BPM023096-Maryland Workforce Exchange SaaS.pdf

STATE OF MARYLAND

MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (LABOR)

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

MARYLAND WORKFORCE EXCHANGE (MWE)

SOFTWARE-AS-A-SERVICE (SaaS) WORKFORCE SOLUTION

RFP NUMBER BPM023096

ISSUE DATE: MAY 13, 2021

NOTICE TO OFFEROR

A Prospective Offeror that has received this document from a source other than eMarylandMarketplace

(eMMA) https://procurement.maryland.gov should register on eMMA.

See Section 4.2.

MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISES ARE ENCOURAGED TO RESPOND TO THIS

SOLICITATION

Maryland Workforce Exchange SaaS Workforce Solution

Solicitation #: BPM023096 RFP Document

RFP for Maryland Department of Labor Page 2 of 141

VENDOR FEEDBACK FORM

To help us improve the quality of State solicitations, and to make our procurement process more responsive and business friendly, please provide comments and suggestions regarding this solicitation. Please return your comments with your response. If you have chosen not to respond to this solicitation, please email or fax this completed form to the attention of the Procurement Officer (see Key Information Summary Sheet below for contact information).

Title: Maryland Workforce Exchange Software-As-A-Service (SaaS) Workforce Solution

Solicitation No: BPM023096

1. If you have chosen not to respond to this solicitation, please indicate the reason(s) below:

o Other commitments preclude our participation at this time o The subject of the solicitation is not something we ordinarily provide o We are inexperienced in the work/commodities required o Specifications are unclear, too restrictive, etc. (Explain in REMARKS section) o The scope of work is beyond our present capacity o Doing business with the State is simply too complicated. (Explain in REMARKS section) o We cannot be competitive. (Explain in REMARKS section) o Time allotted for completion of the Proposal is insufficient o Start-up time is insufficient o Bonding/Insurance requirements are restrictive (Explain in REMARKS section) o Proposal requirements (other than specifications) are unreasonable or too risky (Explain in

REMARKS section) o MBE or VSBE requirements (Explain in REMARKS section) o Prior State of Maryland contract experience was unprofitable or otherwise unsatisfactory.

(Explain in REMARKS section) o Payment schedule too slow o Other: __________________________________________________________________

2. If you have submitted a response to this solicitation, but wish to offer suggestions or express concerns, please use the REMARKS section below. (Attach additional pages as needed.)

REMARKS:

Vendor Name: ________________________________ Date: _______________________

Contact Person: _________________________________ Phone (____) _____ - _________________

RFP for Maryland Department of Labor Page 3 of 141

MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (LABOR)

KEY INFORMATION SUMMARY SHEET

Request for Proposals IT – Maryland Workforce Exchange Software-As-A-Service (SaaS) Workforce Solution

Solicitation Number: BPM023096

RFP Issue Date: May 13, 2021

RFP Issuing Office: Maryland Department of Labor (LABOR)

Procurement Officer: Emmanuel Smith

1100 North Eutaw Street, Room 101

Baltimore, MD 21202 e-mail:

Office Phone:

emmanuel.smith@maryland.gov

410-767-7050

Proposals are to be sent to: Proposals will be accepted through the State's eMaryland

Marketplace Advantage (eMMA) e-Procurement system.

Instructions on how to submit proposals electronically can be found at:

https://procurement.maryland.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2019/08/5-eMMA-QRG-Responding-to-Solicitations-Double-Envelope-v2.pdf

Pre-Proposal Conference: May 20, 2021 at 1:00 PM Local Time

Virtual Teleconference by Calendar Invitation from

Procurement Officer Only

See Attachment A for instructions.

Questions Due Date and Time May 27, 2021 by 2:00 PM Local Time

Proposal Due (Closing) Date and Time:

Friday, June 11, 2021 by 2:00 PM Local Time

MBE Subcontracting Goal: 5%

VSBE Subcontracting Goal: 0%

Contract Type: Firm Fixed Price

Contract Duration: Five (5) year base period with two (2), one (1) year option periods

Primary Place of

Performance:

At the Contractor’s Location & the Key Personnel are required onsite, as needed.

SBR Designation: No

Federal Funding: Yes mailto:emmanuel.smith@maryland.gov https://procurement.maryland.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2019/08/5-eMMA-QRG-Responding-to-Solicitations-Double-Envelope-v2.pdf https://procurement.maryland.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2019/08/5-eMMA-QRG-Responding-to-Solicitations-Double-Envelope-v2.pdf https://procurement.maryland.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2019/08/5-eMMA-QRG-Responding-to-Solicitations-Double-Envelope-v2.pdf

RFP for Maryland Department of Labor Page 4 of 141

Address: ______________________________________________________________________

E-mail Address: ________________________________________________________________

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 Minimum Qualifications

2 Contractor Requirements: Scope of Work

2.1 Summary Statement

2.2 Background, Purpose and Goals

2.3 Responsibilities and Tasks

2.3.1 The Contractor shall:

2.3.2 Training

2.3.3 Technical and Operations Training

2.3.4 Operations & Maintenance (O&M)

2.3.5 Contractor-Supplied Software and Materials

2.3.6 Required Project Policies, Guidelines, and Methodologies

2.3.7 Product Requirements

2.3.8 Maintenance and Support

2.4 Deliverables

2.5 Service Level Agreement (SLA)

3 Contractor Requirements: General

3.1 Contract Initiation Requirements

3.2 End of Contract Transition

3.3 Invoicing

3.4 Liquidated Damages

3.5 Disaster Recovery and Data

3.6 Insurance Requirements

3.7 Security Requirements

3.8 Problem Escalation Procedure

3.9 SOC 2 Type 2 Audit Report

3.10 Experience and Personnel

RFP for Maryland Department of Labor Page 5 of 141

3.11 Substitution of Personnel

3.12 Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) Reports

3.13 Veteran Small Business Enterprise (VSBE) Reports

3.14 Work Orders

3.15 Additional Clauses

4 Procurement Instructions

4.1 Pre-Proposal Conference

4.2 eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA)

4.3 Questions

4.4 Procurement Method

4.5 Proposal Due (Closing) Date and Time

4.6 Multiple or Alternate Proposals

4.7 Economy of Preparation

4.8 Public Information Act Notice

4.9 Award Basis

4.10 Oral Presentation

4.11 Duration of Proposal

4.12 Revisions to the RFP

4.13 Cancellations

4.14 Incurred Expenses

4.15 Protest/Disputes

4.16 Offeror Responsibilities

4.17 Acceptance of Terms and Conditions

4.18 Proposal Affidavit

4.19 Contract Affidavit

4.20 Compliance with Laws/Arrearages

4.21 Verification of Registration and Tax Payment

4.22 False Statements

4.23 Payments by Electronic Funds Transfer

4.24 Prompt Payment Policy

4.25 Electronic Procurements Authorized

4.26 MBE Participation Goal

4.27 VSBE Goal

4.28 Living Wage Requirements

RFP for Maryland Department of Labor Page 6 of 141

4.29 Federal Funding Acknowledgement

4.31 Non-Disclosure Agreement

4.32 HIPAA - Business Associate Agreement

4.33 Non-Visual Access

4.34 Mercury and Products That Contain Mercury

4.35 Location of the Performance of Services Disclosure

4.36 Department of Human Services (DHS) Hiring Agreement

4.37 Small Business Reserve (SBR) Procurement

4.38 Bonds

4.39 Maryland Healthy Working Families Act Requirements

5 Proposal Format

5.1 Two Part Submission

5.2 Proposal Delivery and Packaging

5.3 Volume I - Technical Proposal

5.4 Volume II – Financial Proposal

6 Evaluation and Selection Process

6.1 Evaluation Committee

6.2 Technical Proposal Evaluation Criteria

6.3 Financial Proposal Evaluation Criteria

6.4 Reciprocal Preference

6.5 Selection Procedures

6.6 Documents Required upon Notice of Recommendation for Contract Award

7 RFP ATTACHMENTS AND APPENDICES

Attachment A Pre-Proposal Conference Response Form

Attachment C Proposal Affidavit

Attachment D Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) Forms

Attachment E Veteran-Owned Small Business Enterprise (VSBE) Forms

Attachment F Maryland Living Wage Affidavit of Agreement for Service Contracts

Attachment G Federal Funds Attachments

Attachment H Conflict of Interest Affidavit and Disclosure

Attachment I Non-Disclosure Agreement (Contractor)

Attachment J HIPAA Business Associate Agreement

Attachment K Mercury Affidavit

Attachment L Location of the Performance of Services Disclosure

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Attachment M Contract

Attachment N Contract Affidavit

Attachment O DHS Hiring Agreement

Appendix 1. Abbreviations and Definitions

Appendix 2. Offeror Information Sheet

Appendix 3. Non-Disclosure Agreement (Offeror)

Appendix 4. Labor Categories

Appendix 5. MWE Technical Requirements

Appendix 6. Performance Bond

RFP for Maryland Department of Labor Page 8 of 141

1 Minimum Qualifications

THE REMAINDER OF THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK.

RFP for Maryland Department of Labor Page 9 of 141

2 Contractor Requirements: Scope of Work

2.1 Summary Statement

2.1.1 Maryland Department of Labor (LABOR) seeks to procure a subscription-based, Software-as-a- Service (SaaS) workforce solution to replace the current Maryland Workforce Exchange (MWE).

This project includes but is not limited to planning, design and configuration, implementation, warranty, and operations and maintenance activities. LABOR is releasing this RFP to deploy a workforce solution within one (1) year of the Notice to Proceed to meet State and Federal requirements. The project's primary objective is to deploy a complete solution for the collection, management, and reporting of data as required by the United States Department of Labor (USDOL) for the Workforce Innovations Opportunities Act (WIOA), Wagner-Peyser Act (WP), and Trade

Act and Unemployment Insurance Re-employment programs.

2.1.2 The State intends to obtain goods and services, as specified in this RFP, through a Contract between the selected Offeror and the State. The anticipated duration of the period of performance under the

Contract is a five (5) year base period and two (2) one (1) year option periods.

2.1.3 The Maryland Department of Labor intends to make a single award. See RFP Section 4.9 Award

Basis for more Contract award information.

2.1.4 Offerors, either directly or through their subcontractor(s), must provide all goods and services and meet all of the requirements requested in this solicitation. The successful Offeror (the Contractor) shall remain responsible for Contract performance regardless of subcontractor participation in the work.

2.1.5 The State does not wish to procure a software application still under development. The solution shall be operational (i.e., not under development) and generally available before the due date of the Proposal.

2.2 Background, Purpose and Goals

The purpose of this solicitation is to procure a contractor-hosted, SaaS replacement workforce solution to replace the existing MWE. The new MWE solution will expand the current MWE capabilities by providing web and mobile computing technologies that enable external and internal users to perform relevant duties, all while meeting State and Federal requirements. The proposed workforce solution shall meet all requirements outlined in this solicitation.

2.2.1 Organizational Background

LABOR’s Division of Workforce Development and Adult Learning (DWDAL) is the State’s primary workforce development entity. DWDAL’s mission is to ensure that businesses have the skilled workforce they need to be competitive in today’s environment and to help people get jobs. As a division within

LABOR, DWDAL works to better serve the unemployed, jobless veterans, newly dislocated workers, trade-impacted workers, New Americans, ex-offenders, low wage workers, and individuals with barriers.

Employment services are delivered both in-person and online. DWDAL administers Federal programs that provide funding and services to help employers meet their need for skilled workers and individuals to receive training for the workforce. DWDAL is also responsible for overseeing the operation of thirty-two

(32) Maryland American Job Centers (AJCs), twelve (12) local workforce development boards, and partners with institutions to provide services to meet the needs of State businesses, job seekers, and those looking to further their careers.

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2.2.2 Current Business Environment

MWE is a hosted application with internal and external interfaces. The database platform is Microsoft SQL

Server. MWE is used to collect, manage, and report data required by USDOL that connects agencies, programs, and services electronically. DWDAL MWE captures services, tracks participant progress, gathers data used for required Federal compliance, and collects performance reporting. MWE provides integrated services via the Internet for individuals, employers, training providers, workforce staff, and

American Career Center (AJC) partners across the State.

A. Services delivered through MWE includes:

1. Online self-service options;

2. Group activities such as employment and training orientation, workshops, and hiring events;

3. One-on-one consultations and case management of enrolled program participants;

4. Job referral and placement activities;

5. Referral to training programs, providers, and other community resources;

6. Access to Unemployment Insurance (UI) information; and

7. Delivery of a comprehensive collection of labor market information.

B. DWDAL administers the following USDOL Workforce Innovations Opportunity Act (WIOA)

Programs:

1. Wagner-Peyser;

2. Adult;

3. Dislocated Worker;

4. Youth;

5. Trade Adjustment Assistance;

6. Workforce Opportunity Tax Credit;

7. Unemployment;

8. Re-employment Services;

9. Veteran Programs;

10. Workforce and Economic Development Operations;

11. Business and Economic Development; and

12. Apprenticeship.

MWE enables DWDAL to improve user satisfaction, staff efficiency, and overall performance by offering easy access to crucial reporting features that provide management with valuable information for improved service delivery, enhanced departmental performance, and accountability. The job matching services and the method for collecting, tracking, and reporting program participation and services data provides

RFP for Maryland Department of Labor Page 11 of 141 employers with online recruiting services. The online MWE recruiting services are provided through the advanced resume search tools, automated correspondence, and applicant tracking capability. MWE also provides easy access to current labor market information, allowing users to compare typical wage rates, total number of similar jobs available locally, and the level of competition for any given job.

The MWE Fiscal Year 2020 volume information is provided below:

1. Number of web hits: 2,330,542

2. Number of Job Orders: 128,775

3. New users enrolled/registered: 45,801

4. New (initial) UI Claimants enrolled/registered: 90,909

5. Number of Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) notices w/layoffs: 277

6. Employees impacted by WARN notices: 25,363

7. Employer Receiving Services: 8,004

8. Re-employment Services Completers: 43,944

The current MWE database metadata is provided below:

1. Total Tables main database = 6727

2. Size of DB and Data = 1.05 TB

3. SQL Agent and Active Batch = 78 interfaces

4. Daily Back-up Data File = 7.32 GBs

2.2.3 Project Goals and Objectives

The overarching goals are to deploy a robust intake, case management, and reporting system. The workforce solution shall be:

1. User friendly;

2. Integrated;

3. Secure;

4. A system for job seekers and employers; and

5. Meet various service requirements related to the delivery and tracking of workforce services across the State of Maryland.

Additionally, the Solution shall help the State meet all reporting requirements of USDOL's Performance

Intake Management Report (PIRL). DWDAL requires a Local Workforce Investment Board solution that provides customizable labor market information and meets USDOL performance reporting requirements.

To facilitate Federal compliance, the solution must provide advanced reporting capabilities that generate ad hoc and standard reports, including the ETA 9172, 9173 and 9169, Quarterly WIOA 9091 Annual, and

9002 ES Reports.

RFP for Maryland Department of Labor Page 12 of 141

The main objectives of this project are to:

A. Provide job seekers registration capabilities to be able to post resumes and search for job postings on demand;

B. Enable employers to create customized searches that deliver job postings and/or candidates electronically;

C. Provide advanced case management capabilities for job seekers and employers;

D. Allow State and local workforce staff the capability to record services and program participation while tracking outcomes; and

E. Provide a robust SaaS solution capable of collecting, managing, and reporting data that meets the requirements for the USDOL in accordance with the WIOA, Wagner-Peyser Act, TAA, and other related programs.

2.2.4 State Responsibilities

A. The State will provide normal office working facilities and equipment reasonably necessary for

Contractor’s performance under the Contract.

B. The State is responsible for providing required information, data, documentation, and test data to facilitate the Contractor’s work performance.

2.3 Responsibilities and Tasks

LABOR is seeking a qualified Offeror to provide a replacement workforce solution for job seekers, employers and other workforce stakeholders including case managers, training providers, workforce professionals, students and individuals seeking benefits and features. The Offeror shall be responsible for rendering the services outlined in this RFP.

2.3.1 The Contractor shall:

A. Schedule a kickoff meeting within fifteen (15) Business Days after issuance of the Notice-to-

Proceed (NTP). At the kickoff meeting, the Contractor shall furnish an updated Project Schedule describing the Contractor's activities, LABOR’s activities, and any third-party activities for fully transitioning to the Contractor’s Solution.

B. Initiate all transition-in activities including short-term milestones and details around personnel and other contractual resources needed for the project.

C. Configure and implement the replacement workforce solution in accordance with the technical requirements outlined in Appendix 5 – Technical Requirements within one (1) year of NTP.

D. Develop a migration strategy that minimizes risk and focuses on delivering resources based on the specified requirement priorities defined in Appendix 5 – Technical Requirements.

E. Provide and update a monthly project schedule for all activities until the workforce solution is deployed into the production environment and accepted by LABOR.

F. Provide a test plan indicating how individual components will be verified as fully functional, including, but not limited to, containing no broken links, appropriate user access, and correct navigation.

G. Back-up ten (10) years of data.

H. Conduct training sessions for various LABOR staff.

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2.3.2 Training

The Contractor shall:

A. Develop a training plan and approach, produce training courses and training materials, and conduct Train-the-Trainer, end-user, and technical training. Training materials shall reference appropriate system documentation and operating procedures.

B. The Contractor shall work with LABOR to assess end-user training requirements.

C. Coordinate with LABOR to arrange all training timelines and deliverables.

D. Develop a Training Plan to include the following:

1. Overall training strategy and approach addressing end-user, technical, and operational requirements.

2. Information regarding training techniques, including Train-the-Trainer, for assigned LABOR trainees.

3. Strategy to include technical requirements, desktop, and software requirements, system access requirements, required user-training security profiles, job search features, resume development, and other logistics.

4. Training materials shall include quick start guides, user manuals, how-to documentation, and

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). All training materials shall be available on the LABOR website or from within the application.

2.3.3 Technical and Operations Training

The Contractor shall:

A. Provide a combination of hands-on and classroom training for LABOR staff.

B. Conduct training sessions to train all identified staff in using the solution.

C. Provide training updates to LABOR when system documentation is updated.

D. Transfer technical knowledge during training to include:

1. Configuration of tools used in the project,

2. System table maintenance,

3. Security administration,

4. Interface operation for the extract files, and

5. Other system specific operations including the use of all system/data-related tools required to use the system.

E. Provide training materials, such as curriculums and user manuals, during all training sessions.

2.3.4 Operations & Maintenance (O&M)

The Contractor shall provide Operations and Maintenance support. Operations and Maintenance support includes monitoring, upgrading, and maintaining LABOR’s applications and IT infrastructure on a continuous basis. O&M is critical in keeping IT systems and networks secure and operating effectively and efficiently.

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2.3.5 Contractor-Supplied Software and Materials

This procurement is for a fully configured production-ready workforce solution that meets all of the

State’s workforce exchange system's technical requirements. LABOR shall not be charged for software licenses; however, a subscription fee is acceptable.

A. The Contractor shall provide fully functional Production, System Test, Training, and

Development/Interface environments.

B. The Contractor shall prepare software releases that may impact the availability of the service for validation in the system test environment. LABOR will provide authorization to proceed and will manage the distribution of these releases to the appropriate environments.

C. SaaS applications shall be accessible through a thin client from various devices such as mobile devices and workstations.

D. LABOR shall have the ability to assign user-specific application configuration settings.

E. The Contractor is responsible for the acquisition and operation of all hardware, software, and network support related to the services provided and shall keep all software current.

F. All upgrades and regulatory updates shall be provided at no additional cost.

G. The Offeror shall provide all documentation for the services furnished under the Contract.

H. Materials costs shall be passed through with no mark-up by the Contractor.

I. Any warranty period for goods and services shall commence upon acceptance of the products or services by LABOR. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, all defective items must be remedied or replaced at no charge.

2.3.6 Required Project Policies, Guidelines, and Methodologies

The Contractor shall be required to comply with applicable State and Federal laws, regulations, policies, standards, and guidelines affecting Information Technology projects, which may be created or changed periodically. Offeror is required to review all applicable links provided below and state compliance in its response.

It is the Contractor's responsibility to ensure adherence and to remain aware of new or revised laws, regulations, policies, standards, and guidelines affecting project execution. These include, but are not limited to:

A. The State of Maryland System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) methodology at:

http://doit.maryland.gov/SDLC/Pages/agile-sdlc.aspx;

B. The State of Maryland Information Technology Security Policy and Standards at:

http://www.DoIT.maryland.gov - keyword: Security Policy;

C. The State of Maryland Information Technology Non-Visual Standards at:

http://doit.maryland.gov/policies/Pages/ContractPolicies.aspx;

D. The State of Maryland Information Technology Project Oversight at:

http://doit.maryland.gov/epmo/pages/MITDP/oversight.aspx;

E. The Contractor shall follow project management methodologies consistent with the most recent edition of the Project Management Institute’s Project Management Body of Knowledge Guide.

http://www.doit.maryland.gov/

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2.3.7 Product Requirements

A. Offeror is authorized to furnish the proposed goods and services. Offerors proposing to resell services of another entity must be authorized by such other entity (See RFP Section 5.3.2).

B. No international processing for State Data: As described in Section 3.7 Security Requirements, Offerors are advised that any processing or storage of data outside of the continental U.S. is prohibited.

C. Any Contract award is contingent on the State’s agreement, during the Proposal evaluation process, to any applicable terms of use and any other agreement submitted under Section 5.3.2.

Such agreed-upon terms of use shall apply consistently across services ordered under the

Contract.

D. The Contractor shall not establish any auto-renewal of services beyond the period identified in

Contract documents.

E. In addition to any notices of renewal sent to LABOR, Contractors shall email notices of renewal to the e-mail address designated by the Contract Monitor.

2.3.8 Maintenance and Support

2.3.8.1 Maintenance and support, and Contractor’s ongoing maintenance and support obligations, are defined as follows:

A. Maintenance shall commence based on acceptance by the State of a fully configured and delivered production-ready MWE solution. This solution shall be a fully operational, robust, workforce solution to enable DWDAL to meet State and Federal requirements.

B. Software maintenance includes all future software updates and system enhancements applicable to system modules without further charge.

C. Support shall be provided for superseded versions and back versions still in use by the State.

D. For the first year and all subsequent Contract years, the following services shall be provided for the current version and one previous major version of any solution provided with the

Deliverables, commencing upon acceptance by the State:

1. Error Correction. Upon notice by the State of a problem with the solution (which problem can be verified), reasonable efforts to correct or provide a working solution for the problem.

2. Material Defects. Contractor shall notify the State of any material errors or defects in the

Deliverables known or made known to Contractor from any source during the life of the

Contract that could cause inaccurate or otherwise materially incorrect results. The Contractor shall initiate actions as may be necessary or proper to effect corrections of any such errors or defects.

3. Updates. Contractor shall provide to the State, at no additional charge, all new releases and bug fixes (collectively referred to as “Updates”) for any software Deliverable developed or published by the Contractor and made available to its other customers.

E. Operations tasks;

F. Activity reporting as requested by the State.

G. User support (Help Desk)

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1. Offeror must have Help Desk services in place for emergency events. Offeror shall supply contact information to LABOR immediately upon contract ratification.

2. Contractor shall utilize a help desk ticketing system to record and track all Help Desk calls.

The ticketing system shall record with a date and timestamp when the ticket was opened and when the ticket was closed.

3. Help Desk services shall be furnished using resources familiar with the State’s account (i.e., calls shall not be sent to a general Tier 1 call queue).

4. Help Desk services are available during Normal State Business Hours.

2.3.6.1 Technical Support

A. “Technical Support” means Contractor-provided assistance for the services or solution furnished under the Contract after initial end-user support confirms a technical issue that requires additional troubleshooting; sometimes referred to Tier II – IV support.

B. Technical Support for non-emergency issues shall be available during Normal State Business

Hours.

C. The State shall contact a Technical Support team member for an emergency issue 24 hours per day, seven days per week, 365/366 days per year.

D. Contractor Personnel providing technical support shall be familiar with the State’s account (i.e., calls shall not be sent to a general queue).

E. Contractor shall return calls for service of emergency issues (see Section 2.6 Service Level

Agreement) within one (1) hour of notification by the State.

F. Calls for non-emergency IT service requests will be returned within three (3) hours of notification from the State during Normal State Business Hours or immediately the following Business Day if after Normal State Business Hours.

G. The State shall be provided with information on software problems encountered at other locations and the solution to those problems, when relevant to the State’s solution.

2.3.6.2 Backup

As part of the configuration, the Contractor shall create a backup schedule for all application and configuration data to allow the support staff to restore the application to full operability on suitable hardware. Refer to Section 3.5.1 for additional information. The Offeror shall:

A. Perform backups of the web, application, and database servers regularly to safeguard against data loss. This shall include daily incremental backups and full weekly backups of all server volumes;

B. Retain daily backups for three (3) months and weekly backups shall be retained for seven (7) years;

C. All data backups shall be encrypted.

D. Store daily backups off-site.

2.4 Deliverables

2.4.1 Deliverable Submission

A. For every deliverable, the Offeror shall request the Contract Monitor confirm receipt of that deliverable by sending an e-mail identifying the deliverable name and date of receipt.

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B. For every deliverable, the Offeror shall submit to the Contract Monitor, by email, an Agency Deliverable Product Acceptance Form (DPAF), an example of which is provided on the DoIT web page: Deliverable Product Acceptance Form (DPAF) sample (maryland.gov).

C. Unless specified otherwise, written deliverables shall be compatible with Microsoft Office, Microsoft Project, or Microsoft Visio within two (2) versions of the current version utilized by the State. At the Contract Monitor’s discretion, the Contract Monitor may request one hard copy of a written deliverable.

D. A standard deliverable review cycle will be elaborated and agreed-upon between the State and the

Contractor. This review process is entered into when the Contractor submits a deliverable.

E. For any written deliverable, the Contract Monitor may request a draft version of the deliverable to comply with the minimum deliverable quality criteria listed in Section 2.4.3 Minimum

Deliverable Quality. Drafts of each deliverable, except status reports, are required at least two weeks in advance of when the final deliverables are due (with the exception of deliverables due at the beginning of the project where this lead time is not possible, or where the draft delivery date is explicitly specified). Draft versions of a deliverable shall comply with the minimum deliverable quality criteria listed in Section 2.4.3 Minimum Deliverable Quality.

2.4.2 Deliverable Acceptance

A. A final deliverable shall satisfy the scope and requirements of this RFP for that deliverable, including the quality and acceptance criteria for a final deliverable as defined in Section 2.4.4

Deliverable Descriptions/Acceptance Criteria.

B. The Contract Monitor shall review a final deliverable to determine compliance with the acceptance criteria defined for that deliverable. The Contract Monitor is responsible for providing clear guidance and direction to the Contractor in the event of divergent feedback from various team members.

C. The Contract Monitor will issue to the Contractor a notice of acceptance or rejection of the deliverable in the DPAF (Deliverable Product Acceptance Form (DPAF) sample (maryland.gov)).

Following the return of the DPAF indicating “Accepted” and signed by the Contract Monitor, the

Offeror shall submit a proper invoice in accordance with the procedures in Section 3.3. The invoice must be accompanied by a copy of the executed DPAF, or payment may be withheld.

D. In the event of rejection, the Contract Monitor will formally communicate in writing any deliverable deficiencies or non-conformities to the Contractor, describing in sufficient detail what shall be corrected prior to acceptance of the deliverable. The Contractor shall correct deficiencies and resubmit the corrected deliverable for acceptance within the agreed-upon time period for correction.

2.4.3 Minimum Deliverable Quality

Each deliverable shall meet the following minimum acceptance criteria:

A. Be provided in MS Office 2016 or greater

B. Be presented in a format appropriate for the subject matter and depth of discussion.

C. Be organized in a manner that presents a logical flow of the deliverable’s content.

D. Represent factual information reasonably expected to have been known at the time of submission.

E. In each section of the deliverable, include only information relevant to that section of the deliverable.

https://doit.maryland.gov/contracts/Documents/_procurementForms/DeliverableProductAcceptanceForm-DPAFsample.pdf https://doit.maryland.gov/contracts/Documents/_procurementForms/DeliverableProductAcceptanceForm-DPAFsample.pdf

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F. Contain content and presentation consistent with industry best practices in terms of deliverable completeness, clarity, and quality.

G. Meets the acceptance criteria applicable to that deliverable, including any State policies, functional or non-functional requirements, or industry standards.

H. Contains no structural errors such as poor grammar, misspellings, or incorrect punctuation.

I. Must contain the date, author, and page numbers. When applicable for a deliverable, a revision table must be included.

J. A draft written deliverable may contain limited structural errors such as incorrect punctuation and shall represent a significant level of completeness toward the associated final written deliverable.

The draft written deliverable shall otherwise comply with minimum deliverable quality criteria in the section.

K. Project Management Services shall be compliant with current Project Management Institute

(PMI) standards including all ten (10) PMBOK areas with appropriate references to the State

SDLC to manage the Contractor’s delivery approach and resources using industry-standard best-practice project management methods.

2.4.4 Deliverable Descriptions/Acceptance Criteria

The Deliverables Summary Table below identifies Deliverables due under the Contract. The Contractor may suggest other subtasks, artifacts, or deliverables to improve the assigned tasks' quality and success.

A. The Contractor shall work with the LABOR Project Manager to develop all SDLC deliverables.

SDLC deliverable templates can be found under the following link: Agile/SDLC.

B. The Contractor will be responsible for providing key content for each SDLC deliverable as directed by the LABOR Project Manager, who will be responsible for the completeness of overall project documentation.

C. For Deliverables in each SDLC Phase, the Contractor shall contribute to each document under the

LABOR Project Manager's direction.

D. Deliverables in each SDLC Phase will be sent to the Project Manager.

E. Acceptance of all deliverables will be made by the LABOR Project Manager. The Contractor’s ability to invoice will be measured against the completion of project deliverables as outlined below.

Figure 1: Deliverables Summary Table*

ID #

Deliverable

Description

Requirements Due Date /

Frequency

DEL: #01 Kick-Off meeting

The Contractor shall prepare a Kick-Off

Meeting Presentation. The Kick-Off Meeting

Presentation shall include, at minimum:

1. Introduction

2. Roles and responsibilities

3. Understanding of the scope of work

4. Timeline/schedule

5. Anticipated risks

6. Questions/Answers

No later than 15 Business Days after

NTP

https://doit.maryland.gov/SDLC/Pages/agile-sdlc.aspx

RFP for Maryland Department of Labor Page 19 of 141

DEL: #02

Project

Management Plan and Project

Schedule (Release /

Sprint Plan)

Project

Communications

Plan

Risk Management

Weekly Reporting

Project Management Plan (PMP) and Schedule shall follow the PMP template found under the following link:

https://doit.maryland.gov/SDLC/Custom/Pages/P hase03Single.aspx

The Project Management Plan shall include an

Integrated Project Schedule in MS Project format. The Integrated Project Schedule shall include the following:

1. Tasks;

2. Start and End dates;

3. Task duration;

4. Resource assignments;

5. Percentage complete per task;

6. Planned Start;

7. Planned Finish;

8. Predecessors for each task

9. Due dates for each project deliverable tasks defined no greater than 80 hours for a task;

and

10. Expectations and tasking for State or other personnel.

Project Communications Plan:

The Project Communications Plan shall keep all stakeholders informed and involved. The

Contractor shall participate in the communications activities with the stakeholders and user community. This shall include user outreach activities and contributing to periodic newsletters.

Risk Management Plan:

The Risk Management Plan shall include the identification and mitigation of risks and issues.

The Offeror will participate in the Program’s

Risk Management activities and may be required to manage or mitigate risks or issues identified throughout the course of the project activities.

Weekly Reporting:

Weekly reporting shall include the status of work planned versus completed, description of work accomplished for the previous/current period and plans for the next reporting period along with risk and issues registers, the status of software defects, price variances, and all deliverables for the previous and current month.

Draft planning document due at the time of proposal.

Final: No later than 5

Business Days after the Kick-Off Meeting.

Integrated Project

Schedule updates shall be included in the Weekly Reporting.

PLANNING PHASE

DEL: #03

Transition-In Plan

The Transition-In Plan shall, at minimum:

1. Detail all the transition activities to initiate the project, including short-term

Transition-In Plan

Draft planning documents due at the time of proposal https://doit.maryland.gov/SDLC/Custom/Pages/Phase03Single.aspx https://doit.maryland.gov/SDLC/Custom/Pages/Phase03Single.aspx

RFP for Maryland Department of Labor Page 20 of 141

Data Conversion

Plan milestones and details around personnel and other contractual resources needed for the project.

The Data Conversion Plan shall, at a minimum

1. List all legacy and target data repositories and datasets needing to be converted between new and old applications.

2. Finalize design of all data fields (sources and targets) and methods to be used to populate and include in the design document.

3. Complete Extract, Transform, Load (ETL) routines and validate accuracy of conversion and integration processes

4. Mapping of all data elements, directionality of data flow, frequency, and other database released details describing how data repositories will exchange data in a live production environment.

and updated within fifteen (15) Business

Days of Notice to

Proceed (NTP)

Data Conversion Plan delivered within

40 Business Days of the Notice to Proceed

(NTP)

Test Plan

The Test Plan shall:

1. Identify the tasks and activities needed to be performed so that all aspects of the system are adequately tested, and that the system can be successfully implemented.

2. Document the scope, content, methodology, sequence, management of, and responsibilities for test activities.

3. Describe the test activities of the subsystem

Integration Test, the System Test, the User

Acceptance Test, and the Security Test in progressively higher levels of detail as the system is developed.

documents are due at the time of proposal and updated within fifteen (15) Business

Days of Notice to

Proceed (NTP)

Training Plan

The Training Plan shall:

1. Outline the objectives, needs, strategy, and curriculum to be addressed when training users on the new or enhanced information system.

2. Present the activities needed to support the development of training materials, coordination of training schedules, reservation of personnel and facilities, planning for training needs, and other training-related tasks.

3. Include the target audiences and topics on which training must be conducted on the list of training needs.

4. Include the format of the training program, the list of topics to be covered, materials, time, space requirements, and proposed schedules.

Draft planning documents due at the time of proposal and updated within fifteen

(15) Business Days of

Notice to Proceed

(NTP)

RFP for Maryland Department of Labor Page 21 of 141

User Manual

The User Manual shall:

1. Contain all essential information for the user to make full use of the information system.

2. Include a description of the system functions and capabilities, contingencies and alternate modes of operation, and step-by-step procedures for system access and use.

Draft manual document due at the time of proposal and updated within fifteen

(15) Business Days of

Notice to Proceed

(NTP)

System

Administration

Manual

The System Administration Manual shall include:

1. System screen shots.

2. Describe the operational and administrative processes and procedures used to manage the project infrastructure and resources.

3. The facility, network, equipment, and project tools,

4. Facility management.

5. Project IT infrastructure.

6. Human resource information, and

7. Travel procedures.

Draft manual document due at the time of proposal and updated within fifteen

(15) Business Days of

Notice to Proceed

(NTP)

System Integration

Plan

The System Integration Plan shall:

1. Define the activities necessary to integrate the software units and other software systems into the MWE solution.

2. Contain an overview of the system, a brief description of the major tasks involved in the integration, and the overall resources needed to support the integration effort.

documents due at the time of proposal and updated within fifteen

(15) Business Days of

Notice to Proceed

(NTP)

Risk Management

Plan

The Risk Management Plan shall describe the planned processes and responsibilities to routinely perform risk identification, risk analysis, risk response planning, and risk control activities throughout the life cycle of the project

Risk Management Plan and Risk Log shall follow the Risk Management Plan template found under the following link:

hase03Single.aspx.

documents due at the time of proposal and updated within fifteen (15) Business

Days of Notice to

Proceed (NTP)

Data Conversion

Plan

Data Conversion Plan shall follow the Data

Conversion Plan template found under the following link:

hase05Single.aspx.

Requirements

Traceability

Matrix (RTM)

The Requirements Traceability Matrix shall provide the information that links requirements to their origins and traces them throughout the project life cycle.

Draft planning documents due at the time of proposal and updated within fifteen https://doit.maryland.gov/SDLC/Custom/Pages/Phase03Single.aspx https://doit.maryland.gov/SDLC/Custom/Pages/Phase03Single.aspx https://doit.maryland.gov/SDLC/Custom/Pages/Phase05Single.aspx https://doit.maryland.gov/SDLC/Custom/Pages/Phase05Single.aspx

RFP for Maryland Department of Labor Page 22 of 141

(15) Business Days of

Notice to Proceed

(NTP)

DEL: #04

Requirements

Traceability

Matrix (RTM)

The Requirements Traceability Matrix shall provide the information that links requirements to their origins and traces them throughout the project life cycle.

As outlined in the

Contractor’s Project

Management Plan and updated throughout the contract duration.

IMPLEMENTATION PHASE

DEL: #05

Custom

Application

Inventory

Document

The Custom Application Inventory Document shall include a complete listing of custom reports, correspondence, and associated software that is required to be developed for LABOR.

Complete inventory of custom application development requirements.

Within 60 Business

Days of the Notice to

Within 60 Business

Proceed (NTP)

System Security

Plan (SSP)

The System Security Plan (SSP) shall:

1. Contain pertinent information about the controlled data environment.

2. Identify the features and functions of a solution, including the hardware and the software installed on the system.

3. Define the security measures that are or will be put in place to limit access to authorized users and systems administrators in the secure use of the system.

4. Include details of processes for auditing and maintaining the system in addition to information about how to respond to security incidents that occur.

5. Present a comprehensive summary of all security practices and policies that will keep

State data secure.

6. Contain information from those responsible for the systems that make up the data environment, including information owners, system operators, and other stakeholders.

System Design

Document

The System Design Document shall include pertinent sections from the template available at https://doit.maryland.gov/SDLC/Pages/template s-phases.aspx.

The System Design Document shall describe the system requirements, operating environment, system and subsystem architecture, files and database design, input formats, output layouts, human-machine interfaces, detailed design, processing logic, and external interfaces.

https://doit.maryland.gov/SDLC/Pages/templates-phases.aspx

RFP for Maryland Department of Labor Page 23 of 141

DEL: #06

Data Migration

Plan

The Data Migration Plan shall be delivered to the Contract Monitor and shall include:

1. Methodology,

2. Scope, and

3. Approach for migrating data.

Definition of each data field visible to the user, including meta-data such as technical and display name(s), length, format, and content restrictions.

Include traceability where a data field is used in multiple systems under different names.

Within 80 Business

Proceed (NTP)

Interface Control

Document

The Interface Control Document (ICD) shall specify interface requirements to be met by the participating systems. It describes the concept of operations for the interface, defines the message structure and protocols which govern the interchange of data, and identifies the communication paths along which the data is expected to flow.

The Interface Control Document shall include pertinent sections from the template available at https://doit.maryland.gov/SDLC/Pages/te mplates-phases.aspx.

As outlined in the

Contractor’s Project

Management Plan and updated throughout the contract duration.

Delivery of MWE

Configured

Solution

Delivery of MWE configured solution that aligns with MWE functional and technical requirements, design specifications, configurations, and business rules identified in

Appendix 5 – MWE Technical Requirements.

Within 170 Business Days of the Notice to

Proceed (NTP)

DEL: #07 Test Report

A Test Report shall be developed at each level of testing that records the results of testing and certifies readiness for system implementation.

The Test Report shall:

1. Document software testing unit/module, subsystem integration, system, user acceptance, and security - as defined in the

Test Plan.

2. Records the results of the tests, presents the capabilities and deficiencies for review, and provides a means of assessing progression to the next stage of development or testing.

3. Be created as required in the remaining phases.

4. Provides a basis for assigning responsibility for deficiency correction and follow up, and for preparation of a statement of project completion.

Within 170 Business

Days of the Notice to

Proceed (NTP)

RFP for Maryland Department of Labor Page 24 of 141

Updates to:

1. Data Conversion

2. Implementation Plan

3. Systems

Administration

Manual

4. Training Plan

5. User Manual

6. System Security

Plan

7. Requirements

Traceability

Matrix

The Contractor shall update project plans.

The solution shall:

1. Demonstrate data exchange between

MWE legacy applications and Offeror hosted solution.

2. Demonstrate data exchange between

MWE interfaces and Offeror hosted solution.

As outlined in the

Contractor’s Project

Management Plan and

Schedule

Test Plan

The Test Plan shall identify the tasks and activities needed to be performed so that all aspects of the system are adequately tested so that the system can be successfully implemented. The Test Plan shall:

1. Document the scope, content, methodology, sequence, management, and responsibilities for test activities.

2. Describe the test activities of the

Integration Test, System Test, User Acceptance Test, and Security Test in progressively higher levels of detail as the system is developed.

3. Describe how problems, deficiencies, modifications, and refinements identified during testing or implementation are tracked under configuration control and tested.

As outlined in the

Contractor’s Project

Management Plan and

Schedule

Test Results

Report

The Test Results Report shall include the

Contractor’s actual test results for each MWE requirement for each of the following:

1. System Tests

2. Integration Tests

3. Security Tests

4. Performance Tests

5. User Acceptance Tests

Each test type shall include, but is not limited to, a detailed listing of supplied input, expected results, tested results, and pass or fail, a detailed listing of failed tests, remediation plan of failed tests, percentage of passing and failing, and critical functionality unable to pass tests that jeopardize production go-live date.

Within 170 Business

RFP for Maryland Department of Labor Page 25 of 141

Provide support for external security and penetration testing.

Production

Solution for User

Evaluation (with accompanying system and user documentation)

The Contractor shall provide the complete MWE solution for user evaluation, which includes:

1. Complete delivery of the production ready solution with migrated data, and all ancillary system interfaces and configurations included.

2. Delivery of training in accordance with the

Training Plan and Training Schedules.

3. Resolving all issues during Performance

Period for Acceptance.

Within 170 Business

Days of the Notice to

Proceed (NTP)

DEL: #08

Readiness

Document

The Readiness Document shall consolidate summary information regarding the current status of the solution and provide decision makers with the information necessary to make a “Go/No Go” decision for releasing a solution version to the operational environment. The Readiness

Document shall include:

1. A…