote disable, remote reset, and other emergency administrative controls.

· Control over applications, content availability, communication permissions, and service permissions.

· Visibility into device or endpoint activity, last contact, health, and operational status.

· Ability to remove unauthorized or prohibited content remotely.

· Group-based and individual rule assignment by facility, housing unit, classification, program status, and user.

7. Voice Communication System Requirements This section describes the expectations for Selected Responder’s voice communication system. The Selected Responder will be expected to provide a secure, correctional-grade voice communication system that supports calls between incarcerated persons and approved external contacts. Voice calls must be provided at no charge to incarcerated persons and call recipients as required by Minn. Stat. § 241.252.

The Selected Responder will be expected to provide a system able to provide prompts and announcements in English, Spanish, Somali, and Mandarin. DOC will provide a language-by-population report within 30 days of contract execution. The Selected Responder will be expected to support any additional language in which 50 or more incarcerated persons are primary speakers within 180 days of the report date.

Selected Responder responsibilities and deliverables will include:

· Provide secure, correctional-grade telephone hardware suitable for secure environments.

· Use single-line security-style telephones where required by facility security level.

· Ensure telephones comply with 47 C.F.R. sections 68.316 and 68.317 and the TIA-4953 standard, where applicable.

· Maintain fraud-prevention capabilities in the main system.

· All facilities operate on digital/VoIP infrastructure. TTY accessibility is supported through digital-to-analog conversion. Responders should not assume POTS line availability at any facility.

· Require voice-activated account access or equivalent voice biometric function.

· Use continuous voice detection during calls and provide notice before disconnecting when a different or unauthorized speaker is detected.

· Provide call announcements identifying the call as originating from a Minnesota correctional facility.

· Support anti-fraud, anti-three-way, and comparable correctional best-practice controls.

· Allow called parties to accept, reject, or block calls.

· Support global and individual number blocking, including area code or exchange blocking and at least 25,000 entries at a time.

· Record a reason code and editable notes for blocked numbers.

· Maintain contact allow lists with size and content fully configurable by DOC.

· Support configurable call limits by individual, classification, housing unit, or facility.

· Ensure restrictions follow the incarcerated person during intra-agency transfer in near real time.

· Allow incarcerated persons to reset their PINs without DOC staff involvement.

8. Electronic Messaging System Requirements This section describes the expectations for Selected Responder’s electronic messaging system. The Selected Responder will be expected to provide a secure electronic messaging system that allows incarcerated persons to exchange messages with approved external users under controlled conditions. The Selected Responder will be expected to provide a Platform that allows DOC to manage and control all material aspects of the messaging environment, including contact approval rules, restrictions, suspensions, monitoring, printing, retention, and administrative handling.

The Selected Responder will be expected to provide a system that supports routine staff-to-incarcerated-person communications for operational notices and approved administrative messaging, as well as separate workflows for legal or other protected communications where different access, monitoring, or confidentiality requirements apply.

Selected Responder responsibilities and deliverables will include:

· Restrict ordinary electronic messages to text only without embedded images or unauthorized attachments.

· Ensure all electronic messages are printable, with headers including the date and the incarcerated person's current location.

· Allow authorized staff to print incoming electronic messages by user, living unit, or date.

· Require an external user to initiate contact by searching for the incarcerated person by name or Incarcerated Person Identifier.

· Be able to hide protected incarcerated persons from general public queries.

· Allow external users to send photo attachments. Accepted formats should include JPEG and PNG files, subject to DOC content governance controls.

· Allow external users to send short video attachments not exceeding 30 seconds if the function is enabled.

· Allow incarcerated persons to view incoming messages and compose outgoing messages from their assigned devices.

· Restrict messaging only to approved contacts.

· Block spam messages or messages from specific accounts as directed by DOC.

· Support review, printing, export, retention, and monitoring of incoming and outgoing messages.

· Support attachment deletion when associated messages are deleted by authorized staff.

· Provide retention controls and audit logging for administrative actions.

9. Video Visitation System Requirements This section describes the expectations for Selected Responder’s video visitation system. The Selected Responder will be expected to provide a secure video visitation system that supports scheduled visits between incarcerated persons and approved external users. The Selected Responder will be expected to provide a Platform that enables DOC to control scheduling rules, approval rules, restrictions, cancellation authority, and confidentiality settings applicable to the approved workflow.

The Selected Responder will be expected to provide a Platform that supports separate workflows for legal, court-related, and other protected video communications as directed by DOC. The Selected Responder will be expected to ensure these workflows are administratively and operationally distinct from ordinary personal or social video visitation. The Selected Responder will be expected to ensure AI monitoring functions are not applied to these sessions.

The Selected Responder will be expected to provide a Platform that supports recording and monitoring of non-contact visitation sessions where technically feasible and approved by DOC. The Selected Responder will be expected to ensure monitoring capabilities for non-contact visitation replicate the controls available for voice communications under Section 7, including session recording, playback, keyword search, and administrative review. Responders should describe their current capability and roadmap for non-contact visitation monitoring.

Responders should describe any in-person visitation scheduling capability available within or integrated with their platform. This is a required disclosure; in-person visitation scheduling is not a mandatory platform requirement under this RFP but is a strongly preferred capability. Responders that offer in-person visitation scheduling should describe the functional scope, including how the system supports visit request submission, staff approval workflows, slot management, capacity controls, and visitor notification. Any proposed in-person scheduling capability should be subject to DOC configuration and approval and should not interfere with or share access controls with legal, court-related, or protected visitation workflows.

Selected Responder responsibilities and deliverables will include:

· Support video visits through assigned personal devices in a secure manner.

· Support kiosk-based or fixed-station video visits through designated stations where deployed.

· Target at least 720p video quality for the incarcerated person side and at least 480p for the external user side under standard broadband conditions.

· Provide a refund, service-credit, or other remediation process for paid visits when cancellation, outage, or quality failure occurs through no fault of the user.

· Provide web-based access for external users.

· Require users to accept terms and conditions approved by DOC.

· Ensure only external users purchase video visitation services where paid video is approved.

· Allow DOC to restrict video visit availability by facility, living unit, endpoint type, or incarcerated person.

· Allow authorized staff to cancel any scheduled visit for an individual, a living unit, or an entire facility.

· Automatically notify users of suspensions, start and end dates, and reasons.

10. Digital Media and Content Services Requirements This section describes the expectations for Selected Responder’s digital media and content services. The Selected Responder’s Platform may provide digital media and entertainment services through assigned devices. This section applies only to media and content services and does not alter the treatment of communications services under this RFP.

Media offerings may use per-item, per-minute, pass-based, subscription-based, bundled-access, or other clearly defined pricing models, provided the Responder fully discloses the pricing structure, charged party, and any applicable financial treatment. No bundle or combined offering may include, reprice, subsidize, or otherwise recover cost for voice communication services or any service that must be provided at no charge under law.

The Selected Responder will be expected to provide only content appropriate under DOC-approved content standards (including DOC contraband and prohibited content policies) and applicable industry ratings. The Selected Responder will be expected to ensure DOC can review, approve, report, restrict, and remove inappropriate content and allow DOC to control content availability by facility, user group, or other DOC-approved settings.

The Selected Responder will be expected to provide the following categories of digital media and content services:

· Music

· Books and eBooks

· Movies

· Television programs

· Games

· Applications

· Audiobooks, podcasts, internet radio, and news or sports feeds

11. Education, Programming, Reentry, and Digital Services This section describes the expectations for Selected Responder’s education, programming, reentry, and digital services. The Selected Responder will be expected to provide a platform that platform supports constructive digital services that advance educational progress, behavior change, reentry preparation, and access to required no-cost functions.

Unless expressly authorized by DOC for a distinct optional enhancement, the following baseline functions should be available without a user-facing charge and should not be monetized through relabeling, bundling, access fees, or similar mechanisms:

· DOC facilitated assessments

· Applications for department programs or services

· Grievances and requests

· Medical requests and healthcare-request submission access

· Behavioral health requests

· Legal library access

· Staff notices and facility communications

· Account balance and transaction history where applicable

The Selected Responder will be expected to provide additional education, programming, reentry, and digital services offerings which may be offered for a user-facing charge including:

· High school equivalency diploma, Secondary or postsecondary educational content

· Coursework modules and digital textbooks

· Cognitive behavioral programming

· Substance use education

· Self-guided mental health and well-being programming

· Other rehabilitative programming options

· Job readiness and employment resources, such as CareerEdge and CareerOneStop

· Financial literacy resources

· Housing resource information

· Community reintegration resources or online resource repositories

· Reentry planning or goal setting resources

12. Financial Services and Account Access Functions This section describes the expectations for Selected Responder’s financial services and account access functions. The Selected Responder may support financial services and financial account access functions tied to the incarcerated person's trust account or other approved financial workflows. Any financial feature should be presented as its own category, separate from communication services, media, and device charges.

Responders should explain how the platform is intended to integrate with the current Cashless Commissary and Trust Fund Accounting System (CACTAS), what functions would be available to incarcerated persons, what functions remain administrative only, and how the platform would adapt if DOC changes trust-account systems.

The Selected Responder’s Platform will be expected to perform the following financial functions:

· Account balance review

· Transaction history review

· Release-card issuance or related release support functions where applicable

· Electronic receipts for purchases and charges

13. Security, Monitoring, Intelligence, and Investigative Tools This section describes the expectations for Selected Responder’s security, monitoring, intelligence, and investigative functionality. The Selected Responder will be expected to provide a Platform that allows authorized DOC staff to retain, access, search, filter, export, and manage operational records needed for administration, review, reporting, investigations, and legal process response without depending on vendor intervention for routine investigative needs.

Any Responder-proposed AI-supported monitoring, anomaly detection, risk-scoring, or predictive-analytics capability will be expected to comply to the following requirements, regardless of whether it is a core platform feature, optional module, or third-party integration:

· Human Review Requirement: No AI-generated alert, risk score, or recommendation will be used as the sole or determinative basis for a consequential action affecting an incarcerated person. All AI outputs that may inform such actions will be reviewed and confirmed by a qualified DOC staff member.

· Explainability: The vendor will be expected to be able to explain, in plain language, how any proposed AI monitoring function produces its outputs, what inputs it uses, and what thresholds trigger an alert. Black-box systems are not acceptable without prior written DOC approval.

· Bias and Accuracy Disclosure: Responders should disclose any known limitations, error rates, demographic disparities, or accuracy constraints associated with proposed AI monitoring functions.

· Protected Communications: AI monitoring functions will not be applied to calls, messages, or video sessions designated as legal, privileged, or otherwise protected.

· Model Changes: DOC will expect the Selected Responder to provide at least 30 days advance notice of any material change to an AI monitoring model, algorithm, or alert threshold, and DOC will have the right to approve or reject the change.

· Audit Logging: The Selected Responder will be expected to maintain a complete audit log of all AI-generated alerts, flags, and risk scores and will be expected to make the audit log available to DOC for review.

The Selected Responder’s Platform will be expected to provide the following security, monitoring, intelligence, and investigative functions:

· Call recording and playback

· Messaging review and export

· Video visitation monitoring where approved by DOC

· Device activity logs

· Role-based access to monitoring functions

· Keyword and phrase search within messages and other reviewable content

· Communication pattern and relationship analysis

· Ability to identify high-volume or unusual contact patterns

· Historical record retrieval by person, contact, date range, facility, housing unit, or other relevant filter

· Export of records for investigative or legal use with chain-of-access logging

· Remote camera disable: Authorized DOC staff shall be able to remotely disable the front-facing camera on any assigned device individually, by housing unit, or facility-wide, without requiring physical possession of the device or vendor intervention.

14. Data Ownership, Records Access, and Transition Requirements This section describes the expectations for the State’s ownership of data, and the Selected Responder’s compliance with Minn. Stat. Ch. 13., records access, and cooperation during transition.

All communications data and other system-generated records created under this program remain the property of DOC. Nothing in this RFP is intended to convey any right, title to, or interest to the Selected Responder in State data specifically including call records or recordings, message records and attachments, visit records and logs, device activity logs, administrative logs, transactions and account history relevant to platform services, or comparable platform-generated records.

Responders should describe their data retention architecture, default retention periods, and the format and structure of historical usage data that would be made available to DOC for operational planning and contract administration purposes.

The Selected Responder will be expected to retain all data categories listed above for a minimum of seven (7) years from the date of creation, or such longer period as required by applicable law or directed by DOC in writing. Data shall be retained in formats that are exportable, searchable, and reasonably usable without proprietary vendor tools.

The Selected Responder will be expected to cooperate fully with any incumbent vendor during transition in, and with any successor vendor or DOC during transition out, to ensure continuity of required communications access. The Selected Responder will be expected to engage with DOC and any incumbent vendor 90 days before the planned cutover date. The Selected Responder will be expected to provide a written transition-out plan addressing data export, configuration documentation, equipment removal, and continued operation through the final day of the program term 180 days before program expiration.

Selected Responder responsibilities and deliverables will include:

· Provide export in standard or reasonably usable formats.

· Provide system configuration documentation relevant to transition.

· Support both on-demand export and scheduled automated export.

· Support a managed handoff to a successor provider or DOC-operated transition model.

· Support refund determination and refund execution processes for eligible balances at contract closeout.

15. System Integration Requirements This section describes the expectations for the Selected Responder’s integrations with other related systems. Responders should describe the purpose of each required integration, key dependencies, expected timing or synchronization behavior, error handling, fallback or manual procedures when interfaces are delayed or unavailable, and any assumptions affecting implementation or ongoing operation.

The proposal shall distinguish clearly between functions performed in vendor systems, functions performed in MNIT-operated systems, and functions requiring shared responsibility or interface management.

The Selected Responder will be expected to integrate its Platform with the following:

· CACTAS or successor trust-account system integration

· Offender Management System (OMS) or comparable inmate records database integration

· User identity creation, update, transfer, restriction, and release handling

· Facility and housing-unit location awareness for communications controls

· Trust-account balance, transaction-history, and approved account-access data flows

· DOC administrative account creation and role management

· Reporting and export handoff points

· MNIT handoff points for network connectivity, troubleshooting, and shared operational support

16. Support and Service Levels This section describes the expectations for Selected Responder’s training and support expectations. The Selected Responder will be expected to provide a dedicated service desk reachable 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year, including holidays. The Selected Responder will be expected to provide a separate support line for DOC facility staff; DOC facility staff should not be required to use a general consumer support line for correctional operational issues. For Priority 1 and Priority 2 incidents where remote resolution is not achievable, the Selected Responder will be expected to provide on-site technical response within four (4) hours for Priority 1 incidents and within eight (8) hours for Priority 2 incidents. The Selected Responder will be expected to immediately begin remote triage immediately upon incident declaration regardless of on-site response timing.

The Selected Responders’ critical notices and status pages will be expected to be accessible and compatible with assistive technologies, including screen readers and switch devices. The Selected Responder will be expected to treat accommodation requests related to support access, such as requests for ASL interpreters or alternative formats, as Priority 1. The Selected Responder will be expected to treat any support need related to Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) as Priority 1 regardless of the nature of the underlying request.

The Selected Responder will be expected to use the following Incident Classification and Response Time Standards:

· Priority 1 — Critical: Complete loss of voice calling, video visitation, or platform access affecting an entire facility or multiple housing units. Response: within 30 minutes. Resolution: within 4 hours.

· Priority 2 — High: Significant degradation of a core platform function affecting a housing unit or a defined user group. Response: within 2 hours. Resolution: within 8 hours.

· Priority 3 — Standard: Degraded functionality for individual devices or non-critical features where workarounds are available. Response: within 4 hours. Resolution: within 3 calendar days.

· Priority 4 — Low: General inquiries, configuration assistance, or non-urgent administrative questions. Response: within 1 calendar day.

The Selected Responder will be expected to ensure the Platform is available as near to 100% of the time as possible. Responders should include a proposed Service Level Agreement (SLA) for the Platform in their proposal meeting or exceeding the requirements herein. The SLA should address service levels for network performance, device performance, support availability and response times, and other areas relevant to Platform availability. Responders should identify any assumptions for network conditions required to meet the proposed SLA.

The Selected Responder will be expected to meet or exceed the following service level requirements:

· Platform Availability: 99.5 percent uptime measured on a monthly basis, excluding scheduled maintenance windows approved by DOC. Unplanned downtime affecting more than 10 percent of assigned devices at any single facility for more than 30 consecutive minutes will constitute a reportable service event requiring written root-cause notification within 24 hours.

· Device Replacement: The Selected Responder will provide a replacement device within two calendar days of a confirmed malfunction report. For facilities with on-site spare inventory, the Selected Responder will deploy a spare within one calendar day.

· Scheduled Maintenance: The Selected Responder will provide DOC at least five (5) calendar days written notice before any scheduled maintenance window affecting platform availability.

· Security Patches: The Selected Responder will be expected to apply critical or high-rated security patches within 30 days of release. The Selected Responder will be expected to apply standard updates within 90 days.

· Post-Incident Reporting: Following any reportable service event, the Selected Responder will be expected to provide a written post-incident report within five (5) calendar days including total downtime, root cause, affected users and facilities, and corrective actions taken.

· Annual Downtime Reporting: The Selected Responder will be expected to provide DOC an annual summary downtime report covering all reportable service events, total downtime by facility, and cumulative platform availability for the preceding year, within thirty (30) calendar days of the end of each contract year.